Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Amazon Phone Service for Prime Subscribers to Shake Up Market
According to Tech Times, Amazon is partying at the negotiation table with major US telecom providers including Verizon, T-Mobile, and Dish regarding its push to provide low-cost or potentially free mobile phone service to its Prime subscribers.
If the move pushes through, it will obviously help boost Prime membership numbers, after a significant decrease since Amazon raised the subscription fee to $139 from $119.
Data protection concerns, though, seem to be the huge roadblock to Amazon’s push.
Prime Day Deetz
Amazon has just officially announced that Prime Day, a 48-hour mega sale, will take place from July 11 (3:00 am EDT) to July 12.
This year’s Prime Day will debut some new event features including the all new “Invite-Only” deals program which offers first dibs on some of Prime Day’s best deals that Amazon expects to sell out.
Also, there are reports that a second Prime Day is already in the works for October, prior to the opening of the Black Friday weekend.
In 2022, third-party merchants accounted for 37.2% of all Prime Day sales, up from 36% in 2021, and 35.1% in 2020.
The ‘Fake Reviews Network’ Battle
Amazon is seeking a collaborative approach to combat an emerging “fake review broker” industry that deliberately skews product reviews and ratings. Despite having blocked over 200 million suspected fake reviews in 2022 and taking legal action against more than 90 entities and 10,000 Facebook groups engaged in promoting false reviews, the challenge continues to grow.
The company is calling for greater information sharing across industries, clear enforcement authority with increased funding for governments, and improved controls for third-party services that facilitate fake reviews.
Amazon asserts that only through joint efforts with private and public sector partners can the issue be effectively tackled.
Amazon Set to Become the Largest US Beauty Retailer by 2025
According to Bloomberg, Amazon is set to dethrone rival Walmart Inc. as the largest beauty retailer by 2025.
Amazon is predicted to own 14.5% of a market that could hit $180 billion in value by 2025, with Walmart trailing slightly at 13%. While grocery retailers still own the largest chunk at 29%, their share of the pie has consistently decreased with the emergence of specialty retailers like Ulta and Sephora.
Amazon’s gains in the beauty market adds to its continued ecommerce dominance, accounting for 46.5% of the market.
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- Amazon is currently testing the use of AI for intelligent product review summaries that can assist shoppers on its website.
- Amazon is betting big on AI and plans to utilize all its advantages in creating AI systems geared toward ecommerce.
- Amazon will NOT be hosting re: MARS, its annual robotics and AI conference this year.
- Jungle Scout, a leading provider of Amazon seller tools, recently launched AI Assist in this year’s Prosper Show.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Seller Fulfilled Prime to Reopen Enrollment in 2023
Later this year, Amazon is set to reopen enrollment for the Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program. The SFP program allows sellers to list their products as Prime-eligible and handle fulfillment themselves.
Read the full announcement here.
New Product Attributes Required for New Listings Effective July 5
25 new product attributes across 52 product types will now be required for new product listings starting July 5, 2023. Without the valid attribute values, newly-created product listings will not be added to the Amazon catalog. Take note that this update is not required for old listings.
Click here to view the list of product types and product attributes that will be required starting July 5.
Amazon Outlet Deals Increased Number of FBA Products That Can Qualify
Amazon announced that FBA sellers can now run Amazon Outlet Deals on 60% more of the product index with excess inventory.
Sellers with a professional selling plan and a customer rating of at least 3.5 stars may participate in the program.
Posts is Now in the Amazon Ads Console
All sellers and vendors with a Brand profile who use advertising may now create and manage posts directly in the Amazon Ads console. You no longer have to go to posts.amazon.com.
Having a live store is also no longer required to be able to create posts. This feature is only available for US sellers.
Click here to view the full announcement.
This Week in Seller School…
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- Amazon Sales Rank Chart 2023 (June Update) by Clear the Shelf
- Top Amazon Seller Software Tools for 2023 by Clear the Shelf
- Breaking Down the Anatomy of a Winning Amazon Ad by AMZ One Step
- How to Increase Organic Sales on Amazon by AMZ Advisers
Podcasts
- Exploring the Latest Developments in the Amazon PPC Space by The Smartest Amazon Seller
- Predicting the Hottest Amazon Categories in 2023 by The Next Amazon Top Seller
- Top Strategies to Accelerate Your Amazon Selling Success by Silent Sales Machine Radio
- Should You Give Amazon Your Manufacturer Info? by Seller Performance Solutions
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 (June 22, 2023, 12:00 AM CST) – Virtual
Learn how to foster long-term customer loyalty through a range of free and paid self-service solutions from Amazon Ads.
Unleashing Success in Q3 by Coresight Research (June 27, 2023, 11:00 AM ET) – Virtual
Join industry experts as they delve into the factors shaping the third quarter of 2023.
Amazon Ads Webinar (June 28, 2023, 2:00 am CST) – Virtual
Go beyond the basics of store creation and learn how to build an engaging, dynamic destination on Amazon.
Amazon PowWow (July 12-13, 2023) – Palm Beach, FL
“Serious networking. Serious Learning. Serious Fun, A new standard in Amazon events.”
Midwest e-Com Conference 2023 (July 19 -21, 2023) – Minneapolis, MN
“Created by fellow sellers for our fellow sellers.”
AMZ United (August 31, 2023) – Newark, New Jersey
The premiere wholesale-focused Amazon conference.
Amazon Accelerate (September 13-14, 2023) – Seattle, Washington
Amazon’s premiere annual seller conference.
Other Quick Clicks
- Why Amazon built a second headquarters and how the pandemic reshaped HQ2
- The counterfeit lawsuits that scoop up hundreds of Chinese Amazon sellers at once
- Amazon Australia expands Japanese product offering
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
This Amazon Seller Support meme from @myamazonguy made us LOL hard…
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