Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Have a Gander at Amazon’s New Campus in Arlington, VA
Amazon recently completed the first phase of construction on its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and shared a first look inside its new campus. The HQ2 project, which places a strong emphasis on environmental efficiency, incorporates eco-friendly features such as low-carbon concrete, mass timber, 100% renewable energy, and water-conservation features.
Loving the new digs, Jeff.
Pudgy Penguins Makes Smashing Debut on Amazon
In a powerful display of real-life utility for its NFTs, Pudgy Penguins totally crushed their Amazon debut as it sold 20,000 physical toys worth over $500,000 just mere days into their launch.
Each Pudgy toy comes with a QR code that gives owners access to Pudgy World, which is tied to a blockchain wallet, Soulbound NFT, and Tradeable NFT accessible through email address sign up. Pudgy Penguins is also expected to hit the shelves of the biggest retail and specialty stores worldwide, although no date has been specified yet.
Read the full story here.
You Can Now Send Marketing Emails to Your Loyal Customers on Amazon
The new Brand Tailored Audience feature in the Manage Your Customer Engagement tool enables you to send your loyal customers tailored marketing emails.
You can now leverage the tool to announce exciting product launches and exclusive deals.
In the new repeat customer section, you can easily identify customers who have made at least two purchases from your brand within the last 12 months. Every week, you’ll receive updates on new customers who qualify to receive your brand marketing emails
To create an email campaign, just navigate to the Brands section and click on Customer Engagement. There are specific requirements you must meet before being able to use the tools.
This is huge news for brand owners.
Amazon Still the King of Product Searches
PowerReviews surveyed 8,153 US consumers last March 2023 and found that Amazon remains the most popular starting point for online shoppers.
Of the 8,153 respondents, 53% were Millennials, 29% were from Gen X, 10% were Baby Boomers, and 8% were from Gen Z.
Here is where respondents said they start searching when shopping online:
Interesting to note though that Gen Z preferred Google to Amazon as their starting point (38% to 36% respectively), and is also the age group most likely to start their shopping process on social media (5%).
Read the full results of the survey here.
Shein Launches Third-Party Marketplace in the US
Just a month after launching in Brazil, Fast-fashion giant Shein has launched a third-party marketplace in the US and is already hosting hundreds of American sellers including Costway and Cape Robbin.
The global marketplace rollout has been described by industry experts as “slow” and “modest,” and will also have to face looming challenges such as onboarding more American sellers and competing against rivals such as Temu, which has been expanding rather quickly recently.
Shein, though, remains a very interesting proposition for 3p sellers because of its huge audience of Gen Z consumers and heavy traffic to its site. Will it be big enough though to battle it out with the likes of Amazon? Stay tuned.
Read the full story here.
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- Amazon now leverages AI for enhanced logistics and expedited delivery solutions.
- Amazon recently introduced an updated slate of Echo devices and pledged to bring Chat-GPT-style AI to Alexa-powered gadgets.
- Open AI just launched an iOS app for Chat GPT and promises an Android version is coming soon.
- ChatGPT rolled out internet access and plugins that will let you connect your prompts to various tools. Here’s a list of the current plugins
- AI-generated ads will be Amazon, Google, and Meta’s next frontier.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Updated Daily Budgeting Policy and Options for Sponsored Ads
Amazon has updated its daily budgeting policy for Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads to offer more flexibility in ad spending.
The updated policy allows you to use budgets from previous days when spend is below your daily budget during high-traffic days to maximize ad results.
This sponsored ads update will be available to all Amazon marketplaces.
Custom Audience Creation and Activation Feature Now Available on Amazon Marketing Cloud
Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) has introduced a feature enabling advertisers to build and activate custom audiences for Amazon DSP campaigns using SQL queries. The tool allows advertisers to set audience refresh frequencies and to create more targeted audiences from diverse inputs, improving ad relevance. Advertisers can monitor performance and continuously optimize through AMC’s analytics. Success stories include Beekeeper’s Naturals achieving 33% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) and SimpliSafe increasing ROAS by 109% using AMC Audiences.
This Week in Seller School…
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- How to Discover the Hottest Niches with the Amazon Product Opportunity Explorer by sellerapp
- What to Sell on Amazon FBA in Q2 2023 by Jungle Scout
- How to Make Great Amazon Video Ads by AMZ Advisers
- Amazon Generative AI – All Tools Explained by Medium
- How Sellers Can Make the Most of Amazon Marketplace’s Data-Driven Environment by Total Retail
- What to Do When Amazon Loses Your Inventory by AMZ Tracker
- Overcoming Common Challenges: Amazon Removal Orders by Henry Polanco of Envision Horizons
YouTube
- Lower These 3 Amazon Costs to SAVE Your Profit Margins by Jungle Scout
Podcasts
- A Fast Launch Option to the European Marketplace by The Smartest Amazon Seller
- Ridiculously Easy and Proven Ways to Capture Attention on Amazon and Sell More by AM/PM Podcast
- 3 Amazon Seller Truths That Nobody Else Is Going to Tell You by Full-Time FBA
Upcoming Seller Events ????
Here are a few upcoming industry events that you might be interested in. Slick that hair back and start mingling, playa!
Growth Labs (May 30-31, 2023) – Austin, TX
“Keep your finger on the pulse of retail media.”
SellerCon (June 1-3, 2023) – Austin, TX
“The most powerful tool to elevate your business.”
Amazon Ads Summit (June 6-7, 2023, Virtual)
Learn how to optimize your advertising strategy to grow your business.
European Seller Conference (June 6 – 10, 2023) – Prague, Czech Republic
“Meet Amazon sellers from across the globe.”
Amazon PowWow (July 12-13, 2023) – Palm Beach, FL
“Serious networking. Serious Learning. Serious Fun, A new standard in Amazon events.”
Retail Innovation Summit (June 13-15) – Chicago, IL
Get inspired by retail’s most innovative minds and see their ideas in action.
Midwest e-Com Conference 2023 (July 19 -21, 2023) – Minneapolis, MN
“Created by fellow sellers for our fellow sellers.”
Other Quick Clicks
- A Timeline of Amazon’s Efforts to Curb Counterfeit Selling
- Amazon One Rolls Out Age Verification, So Now You Can Buy Beer and Alcohol with Just Your Palm
- Evri Bags Seller Fulfilled Prime Carrier Status for Amazon Prime Online Deliveries
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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