#150 - AI Assistant For Third-Party Sellers, Amazon FBA Fees, and more
Hot News
Amazon Launches Project Amelia, an AI Assistant For Third-Party Sellers
Amazon launched a new AI-powered personal assistant for third-party vendors Thursday, one of many new features the company rolled out for its independent sellers this week. The assistant, internally called Project Amelia, answers questions for sellers, offers advice and, down the line, will diagnose problems and take action. Amazon has already integrated generative artificial intelligence into some services for sellers, like the ability to use AI to write suggested product listings, and has launched other AI-powered tools, including the shopping assistant Rufus and the chatbot Q.
techxplore.com
Amazon Integrates PayPal Services to Buy With Prime
Amazon has introduced PayPal payment services to Buy with Prime, allowing shoppers to use the payment service to check out on participating merchants’ websites, the retailer announced during Amazon’s Accelerate seller conference on Thursday. Starting next year, Prime members will be able to connect their Amazon account to their PayPal account through a one-time link to access free shipping while shopping with Buy with Prime on participating merchants’ sites.
retail-systems.com
Amazon FBA Fees: How Much Does it Cost to Sell on Amazon in 2024?
When aspiring entrepreneurs first discover selling on Amazon, one of the big questions they inevitably ask is “how much does it cost to sell on Amazon?”. After all, if you’re going to sell on the world’s largest e-commerce network, you want to make sure that you’re going to profit. 2024 FBA Fee Updates: Amazon announced a number of changes to U.S. referral and Fulfillment by Amazon fees for 2024. Please read below to learn more about each update.
junglescout.com
Good to Know
Amazon launches end-to-end logistics for third-party online sellers
The metamorphosis of Amazon into an end-to-end logistics provider for online merchants has taken another step forward. Amazon is now offering its sellers a fully managed end-to-end logistics service through Supply Chain by Amazon. According to the e-commerce giant, this is a complete package to move products from manufacturer to customer, using Amazon’s logistics, warehousing and transport networks, connecting Amazon Warehousing and Distribution with its fulfilment centres across the US.
theloadstar.com
Temu woos Amazon sellers as US customer base shrinks
Temu is wooing Amazon sellers as it tries to minimize the impact of the Biden administration’s crackdown on tax loopholes. Temu is offering US sellers a flat fee per item sold, and won’t charge fees for ads or logistics when merchants manage their own shipping, per The Information. Merchants also have the option to fulfill orders from their own US warehouses—which could win over sellers frustrated with the high cost of Amazon’s fulfillment services.
emarketer.com
Ex-Amazon Seller Appario Files Lawsuit to Dismiss Antitrust Allegations
Appario, a former top seller on Amazon’s India platform, has filed a lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court to quash an antitrust investigation that found both Amazon and several of its sellers in breach of Indian competition laws, according to court records reviewed on Thursday. The lawsuit challenges findings from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) that accused U.S. eCommerce giant Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart, along with certain smartphone brands and online sellers, of violating local competition rules by giving preferential treatment to select sellers, as reported by Reuters.
pymnts.com
Amazon seller-fulfilled heavy and bulky returns
Starting on the 30th of October, 2024, Amazon are updating the process for seller-fulfilled returns policy for heavy and bulky items for Germany, France, Italy, and Spain stores. This change is in line with the UK store which has been using the updated policy since August 2024. You’re now required to offer a prepaid return label along with home collection for seller-fulfilled heavy and bulky item returns, with a refund to the customer. The return policy in regard to who bears the cost of the return shipping does not change.
channelx.world
Amazon fee cuts on cheap apparel may see more brands lose coveted buy box to resellers
Last December, Amazon made a surprising announcement: It was slashing referral fees it charges merchants who sell apparel items under $20 on its sprawling online store. About eight months after the changes went into effect, new data suggests the move has paid off for Amazon as the e-commerce giant looks to fend off competition from Chinese fast-fashion rivals Shein and Temu. But the move stands to encroach on the business of big-name brands on the platform.
modernretail.co
Best Selling Products On Amazon (2024)
Ecommerce sellers rely on Amazon to reach a massive audience of over 310 million active customers. That makes keeping up with the platform’s best sellers and new trends extremely important. Using the Exploding Topics proprietary algorithm, we can find trending products that are performing well on Amazon before they become mainstream. Every product we’ve included is rated as an Amazon bestseller and displays upward growth.
explodingtopics.com
Amazon Says Third-Party Sellers Drive 60% of eCommerce Sales
Amazon says small, independent businesses now account for a bulk of its eCommerce sales. The company’s annual U.S. Small Business Empowerment Report, issued Tuesday (May 23), shows that 60% of sales on Amazon’s stores come from independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The report showed that these sellers sold 4.1 billion products last year, with sellers in rural areas seeing more than 40% year-over-year sales growth.
pymnts.com
5 new Amazon AI tools including selling assistant Project Amelia
Amazon have announced 5 new powerful generative AI tools to accelerate seller and small business growth and enhance the customer shopping experience, including Project Amelia for business insights. Amazon has been heavily focused on the development and deployment of AI and machine learning to improve the Amazon customer experience, support the success of sellers, maximise productivity and tackle some of humanity’s most challenging problems. Generative AI marks the next phase of their AI work, enabling innovation in ways that, until recently, were not possible.
channelx.world
The Top 10 Amazon Competitors (2024)
As a business owner, you’ve likely wondered, “How can I compete with Amazon?”. It’s a valid concern. Whether you’re an online retailer or run physical stores serving a niche, there’s a good chance Amazon has claimed a chunk of your market share. Jeff Bezos’s brainchild has its fingers in many pies. However, Amazon isn’t invincible. Many businesses are direct Amazon competitors and still enjoy substantial profits. This guide explores 10 of Amazon’s top competitors in various areas, explaining what exactly makes them successful. We’ll then apply these lessons to show how you can compete with the online retail giant.
shopify.com
JumpFly Showcases Key Insights from Amazon Accelerate 2024
JumpFly, a leader in digital marketing and advertising management, recently attended Amazon Accelerate 2024, Amazon’s flagship conference for selling partners. The event, renowned for unveiling Amazon’s latest tools and innovations, provided invaluable opportunities for JumpFly to connect with industry leaders and gather insights to support its clients. “Amazon Accelerate 2024 did not disappoint!” said Nick Pilcher, JumpFly’s Director of Marketplace. “From AI advancements to new integrations, Amazon is pushing innovation for their partners this year.”
jumpfly.com
Amazon is Moving Beyond its Own Walls Like Never Before…What Will it Mean for Retail?
The major tech platforms, Amazon included, are often referred to as “walled gardens” because they offer an immense set of capabilities, services, data and insights — but only to users within the “walls” of their site. However, Amazon is slowly but surely changing that; in fact, very soon, Amazon and its services are going to be showing up in a lot more places that aren’t Amazon — Google, TikTok, DTC websites and even at ports and along freight lines (although the Amazon branding will likely be less prominent in those latter locations).
retailtouchpoints.com
Supply Chain by Amazon service launched
Since announcing their vision for Supply Chain by Amazon, an end-to-end, fully-automated set of supply-chain services that provides sellers with a complete solution to quickly and reliably move products directly from their manufacturers to customers around the world, Amazon have worked to deliver against this idea to revolutionise the supply chain landscape. Now they have announced that Amazon are making the fully-managed, end-to-end Supply Chain by Amazon service available to sellers. Supply Chain by Amazon is radically simplifying operations and optimising inventory placement, unlocking faster delivery speeds that are increasing sales by an average of 20%.
channelx.world
A proposed class action lawsuit claims Walmart has enabled, profited from and failed to prevent a form of organized retail crime on Walmart Marketplace involving fraudulent sellers who “hijack” products from legitimate Amazon merchants. Get the latest open class action lawsuits sent to your inbox. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter. The sprawling 291-page lawsuit was filed by four small businesses that claim to have fallen victim to a systemic scheme on Walmart Marketplace whereby fraudulent sellers allegedly upload the plaintiffs’ Amazon.com listings verbatim under fake brand names and offer their products for sale without having any inventory or authorization to sell these items.
classaction.org
FTC can proceed with antitrust claims against Amazon, judge rules
A sealed decision by the federal judge has rejected most of Amazon’s arguments and allowed an antitrust case brought by the Federal Trade Commission to proceed, said The Washington Post. At first, Amazon representatives were quite happy. The retail giant has been fighting to get the FTC’s case dismissed, saying that Amazon operates as an illegal monopoly. On Tuesday, it celebrated reports that the judge had dismissed parts of the agency’s claims. Some on social media speculated this was a big deal for Amazon – even though no one can possibly know which parts of the case, initially filed in September 2023, were dismissed as the judge’s order is sealed until mid-October.
cybernews.com
Flipkart Sellers Sue CCI, Demand Halt on Anti-Trust Probe Against Amazon and Flipkart
In a recent turn of events, three sellers of Flipkart have sued the Competition Commission of India (CCI) with regards to the ongoing probe going on by the watchdog against Amazon and Flipkart. The probe, which started in 2020, claims that both the e-commerce giants Flipkart and Amazon practiced anti-competitive practices such as giving preference to select sellers, treating ordinary sellers as mere data bases, and more. This was first reported by Reuters. The three sellers—CIGFIL Retail, Wishery Online, and Xonique Ventures—filed the lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court and insisted that the investigation report that has been released by the CCI should be put on hold.
outlookbusiness.com
Tips and Tricks
Top 8 Amazon FBA Calculators Every Amazon Seller Should Try
Ecommerce is enjoying a big boost in popularity, thanks to technology. Approximately 80% of adults in the United States are turning to eCommerce to buy goods and services. Similarly, more people are opening online stores, whether as an additional sales channel for their physical store or as an entirely new venture. Because of websites like Amazon, it has become easier for merchants to sell products and services in the online marketplace. It is estimated that sales from global eCommerce will hit $6.3 trillion this year, with $1.1 trillion coming from the US.
influencermarketinghub.com
10 Hidden Tricks to Maximize Your Amazon FBA Profits in 2024
Hello, fabulous entrepreneurs! If you’re trying to increase the size of your Amazon FBA profits in 2024 You’re at the right spot. If you’re just beginning or are looking to up you game with these tips can help you improve your plan. Get ready, because we’re about to reveal some amazing gems that can really elevate your company! Learn to master the art of Product Research.
theplaidhorse.com
How to Spot a Fake Review on Amazon
As wonderful as the internet can be, it also lies to us every day. Fake reviews—seemingly legitimate assessments created by a seller or someone paid by them—are becoming harder to spot. The online shopping boom has made them a big business, but they can end up costing you serious money. In 2021, it was discovered that over 200,000 people were involved in a fake reviews scheme with third-party Amazon vendors. Worse yet, the AI boom has made it more difficult to tell real people from robots. Amazon now has tools that allow sellers to generate product descriptions and create listings and users to ask questions or compare products. The FTC has been empowered to go after scam reviewers, but will that prevent you from being duped?
pcmag.com
Podcasts
Amazon Customer Loyalty Analytics & Business Planner
What if harnessing the power of Amazon’s vast data pool could revolutionize your e-commerce strategy? In this episode recorded live from Amazon Accelerate, we introduce a couple of cutting-edge tools, Amazon Business Planner, Customer Loyalty Analytics, and Customer Journey Analytics, designed to transform Amazon brands’ approach to their operations marketing. Our special guests, James Casazza and Wei Li, prominent figures from Amazon Corporate, share how these new tools offer brands the ability to set goals, receive personalized action plans, and effectively manage their business data with self-service capabilities.
helium10.com
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