Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Barbie Explodes on Amazon
The success of the film “Barbie” has rekindled consumer appetite for all things Barbie, and Mattel’s soaring sales figures is a testament to Barbie-Mania:
Image from Jungle Scout
Here are some highlights from Jungle Scout’s report:
- The Margot Robbie Barbie doll and Ryan Gosling Ken doll both currently have a 100% revenue surge over the past six months, which translates to $1.1M and $1.2M in revenue, respectively. Here is the Keepa sales rank explosion for the Ken doll once the movie dropped:
- The President Barbie doll also has a 100% revenue surge and has netted $641K in sales.
- Barbie accessories such as the Hot Wheels RC Barbie Corvette, Barbie Dreamhouse, Barbie Fashion Case, Barbie Camper, and Barbie Speedboat have all seen a surge in sales, with some items even seeing a thousand-fold increase.
- “Barbiecore”, which is basically dressing up in Barbie outfits, also became a trend and as a result, the Barbie Jumpsuit (100%), Barbie Logo Shirt (255%), Ken T-Shirt (259%), and the 90s vintage Barbie Shirt (312%) have all seen triple digit percentage revenue spikes.
- The keyword “Barbie” has been searched over 1.3 million times in the last 30 days, up 30.8% MoM. You may view all trending search terms by reading the full report.
It’s official. You’re a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.
Top Prime Day Ads, Categories, and Keywords
Feedvisor recently released an extensive report on Prime Day 2023, and here are some interesting charts:
Sales attributed to ads increased by a whopping 486% compared to 30 days prior. Sponsored Product Ads also remain the most effective form of advertising for prime day.
TikTok Shopping Center Coming in August
TikTok is going for all the marbles as it launches the TikTok Shopping Center early this month.
Similar to Amazon’s model, TikTok will store, ship, and handle marketing and after-sales services for products on behalf of Chinese manufacturers and merchants. Despite political challenges and concerns over national security, TikTok seeks to capitalize on its vast user base, aiming to increase its global gross merchandise value to $20 billion this year, up from less than $5 billion the previous year.
The platform’s new e-commerce endeavor presents a challenge as it requires different expertise than a social media platform, and TikTok is investing heavily in this transition.
FTC Lawsuit Might Break Up Amazon
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is gearing up to launch a potential landmark antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, which could have transformative effects on the structure and dominance of the e-commerce giant.
What We Know So Far:
- The lawsuit could lead to a court-ordered restructuring of Amazon’s $1.3 trillion operation.
- FTC Chair Lina Khan, recognized for her Big Tech critiques, views Amazon as a modern monopolist.
- Central concerns include:
- Amazon Prime’s influence on market prices.
- Policies compelling merchants to use Amazon’s logistics and advertising services.
- Amazon’s potential tactics in prioritizing merchants who buy ads for better search results.
- The FTC has been amassing evidence, interviewing key figures like CEO Andy Jassy and founder Jeff Bezos.
- Some within the FTC and several states are hesitant about making Amazon Prime the primary focus of the lawsuit.
We will keep you posted…
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- In ecommerce, we are already seeing the creation of more efficient and virtuous digital marketplaces using AI.
- Find out how ecommerce giants such as Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, and many others are using AI to enhance their competitive edge and drive success.
- Product content is a success driver in ecommerce. Learn about the potential of generative AI for Amazon content for all types of businesses.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Lowest Commercial USPS Rates Available Now Offered by “Amazon Buy Shipping”
Amazon Buy Shipping now offers an average discount of 35% on USPS Ground retail rates, making it the provider of the lowest commercial USPS rates available today.
Aside from the huge savings on labels, Amazon Buy Shipping provides:
- A 100% valid tracking rate and automatic shipping confirmation
- A-Z claims protection for delivery-related issues and unreceived items.
You can use Amazon Buy Shipping on Seller Central via Manage Orders to purchase shipping labels with Amazon’s pre-negotiated rates, on your own software through Amazon’s Selling Partner APIs, or through select third party shipping integrators.
Learn more about Amazon Buy Shipping here, and read the full announcement here.
Orders Two Years Old and Above to be Archived in September
Orders older than two years will be archived monthly starting in September 2023. Archived orders will not contain buyers’ personally identifiable information, but will still have data fields such as purchase date, product name, ASIN, quantity, price, tax, customer-charged shipping fee, and sales channel.
Make sure to download buyer info that you’ll need for tax and accounting purposes before the end of August, or within two years the order was placed.
Read the full announcement here.
New “Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts” Page
Amazon recently launched the “Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts” page, a dedicated area where customers can view product recalls and safety information-related communication in one place.
When a recall is announced or product safety alert is issued, Amazon will send the customer a personalized email, and an alert banner that links to their personal “Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts” page will appear on their “Your Orders” page.
On the other hand, in the case of a product recall, US sellers may opt to leverage Amazon’s Recall Logistics Service (RLS). RLS notifies customers who purchased the seller’s recalled product from Amazon, and also issues refunds on behalf of the seller and manages returns.
Read Amazon’s full post here.
Premium A+ Content Module Specifications Guide Now Available
Amazon-registered brands may now access the Premium A+ Content module guide here. This guide contains all image size and text count specifications for all A+ content modules.
View the full announcement here.
This Week in Seller School
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- August 2023 Sales Tax Due Dates by TaxJar
- How to Prepare for the Prime Fall Deal Event 2023 by Jungle Scout
- Amazon Compliance Documents: What Sellers Need to Know by sellerapp
- How to Set Up Amazon’s Build International Listings Tool by eComEngine
- The Ultimate Amazon FBA Inventory Management Planning Guide by Pacvue
YouTube
- How to Build a Bulletproof Mindset as an Amazon Seller by Chris Grant
Upcoming Seller Events📍
Here are a few upcoming industry events that you might be interested in. Slick that hair back and start mingling, playa!
ASD Market Week (August 20-23, 2023) – Las Vegas, NV
Expand your merchandise mix at the largest and most comprehensive trade show for consumer merchandise in the US
eTail East (August 21 – 24, 2023) – Boston, MA
A 4-day ecommerce & omnichannel conference designed to help you increase the profits from your business.
White Label World Expo NYC (August 29-30, 2023) – New York City, NY
“Boost your product line into an industry leading brand.”
AWS Innovate – Data Edition (Augusto 30, 2023)
“Unlock the value of your data with an end-to-end strategy.”
AMZ United (August 31, 2023) – Newark, New Jersey
The premiere wholesale-focused Amazon conference.
Amazon Accelerate (September 13-14, 2023) – Seattle, Washington
Amazon’s premiere annual seller conference.
Seller Velocity Conference (October 11-12, 2023) New York City, NY
2 days focused on optimizing performance to drive brand growth
Other Quick Clicks
- Fiserv adds Amazon shop to its uChoose Rewards offering
- Amazon opens robotic fulfillment center in Detroit
- Amazon tops ranking of 75 most valuable global retail brands
- Amazon builds $120 million satellite processing hub in Florida
- Amazon’s next big sustainability push to focus on supply chain
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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