Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Will Boxless Deliveries Decrease FBA Fees?
In 2022, an estimated 260 million packages were stolen from all merchants. That is a HUGE number.
Despite this, Amazon is piloting increased boxless deliveries to boost speed, reduce costs, and achieve sustainability goals. In 2022, around 11% of Amazon’s deliveries were sent without their signature boxes.
While there’s concern about increased theft, some argue that boxless packages could deter thieves since potential rewards become more predictable. Package thefts, often committed by “porch pirates” attracted to the unpredictability of boxed items’ value, rose to 260 million in 2022.
While boxless shipping may be set as the default, Amazon customers can opt for Amazon packaging at no extra cost. Despite these changes, certain items like dangerous goods and ultra-magnum condoms will still be boxed for safety and privacy.
If the trend picks up, will this also reduce FBA fees? Or, will there be other fees needed to replace them? (like new product packaging requirements, etc)
Amazon Drops 27 of Its 30 Private Label Brands
Amazon has been criticized for allegedly favoring its own products at the expense of outside sellers on its platform.
In a move to appease the FTC and address antitrust scrutiny, Amazon is dropping 27 of its 30 private label clothing brands – only retaining Amazon Essentials, Amazon Collection, and Amazon Aware.
This move will leave Amazon with fewer than 20 in-house brands. It did, however, sneak in Wholefoods private label despite the cutbacks.
On a side note, Amazon officials have been called on by the FTC for a “last-rites” meeting, which is most likely the last step prior to the government agency filing the antitrust suit against the ecommerce titan.
Will these moves create more opportunity for non-Amazon brands?
Amazon sellers:
Read the full story here.
Big Deal Days… (yet Another Prime Event)
Amazon has announced that it was holding Prime Big Deal Days – a Prime Day-like shopping event for Prime members – this October. This will take place in 19 countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil. Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the US, and the UK.
You can view the announcement from Doug Herrington (CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores) here.
Also, it’s amazing that some 3P sellers are resorting to commenting on Linked In posts with customer support cases. 🙄
Amazon Projects $138 to $143 Billion in Net Sales for Q3
Amazon is forecasting net sales of $138 to $143 billion in net sales for Q3 – a potential growth of 9 – 13% YoY compared to the same quarter in 2022.
Amazon is also seeing a huge increase in its operating income, forecasting it to be in the vicinity of $5.5 to $8.5 billion. In Q3 2022, the operating income was at $2.5 billion.
May these increases also hit your seller account… 🙂
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- To ease the process of searching and reading customer reviews, Amazon is now leveraging AI to make product review summaries which highlight the items’ features and frequently mentioned customer sentiments about the products.
- According to reports, Amazon is currently testing a new AI-powered seller tool that generates titles and descriptions for product listings. Other ecommerce platforms like BigCommerce, Shopify, and Wix have announced similar AI-powered features.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime to Reopen October 1
Seller Fulfilled Prime will be reopening on October 1, 2023, and to be able to enroll, sellers must be able to pre-qualify to start the 30-day SFP trial.
Here are the pre-qualifications:
- Have a domestic US address as your default shipping address
- Have an Amazon Professional selling account
- Meet the following criteria over the past 90 days:
- Self-fulfilled at least 100 packages
- Cancellation rate less than 2.5%
- Valid tracking rate greater than 95%
- Late shipment rate less than 4%
To be able to enroll, you must be able to meet all of the requirements of the SFP program during the trial period.
Read the full announcement here.
FBA Inventory Dates for Holiday Deal Events
Make sure to get your FBA inventory in time at US fulfillment centers to stay in stock during Amazon holiday deal events. Take note of the following dates:
- For the Prime Fall Deal Event, make sure your inventory arrives by September 12.
- For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, make sure your inventory arrives by October 26.
Take note that Amazon’s date recommendations are just estimations and may change. Lol.
This Week in Seller School
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- Small & Light Program Cancellation: Everything You Need to Know by Bqool
- Keepa Review: What is it and Why is it so Important for Amazon Sellers? by Clear the Shelf
- Amazon Global Selling: Guide for Online Sellers by AMZ Advisers
- Amazon Market Watch: Pet Product Powerhouses by Jungle Scout
Podcasts
- When to Stock Up on Your Q4 Inventory by Full-Time FBA
- Mastering the Suppressed Buy Box on Amazon by The Next Amazon Top Seller
- Winning Easy and Big in Amazon Spain and Italy by The Smartest Amazon Seller
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.
Amazon Webinar: Seller Cost Savings Program – Amazon Business (August 22, 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT)
Learn more about saving money when selling on Amazon Business.
Amazon August Webinars (August 22 – 31, 2023) – Virtual
Learn how to use self-service advertising products such as Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and Stores to build your brand on Amazon.
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 (August 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.
Chicago eCommerce Summit (September 6, 2023) – Chicago, IL
“A one-day gathering of Chicago’s eCommerce experts and decision-makers across retailers, brands, merchants, and solution providers.”
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
- Amazon’s impact on Europe
- Amazon dishing out free NFTs to over 200 million Prime subscribers
- Amazon launches local business delivery network
- Amazon takes more “fake review brokers” to court
- The demise of Google’s Shopping Marketplace and its implications for retailers
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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