Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Amazon Sellers and Suppliers to Face Climate Change Stress Test in 2024
Due to growing consumer, investor, and regulatory demands to reduce carbon emissions, Amazon will require sellers and suppliers to submit their emissions data, outline their emission goals, and provide updates on the progress in their decarbonization efforts starting 2024.
While a good number of smaller suppliers and sellers are willing to do their part in reducing their emissions, full compliance is going to be a challenge we must prepare ourselves to navigate.
Climate mandates are becoming increasingly more difficult to meet. Suppliers and sellers, who are already facing a lot of economic stress, will be forced to spend more capital to further their own climate change efforts and acquire resources to meet the tracking and reporting demands. Compliance costs will most likely be considerable and challenging for all parties, but the changes will surely be burdensome for smaller scale operations.
We can grumble all we want, but this is definitely coming, and we’ll need to step up to the plate. Big picture scenario says this is definitely a positive thing and we’ll update you as this develops.
Read the full story here.
Amazon Wants to Do Away with Boxes
More on Amazon’s sustainability efforts…
Amazon recently outlined its push to “eliminate packaging altogether” through its Ships in Product Packaging Program (SIPP), which will be made available to all FBA sellers in 2024.
According to Justine Mahler, director of packaging innovation and team lead of Amazon’s SIPP program, the core tenets of SIPP are:
- Identifying the right packaging – Amazon has a vast catalog, so one of the priorities of the SIPP team is to identify the proper packaging needed to ensure that products can ship without incurring damage in transit. The SIPP team will utilize machine learning to manage broad product categories and make packaging assignments, implement testing methods developed with the International Safe Transit Association, and in some cases, work with sellers directly to redesign their packaging.
- Giving Consumers a Say – the SIPP program will still allow shoppers to opt for additional packaging in order to meet their individual needs.
This is great for the environment and can potentially mean lower fees and more savings for sellers, which seems like a win-win to us.
Will we see broader industry adoption in the near future?
Important: Monitor Your Amazon Account Security
Rafelson Law Firm recently released an urgent security alert that says there has been an uptick in account hacking cases this month.
According to the alert, hackers are using two new methods to gain unauthorized access to Amazon accounts:
- Phone SIM Cloning: The primary method hackers are using is phone SIM cloning to bypass your Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Source of Your Login Credentials: Most sellers, especially private label sellers, set up a website for their business. The websites often list a contact email and phone number. Unfortunately, many are using the same business email and phone number on their website as they are for their Amazon account. This practice makes it easy for hackers to find your essential login information, all they need is to clone your phone number and they have access.”
Simply put, if a hacker identifies that an Amazon seller’s customer service contact information from their website matches their Amazon login, they’re almost home free. The final hurdle? Bypassing the 2FA. Thanks to SIM cloning, this once-daunting task has become unsettlingly routine.
Rafelson is encouraging sellers to be proactive and to take the following preventive measures this holiday season to ensure account security:
- Review Amazon account information – make sure that the email and phone number tied to your Amazon account are kept confidential and are not disclosed anywhere on your business page.
- Change your password – update your password as soon as you feel your account has been compromised. Keep the new ones in a secure location, and take a look at authenticator apps to reinforce security.
- Take note of your Seller ID/Merchant ID – make sure to store your Seller ID/ Merchant ID somewhere safe, as Amazon can use it to help you regain access to your account should you get locked out of it.
Amazon vs the FTC: Amazon Hits Back
Amazon wants the case filed by the Federal Trade Commission last June to be thrown out.
Amazon to the federal judge:
According to Amazon, the suit, which alleges that the retail and tech titan used “dark patterns” on its website to trick people into signing up for Prime subscriptions and thwart cancellation attempts, depends on “vague and undefined concepts such as visual imbalances and manipulative design elements.”
Amazon argues that the FTC’s standards on website design and persuasive messaging are not only unclear, but also if adhered to, actually implicate all forms of marketing. Amazon stands firm that it did not make any false statements, conceal any material information from its customers, or violate any laws.
Let’s see if the scales of justice will tip to Amazon’s favor.
Read the full story here.
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- Building Trust Back in the AI Age: Amazon, Walmart, and other tech powerhouses are taking action to build back trust in the age of AI. Amazon has banded with Booking.com, Expedia, Tripadvisor, and Trustpilot to launch the international Coalition of Trusted Reviews which aims to fight fraudulent review entries and protect consumer access to trustworthy reviews hosted on their websites. Meanwhile, Walmart introduced its “Responsible AI Pledge” which outlines six core commitments including AI-usage transparency, advanced security measures, privacy protection, bias mitigation, accountability through human oversight, and full commitment to customer-centricity.
- Walmart Wants to Change the Way You Shop Forever: Walmart has the ambitious goal of leveraging AI to provide shoppers with a faster, smarter, and more personalized shopping experience.
- Square’s New Generative AI Features: Square hyped up its 10 new generative AI features sellers can use to automate operations, improve workflow speeds, and save time.
- Generative AI in Ecom to Grow to $18.2 Billion by 2032: According to research by DataHorizzon, generative AI in ecommerce is expected to grow to $18.2 billion by 2032 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 15.8%.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Changes to Required Attributes for Product Listings Paused
Due to feedback from sellers about changes to required attributes for product listings, Amazon has decided to pause this update for the time being and will provide more information in the near future.
Read the full announcement here.
Cheaper FBA Inventory Shipments from China to the US via Seller Export and Delivery
Seller Export Delivery is an Amazon Partnered Carrier Program that enables you to ship your FBA inventory from China to US fulfillment centers at a lower cost.
Designed to streamline your FBA shipping process. Seller Export Delivery can handle all aspects of FBA shipping, including custom clearances, door-to-door pickup, and delivery. Integrated into Seller Central, it offers a hassle-free FBA experience with Amazon-negotiated shipping rates, seamless payments, and end-to-end tracking.
Learn more about Seller Export and Delivery here.
Handling Time for Handmade Goods Shortened
Amazon Handmade informed sellers via email last week that it was shortening their Handling Time settings mainly because “85% of the time, sellers fulfill orders within one day of receiving an order”. Sellers, however, can still set SKU-specific handling times.
Read the full story here.
New Mobile Shopping Feature “Consult-a-Friend” Being Tested by Amazon
Amazon is currently testing a new collaborative mobile shopping feature called “Consult-a-Friend” in the US and 18 other marketplaces.
Consult-a-Friend enables shoppers to “quickly and easily request, view, and manage their friends’ feedback on products within the Amazon shopping app”. The new feature aims to help shoppers make confident buying decisions by allowing them to tap into their trusted community of shopping advisors while mobile shopping.
Learn more about Consult-a-Friend here.
This Week in Seller School
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- How to Meet Amazon’s Requirements to Sell Toys (Before the Holidays) in 2023 by Jungle Scout
- Amazon Bundles: How to Create, Sell, & Prep an FBA Bundle Listing by Your Selling Guide
- Amazon Notifications: A Guide for Sellers by SellerEngine
- Amazon PPC Budget Optimization: Best Practices and Tips by Amazon-ASIN
- Amazon Search Engine Optimization with ChatGPT for Supercharging PPC Campaigns by VServe
Podcasts
- Please Provide Evidence That You Did Not Violate Policy by ecomerceChris
- Maximizing Sales and Profits in Q4 with Three Conditional Repricing Strategies by Bqool
- How Can I Expand My PPC Campaign to Canada by AdBadger
Upcoming Seller Events 📍
Here are a few upcoming industry events that you might be interested in. Slick that hair back and start mingling, playa!
Amazon Ads Webinar: How to Optimize Your Stores to Captivate Shoppers (November 1, 2023,12:00 AM) – CST, Virtual
Go beyond the basics of store creation and explore how to maximize the impact of your Amazon store.
Eclimb Summit (November 2, 2023) – Austin, TX
“Bridge the gap between Amazon and Ecomm for D2C.”
Southern Seller Fest (November 10-12, 2023) – Sydney, Australia
“Australia’s biggest Amazon seller conference is back!”
AMZ Innovate (November 13-14, 2023) – New York City, NY
Nashville eCommerce Summit (December 12, 2023) – Nashville, TN
“A one-day gathering of local eCommerce experts and decision-makers across retailers, brands, merchants, and solutions providers.
Other Quick Clicks
- Amazon Market Watch: Halloween costume sales jump 110%; Hershey, Skittles lead in candy sales
- Amazon plans South African online store for 2024
- Amazon to integrate drones into fulfillment network for faster delivery
- Amazon rolls out robotic system at Houston warehouse to speed up deliveries
- Amazon eliminated plastic packaging at one of its warehouses
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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