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Hello Amazon Seller,
It's an exciting time of year to be a seller on Amazon. I wish you the best of luck next week during the Black Friday event. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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If I quit now, I will soon be back to where I started. And when I started I was desperately wishing to be where I am now.
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This email may contain affiliate links which means we may earn referral fees if you make a purchase through our links, but without any additional cost to you.
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Amazon Sellers Are Losing Control of Pricing Due to “Standards for Brands”
Amazon’s latest crackdown is all about pricing. You can lose your selling privileges if your prices are not better than other retailers 95% of the time.
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Under Amazon’s new price competitiveness policies, many third-party sellers are no longer allowed to set their own prices.
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To any long-time marketplace seller, this news should come as a shock. After all, Amazon has never dictated that independent third-party (3P) sellers price a particular way… until now.
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To be clear, Amazon is not directly changing sellers’ prices for their products. As with many nuances of the Amazon Marketplace, the reality is more complicated. In its simplest terms, the new policy penalizes some sellers whose products are not priced equal to or cheaper than other websites, 95% of the time or more. Amazon calls this “price competitiveness”.
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Nowhere in the Amazon Business Solutions Agreement or Seller Help is it stated that Amazon controls 3P seller pricing, nor is it stated that Amazon can punish 3P sellers by limiting their listing ability based on “non-competitive pricing”. 3P sellers are not required to price match, either.
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The situation is more nuanced, however. For the most part, the target of Amazon's ire appears to be large resellers who are selling brand products at what Amazon deems to be uncompetitive prices. But any seller could be targeted.
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Sidenote: I can attest that they really do this. I have some artwork on Amazon. I can't even believe that let me list it. It is photography with many variations of sizes. Because the Gods of Amazon think that my artwork is overpriced, they don't let me have a Buy Box. All people see is "Other Buying Options". Some days the product is missing from the site, only to return. I was going to list other pieces and buy advertising, but not if Amazon is going to make it next to impossible to buy my product. I know what it cost to print and ship my work and I don't think Amazon should interfere with my pricing. Amazon needs to stop worrying about what other sites are selling an item for as there is no way to know the variables are on the other sites. Many times I have been on a listing with Amazon and because Walmart has a sale, the price tanks.
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A fraudster paid $160,000 to recruit moles inside Amazon to help him hijack other sellers' accounts and products
The fraudster known as Krasr paid off moles inside of Amazon to help him hijack other sellers' accounts and copy their products, according to company documents reviewed by Reveal and Wired.
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Krasr recruited Amazon employees "over LinkedIn and Facebook" and paid them a total of $160,000 over several years, a memo from Amazon's security team reportedly said. Upon discovery, the tech giant fired seven staff members caught working with the fraudster.
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In an emailed statement to Insider, Amazon spokesperson Jen Bemisderfer said the company has invested billions of dollars to build systems and processes to keep data secure, adding that "the claims made in the Wired story are based on information that is outdated and out-of-context and have absolutely no bearing on Amazon's current security posture."
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Sidenote: Sorry Jen, we don't really believe it. Amazon is too busy wreaking havoc on legitimate sellers and that is why this kind of thing happens.
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At the bottom of this article is an excellent video about conterfeit goods. It is really worth the watch.
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Amazon Announces More Deals Than Ever Before for Its 48-Hour Black Friday Event
Amazon announced today (Nove 15) that more Black Friday deals than ever before will be available starting on Thursday, November 25. Customers will be able to shop incredible deals with deep discounts on top products and must-have items, including new gadgets and electronics from Samsung; kid-favorite toys and baby essentials from Mattel and Cybex gb Pockit; must-have home and kitchen items from Instant Pot; seasonal fashion finds, including Rag & Bone from Shopbop; and beauty favorites from Sunday Riley, OPI, Color Wow, and many more.
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In addition, customers can find thousands of deals from Amazon’s independent selling partners, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses, throughout Amazon’s 48-hour Black Friday event, including deals from women-owned, military family-owned, and Black-owned businesses.
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- Oprah’s Favorite Things: Back for the seventh year, Oprah’s Favorite Things list includes a coveted assortment of Oprah’s must-have products, many from people of color and women-owned businesses, including Kiya Tomlin, Clara Sunwoo, and Saysh by Allyson Felix. Customers can visit amazon.com/oprah to shop now and receive 20% off select items in Oprah’s list through December 31.
- Experts’ Gift Picks Gift Guide: For those looking for gifting inspiration, Amazon dropped this star-studded list featuring top picks from A-list celebrities like Jessica Alba, Jojo Siwa, gold medalist Suni Lee and influencer duo Aint Afraid, and media outlets including BuzzFeed and Refinery29, among others. To view these gift guides and more, visit amazon.com/expertsgiftspicks.
- Luxury Stores Gift Guide: Discover special gifts to give and get this season with curated gift guides, featuring new arrivals in Luxury Stores like La Perla and Missoni. Shop limited edition beauty gift sets and festive looks for dressing up this holiday season, or find the perfect gift for friends and family. To view this gift guide and shop from luxury brands, visit amazon.com/luxurystores.
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Amazon Rate Hike to Hit Sellers in Jan 2022
The good news for sellers who fulfill their own orders: there are only two referral-fee changes, and both are decreases, although those sellers will likely be impacted by the higher shipping costs announced by carriers.
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Sellers who use Amazon FBA fulfillment services are not so lucky. Amazon said, “In 2022, we will adjust FBA fulfillment fees to partially offset the higher permanent operating costs we face going forward.” There are increases to numerous services, including the following:
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- introduction of dim-weight pricing for large standard-size products excluding apparel;
- higher monthly off-peak storage fees;
- higher removal and disposal fees (liquidation fees will remain unchanged);
- higher FBA Prep Service fees;
- introduction of a tiered rate structure for long-term storage fees.
Amazon characterized the fulfillment fee changes as a 5.2% increase, on average, “to reflect increasing costs of operations. The long-term storage fee was changed from 365+ days to 270+ days. This doesn't happen until May but will be uncomfortable for those that like to leave inventory there for a bit longer.
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What’s hot on Amazon: A keyword round-up for November 2021
At eCommerce Nurse, they are always keeping their eyes on the top Amazon search terms, basically, what’s in demand on the platform and what customers really want. Now you can learn the latest keyword trends they’ve spotted using their tools and strategy research.
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Amazon.com search terms are getting into the Christmas spirit. It’s the season for go-hard or go-home Christmas decorations, plus gifts, winter wear, and the ever-popular pop-it toys. Ready to deck the halls? Here are their insights to optimize your content for seasonal patterns, growth, and potential niches.
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What Are Amazon Brand Aggregators And Why They Matter
Today we look into what makes an Amazon brand aggregator such a threat, and why many sellers don’t have the means to fight back. We also reveal why it may be time for you to scale your business, and rather than throw in the towel, start competing with Amazon aggregators.
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Some aggregators are venture capitalists, private equity firms, investment banks, etc. But some are veteran sellers and ex-Amazonians. Either way, their aim is to make brands global.
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The problem with Amazon aggregators is that, due to the pandemic-driven shift to e-tail, they’ve raised $10b in capital this year, says Marketplace Pulse. And as large 3P sellers are going public (e.g. Anker), small sellers are left alone. And they face a serious dilemma: beat’em or join’em?
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Below is a link to an excellent article from SellerEngine about the current trend of aggregators and it lists out a bunch of them I have never heard of.
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Pay as you grow with Teikametrics Flywheel 2.0
Teikametrics Flywheel is the AI-powered advertising platform to connect, optimize, and grow your business on Amazon, Walmart.com, and beyond.
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AI-Powered Flywheel 2.0 is free for businesses under $10K in monthly marketplace sales. Affordable, scaled pricing for everyone else.
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Mike Jackness is a serial entrepreneur who has started one 8-figure and three 7-figure businesses. His latest venture, which is eCommerce, is on track to become his second 8-figure business. This time he’s taken a different approach by blogging, podcasting, and openly documenting the entire journey at EcomCrew.com.
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How to Win the Amazon Buy Box in 2021-22
Amazon is responsible for nearly a third of all online retail sales, and 82% of all sales on Amazon happen through its Buy Box. If your product offer is not in the Buy Box, it becomes more difficult for a customer to make a purchase.
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In this detailed guide, you will learn the following:
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- What is the Amazon Buy Box?
- Why the Amazon Buy Box is important
- Amazon Buy Box requirements and how to become eligible for it
- How to win the Amazon Buy Box
This guide is very detailed and well done.
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Great Cyber Deals From Jungle Scout
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Podcast: Overcoming the Poopy Times with Paul Baron
In this episode, we’ve got a guest who is going to talk about the brand that he runs on Amazon and off Amazon too. And some of the struggles that he’s had over the past year, maybe two years, some of the lessons that he’s taken away from that, and how he’s moving forward.
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Amazon Seller Master Class
You are invited!
Join Amazon's 2nd Seller Master class: Tips to improve your account health
They will discuss:
a) Explanation of some of the Account Health Metrics and how they are calculated
b) Common reasons that lead to account health issues and customer contacts
c) Features and tips to keeping a healthy account
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If you are managing and fulfilling your own orders on Amazon, this Seller Master Class is for you. Learn about new features launched on Seller Central for Professional accounts that can help your business provide an enhanced customer experience while keeping a healthy account.
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You’re invited to attend a live, 45-minute webinar on:
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- Option 1: November 30th @ 4:00 PM Eastern / 1:00 PM Pacific - Sign-up Here
- Option 2: December 1st @ 4:00 PM Eastern / 1:00 PM Pacific -
- Sign-up Here
- Option 3: December 2nd @ 4:00 PM Eastern / 1:00 PM Pacific -
- Sign-up Here
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Spaces are limited and will be awarded to the first participants to register.
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Tidbits:
- Advice from Chris Grant: Take a moment to relax, recuperate, and rest. No shame in it and you'll be better for it. So take that day off, skip sourcing or prepping or packing for an evening, and veg out, read a good book, play a round of golf, or whatever it is that gets your mind off of business for a little while. Then come back and get to work fresh and with a renewed pep in your step.
- Amazon has been locking out sellers that are confirming shipments without actually shipping so never ever do that.
- Here's a message from Amazon you don't want to see: This product is in a fulfillment center that is newly established. Please allow 30 days for this ASIN to become active.
- BSR (Best Seller Rank) was removed for some categories - most notably supplements.
- Amazon is investing an additional $1 billion in games, music, and video in its fourth quarter.
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Analyzer.tools takes your Excel wholesale price lists or your competitor's Amazon store or use the built-in browser to search, research and calculate products for profitability. The software shows you referral fees, variable closing sees, fulfillment cost, order handling, pick & pack, weight handling, 30-day storage, inbound shipping, fulfillment cost subtotal, cost subtotal, and margin impact.
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A new feature is sales estimates for each of the products on your list. All this detailed information will be presented to you in a spreadsheet format. The software takes into account whether you are an FBA or Merchant Fulfilled seller and alters the profit and ROI automatically. The software can also glean all the products from a competitor's store and return the same detailed information.
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Import over 75 customizable research data fields into the program for deeper analysis including the FBA fee calculator, sales rank, number of Amazon reviews, average Amazon reviews, number of FBA or MFN competitors, product links to Keepa.com, CamelCamelCamel.com, and much more.
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Thе bulk аnаlуzеr technology рrосеѕѕеѕ Amazon whоlеѕаlе lists well in excess of 100,000 products. Multі-thrеаd рrосеѕѕіng роwеr hаrnеѕѕеѕ the maximum аllоwаblе ѕрееd directly from thе Amazon API. Extremely powerful data filtering and conditional formatting technology take a wholesale list with tens of thousands of products and filters it down to the handful of profitable products in minutes.
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$29 per month or purchase a 2-day or 5-day pass for $10 or $20.
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Deals we know about....
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Use this Promo Code - A2Z50
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Use this Promo Code - A2ZSC50
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Use this Promo Code - GET50
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Use this new Promo Code - A2Z_10_6MON_2021
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Use this new Promo Code - A2ZSC
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NOTE: Above offers are subject to change.
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Thank you for reading. I wish you unbelievable success. Selling on Amazon can be challenging sometimes, however, goals can be achieved by working hard and not giving up.
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Any suggestions about our site or this newsletter are welcome. Just hit reply and let us know your thoughts.
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Keep sourcing, keep selling, keep learning, keep growing.
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You can do this!
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Visit our website for all sorts of Amazon resources:
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And more.....
Happy Selling on Amazon. Let's go Brandon!
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Making Sense Of Selling On Amazon
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