Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
Amazon Accelerate 2023: Hottest New Tools for Amazon Sellers
Amazon Accelerate 2023 conference is in the books, as Amazon revealed major changes and the hottest new tools for sellers.
Here are some of the highlights:
1- Supply Chain by Amazon
Touted as Amazon FBA on steroids, Supply Chain by Amazon is looking pretty good.
In Amazon’s words: “With Supply Chain by Amazon, we pick up inventory from your manufacturing facilities, ship it across borders, handle customs clearance and ground transportation, store inventory in bulk, manage replenishment across Amazon and other sales channels, and deliver directly to customers.”
Learn more about the advantages and savings available by using Supply Chain by Amazon here.
2- Amazon Shipping for Everyone
Amazon Shipping, which was initially exclusive to FBA sellers, has now expanded its service. This means that as an ecommerce seller, you can not only ship your Amazon orders but also fulfill orders from your own websites and other off-Amazon platforms using Amazon Shipping. This presents a significant opportunity for those of you who operate on multiple channels.
Learn more about Amazon Shipping here.
3- AI-Powered Tools and Strategies
- Customer Sentiments Insights– this new tool utilizes AI to enable sellers to easily understand customer reviews and preferences for designing new products with features that the customer wants.
- Customer Loyalty Analytics Dashboard – a tool which integrates directly with Brand Tailored Promotions, enables brand owners to segregate customers according to loyalty and purchasing patterns.
- View in Your Room – an AI and augmented reality-powered tabletop feature that enables shoppers to preview how a product will look in their rooms. Found in Seller Central, this feature is currently available for 200 product types.
- Fit Insights – slated to become available in October, Fit Insights will help approved brands gain a better understanding of the size and fit of their products so that they can improve their product offerings and reduce customer returns.
- Generative AI Copywriting – Amazon is developing new generative AI capabilities that will simplify the process of creating compelling product titles, bullet points, and descriptions.
4- New Buy with Prime (for Shopify) Features
Amazon has enhanced its ‘Buy with Prime’ Shopify integration:
- Seamless integration with Shopify checkout.
- Manage via Shopify admin: product listings, updates, taxes, promotions, and analytics.
- Compatibility with major third-party apps.
- View ‘Buy with Prime’ orders and returns on Shopify orders page.
- Streamlined checkout for ‘Buy with Prime’ members.
They also added additional features which you can check out here.
How to Generate Amazon Product Listings in an Instant
Image from Engadget
Not to be outdone by eBay, Amazon announced on day 1 of Amazon Accelerate that it had developed a new set of generative AI capabilities that makes the process of generating product listing copies faster and much easier.
Utilizing large language models (LLMs) trained on product insights and metrics, these LLMs can build compelling product titles, feature-rich bullet points, and comprehensive product descriptions from a brief description of the product provided by the seller.
Accessed via Add Products on Seller Central, the AI listing capabilities are now available to all US sellers.
Many sellers, however, don’t seem to be so happy with this:
TikTok Starts Price War with Amazon and Walmart
After launching its US marketplace, TikTok is stepping up to Amazon and Walmart with plans to offer huge discounts to inflation-battered shoppers in Q4.
According to documents acknowledged by company insiders, TikTok is planning to entice sellers to participate in its Black Friday program by offering them discount subsidies as high as 50%. TikTok’s Black Friday program is set to run from October 27 until November 30.
With its goal of selling $20 billion in merchandise globally this year, TikTok is launching an aggressive campaign to get shoppers to spend money on its new platform this coming holiday season.
Read the full story here.
Fall Prime Day Dates Announced
Amazon’s second annual Fall Prime Day is all set to kick off on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 3:00 am EDT and will run until Wednesday, October 11.
It will take place in 19 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the US, and the UK.
Amazon will face some competition though, as three powerhouse retailers are also hosting huge sales events in early October.
- Walmart Deals – Holiday Kickoff: Oct 9-12th
- Target’s Circle Week: Oct 1-7th
- Best Buy Month of Various Promotions: All of October
Q4 is almost here. Let the seller-brations begin…
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- New AI Guidelines for Amazon KDP: Amazon has introduced new AI guidelines for KDP platform users to address concerns over the impact of AI-generated books on the e-book market.
- Elite Partnership: Klevu and Big Commerce recently announced their Elite Partnership which aims to usher in the AI era of retail excellence.
- APL’s AI-powered True Fit Guidance: Shopify luxury performance footwear brand Athletic Propulsion Labs has partnered up with True Fit to reimagine rudimentary size charts with AI fit personalization.
- Gen Z Loves AI: According to a survey conducted by ecommerce tech company Rokt, 88% of Gen Z believe AI will improve online shopping.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
New Product Listing Attributed Required Starting October 3
208 attributes for 213 product types will require information for new product listings after October 3, 2023.
You may download a sheet with the full list of product types and attributes here.
New listings for the affected product types without the required attributes will not be added to the Amazon catalog. Existing listings, on the other hand, will not be suppressed if the attributes are missing.
Read the full announcement here.
Veeqo Credits Cashback Program
Veeqo, Amazon’s free software that enables sellers to create multi-channel shipments, has a new program called Veeqo Credits that gives sellers up to 5% back on eligible shipments. Available to sellers in the US and the UK, Veeqo now offers sellers access to the lowest commercially-available rates with this cashback program and pre-negotiated rates with major carriers.
Learn more about Veeqo and its credits program here.
Get Third-Party App Updates directly on Seller Central via Emerald
Amazon’s global pilot program, Emerald, integrates third-party app notifications directly to Seller Central enabling sellers to quickly act on key business updates from their third-party apps. Available for over a dozen third-party applications, Emerald will be adding more third-party app integrations in the coming months.
Learn more about Emerald here.
New Sustainability Initiatives
In Amazon Accelerate, Amazon announced new initiatives to bolster sustainability efforts in its marketplaces:
- Ships in Product Packaging Program – launching in 2024, this program allows sellers to work with Amazon so that their products can be shipped in their own branded packaging without any added packaging from Amazon. This can help sellers save on FBA fees and transportation costs.
- New Climate Pledge Friendly Certifications – Amazon has added three new certifications that will increase the visibility of more sustainable products:
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- SCS Recycled Content Standard – a third-party certification for electronics with high utilization of recycled materials.
- International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Plus – a third-party certification that recognizes bio-based materials and serves as proof for regenerated or renewed products.
- Plant-Based Fiber Blended – an Amazon certification for plant-based material in textiles.
- Sustainability Solutions Hub – available by the end of October, the Sustainability Solutions Hub will serve as a knowledge base for Amazon’s sustainability programs and a dashboard for viewing performance metrics for products enrolled in the said programs.
Read the full announcement here.
This Week in Seller School
Blog Posts
- The Key to Amazon Restricted Categories: Tips and Tricks by Project FBA
- The Definitive Guide to Selling Groceries on Amazon in 2023 by Clear the Shelf
- 10 Ecommerce Laws and Regulations to Know Before Selling Online by Viral Launch
- How to Maximize Sponsored Product Campaigns on Amazon: A Complete Resource by My Amazon Guy
- AI in Ecommerce: 11 Strategies to Leverage Artificial Intelligence in Your Business by Jungle Scout
Podcasts
- Five Mistakes to Avoid When Reselling on Amazon by The Next Amazon Top Seller
- How to Future-proof Your Amazon FBA Business 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!
Amazon Ads Holiday Summit (September 26, 2023, 9:00 am PST) – Virtual
Learn sponsored ad tips and tactics to help unlock your brand’s potential this holiday season.
State of the Union – Q3 Recap and Holiday Outlook (September 26, 2023, 11:00 AM ET) – Virtual
Delve into the latest trends and shifts in the retail landscape.
Chicago eCommerce Summit (September 26, 2023) – Chicago, IL
“A one-day gathering of Chicago’s eCommerce experts and decision-makers across retailers, brands, merchants, and solution providers.”
RISE Amazon Sellers Conference (October 9-11, 2023) – Miami, FL
RISE will bring you the latest insights, trends, and tactics that will help you stay ahead of the Amazon curve.
Seller Velocity Conference (October 11-12, 2023) – New York City, NY
2 days focused on optimizing performance to drive brand growth
Amazon Ads Unboxed (October 24-26, 2023) – New York City, NY
Learn about Amazon’s newest solutions and innovations to help brands connect with their customers, expand their business, and prepare for the future.
Eclimb Summit (November 2, 2023) – Austin, TX
“Bridge the gap between Amazon and Ecomm for D2C.”
AMZ Innovate (November 13-14, 2023) – New York City, NY
Other Quick Clicks
- Amazon Market Watch: Sales of celebrity-branded beauty products grow as much as 3,700% year-over-year
- Amazon Ads targets small business owners with new campaign
- Amazon Ads Partner reveals 2023 finalists
- An inside look at the “multiplier effect” of Amazon and its sellers
- Amazon is world’s fifth largest company by market cap
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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