Here is your midweek jetpack of Amazon seller news, updates, and other useful clicks for your e-commerce business…
All Sellers Just Dodged a UPS Bullet
A UPS strike scheduled for next week was averted when UPS and its Teamsters union struck a tentative contract deal for about 340,000 UPS workers at the parcel delivery firm.
UPS, which handles 25% of all packages in the US, would have been paralyzed by the strike, causing serious consequences for online sellers. Delayed packages, especially during peak seasons like back-to-school and other holidays would have caused irate shoppers, negative reviews, and a sh*tload of lost sales.
Off-Amazon Brands Up 10X on Prime Day
According to Marketplace Pulse, 150 off-Amazon brands participated in the Prime Day event by offering discounts on their websites to shoppers checking out with Buy with Prime. This marks a tenfold increase from the previous year.
Interestingly enough, despite Shopify’s repeated warnings to merchants about enabling Buy with Prime, 85% of off-Amazon Prime Day brands were hosted on Shopify. In fact, more Shopify-hosted brands participated in the Prime Day event than in Shopify’s first-ever Shop Day last June 2.
Amazon to Shopify:
While adoption for Buy with Prime has been low so far, this is definitely a sign that Amazon is building momentum toward making Buy with Prime ubiquitous.
WooCommerce X TikTok
WooCommerce is rallying its merchants with TikTok Shop, its new integration.
TikTok Shop allows Woo merchants to bring their entire inventories to TikTok and sell directly to TikTok users with in-feed videos, live streams, and a product showcase tab on their profile page.
Social ecommerce is rapidly growing, and TikTok, with its massive 150 million monthly active users, is most certainly one of, if not the most powerful social platforms. Will this give Woo the boost it needs?
Read the full story here.
Consumers Are Taking a Hybrid Approach to Shopping
According to Jungle Scout’s latest research briefing, the consumer prioritization of convenience and cost has shaped a new retail landscape where the convenience of online shopping and the tactile experience of in-store shopping coexist, despite the record number of bankruptcy filings by big box retailers in the first half of 2023.
Ecommerce platforms led by Amazon, the most preferred online shopping destination, and social media channels continue to empower inflation-hit shoppers in making informed and cost-efficient purchasing decisions.
image from Jungle Scout
However, it is important to note that 85% of retail spending in the US STILL occurs in brick-and-mortar stores. With Walmart and Target leading the way, a number of big box retailers have managed to stay relevant and thrive mainly because, as Jungle Scout puts it, they serve specific necessary consumer needs and experiences that cannot be replicated online or by other retailers.
Image from Jungle Scout
With the rapid development of AI tech, we can probably expect big box retailers to continue being relevant as it grants them the ability to create physical-digital environments they need to keep up with ecommerce.
Man, what exciting times for retail.
AI Caramba! This Week in AI + Ecomm
- Apple is discreetly working on artificial intelligence tools and is currently in the testing phase for AppleGPT, its own chatbot service.
- ChatGPT for Android is now available in the US, India, Bangladesh, and Brazil.
- Security researchers have issued a warning about WormGPT, an evil, ChatGPT-like AI model that was behind a recent wave of cyberattacks.
- AI-powered predictive analytics is reshaping ecommerce. These are the three ways it is impacting the digital marketplace.
Important Amazon Updates for Yo’ Bad Seller Self
Q4 Deals Submission Deadlines
Amazon has already announced the Lightning Deals submission deadlines for the Fall Prime Deal event and Black Friday/Cyber Monday:
- August 11, 2023 – deadline for submission of Lightning Deals for Fall Prime Deal event
- September 1, 2023 – deadline for submission of deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday
USPS Ground Advantage to Be Added to Amazon Buy Shipping Soon
According to Amazon, the newly launched domestic shipping service USPS Ground Advantage will soon be added to Amazon Buy Shipping.
USPS Ground Advantage, which consolidates the current First-Class package service, Parcel Select Ground, and Parcel Cubic Shipping, will offer the following shipping methods once enabled:
- USPS Ground Advantage Light – for packages that weigh less than 1 lb.
- USPS Ground Advantage Heavy – for packages that weigh 1 lb to 70 lbs.
- USPS Ground Advantage Cubic – Cubic prices based on package size and distance rather than weight.
(The updated USPS shipping service prices have been replicated in Buy Shipping.)
Once launched, you can buy labels through Amazon Buy Shipping.
Learn more about the coming shipping method here.
Final Discount Period Date for Sufficient Inventory Level Promotion
If you have ASINs that meet the eligibility requirements of Amazon’s discount program Sufficient Inventory Level Promotion, make sure to ship the recommended number of units to Amazon by August 14 to qualify for fulfillment fee discounts.
To check if you have eligible ASINs, you can:
- Go to the “Fee Discount (New)” column on the Restock Inventory page or use the “Send to Amazon” workflow.
image from sostocked.com
- Download the Restock Inventory Report or use the Fee discount filter on the Restock Inventory page to see a list of eligible ASINs, corresponding fee discounts, and ideal minimum units.
Learn more about Amazon’s Sufficient Inventory Level Promotion here.
New Search by ASIN Feature
You can now analyze and evaluate your product/s performance within specific categories, identify products, or browse ideas about other offerings using Product Explorer’s new Search by ASIN feature which lets you search by ASIN.
The new feature allows you to:
- Zero-in on a specific ASIN or relevant products based on BSR (Best Seller Ranking)
- Discover product trends based on click-count or BSR history
- Check out niches and view search terms used by your customers to discover your ASINs.
Try out the new feature here, and click here to view the full announcement.
20,000 FREE Transparency Codes for Brand Protection
Registered brands will be eligible to receive 20,000 free transparency codes for every new product enrolled in the Transparency program before December 31, 2023. Each of these unique, alphanumeric, non-sequential barcodes can be applied to your packaging to ensure all units shipped are authentic and version-correct.
For more information, contact the Transparency team or click here.
View the full announcement here.
This Week in Seller School
Here is a roundup of learning resources for this week:
Blog Posts
- Mastering Amazon Chargebacks: Essential Tips for Sellers by sellerapp
- 10 Ways to Reduce Shipping Costs with FedEx and UPS by eComEngine
- Complete Guide to Poly Bags for Amazon FBA Sellers by Clear the Shelf
- What Does Amazon’s Choice Mean? How to Get the Badge for FBA Sellers by Jungle Scout
- How to Get USPTO Trademark Registration and Become a Registered Brand on Amazon by SellerEngine
- Decoding the Buy Box Enigma: Suppressed Buy Box by Bqool
Podcasts
- Six Critical Questions to Get You to a High Six Figure Amazon Income by Full-Time FBA
- The Amazon Mexico Opportunity by The Smartest Amazon Seller
- Sourcing Mishaps: A Tale of Caution for Amazon Sellers by Seller Sessions
Upcoming Seller Events📍
Here are a few upcoming industry events that you might be interested in. Slick that hair back and start mingling, playa!
Ecom Summit (August 1-2, 2023) – Chicago, IL
Learn how 8-9 figure Amazon sellers are solving the challenges to grow sales in Amazon marketplaces.
ASD Market Week (August 20-23, 2023) – Las Vegas, NV
Expand your merchandise mix at the largest and most comprehensive trade show for consumer merchandise in the US
Seller Alliance:X Seller Bites: Conversion Magic: Secrets of Amazon’s Converting Content (July 31, 2023, 11:30 AM EST)
“Specifically tailored for Amazon sellers and marketers looking to unlock the potential of their product listings and boost their conversion rates.”
eTail East (August 21 – 24, 2023) – Boston, MA
A 4-day ecommerce & omnichannel conference designed to help you increase the profits from your business.
White Label World Expo NYC (August 29-30, 2023) – New York City, NY
“Boost your product line into an industry leading brand.”
AWS Innovate – Data Edition (Augusto 30, 2023)
“Unlock the value of your data with an end-to-end strategy.”
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.
Seller Velocity Conference (October 11-12, 2023) New York City, NY
2 days focused on optimizing performance to drive brand growth
Other Quick Clicks
- Amazon opens its first pickup location in Puerto Rico
- Amazon rolls out palm payment tech to 500+ Whole Foods Market stores (creepy)
- Amazon to build $120M facility at Kennedy for internet-from-space project
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments or violent reactions, let us know below!
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