Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Amazon Seller App Updates
A few updates were pushed through the Amazon Seller app. You will notice shortcut links underneath your sales and units dashboard boxes– these will take you to your detail views with one tap.
There is also new mobile app data added to the business reports that allow you to see page views and ordered item %s by date or ASIN.
2023: E-commerce Year in Review Bangarang
Marketplace Pulse recently released its 2023 ecommerce year-in-review report, and here are some of the highlights:
Ecommerce spending grew by 7% from last year; Amazon occupies 40% of U.S. ecommerce spending.
Amazon will deliver 6 billion packages this year, outperforming FedEx and UPS. The biggest change has been Amazon opening up the power of its fulfillment infrastructure to non-Amazon channels through the Supply Chain by Amazon service.
Amazon is ramping up its efforts with Inspire, adding partnerships with Snapchat, Meta, and Instagram to bridge social media with online shopping (and to compete with TikTok).
Nearly half of the top third-party sellers on Amazon are based in China. (49.17% as of July). Over 58% of 3P sellers in Canada are based in China.
Shein, Temu, and AliExpress now get 1 billion monthly web visits combined, compared to Amazon’s 2.65 billion.
Amazon 3P sellers comprise 60% of overall units sold on Amazon, and Amazon is pocketing more than 50% of FBA seller revenue.
Amazon’s advertising business has exceeded a $40 billion annual run rate, growing 5x in size since 2018. Google and Meta, on the other hand, brought in less than half of all U.S. digital advertising this year for the first time since 2014.
China vs India as Product Sourcing Hub
China has been the hottest product sourcing hub for Amazon sellers for quite some time, but according to this podcast episode from Billion Dollar Sellers, the world’s factory is facing serious problems such as economic instability, debt, political tensions, crumbling infrastructure, and a fast declining manufacturing industry.
Amidst the trouble, India has emerged as a leading alternative sourcing destination– though they lack the infrastructure and base to be a major hub anytime soon.
India’s manufacturing sector has seen phenomenal growth in the last two years, and a number of factors have increased India’s significance to the global supply chain. In fact, Amazon has made it an objective to import $20 billion worth of products from India by the year 2025.
Maybe the USA can re-establish itself as a manufacturing monster too.
Read the full story here.
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- Amazon has adopted artificial intelligence to provide customers with review highlights and remove fake online reviews.
- To reduce apparel and shoe returns, Amazon has launched Fit Insights which can help customers determine the fit of clothes and shoes. Some sellers are skeptical if the tool can actually reduce returns.
- Alibaba is doubling down on AI tech to bring strong growth to its ecommerce division.
- Website building platform Web.com has just launched AI Builder, which can help small businesses build fully designed websites in under a minute.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Amazon MCF Fees and Size Tiers Update
Starting February 5, 2024, Amazon will be raising Multi-Channel fulfillment fees. On average, MCF fees will increase by 3.5% across all delivery speed options. However, for units with shipping weights less than 1 lb, MCF fees will remain unchanged, or be slightly lower than current rates for standard speeds. Click here to view the 2024 rates.
Also, Amazon will be introducing a new smaller size tier of 4 oz, and adding Large Bulky and Extra-Large size tiers to replace the current Oversize size tiers. You can view the new size tiers here.
Sale of Water Beads Banned Starting December 22
The sale of water beads for use by children will not be allowed in Amazon US and CA starting December 22, 2023. Water beads have been deemed a life-threatening hazard if swallowed.
Make sure to remove product listings of water beads that indicate any association with children.
Amazon will be removing listings of water beads if they:
- Refer to children, or use terms like “child,” “kids,” “youth,” “boys,” and “girls”
- Include images of children with the product
- Describe their use of a toy or use terms as “sensory play,” “arts,” or “crafts”
New Seller Apps Added to Appstore
The following apps are now available in Amazon’s appstore:
- Skai
- Intuit Quickbooks Online
- Eprolo
- ShipMonk
- Acumatica Cloud ERP
- Spocket
- OneStone
- CommerceIQ
- Salesforce Intelligence
View the full list of newly added apps here.
New Shoppable A+ Content Module
Comparison Chart 1, Amazon’s new Premium A+ Content module, is now shoppable and enables customers to do the following:
- Add items to their cart directly from the module
- See real-time prices for in-stock and buyable items
- Read customer review ratings summaries
With a 2x higher cart conversion rate compared to Premium Comparison Chart modules which aren’t shoppable, Comparison Chart 1 allows customers to compare different products on a single page and streamlines the purchase decision process.
Learn more here.
Upload Videos in Multiple Languages to Your Detail Pages
You can now upload videos in secondary languages to your product detail pages.
When uploading a video via Seller Central, you may now select a language supported by your store.
Click here to get started.
Run A/B Tests with Your Brand Story Content
Amazon-registered brands with eligible products can now run A/B Tests on Brand Story Content with the Manage Your Experiments tool.
Found on the detail page under “From the Brand”, Brand Story enables you to share with your customers your brand’s story with carousel displays, image and text cards, and links to more of your products. Running A/B Tests will allow you to optimize your Brand Story content to better highlight your brand story and create more selling opportunities.
Learn more about A+ Brand Story here.
This Week in Seller School
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- The 2024 Guide to Amazon FBA Reimbursements by Refunds Manager
- The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Performance Advertising by Seller App
- Amazon Conversion Rate Mastery: Strategies to Skyrocket Your Sales by Amazon-ASIN
- Amazon Sales Strategies for Market Domination by Seller Engine
Podcasts
- Items Beginner Amazon Sellers Should Focus on Reselling by Full-Time FBA
- Amazon PPC Strategy and Insights Deep Dive by Helium 10
- How to Get the Most Out of Your Listing Optimization by Seller Sessions
Upcoming Seller Events 📍
Here are a few upcoming industry events that you might be interested in. Slick that hair back and start mingling, playa!
Online Seller Cruise (January 21 – January 28, 2024) -Port Miami, FL
Learn about the tools you’ll need for today and tomorrow’s market, connect with other sellers and relax!
Ecommerce Experience Evolution (February 22 – 24, 2024) – Miami, FL
The most inspiring ecommerce event in Miami.
eTail 25 Years (February 26 – 29, 2024) – Palm Springs, FL
Experience the transformation from leading retailers into actionable how-to’s that breathe life into your omnichannel business.
The Prosper Show (March 4-6, 2024) – Las Vegas, NV
Where established Amazon, Walmart and other sellers network, connect, and learn how to make businesses more profitable.
ASD Market Week (March 10 – 13, 2024) – Las Vegas, NV
Considered to be the most comprehensive trade show for consumer merchandise in US retailers and distributors of all sizes.
Other Quick Clicks
- Top Amazon Product Categories in 2024
- Amazon offers new holiday delivery features
- Amazon files motion to dismiss FTC antitrust lawsuit
- Zulily sues Amazon, alleges price-fixing
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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