If in doubt, check our Absolutely-No-Spam Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

#152 - Amazon Seller Insights 2024, ‘I started losing money left and right’, and more

Amazon employee in fulfilment centre
Welcome to Issue #152 of the FBA Monthly Newsletter! As we move into another month, we are excited to bring you a wealth of insights and resources designed to help you elevate your Amazon business. In this edition, you’ll find the latest updates on industry trends, effective marketing strategies, and practical tips for optimizing your operations. Whether you’re looking to expand your product line or refine your selling techniques, we’re here to empower your journey. Let’s explore the opportunities that lie ahead together and make this month one of your best yet!

Hot News

Amazon remains a powerhouse in the e-commerce landscape, hosting approximately 9.7 million sellers who are eager to enhance their sales and profits. But what does it take for new sellers to succeed on this platform? With nearly 60% of all Amazon sales attributed to third-party sellers, there is substantial opportunity for emerging entrepreneurs. However, competition is intense, as only about 10% of these sellers earn over $100,000 annually.

techbusinessnews.com

According to one Amazon forum, the company can now take up to 30 days after receiving a returned item to issue customers their refund. Kiki added, too, that customers who return items won’t get their money back until Amazon has inspected the item to determine whether it’s sellable. According to another post from JungleScout, Amazon will accept returns for unused or damaged projects. If Amazon caused damage to the product, it added, customers will receive reimbursement in exchange for the project return.

dailydot.com

China is home to US e-commerce giant Amazon.com’s four biggest merchant bases, according to new research, showing the significant role that the world’s second-largest economy continues to play in the global supply chain despite geopolitical tensions. Shenzhen, a technology and factory hub in China’s southern Guangdong province, leads the pack with 102,588 sellers registered on Amazon, collectively generating US$35.3 billion revenue annually, according to US e-commerce service provider Smartscout.

scmp.com


Good to Know

Amazon has zero tolerance for fake reviews. We have robust and long-standing policies that prohibit review abuse, and suspend, ban, and take legal action against those who violate these policies. Fake reviews are a global problem impacting reviews across multiple industries, and we support collaboration across the private and public sector to help stop this issue. Consumers heavily rely on product reviews when making purchasing decisions and incentivized reviews mislead customers into believing they are from unbiased and independent customers.

aboutamazon.com

Spurred in part by its summertime Prime Day sale, Amazon on Thursday reported that Q3 online store sales rose 7.2% year over year to $61.4 billion and physical-store sales rose 5.4% to $5.2 billion. Growth of services in the e-commerce giant’s retail business was especially solid. Product sales grew 7% to $67.6 billion, while third-party seller services rose 10.3% to $37.9 billion, advertising grew 18.8% to $14.3 billion and subscriptions grew 10.9% to $11.3 billion.

retaildive.com

Amazon is experiencing tight capacity at some West Coast facilities due to high demand, the company said in an announcement to third-party sellers Thursday. The constraints are leading to lengthier processing times for seller inventory at inbound shipping locations and palletized freight. “We’re continuing to monitor the situation and are working hard to ensure your inventory is placed before your deals start,” Amazon said.

supplychaindive.com

Amazon enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world by giving them access to our stores through sophisticated tools helping them to reach hundreds of millions of customers. SMEs are a key pillar of the Belgian economy, and businesses from all over Belgium have embraced the world of e-commerce, recognising an online presence as an opportunity for dynamic growth. The results are very visible in that last year, Belgian SMEs sold over 10 million products, more than 20 products per minute and twice as many as last year on Amazon’s stores.

aboutamazon.eu

Amazon began displaying seller ratings in search results, according to an online-selling consultant who noticed the change at the end of September. Vanessa Hung, CEO of Online Seller Solutions, said Amazon displayed only the rating of the seller who won the Buy Box for a particular ASIN. And there were no ratings in cases where Amazon won the Buy Box. (Note that Amazon now calls the Buy Box the "Featured Offer.")

ecommercebytes.com

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is selling more than $3 billion worth of Amazon shares, according to a new regulatory filing revealed Friday, in his latest stock sale this year. Bezos had already sold more than $13 billion worth of Amazon stock in 2024. The latest sale of more than 16 million shares came as Amazon’s stock once again nears $200 per share. It surpassed $200 in July, when Bezos sold a separate tranche of shares — that was the stock’s highest price since Amazon’s 1997 NASDAQ listing.

geekwire.com

In 2018, police showed up at a nondescript industrial warehouse in New York’s Brooklyn Navy Yard to investigate reported counterfeits. Federal agents were looking for knockoff military gear as part of an investigation into a distributor, called California Surplus, that had secured a $20 million contract to supply the U.S. military with specialized uniforms. They’d already recovered thousands of boxes of the stuff from a nearby New Jersey warehouse, according to court documents.

cnbc.com

Amazon is introducing new return policies in the United Kingdom on November 11. International sellers will be required to provide a domestic return address or issue a return label; otherwise, the customer will receive a refund without needing to return the item. According to Amazon, these new rules are necessary to establish clear guidelines for sellers and simplify the return process for customers.

ecommercenews.eu

It’s a project that’s been years in the making. "I'm very confident that those buying things on Amazon.com this holiday season, lots of stuff will be coming from our Johnston fulfillment center," the head of Amazon's New England Economic Development, Jonathan Greeley, said Monday. The 3.8 million-square-foot building off Hartford Avenue is expected to create 1,500 permanent jobs once fully operational.

turnto10.com

They drive large trucks emblazoned with “Amazon” and wear Amazon uniforms. But are they Amazon employees? That’s the question central to a dispute over the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ attempts to organize the drivers who deliver Amazon packages in California, Illinois, and New York. Last year, 84 Amazon delivery drivers from Palmdale, California, became the first U.S. group to join the Teamsters. Since then, drivers in Skokie, Illinois, the New York City borough of Queens, and Victorville, California, have done the same.

practicalecommerce.com

Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced that it is revising its policy on shipment tracking in January in Germany. The change will affect domestic and cross-border shipments. Merchants on the platform have voiced their concerns about rising costs. Online marketplace Amazon recently announced that it would implement a longer return period during the holiday season. Now, it has shared more news with its partner sellers in Germany. It is implementing changes in its tracking policy.

ecommercenews.eu

The eCommerce market is alive and kicking. With household names like Amazon, Walmart, and Apple driving the growth, the industry is expected to grow by a few trillion in the next few years alone. If others want their slice of the eCommerce market share, mobile and social commerce in particular are expected to play a huge role. Here’s a closer look at the trends and projections for the next five years.

influencermarketinghub.com


Tips and Tricks

Halloween may not even be here yet, but Amazon sellers have already put their end-of-year plans in action in order to drive sales. Amazon’s October Big Deal Days kicked off the holiday season for many brands, and it was the biggest Prime event for the Seattle-based retailer yet, according to its post-event report. Consumers saved more than $1 billion across purchases made during the 48-hour sales event.

inc.com

Amazon storefronts are like a seller’s dedicated shop within the vast Amazon marketplace. They showcase a brand’s full product range, giving you a better overview than a standard product search. Here’s how to find them.

9meters.com

Becoming an Amazon FBA seller is one of the most interesting, unique businesses you can start. FBA stands for Fulfillment by Amazon, and it’s a program offered by Amazon to third-party merchants that allows you to get your products on Amazon’s website and leverage its global fulfillment network to scale your e-commerce business.This is a huge simplification, but lots of people have made a healthy living, even small fortunes with Amazon FBA, and it is built on one of the most trusted brands in the world.

upgradedpoints.com

Managing an online sales business can be tough. Amazon makes a lot of things about the process of selling online easier, but there are many different factors and functions that need to be taken care of each day to make your Amazon store a big success. If you have been struggling to get conversions to drive traffic to your business listings or to figure out who your target audience is, you need to be aware of the right tactics to use to improve your sales on the Amazon platform.

ciolook.com

One of the biggest hurdles new dropshipping entrepreneurs face is choosing what products to sell. It’s a significant business decision with long-term consequences for your brand and website. If you want to know how to start dropshipping to generate profit, focusing on in-demand products like the ones suggested below is important.

shopify.com

Managing advertising on Amazon is one of the biggest hurdles Amazon sellers face. Running a profitable PPC campaign requires time, patience, and skill. Effective Amazon PPC software is necessary for sellers aiming to drive sales, boost visibility, and maximize ad spend. From bid management to performance tracking, these tools are designed to help you leverage the power of Amazon Advertising. This guide covers the 12 best Amazon PPC software options to help you pick the right one for your business.

junglescout.com

Amazon associates are individuals or businesses that have signed up with Amazon to promote the company's products and make some money in the process. Amazon associates are paid when customers click and make purchases through affiliate links. A rising number of people seek to master the basics of Amazon affiliate marketing to make money from home or anywhere they are.

influencermarketinghub.com


Podcasts

Imagine harnessing the full potential of keywords to revolutionize your e-commerce sales strategy. In today’s episode, we explore the indispensable role of keyword tracking for Amazon sellers, with or without advanced tools like Helium 10. We uncover how Amazon’s own features, such as Product Opportunity Explorer and Search Query Performance, can be leveraged to stay ahead, even as AI technologies evolve.

helium10.com