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#132 - Amazon AI Assistant, Trending Products in 2024, and more

Amazon employee next to yellow boxes in fulfilment center
Welcome to the 132nd edition of FBA Monthly, your trusted compass in navigating the dynamic terrain of the Amazon marketplace. As we embark on another insightful journey together, we are thrilled to bring you a wealth of strategic insights, industry trends, and expert advice to empower your Amazon business.

Hot News

The section “Looking for specific info?” on a product page, which previously searched in reviews and customer questions and allowed submitting new questions that sellers or other customers could answer, is now powered by AI on the iPhone/Android app. It relies on the product details and reviews ingested by a large language model (LLM) to respond with AI-generated answers to practically every imaginable question.

marketplacepulse.com

Amazon product detail pages will be limited beginning January 29, 2024. Amazon said that in an effort to standardize product listings – and to make it easier for customers to find information about products – it will no longer support certain document types.

ecommercebytes.com

Which products are the top-selling items on Amazon this month? Are tried-and-true household staples filling shoppers’ carts, or are trending social media fads flying off Amazon’s virtual shelves? Does one Amazon product category rule all others? At Jungle Scout, we dive into Amazon product and category data to identify product opportunities and track ecommerce trends. This article dives into some of Amazon’s best sellers over the past 30 days and their changing product sales and revenue.

junglescout.com


Good to Know

Amazon users are at this point used to search results filled with products that are fraudulent, scams, or quite literally garbage. These days, though, they also may have to pick through obviously shady products, with names like "I'm sorry but I cannot fulfill this request it goes against OpenAI use policy."

arstechnica.com

"Somehow this very illegal knife made it to my house and I could not be happier." That's what one customer wrote in a product review on Amazon.ca alongside a video they posted showing the knife spring up and down out of its handle over and over again with the flick of a switch. Described as a "camping knife" on the listing, the product meets the criteria of a switchblade, which is a prohibited weapon in Canada. Until last week, Amazon showed the knife as in stock and ready to ship with two-day delivery.

cbc.ca

Amazon Sellers Attorney, a lawyer-supervised suspension appeal service, announced today that a Washington arbitrator has again stricken the controversial permanent withholding provision of section 2 of Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Business Solutions Agreement (BSA), which allows Amazon to permanently withhold any funds from a seller if Amazon determines the seller’s account has been used for illegal or fraudulent activity, or to repeatedly violate Amazon’s policies.

webwire.com

Connect with leading Amazon Seller & Vendor agencies, legal experts, prep-services, PPC pros and top software platforms at FBASuite.com. Free listings available for your service/agency/tool: add your service/agency/tool. Expand your Amazon business network today!

FBASuite.com [SPONSORED]

Amazon continues to grow its marketplace by both new sellers joining and long-time sellers staying on for years. There is no measurable fleeing by sellers crushed by changing conditions, nor is there a loss in interest by new sellers. More than half of the sales volume on the Amazon marketplace in the U.S. comes from sellers who started selling more than five years ago.

marketplacepulse.com

Extensiv (formerly 3PL Central) — delivering omnichannel software solutions for warehouse, inventory, and order management — today announced a summary of key findings from its 4Q 2023 Market Insights research. The data reveals significant 65% year-over-year growth in order volume for third-party sellers on Amazon, while Shopify volume increased 19% and all other third-party marketplaces remain flat.

retaildive.com

Large tech platforms, such as Amazon or Google, have been drawing increasing criticism over the last few years. According to the allegations, they have been using anticompetitive and predatory strategies to illegally exploit their market power to the detriment of consumers and third-party providers that depend on these platforms.

hbr.org

Such practice falsely influences consumers to make purchase decisions they might not have otherwise taken, CCPA said. It may be mentioned that under Rule 4(3) of the Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules, 2020, no e-commerce entity shall adopt any unfair trade practice, whether in the course of business on its platform or otherwise.

livemint.com

Amazon continues to embed AI into its marketplace, both to help sellers list faster and to give buyers useful, more digestible information. The latest feature is an artificial intelligence tool that can answer shoppers’ questions about a product, a company spokesperson confirmed to CNBC.

ecommercebytes.com

This Friday, Amazon have written to sellers on amazon.co.uk, confirming news we’ve known for a while that there will be change as to how the featured offer presented to buyers will be presented. Commitments secured by the CMA from Amazon will help ensure that third-party Marketplace sellers can compete on a level-playing field and that UK customers get access to the best deals.

channelx.world

Amazon ranking is a marathon, not a sprint. Tailor strategies based on budget size – swiftly rank with larger budgets or cultivate steady growth with smaller ones. Amazon’s algorithm operates differently than most other search engines, which means you need a distinct strategy when attempting to rank on the platform versus platforms like Google and Bing.

searchenginejournal.com

Amazon’s South African marketplace is launching in 2024, and there are several of its major strengths in other markets that it could leverage to gain a foothold in South Africa’s e-commerce space. The world’s biggest online retailer is one of the most valuable companies in the world and helped propel its founder, Jeff Bezos, to top the list of the world’s wealthiest people for several years.

mybroadband.co.za

Sinclair and its bankrupt Diamond Sports Group unit reached a deal that could keep Diamond’s ailing Bally Sports regional networks alive beyond 2024. Sinclair will initially give Diamond $495 million to settle their lawsuits. Sinclair expects to get more than $200 million of that back from a richer management service agreement, substantial tax benefits and receiving other assets.

nexttv.com


Tips and Tricks

Are you looking for a new way to monetize your social media skills? The Amazon Influencer Program may be a great option for you! Using your influence, you can get paid to promote products you think your audience will love — all without investing in inventory, creating product listings, or incurring upfront costs.

junglescout.com

Consulting reviews or ratings while shopping online has become second nature for many consumers. Whether you’re browsing for an investment purchase like a new couch or looking for everyday items like skincare, reading online reviews is a quick, easy way to vet your decision before you commit. According to the Pew Research Center, 82% of adults in the U.S. check reviews at least sometimes before making a purchase. But what happens when those reviews are bunk?

forbes.com

The 2023 holiday shopping season has come and gone, but its festive echoes still resonate. Beyond the glittering lights and joyous carols, the 2023 season unveiled fascinating trends that helped reshape the retail landscape. Consumer shopping behavior changes over time, and the 2023 holiday shopping season is no different. Even with economic uncertainty, 23% of consumers said they planned to spend more in Q4 of 2023 compared to Q3.

junglescout.com

Seven years in India, the Launchpad programme by Amazon has an ‘optimistic’ growth trajectory ahead, says the company with around 700 startups/small businesses part of the programme out of over 14 lakh businesses selling on Amazon India marketplace. The Man Company, Chai Point, Yoga Bar, and Kapiva Ayurveda are some of the brands associated with the Launchpad programme.

financialexpress.com

To succeed on Amazon, it’s no secret that you need to stand out from the competition. Taking advantage of the many tools and features Amazon provides its sellers is a great way to constantly improve your product listings and increase sales. One of the most effective features is the ability to create Amazon A+ content descriptions. Designed to catch your attention, A+ pages can help you increase your conversions, brand awareness, and overall sales.

junglescout.com


Podcasts

Navigating the unpredictable rapids of Amazon and Walmart marketplace selling, we had the pleasure of being joined by Lesley, a maestro with a flair for reviving online seller accounts from the depths of suspension. In our conversation, we uncover the labyrinth of issues that can snag unsuspecting sellers, from the snares set by underhanded competitors to the resurgence of ‘inauthentic’ item flags.

helium10.com