In the crowded marketplace of Amazon, a small line of text can make a huge difference: '1K+ bought in past month'. This simple statement is one of Amazon's most effective forms of social proof, a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in an attempt to undertake behavior in a given situation. This guide delves into what this metric means for shoppers and sellers, and how to track it programmatically.
For Shoppers: A Powerful Signal of Trust and Popularity
When you're deciding between two similar products, seeing that one has been purchased by thousands of people recently can be a powerful tie-breaker. For customers, the 'bought in past month' badge provides:
- Instant Social Proof: It confirms that a product is popular and in demand, reducing the perceived risk of making a bad purchase.
- Quality Assurance: While not a direct measure of quality, high sales volume suggests that many previous buyers were satisfied.
- Trend Identification: It helps you quickly spot what's currently trending or popular in a category.
- Decision Confidence: It simplifies the decision-making process by highlighting a community-endorsed choice.
For Sellers: A Key Indicator of Sales Velocity and Market Position
For sellers, the 'bought in past month' badge is more than just a vanity metric; it's a direct reflection of sales velocity and a powerful tool for conversion. A strong purchase activity badge can lead to a virtuous cycle: higher visibility leads to more sales, which in turn strengthens the social proof, leading to even more sales.
Amazon displays this data in buckets (e.g., 50+, 100+, 1K+), and getting into a higher tier can significantly impact your product's performance. According to a 2023 analysis by Momentum Commerce, the data is highly accurate, matching actual sales figures over 90% of the time. Sellers should focus on:
- Building Sales Momentum: Especially before peak shopping seasons like Prime Day or Black Friday, driving sales can ensure your product displays a strong 'bought in past month' figure, making it more attractive to the influx of shoppers.
- Competitive Analysis: This metric provides a surprisingly accurate, at-a-glance view of your competitors' sales performance.
- Marketing and Promotions: Use ad campaigns and deals to boost sales velocity and achieve a higher badge tier, which can then sustain organic sales long after the promotion ends.
For Developers: Tracking Purchase Activity with the Easyparser API
While this data is valuable, manually tracking it across hundreds of products is impossible. This is where an API like Easyparser becomes essential. The `bought_activity` object, available in both the SEARCH and DETAIL operations, provides this data in a structured format.
The `bought_activity` Object
When you make a request to Easyparser, the response for a product will contain an object like this:
{
"bought_activity": {
"raw": "800+ bought in past month",
"value": 800,
"period": "past month"
}
}The object provides three key pieces of information:
raw: The exact string displayed on Amazon (e.g., "800+ bought in past month").value: The integer value of the sales bucket (e.g., 800).period: The timeframe of the activity ("past month" or "past week").
Python Example: Fetching Sales Velocity for a List of Products
This Python script demonstrates how to use the Easyparser SEARCH operation to retrieve the purchase activity for the top products for a given keyword.
import requests
import json
# Easyparser API request parameters
params = {
"api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
"platform": "AMZ",
"domain": ".com",
"operation": "SEARCH",
"keyword": "lego sets for adults"
}
# Execute the request
api_result = requests.get("https://realtime.easyparser.com/v1/request", params)
response_data = api_result.json()
search_results = response_data.get("result", {}).get("search", [])
print("Sales Velocity for Top LEGO Sets:")
for product in search_results:
title = product.get("title")
bought_activity = product.get("bought_activity")
if bought_activity:
print(f"- {title[:60]}... -> {bought_activity.get("raw")}")
Conclusion: From Social Proof to Market Intelligence
The 'bought in past month' badge is a prime example of how a simple piece of data can shape consumer behavior and competitive landscapes. For shoppers, it's a beacon of trust. For sellers, it's a target for sales velocity and a tool for conversion. For developers and analysts, it's a quantifiable metric for market share and product momentum. By using an API like Easyparser, brands can move beyond manual observation and integrate this critical social proof data directly into their analytics workflows, turning a simple line of text into actionable market intelligence.
References
[1] Momentum Commerce. (2023). The Story & Data Behind those ‘Bought in Last Month’ Fields on Amazon Searches. Retrieved from: https://www.momentumcommerce.com/amazon-serp-bought-in-last-tags/
[2] Gorilla ROI. (2023). Social Proof Amazon Ultimate Guide. Retrieved from: https://www.gorillaroi.com/social-proof-amazon/
[3] Easyparser Documentation. (n.d.). Search Operation Response. Retrieved from: https://easyparser.gitbook.io/easyparser-documentation/real-time-integration/search/response
