aStore is an Amazon.com affiliate product which website owners can use to create an online store on their site. The program is free and is available world-wide. The aStore interface is intended to be accessible to those with basic HTML skills, using configuration pages to customize the content and design.
The store does not allow website owners to sell their own products directly. Website owners pick products from Amazon’s store and earn advertising referral fees on the products purchased by their readers. The current fee structure ranges from 4% to 15% of the product price; with a cap for electronics, and a few exclusions.
The “aStore” itself is a giant widget that is not meant to be used as a free standing site. It is hosted on Amazon’s computers and is meant to be integrated into an independent website or blog. The aStore program does not actually require the use of an aStore. A website owner may chose not to use it, and instead take advantage of the data, images, links, and other widgets that Amazon provides its associates. These may be used in conjunction with, or without the aStore.