Ideas for big Q4 sales

Every other week, we share quick bites of Amazon seller news, tips, and other goodies. Here is a quick roundup of seller snacks to munch on:

$75 Billion for Cyber Monday?

Global management consulting firm Bain forecasts that the Black Friday to Cyber Monday shopping period this year will reach a record-breaking $75 B for the first time ever, growing by about 5% year over year.

The significance of this shopping weekend is highlighted by proprietary credit card data and analytics from Bain, which reveals Black Friday to be consistently ranked as a top sales day, claiming the top and number 2 spots in recent years.

With this year’s Christmas Day falling midweek, it’s anticipated that Black Friday will reclaim the number one spot in top shopping days this year.

 

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Upcoming Holiday Trends & Simple Ideas for Selling More This Q4

According to gumgum, these are the key holiday trends that will shape how shoppers engage with brands and make their purchasing decisions. We have broken this down into a quick guide with action steps to increase your sales.

Certain sections are relevant for ALL sellers, and others more for brand owners:

1. Omnichannel Shopping is Booming

76% of U.S. consumers will use 3+ channels while holiday shopping

What this means for you:

  • Customers might research on social media before buying on Amazon
  • They’re comparing prices across multiple platforms
  • They’re watching product reviews on YouTube and other channels

Key action steps:

  • Set up Amazon Attribution to track which external channels drive your sales
  • Focus on Amazon Live during peak shopping times – live demos have shown up to 5x higher conversion rates

2. Price-Conscious Shoppers Are the Majority

66% prioritize deals, 79% looking for more affordable options

What this means for you:

  • Early bird shoppers are actively looking for deals starting in October
  • Customers are more likely to compare prices than ever
  • Value proposition needs to be crystal clear

Key action steps:

  • Schedule Lightning Deals for high-traffic times (especially 6-10 PM in your main time zones)
  • Create bundles that offer better value than individual products while maintaining profitability

3. Mobile Commerce is King

30% of holiday eCommerce spending will be mobile, continuing upward trend

What this means for you:

  • Mobile-first shopping experience is crucial
  • Quick loading times and easy navigation are essential
  • Mobile-friendly images and content are non-negotiable

Key action steps:

  • Optimize your top 5 product images for mobile (main image should be clear at thumbnail size)
  • Keep bullet points under 200 characters each for better mobile display

4. Personalization Drives Sales

50% of holiday shoppers are also buying for themselves

What this means for you:

  • Customers want relevant recommendations
  • Self-gifting is a major opportunity
  • Contextual advertising is more important than ever

Key action steps:

  • Set up Sponsored Display ads targeting complementary products in your category
  • Create separate collections in your Store for “Gifts for Others” and “Treat Yourself”

5. AI Integration is Essential

74% believe AI helps find best deals, 69% say it helps discover new products

What this means for you:

  • Amazon’s AI will be crucial for product discovery
  • Automated pricing tools will be more important
  • Customer service automation could be a differentiator

Key action steps:

  • Use Amazon’s automated pricing tools with set floor prices to stay competitive while protecting margins
  • Optimize your listings with backend search terms updated for holiday shopping patterns

Key Timeline for Implementation

  1. NOW (Pre-October): Most Critical Task: Audit your top 25% of products – optimize listings and secure inventor
  2. October: Most Critical Task: Launch early bird deals on your highest-margin products
  3. November: Most Critical Task: Focus ad spend on your best-performing products during peak shopping days
  4. December: Most Critical Task: Highlight guaranteed delivery dates prominently in your listings

Ready or not here it comesssssss.

Read more at gumgum.

 

More Black Friday Splurge / 2023 Data Points

Here are some cool stats that show how impactful the Black Friday Shopping weekend is in retail and ecommerce:

Sales & Revenue

  • Online sales reached a record $9.8B on Black Friday 2023
  • Global online sales grew 8% YoY, reaching $70.9B
  • Average consumer spent $256 during Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined

Shopping Behavior & Demographics

  • 230 million shoppers participated in the US
  • 68% of shoppers globally planned to shop online
  • 62% bought Christmas presents for friends and loved ones
  • Gen Z was highly active but spent the least, averaging $165 per person

Digital Commerce Trends

  • 79% of Cyber Week ecommerce traffic came from mobile devices
  • Conversion rates:
    • Overall online stores: 4.3% (vs 2.5% annual average)
    • Desktop: 6.5%
    • Mobile: 3.2%
  • 42% of shoppers prefer apps over mobile websites
  • 48% use social media to discover deals

Platform & Category Performance

  • Amazon saw a 180% increase in repeat purchases YoY
  • Average discount across categories: 31%
  • Top product categories:
    • Electronics
    • Clothing
    • Toys
    • 57% of consumers looked for deals in these categories

Channel Performance

  • In-store sales grew only 1.1% compared to 6.3% for online sales
  • Online sales dominated with 70% of all purchases
  • Mobile sales contributed to 54% of online revenue

 

Prime Big Deal Days 2024 Was a Big Deal

Prime Big Deal Days 2024 is in the books, and as usual, Amazon is being coy and its announcement wrapping up the sales event was scant in details.

We did a bit of digging, and here’s what we know about what transpired during the two-day sales event:

Key Results:

  • Global Prime member savings exceeded $1B
  • Independent sellers reported record sales vs 2023

Top Shopping Categories:

  1. Household Essentials (24%)
  2. Apparel & Shoes (22%)
  3. Home Goods (22%)
  4. Beauty & Cosmetics (21%)
  5. Health & Wellness (19%)

Consumer Behavior:

  • 55% compared prices across retailers before purchasing
  • 46% bought previously desired items on sale
  • 27% shopped for everyday items
  • 21% stocked up on sale items
  • 24% purchased holiday gifts
  • 86% plan to shop on Amazon again for holiday items

 

OA News, Tips, & Tricks

  • The Hottest Toys of 2024 – click here to view toys that will be very much in demand this Q4 from Amazon’s “Toys We Love” 2024 list.
  • Most Recent Brand Gatings – according to this post on X, the following brands have been re-gated (many of the gatings were for sellers outside the US): LEGO, Fisher-Price, Funko, Revlon, Vaseline, The Ordinary.
  • Section 3 Suspension – Step-by-Step Guide to Reinstatement – Section 3 suspensions don’t have to be OA business killers. Watch this and learn how to avoid common pitfalls and how to recover your account and keep your business running.
  • No Expiration Date? No Problem! – if you sell cosmetics that don’t have expiration dates, use Check Cosmetic or Check Fresh. Just by entering the lot number, you can determine the manufacturing date and general shelf life of your product.
  • No More Bad Buys – with Q4 sourcing at its fever pitch, it’s important to know the right questions to ask before pulling a trigger on a product lead. Click here for an entire list of questions to ask and answer to make sure each buy is a winner.
  • Important Q4 dates – click here to see the most important remaining dates for Amazon sellers this Q4.
  • Young College Student Builds a 7-Figure OA Business – in this pod episode, a young OA seller talks about how he utilized the model of going deep on high-demand, easily sourced while buying online in bulk to build a 7-figure OA business.

 

Important Amazon Seller Updates

Policy Update: Product Bundling for Consumables – Amazon has just updated its product bundling policy for consumables in the grocery, pet product, baby product, and health and beauty categories.

Effective October 14, sellers can only list bundles that are created and offered by the original manufacturer who must be the brand owner for all the items in the bundle. Sellers can no longer mix products manufactured by different companies in the same bundle, nor could they list a bundle under their brand or “Generic” brand.

Click here to learn more about the updated policy.

What does this update exactly mean?

  • Rebranding is now prohibited. If you are a reseller, you can no longer add your IP to bundles by adding a key differentiator or content not manufactured by the brand.
  • You can no longer create a product bundle under the “Generic” label.
  • Product bundles are now required to have its branded GS1 barcode clearly displayed in product images. Product bundles are no longer eligible for GTIN exemptions.
  • You are only allowed to list bundles created and offered by the original manufacturer, who must be the brand owner for all the items in the bundle.

For now, this update only affects consumable products. We’ll keep you updated how this policy update will affect products that aren’t.

Clarifications on Invoice Requirements for Appealing Policy Violations – Amazon also recently made some clarifications on invoice requirements for appealing policy violations.

The two most important clarifications are:

  1. Invoice submitted needs to be within the past 365 days.
  2. Amazon has specified what they are looking for in an invoice/receipt: “Your supplier should have a strong web presence that can be verified through government resources such as business tax registration numbers, where applicable, or other third-party sources such as brand websites or directories.

Great development, as sellers now have a clear idea on what Amazon is looking for when verifying the validity of your supply chain. Hope this makes for a more streamlined appeals process.

The New Deferred Transactions Report – Amazon has now added a new “Deferred Transactions” status on the Payments Dashboard to provide visibility to reserved sales proceeds.

Seller-Fulfilled Prepaid Returns via UPS for Large and Heavy Items Now Available – effective November 4, Amazon will be updating the Amazon Prepaid Return Label program to provide UPS prepaid labels for seller-fulfilled returns of large and heavy items.

New FBA Shipment Notifications – for better shipment visibility, Amazon will now be emailing you notifications if your FBA shipments that use full truckload, less than truckload, and intermodal shipping modes encounter any changes or delays.

Compliance Fast-Track – Amazon has just launched Compliance Fast-Track, a program which helps sellers streamline their product compliance experience.

Save 15% Sending Your FBA Shipment from the US to the UK – Seller Export and Delivery (SEND) rates have significantly dropped since July, and sellers can now save as much as 15% when they send their FBA shipments from the US to the UK via SEND.

 

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