system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How can certain companies (like Amazon) sell a product for less than what it would cost if it were bought at the manufacturers website? Who’s taking a loss here?

This might be a fairly simple question but I’ve always wondered why I can buy the same item for less if I just happen to buy it elsewhere that isn’t the original brand’s website.
gpt
Because a company usually sells their price at discount to second hand retailers. If the retailer is big enough, like amazon, they only have to mark it up abit to get their profit off of it. Say the original company sells 20$ boxes, but it cost hem 10$ to make. So they sell that box too amazing for 14$ since they are selling so many. Because amazon is so big and they sell so much, they can afford to sell those same boxes for 18$ instead of 20$