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:

No Fee Increases, No New Fees for Amazon Sellers Next Year

For the over two million independent sellers on Amazon, the holidays are here early! Amazon just put a breath mint in and is kissing your neck softly by the candlelight.

They recently announced that they won’t be raising FBA fees nor introducing new seller fees in 2025. Moreover, Amazon is also lowering some of its fees starting January 15, 2025.

Now, we still aren’t sure if they are about to slip a drug into your drink, but it feels nice so far…

According to Amazon, its shift to a regional fulfillment model has enabled it to continuously lower its costs, allowing the ecommerce titan to avoid hiking its FBA fees.

This announcement comes almost exactly a year after sellers were bamboozled by Amazon’s new seller fees. The new fees related to inbound shipping and low inventory levels sparked seller outrage and even got the government involved via an FTC probe.

While it has yet to be seen how this reprieve will positively impact sellers, especially those who have been forced to adjust their businesses, it will provide sellers some breathing room and enable them to focus on profitability, optimization, and diversifying inbound supply options.

Important Amazon Seller Updates Fo Yo’ Bad Self

No Fee Increases, No New Fee Types in 2025 – Great news! Aside from not increasing US referral and FBA fees and not introducing any new fee types in 2025, Amazon will also be lowering some fees and providing additional benefits to support new selection growth.

Quick summary of 2025 fee changes:

Lower inbound placement service fees (average of $0.58 per unit for minimal shipment splits) for large bulky-size products – effective January 15, 2025.
Waived inbound placement service fees for new parent ASINs that qualify for the FBA New Selection Program and are included in shipments created between December 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
Available on the Seller Benefits page starting January 15, 2025 – additional incentives for adding certain new selections in the Amazon store.

You Can Now Edit Coupon Discounts – Amazon just launched a new feature that allows you to increase discount amounts for active coupons without having to recreate the coupon.

New Consumer Search Trends & Insights Report– The new Consumer Search Trends & Insights report gives you visibility into top search terms and trends to help you understand what customers are looking for and what they are buying.

Limited-Time Coupon Fee Reimbursement for New FBA Selection – From today until January 31, 2025, Amazon will be reimbursing you for the $0.60 per-redemption coupon fee for coupons on newly launched Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA Selection). This promo applies to FBA offers on products that first became buyable after November 2, 2024. Reimbursements will be auto-credited to your Seller Central account by February 28, 2025.

Scroll down to Important Amazon Updates to read the full announcement.

Amazon Offers the Lowest Online Prices – Study

According to an independent study from Profitero, Amazon offers the lowest online prices compared to all major US retailers. This has been consistent for 8 years now.

Ideal situation:

Buyers believe Amazon has the lowest prices and frequent the marketplace
The lowest prices are actually only a small % of Amazon’s full product line, thus creating an opportunity for 3P Sellers to make money on the flips of the non-lowest priced items.

The study, which compares online prices for more than 13,000 products across 22 major US online retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, CVS, and Walgreens reveals that Amazon leads as the lowest-priced online retailer with an average price advantage of 14% over its rivals.

Key findings of the study:

Amazon offers the lowest prices across 15 product categories analyzed. Product categories include baby, beauty, packaged food and beverage, health and personal care, household supplies, pet supplies, and vitamins and supplements.
Amazon prices on “everyday essentials” are 6% lower than the prices of major US retailers. “Everyday essentials” refer to products in the baby, beauty, health and personal care, household supplies, pet supplies, and vitamins and supplements.

Independent Sellers See Record Sales During Prime Big Deal Days 2024

Independent sellers are off to a strong start this holiday season.

According to Amazon’s holiday shopping data, independent sellers saw record sales in this year’s Prime Big Deal Days Event which sold more than 500 million items from small and medium-sized businesses.

Last year, 4.5 billion products were sold in the Amazon marketplace by independent sellers for an average of more than $250,000 in annual sales per seller. Moreover, the continuous growth of these small businesses fuel growth for their local communities, as they have provided employment for over 1.8 million Americans.

Here’s to a stronger 2025!

How Different Generations Plan to Spend Their Money This Holiday Season

A recent survey of 1,000 US consumers from ShipStation has some pretty interesting findings on how each generation will be influencing spending this holiday season:

Gen Z Is Ready to Splurge

Gen Z is going to be this season’s biggest spender, with 28% planning to spend over $1,000 across different product categories. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, expect to spend a more modest sum ranging from $250 to $500 on non-essential products.

Most Will Be Shopping on Amazon and Etsy

65% of the respondents will be shopping on Amazon and Etsy.

Gen Z, however, is high on social shopping, with 46% planning to use Instagram and TikTok for their holiday shopping needs. In sharp contrast, only 6% of Baby Boomers plan to do social shopping.

Gen Z is also keen on unique and more sustainable shopping experiences offered by “Recommerce,” as 22% of Gen Z plans to shop on second-hand marketplaces like Poshmark and eBay.

Small and independent brands will also be getting a lot of love this holiday season, as 24% of the respondents say that they are planning to shop these brands for gifts and personal needs.

Shoppers Expect Their Packages in 3 to 5 Days

Three to five days seems to be the standard, as 40% of respondents say they expect to receive their packages within this time frame.

Gen Z, however, is the most impatient, with 17% expecting delivery within 24 hours. This impatience is somewhat offset by Gen Z’s willingness to pay more for faster shipping.

21% of the people surveyed, 30% of whom are Baby Boomers, believe that shipping should be free.

When it comes to returns, 43% of shoppers, the majority being Baby Boomers (52%) believe returns should be free.

Men Believe the Election Results Will Affect Their Holiday Spending

41% of male respondents factor in the election results in their holiday spending, compared to only 29% of the women.

All in all, 35% of the respondents, the majority being Gen Z, believe the results of the 2024 US election will affect their spending budgets.

OA News, Tips, & Tricks

Free Business Tax Worksheet – Keep track of your books more easily with this business tax worksheet. Click here to get it for free.

Q4 Scaling – These eight tips will make scaling your OA business easier this December.

Earn Q4 Numbers in January – Want to keep the Q4 party going until January? Listen to this pod episode and learn how.

Inventory Forecasting – Have you ever wondered how much inventory you’ll need to hit specific profit margins? This post gives a great breakdown on how to plan your inventory with a specific profit figure in mind.

Regate-Gate: Season 2 – OA sellers have had it rough the past couple of weeks with a lot of brands being re-gated. View this thread to see some of the brands that have been affected. The good news: word is some of these brands are being opened up again to more experienced sellers, just like what happened last April.

This Week in Seller School

Blog Posts

What Are Amazon’s New Policy Updates for Dietary Supplement Amazon FBA Sellers in 2024 by AMZ One Step
40+ Key Amazon Seller Metrics Every Seller Should Monitor by AdNabu

Podcasts

The Holiday Survival Guide for Amazon Sellers by Full-Time FBA
How to Win the Buybox in Q4 and Maximize Your Amazon Profits by The Next Amazon Top Seller

YouTube

What to Do When You Receive Amazon Cease and Desist Letter from Vorys Law Firm by Vova Even

Other Quick Clicks

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Amazon kissing your neck softly