Amazon Archives - CSP Commerce https://cspcommerce.com/category/amazon-marketplace-management/ Reach More Customers Through Amazon and Google Shopping Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:47:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://cspcommerce.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CSP-Commerce-vml-favicon-150x150.png Amazon Archives - CSP Commerce https://cspcommerce.com/category/amazon-marketplace-management/ 32 32 Amazon Prime Day: Preparing for Success https://cspcommerce.com/preparing-for-prime-success/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 15:57:39 +0000 https://cspcommerce.com/?p=22555 Amazon Prime dates have just been announced and the promotional event will take place on the 16th-17th July 2024. Prime Day was created with prime users in mind. It’s all about offering deals/discounts exclusively to Prime members from small businesses to big brands for a limited time. And with Prime Day being just around the…

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Amazon Prime dates have just been announced and the promotional event will take place on the 16th-17th July 2024. Prime Day was created with prime users in mind. It’s all about offering deals/discounts exclusively to Prime members from small businesses to big brands for a limited time. And with Prime Day being just around the corner, it’s a great opportunity for sellers to boost their sales and capture the attention of new customers.

Prime Day 2023, was their best performing event on record, with over 345 million products purchased worldwide (Source: Amazon) and over £1.15 Billion generated in sales (Statista). This just shows the scale of opportunity available to sellers on the platform.

We want to help you to make the most out of this shopping event and that’s why we have created this quick read guide to ensure that your business is ready to thrive this Prime Day from predicting success to a post prime day review.

Amazon Prime Day – Predicting Sales

It’s important to look at your previous Prime Day sales to forecast potential performance, and review whether you need to increase your budget to help take advantage of the increased traffic throughout the promotional period. Identify best sellers and anticipate how many units you will likely sell. This data is crucial in helping you prepare and ensure you meet customer demand.

There are a number of benefits from increasing your budgets during high traffic periods, such as uplift in brand awareness and recall leading to future purchases and retention. There is also the opportunity to get ahead of your competitors by ensuring your brand is at the top of mind when customers are searching.

Amazon Prime Day – Inventory Planning

One of the most important factors for any promotional event is having enough inventory. Whether you’re fulfilling orders yourself or using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), make sure your stock levels can handle the increased demand.

We understand the deadline has passed for Prime day but by reviewing your stock levels and monitoring how your sales perform this time, can help indicate how much stock you will need for your next promotional event. Running out of stock can lead to missed sales and disappointed customers. There is also the risk of potential customers discovering your competitors whilst your items are unavailable, leading to future loss of sales.

Enticing Deals

Amazon Prime Day is all about offering the most compelling exclusive deals for Prime members only.. It’s important to review your product margins to see what level of discounts you can offer and what type of promotion will most likely lead to sales as a lot of other competitors will also be trying to compete during the promotional event. Think about your goals, for example if you’re wanting to increase your average order value, then you could look to create a bundle offer which includes a best seller with complimentary products at a lower price to help draw your customers in.

Boost Your Visibility

Visibility is key during Amazon Prime Day. Increase your spend on sponsored product campaigns and brand ads to improve your brand’s overall visibility. We would recommend increasing your ad budget by 20% and checking in a few times a day to ensure that the campaigns are not running out of spend early in the day. We’re happy to help you determine your budgets for the promotional period, if you would like to get in touch.

In addition, try leverage email marketing and social media to help drive traffic to your Amazon listings.

Branding for Success

Make sure your product listings are retail-ready. This means having compelling product titles and informative bullet points that highlight the benefits of your products. Expand into A+ content to provide a more immersive shopping experience and build customer trust. Don’t forget to update your brand store to showcase your current offers and deals.

Effective Customer Service

Customer service can make or break your Prime Day performance. Be prompt in replying to customer queries on the listings to avoid purchase blockers. Excellent customer service can lead to positive reviews and repeat business, enhancing your brand’s reputation. Long wait times for a response can lead to negative reviews.

Post-Prime Day Review: Learn and Improve

Once Prime Day is over, it’s time to review the results. How many products did you sell? What was your conversion rate? Has impressions increased the average order value? Did your TACoS improve? Did more people visited your storefront? This analysis will help you understand what worked and what didn’t, allowing you to refine your strategy for future sales events.

By following these steps, you will be putting your brand in the best position to succeed. We have seen great results from our clients during Prime day promotions, where they have been able to increase budgets to improve visibility and uplift their sales.

We’re offering for a limited time only; a review of your three best-selling products using our 52-point check and a complimentary ads audit. If you would like to take advantage of this exclusive offer, please get in touch with our team here.

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UK Marketplaces: A Comparison and Analysis (2023) https://cspcommerce.com/uk-marketplace-management-a-comparison-and-analysis/ Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:57:55 +0000 https://cspcommerce.com/?p=21677 Whether you’re a Manchester-based omnichannel ecommerce retailer or run an international ecommerce brand, you’ll need to know the importance of online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. A massive 46.7% of all online searches start on these types of platforms, making them essential players in any robust multichannel strategy. With projections estimating B2C marketplace sales…

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Whether you’re a Manchester-based omnichannel ecommerce retailer or run an international ecommerce brand, you’ll need to know the importance of online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

A massive 46.7% of all online searches start on these types of platforms, making them essential players in any robust multichannel strategy. With projections estimating B2C marketplace sales to skyrocket to £3.25 trillion by 2024, navigating through these platforms wisely is not just an option, but a necessity.

Let’s take an analytical deep dive into each platform, examining their comparative advantages and challenges to provide a comprehensive view of their role in your multichannel approach.

Amazon: The Unquestionable Marketplace Leader

Amazon’s marketplace, with its unparalleled reach, serves as the ‘default’ shopping destination for many, especially in the UK. The sheer volume of sellers and product listings can be both an advantage and a challenge. On the one hand, it offers an enormous customer base; on the other, the competition is fierce, making it essential for sellers to invest heavily in advertising and customer engagement strategies.

Amazon’s pricing models, while potentially expensive, offer the advantage of scale. The Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) programme allows businesses to offset some costs by leveraging Amazon’s logistics network. Amazon’s robustness is unmatched but comes at the cost of transaction fees that can run up to 15% of the product’s price.

eBay: The Versatile Contender of Marketplaces

In contrast to Amazon’s generalist approach, eBay offers a platform that’s equally welcoming to new, used, and unique products. While it may not offer the same customer volume as Amazon, it offers a level of customer targeting and niche appeal that Amazon often cannot. The platform provides an opportunity for specialised sellers to shine, without the oppressive competition seen on Amazon.

eBay’s seller fees can be more forgiving than Amazon’s. With free listings and fixed final value fees, eBay offers a cost-effective model that can be especially beneficial for smaller businesses or those dealing with specialised merchandise.

Etsy: The Artisan’s Haven of Marketplaces

Etsy’s unique selling proposition is its focus on handmade, vintage, and unique items. Unlike Amazon or eBay, which strive for mass market appeal, Etsy targets a very niche market segment. This is a double-edged sword—while it means less competition for businesses that fit into Etsy’s categories, it also implies a more limited customer base.

Financially, Etsy can be more viable for small-scale sellers due to its modest listing fees and relatively low transaction charges, making it an ideal platform for businesses seeking lower operational expenses but a targeted customer base.

Fruugo: The Under-the-Radar Global Marketplace

In the midst of these giants, Fruugo is gradually carving a niche for itself, especially for businesses aiming for international exposure. What it lacks in volume, it compensates with a low barrier to entry and a simplified approach to international selling.

Unlike Amazon’s extensive and sometimes tedious international set-up, or eBay’s international site visibility options which can be costly, Fruugo simplifies global sales. Its analytics tools may not be as advanced as those of Amazon, but they offer straightforward insights for business decisions.

While Amazon and eBay vie for broad market dominance, Etsy and Fruugo appeal to specialised markets — handmade goods for Etsy and international niche markets for Fruugo. Amazon’s high fees offer scale and reach, whereas eBay’s and Etsy’s lower costs mean higher profit margins, but at the cost of scale. Fruugo operates as a dark horse providing global reach without extensive set-up, but its low traffic can’t match the customer base of the other platforms.

Looking to the future of ecommerce and marketplaces

As 2023 continues to unfold and 2024 comes into focus, each of these platforms offers distinct advantages and challenges. Amazon and eBay remain the juggernauts, providing scale but at higher operating costs. Etsy provides a highly targeted but smaller market, ideal for niche products, and does so at a lower operational cost. Fruugo offers an easier path to international markets but lacks the high traffic of the other platforms.

The legacies of Amazon and eBay, originating in the mid-1990s, have endured through decades and have been reinvigorated by evolving consumer preferences and technology. While these platforms have amassed significant traffic, they present challenges like transaction fees and customer experience that newer platforms like Etsy and Fruugo aim to mitigate.

Your choice will depend on various factors such as scale, product type, and market reach. But one thing is clear: a well-thought-out, multichannel strategy leveraging the unique strengths of each platform is now more essential than ever.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platforms first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchesterecommerceagency #amazon #ebay

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Accelerate with Amazon Ads: Don’t Survive, Thrive! [Webinar] https://cspcommerce.com/accelerate-with-amazon-ads-dont-survive-thrive-webinar/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:56:27 +0000 https://cspcommerce.com/?p=21437 Unlock the secrets of prosperity on Amazon. Join our Multichannel Mentors for the third instalment of our ‘Unlock Amazon’ webinar series. If you want to achieve success on Amazon, understanding and identifying the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your business is crucial. That’s why we invite you to join our webinar, where our expert…

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Unlock the secrets of prosperity on Amazon. Join our Multichannel Mentors for the third instalment of our ‘Unlock Amazon’ webinar series.

If you want to achieve success on Amazon, understanding and identifying the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your business is crucial. That’s why we invite you to join our webinar, where our expert panel will unlock the secrets to thriving on Amazon.
When it comes to Amazon success, two important factors are market share and cost efficiency. During the webinar, we will help you determine where your business fits between these two points, enabling you to develop a winning campaign strategy that will accelerate your brand’s presence on Amazon.

We will also explore various strategies to enhance your brand’s presence on Amazon. Two powerful strategies are the use of sponsored Brand Banner ads and Video ads – we’ll be uncovering how you can leverage both for your growth.
Our experts will then guide you through key aspects for campaign optimization, such as bidding priority, budget management, and cost-per-click (CPC) strategies.

We will provide valuable insights on how to set the right bid, manage placement targeting and budget rules, and avoid bid conflicts across campaigns, whilst also touching on negative targeting.

You’ll leave the webinar knowing how to:
• Leverage alternative methods for brand visibility on Amazon
• Utilise placement targeting, display advertising, and contextual product retargeting
• Leverage Amazon’s toolkit to enhance your share of voice
• Track progress through metrics like New To Brand purchases, views, and uplift
• Harness the power of video ads and monitor their effectiveness
• Discover platforms like Twitch and Amazon DSP for staying ahead of competitors

If you’re ready to scale on Amazon, mastering KPIs and campaign strategies is pivotal for accelerating your brand presence on Amazon. By understanding bidding, negative targeting, and different targeting types, you can optimise your campaigns for optimal results. Tracking your progress and utilising Amazon’s toolkits, such as display ads, video ads, and Amazon DSP, will help you enhance your share of voice, capture customers, and outshine competitors.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain in-depth insights and unlock the true potential of your brand on Amazon. Join our webinar today and embark on a journey toward Amazon success!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Missed one of our previous Amazon webinars?

Watch them here:

 

Accelerate with Amazon Ads: Don’t Survive, Thrive! [Webinar]

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

10:30 – 11:30 AM | FRIDAY 18 AUGUST 2023

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchesterecommerceagency #amazon #ebay

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Activate Amazon: Grow Your Store & Market Presence with Multichannel Mentors [Webinar] https://cspcommerce.com/activate-amazon-grow-your-store-market-pwebinar/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 21:00:06 +0000 https://cspcommerce.com/?p=21086 Being a successful Amazon seller is no easy feat, especially considering the staggering statistic that suggests only 10% of sellers survive beyond their first year. With the vast marketplace and fierce competition, it’s crucial to implement effective tactics to boost sales while avoiding costly mistakes. If you’re an Amazon seller looking to scale your business,…

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Being a successful Amazon seller is no easy feat, especially considering the staggering statistic that suggests only 10% of sellers survive beyond their first year. With the vast marketplace and fierce competition, it’s crucial to implement effective tactics to boost sales while avoiding costly mistakes. If you’re an Amazon seller looking to scale your business, you’re invited to join us on Friday 23rd June at 10:30 am for a webinar titled “Activate Amazon: Grow Your Store & Market Presence with Multichannel Mentors.” In this webinar, you’ll gain valuable insights and proven strategies to become an Amazon Seller Survivor, drive sales growth, and activate your Amazon store’s presence.

The Power of Amazon:

Amazon offers an unparalleled opportunity for sellers to establish highly profitable ecommerce businesses rapidly. In fact, a staggering 47% of UK shoppers consider Amazon their primary source of inspiration, surpassing even search engines (32%). Selling on Amazon seems like a no-brainer, but increased competition, margin pressures, and Amazon’s “sell everything from A to Z” strategy present challenges when it comes to gaining visibility and standing out in the crowd.

Webinar Highlights:

During the “Activate Amazon” webinar, seasoned Multichannel Mentors Beth Watson and Lauren Davies will guide you through strategies to grow your Amazon presence and generate measurable results. The webinar will delve into the following key areas:

  1. Maximizing Sponsored Product Campaign Performance: Discover the tactics to optimize your sponsored product campaigns and drive maximum performance. Learn how to target the right audience, leverage data-driven insights, and make data-informed decisions to maximize your advertising ROI.
  2. Unleashing the Power of Effective Store Pages: Explore how to create store pages that go beyond mere product listings. Understand how effective store pages can provide valuable insights about your products, engage customers, and enhance their overall shopping experience. Uncover the secrets to building a compelling and immersive store experience.
  3. Standing Out Against the Competition: Competition on Amazon is fierce, but it’s possible to differentiate yourself and carve out a niche. Discover strategies and techniques to effectively stand out amidst competitors on the UK’s largest ecommerce platform. Learn how to leverage your unique selling points and optimize your product offerings to capture customer attention and loyalty.

Bonus Opportunity:

As an added incentive, we will be randomly selecting three webinar attendees to receive a free Amazon advertising audit. This audit will help you identify areas for improvement and fine-tune your advertising strategy to drive better results. The winners will be announced during the webinar, so make sure to join for a chance to win this valuable opportunity.

Don’t miss out!

Surviving and thriving as an Amazon seller requires a combination of sound strategies, targeted advertising, and a deep understanding of customer behaviour. By participating in the “Activate Amazon” webinar, you’ll gain actionable insights and proven tactics from industry experts to unlock the full potential of your Amazon store. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to maximize sponsored product campaigns, create compelling store pages, and stand out in the competitive Amazon marketplace. Register now to secure your spot and embark on a journey towards Amazon success.

REGISTER NOW

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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Listing for Success on Amazon: Our Essential Tips https://cspcommerce.com/listing-for-success-on-amazon/ Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:26:44 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=20142 How can sellers increase listing success on Amazon? Beth Watson, our advertising and marketplace expert, gives us her three top tips. Today, Amazon has over 281,000 sellers in the UK selling over  600 million products. It has become the go-to marketplace for practically all sellers and buyers. It also has the largest brand recognition and…

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How can sellers increase listing success on Amazon? Beth Watson, our advertising and marketplace expert, gives us her three top tips.

Today, Amazon has over 281,000 sellers in the UK selling over  600 million products. It has become the go-to marketplace for practically all sellers and buyers. It also has the largest brand recognition and has become one of the most trusted platforms for ecommerce transactions. According to Cybercrew, 86% of people in the United Kingdom shop at Amazon. Despite having its own series of data breaches, these number less than those of competitors, meaning trust among users has remained high. So, with so much competition, how can sellers increase listing success on Amazon? Beth Watson, our advertising and marketplace expert, gives us her three top tips.

1. Get descriptive

Perhaps the best step you can take to get your listings higher on your customer’s page is being as descriptive as possible. Whether it’s weight, height or product colour, ensure that your product description and title is as detailed as possible before you list your item.

2. Ensure quality, and quantity

Ensuring that your products are listed with lots of quality photos is absolutely essential when ranking on Amazon. For Beth, this should be no less than 5. Ensure consistency across your profile and shoot with a neutral/white background. Remember, light is your friend! Other amazon photo tips include;
• Keep the image resolution high
• Pay attention to the product size
• Show different angles of the product
• Use a tripod or a steady surface
• Avoid placing additional items with the product.
Where possible, don’t be afraid to use video content to show your product in action.

3. Get on top of your A+ content

A+ content is a feature on Amazon that allows sellers to create enhanced, detailed product descriptions and images to showcase their products to potential customers. It is designed to help sellers increase the visibility and appeal of their products on Amazon, and to provide customers with more detailed and comprehensive information about the products they are considering purchasing. Creating quality A+ content that can address the queries and concerns of your customers is a great way to rank higher on Amazon. Use A+ content as much as possible, and try to produce A+ content for each of your products.

Learning From Industry Leaders: Missguided, a Manchester Fashion Ecommerce Brand

North West fashion brand, Missguided has achieved tremendous popularity since its inception, collaborating with top designers, renowned brands, and even a television show, leading to escalating demand challenges.

Expanding beyond fashion, Missguided entered the perfume market, distributing products through high-street retailers and primarily via Amazon.

The Amazon store aligns seamlessly with Missguided’s brand, extending its website’s “look” for a cohesive customer experience. It features user-friendly navigation with four main product categories: “Fragrance,” “Body Mists,” “Gift Sets,” and “Rollerballs.”

To optimize listing success on Amazon, Missguided employs top tips like clear and detailed product names, as seen in their best-seller “Babe Power” perfume. The product page includes comprehensive descriptions, clear photos of the product and packaging, and essential product details.

Missguided leverages A+ Content to enrich product pages with engaging facts that educate customers and reinforce the brand’s authority. This strategy drives higher rankings and increased sales compared to perfume competitors on Amazon.

Ready to learn more about creating a multichannel ecommerce presence?

To thrive in such a crowded market and capture consumers whose preference for multiple brand touchpoints is ever evolving, ecommerce businesses in 2023 must make the most of the advantages granted by a “multichannel” strategy. Download the Multichannel Manual to identify the channels integral for success. Focusing on DTC (Direct-to-Consumer), online traditional marketplaces and social media “modern marketplaces”, this guide breaks each channel down, analysing individual platforms, the advantages and challenges.

The Multichannel Manual preview

DOWNLOAD NOW

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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Primed and Ready: Are you ready for Amazon Prime Day? https://cspcommerce.com/primed-and-ready-are-you-ready-for-amazon-prime-day/ Thu, 07 Jul 2022 14:14:22 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=19867 Unlock more opportunities on Amazon Prime Day with our top tips. In a flash, Amazon’s highly anticipated Amazon Prime Day is nearly upon us. With so many retailers striving for a multichannel presence, how much resource and investment should online retailers and brands allocate to the two-day shopping bonanza? We take time to speak with Cloud Seller Pro,…

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Unlock more opportunities on Amazon Prime Day with our top tips.

In a flash, Amazon’s highly anticipated Amazon Prime Day is nearly upon us. With so many retailers striving for a multichannel presence, how much resource and investment should online retailers and brands allocate to the two-day shopping bonanza? We take time to speak with Cloud Seller Pro, a digital growth agency and Verified Amazon Partner, to understand the opportunity this can present for multichannel eCommerce businesses.

What is Prime Day?

One of the biggest shopping events of the year, Amazon Prime Day, is a two-day occasion for online retailers. For Amazon Prime members, the incentives are clear, with thousands of deals and discounts across multiple product categories, big-ticket items and gadgets available on Amazon. Much like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it has become a staple date for the perfect shopping spree with over 250 million items sold in 2021. For Amazon Sellers, who must offer discounted goods to feature, the opportunity might require some further consideration – as any discount can eat away at their precious margins. Yet with so many potential buyers, an increased number of products per order and store visits, there are some clever ways that Amazon Sellers can leverage the event.

So whether you are choosing to expand your presence on to Amazon or deciding how you should discount your products, we can help.

Creating the right kind of offer for Prime Day

So the first thing we would encourage you to remember is that Prime Day is all about customer savings. They’re seeking big discounts on items they need and want. For Amazon sellers, we would suggest selecting your highest margin products, products where you can upsell to encourage multibuys alongside other SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), or current best sellers. We’d recommend this because Prime Day is as much about creating long-term value as it is over short-term profit.  For example, if you are able to significantly increase the volume of sales, product reviews, product rankings and brand loyalty, then these short-term loss leaders may pay dividends with your sales in the long run.  You should keep a close eye on your competitor’s pricing strategies to ensure your offering is competitive but remains affordable for your business.

Key considerations for creating Amazon Ads on Prime Day?

During Amazon Prime Day a big factor is the cost of advertising and your budget. As there are 16 paid results and only 4 organic results on page one of Amazon the majority of listings now require a budget to appear.  You can set your Paid Ads up in three ways: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display.

Sponsored Products allow you to select which keyword, product or category you would like your product to be visible for. Your Ads will then appear in the search results and on product detail pages. Secondly, you can use Sponsored Brands, which also use a cost-per-click for Key Term and ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) targeting strategy. These methods help customers to discover your store and improve customer awareness by leveraging custom images and videos where available. Finally, Sponsored Display which launched in 2019 is one of the newer options available for advertisers on Amazon and already in 2022 29% of 3rd party sellers are using this targeting type. Sponsored Display targets Amazon users by their shopping behaviour and audience interests along with retargeting based on purchases and product detail page views. These particular ads target customers across Amazon but also on Amazon’s 3rd party websites and apps. We have a dedicated team who would be happy to explain this further and help you set up, optimise and manage your Amazon campaigns.

If you are going solo on Prime Day, we encourage you to pay close attention to your ad budget. With thousands of Amazon Sellers increasing their advertising budget to appear on page one the competition and costs tend to increase significantly. It can be costly to carry on using the same bidding strategy that you use on other days or seasons. Some sellers have even opted to completely disengage from the Paid Ads battle. Other Amazon Sellers have opted to narrow their campaign spending to a limited number of halo products. A few have reallocated their advertising spend to different channels, such as Facebook Advertising, to encourage cross-channel purchases. We’d always recommend testing out a couple of different PPC Strategies to see what works best. Be sure to utilise Amazon’s Attribution insights.

Creating A+ content on Amazon

Content goes hand in hand with your keyword research. You should ensure that your listing is informative and includes the desired keywords your product is aiming to rank for. Crafting great content could bump your listing into one of the 4 organic search results on page one.  Before making any big changes to your listings, content or headers you should take a look at your keyword selection and the performance of your current listings. Ideally, your keyword research should have been carried out before Prime Day. If you previously ran campaigns on Amazon export search terms that customers used to find your store. This can be used to update your product listings. If you’re just starting out or if you’d prefer to cross-check for any missed opportunities you can use Google Keyword Planner for general keyword research. An alternative approach would be to set up a new campaign specifically for Prime Day. Either of these methods will help to reveal specific trends relevant to Prime Day.

We would encourage you to include any new relevant search terms into your headers. One the subject of headers, although it might be tempting to reference Prime Day in headers, be aware this violates Amazon Prime Day and advertising policy. Instead, opt to use more general statements such as ‘Save on…’, ‘Discounts on..’ and ‘Great savings on…’.

Be sure to maximise every opportunity on Amazon Prime Day by optimising Product Details Page. Use Amazon Prime Day as an excuse to review your PDP for the following points:

  • Make a product title that is easy to understand, relevant and clear.
  • Include at least four high-resolution pictures that the viewer can enlarge to get a more detailed view of the product.
  • On the item specification section of your product details page, you should include at least three bullet points.
  • Check to make sure that your items are available and prepared for shipping.

Leveraging Social Media on Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day also presents an opportunity beyond Amazon stores. One clever tactic used by eCommerce businesses is to cross populate channels with content related to offers. Social Media can be particularly useful to build awareness of upcoming promotions to a larger audience at a lower cost. Our clients have seen fantastic results by using engagement campaigns across multiple social channels to increase traffic to promotion pages. This increases their conversion rates on high-interest events. Another tip worth mentioning is to reference a deal within your creatives. You can attract more attention to the content of your posts by including a reference to savings or an offer within your creative. Ultimately this can lead to an increased click-through rate from social media channels to your Amazon store. Just remember that direct references to Prime Day are exclusive to Amazon Sellers with an official Prime Deal running.

Prime Day presents Endless Opportunities

Prime Day is a huge event for many eCommerce brands and businesses. Identifying the best approach to the occasion without taking a substantial upfront cost can be challenging. A key takeaway from Prime Day is the event’s long-term benefits over short-term profits. With expert advice from Amazon experts, you can ensure that you navigate the best route for your business.

If you are looking to expand your presence on Amazon or wish to use paid advertising to grow your revenue streams then please reach out to Cloud Seller Pro. Cloud Seller Pro is always happy to have an open and honest conversion.

#ecommerce #multichannel #ordermanagementsoftware #ebay #amazon #woocommerce #integrateshopify #integrateebay #integrateamazon

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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Get ready for Amazon Prime Day https://cspcommerce.com/get-ready-for-amazon-prime-day/ Mon, 14 Jun 2021 08:00:20 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=18549 Amazon Prime Day – is it worth it? Amazon is embarking on a massive push for Prime Day on the 21st of June. On this day, customers who’ve signed up to their Prime service and have spent £10 in the two weeks leading up to Prime Day, will have their accounts credited with £10. It’s…

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Amazon Prime Day – is it worth it?

Amazon is embarking on a massive push for Prime Day on the 21st of June. On this day, customers who’ve signed up to their Prime service and have spent £10 in the two weeks leading up to Prime Day, will have their accounts credited with £10.

It’s being spun as a way of thanking UK small business owners who sell on Amazon. However, many of you will be wondering, ‘what’s the catch?’ and ‘how much effort should we throw at it?’

More customer traffic

There will undoubtedly be more customer traffic and plenty of noise around Amazon as they run promotions here and in the US. Prime Day 2020 was one of the two biggest days ever for third-party small businesses on Amazon with a 60% revenue increase from Prime Day 2020 compared to 2019. Sellers in 19 different countries participated in Prime Day 2020. Therefore, saving a big chunk of Amazon’s 150 million Prime members an estimated $1.4 billion dollars due to discounts. Customers will be online, actively looking for deals with a ‘high intent’ to buy.

If you’ve registered – and you’ll need to be – here are a few things to bear in mind.

  • You need to be offering a 20% discount or higher
  • The product needs to be Prime eligible
  • These are good for FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) launches and brands, less so for customised products.
  • Prime-exclusive deals give a second prime badge during the event
  • You can do Lightning Deals that last between 4 to 12 hours
  • You can take part in the earlier lead-up sales & discounts too. Therefore, competitors are less likely to overshadow you on the day!

Not registered or eligible to participate at this time? Instead, you can at least benefit from the huge increase of Amazon users who will be looking to purchase items throughout the Prime Day lead-up and the actual 2-day event.

If you need a boost, want to talk to us about a campaign for Prime Day, or any other day, then contact us today.

 

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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AmazonWatch: Issues with Amazon Sponsored Product Reporting https://cspcommerce.com/amazon-sponsored-product-reporting/ https://cspcommerce.com/amazon-sponsored-product-reporting/#respond Thu, 19 Sep 2019 10:55:32 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=1640 Amazon is in the headlines for several reasons this week, and we’ll cover some of the others soon. This story, though, affects Amazon Sponsored Product Ads. For Cloud Seller Pro, that makes it an automatic priority. Sponsored Product Reporting Inconsistencies Noted A report broke late yesterday from Jira – the leading bug tracking software –…

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Amazon is in the headlines for several reasons this week, and we’ll cover some of the others soon. This story, though, affects Amazon Sponsored Product Ads. For Cloud Seller Pro, that makes it an automatic priority.

Sponsored Product Reporting Inconsistencies Noted

A report broke late yesterday from Jira – the leading bug tracking software – on its Amazon Sponsored Product monitoring.

There is an inconsistency between reporting data and data restatement. Put another way, two different sources of the same data are conflicting.

At this time it’s not clear which is correct. We do know that the issue is specifically with Sponsored Products data. Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display ad data is not affected.

It’s believed that the data affected is “primarily” August-September data.

What Does This Mean for You?

We’ll have more details on the extent of reporting issues as the situation develops. For the moment, you should take reported data with a pinch of salt. However, once issues like this are discovered, historically the root cause is identified quickly. A fix soon follows.

Expect an update to this story soon!

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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Weekly eCommerce News Round-Up: 20-26 July https://cspcommerce.com/ecommerce-news-26-july/ https://cspcommerce.com/ecommerce-news-26-july/#respond Fri, 26 Jul 2019 14:43:00 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=1535 Internal and external disruptions and problems for major brands mark most of this week’s biggest eCommerce headlines. What might you need to know to make the right business moves in the rest of Q3 2019? Sainsburys and Amazon in Deliveroo Tug of War eBay getting into the Fulfilment Industry Google Shopping Overhaul Officially Launches Amazon…

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Internal and external disruptions and problems for major brands mark most of this week’s biggest eCommerce headlines. What might you need to know to make the right business moves in the rest of Q3 2019?

  • Sainsburys and Amazon in Deliveroo Tug of War
  • eBay getting into the Fulfilment Industry
  • Google Shopping Overhaul Officially Launches
  • Amazon Profit Rises, But Misses Forecasts
  • US DOJ Joins EU in Amazon Investigations
  • Are Sports Direct in More Trouble than Expected?
Sainsbury's Deliveroo Partnership clashes with Amazon

Sainsbury’s and Amazon in Deliveroo Tug of War

Sainsbury’s made a surprise entry into the fast food delivery market earlier this week, trialling pizzas from their supermarket counter to be delivered via Deliveroo at five supermarkets.

The move seems to be a response to Asda’s partnership with Just Eat. However, there are already concerns that this will lead to conflicts of interest. This is particularly important with Amazon’s investments in Deliveroo, as the existence of Amazon Pantry makes the eCommerce giant a direct competitor in many ways.

A conflict of interest could cause issues. But that could lead to some adaptations of Sainsbury’s existing delivery fleet, at least in busy markets.

eBay Getting into the Fulfilment Industry

eBay have announced that in 2020, they will begin offering sellers the opportunity to rent warehouse space from eBay, storing inventory closer to customers to reduce delivery times.

It’s impossible to look at this announcement and not think of Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), the service Amazon offer to help customers achieve Prime levels of service and response time. Dubbed Managed Delivery, eBay is already on trial in America and Germany. It’s not clear yet how big this will grow, but it’s a clear step from eBay toward neutralising one of Amazon’s big advantages.

Chief executive David Wenig denies eBay wants to “win a fast shipping war,” saying instead that their advantage is “the value and uniqueness of our inventory. We’re not the one-hour delivery guys… but consumer expectations are changing.”

Amazon has consistently been one extra service ahead of the other major online marketplaces. With eBay moving to even this advantage, it’s interesting to speculate what new services will be introduced in the next few years.

Google Shopping Overhaul Officially Launches

The days of Google Shopping greeting the consumer as just a dedicated search page and some CSS listings on the regular search page may now be over. After a successful trial in France, users logged into their Google accounts will receive a full set of tailored suggestions based on their entire search history.

They’ll be able to buy direct from within Google, without having to load the site their order will go to.

And many products will have a “Buy with Google Guarantee”.

With success in one area already under their belt, all that’s left is for the service to be a success in the US before a wider global rollout is guaranteed.

Amazon Profit Rises, But Misses Forecasts

Amazon has confirmed that its Q2 net sales reached £50.9 billion, a significant year-on-year increase from Q2 2018. In all, the company’s net sales are up 20 percent on last year.

Net income reached over £2 billion, working out at around £4 per share.

Analyst predictions would have worked out at £4.48 per share, however – so Amazon is facing some criticism for falling short of profit predictions.

Of course, the heavy commitment to one-day Prime delivery outside the UK is one of the factors currently reducing profit. Amazon is in a major investment period – and preparing for increased competition. Next year’s Q2 report will be interesting.

Especially so with our next news item.

US DOJ Joins EU in Amazon Investigations

The US Department of Justice is launching a major anti-trust investigation, hot on the heels of the EU’s new Amazon investigation as reported last week. While the DOJ is targeting multiple big tech companies, it’s hard not to see this as a response to the EU’s investigation headlines.

The investigation is looking into companies providing “search, social media, and some retail services online”.

Amazon and Facebook’s share value both dropped by over 1 percent in the day following the announcement.

Are Sports Direct in More Trouble than Expected?

We reported last month on the change at the top of Sports Direct. A big shift like this from a company controlling several of the UK’s top brands can create opportunities for their smaller competitors.

But this week, it looks like Sports Direct may be in bigger trouble than we speculated.

The company was expected to publish its full year results on the 18th. Three days before that, it announced these would be delayed – possibly up until August 23rd.

The explanation given in the announcement was that the House of Fraser takeover had been complicated which, coupled with some trading uncertainty and regulatory scrutiny, was causing a delay. A spokesman went on to say that the company’s previous financial guidance might need to change in “a number of key areas”.

The market reacted strongly, with shares immediately falling by 10 percent.

The release of the figures was then set for today, and a presentation for investors was set for this morning.

Both of these have been delayed once again – prompting another share drop, with value falling by 2.6 percent so far.

Investors are predicted to be frustrated with the delay and the results, especially in view of several other recent company acquisitions.

It’s unlikely the business titan will fall, but this is still significant news for many major British brands. The window of opportunity for smaller companies is still open – and it looks like it might not be closing very soon.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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What is Amazon VAT Calculation Service? https://cspcommerce.com/amazon-vat-calculation-service/ https://cspcommerce.com/amazon-vat-calculation-service/#respond Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:02:07 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=1525 Amazon Sellers in the UK and Europe are starting to receive emails about the Amazon VAT Calculation Service (VCS). This new service will be available to any Amazon Seller who expects to sell to businesses in areas using VAT to tax purchases in the next few weeks. It is also the method Amazon has chosen…

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Amazon Sellers in the UK and Europe are starting to receive emails about the Amazon VAT Calculation Service (VCS). This new service will be available to any Amazon Seller who expects to sell to businesses in areas using VAT to tax purchases in the next few weeks.

What is the Amazon VAT Calculation Service, and how can it help you?

It is also the method Amazon has chosen for identifying British and European candidates for their Business Seller badge.

Coming hot on the heels of the launch of Business Prime in the same areas, the Business Seller program is designed with the same goal in mind; capturing B2B custom.

The VAT Calculation Service and Business Sellers

The VCS itself is a simple; if you’re registered, it will automatically calculate your product’s price without VAT and display that to business accounts. When they purchase from you, they will be able to download an automatically-generated VAT invoice.

This makes your products more attractive and makes it easier for them to do business with you. Both of these increase the chance you’ll make the sale. On top of that, you’ll receive a Business Seller badge.

The Business Seller badge will be displayed alongside your product listings for business customers, just like Amazon’s Choice and Prime badges already are. This tells anyone shopping for their business that they can easily handle VAT obligations when buying from you.

The reduced display cost and the badge have both also been confirmed as Buy Box factors by Amazon. So just having the badge makes you more likely to win the Buy Box for business customers. And over 80% of purchases on Amazon go to the Seller in the Buy Box.

Business Sellers receive other features for free, all designed to help them win orders from B2B customers. If you fill bulk orders for B2B customers, you may even see reduced selling fees – depending on the category you’re in.

The exact details on VCS aren’t yet available. But if your business can cater to B2B buyers in the UK or the EU, it seems likely to be a good deal for you.

Amazon report that Business Sellers have seen an average of a 50% increase in sales volume in their first month.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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AmazonWatch: New EU Probe Launched https://cspcommerce.com/amazon-eu-antitrust-probe/ https://cspcommerce.com/amazon-eu-antitrust-probe/#respond Thu, 18 Jul 2019 10:22:16 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=1514 The European Commission launched a formal investigation into Amazon today. Its focus is on how Amazon interacts with Amazon Sellers. The antitrust proceedings are being headed by Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition. Vestager has been responsible for a string of major decisions against big companies, including the biggest tax fine in history –…

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The European Commission launched a formal investigation into Amazon today. Its focus is on how Amazon interacts with Amazon Sellers.

Amazon is the centre of a new EU antitrust probe.

The antitrust proceedings are being headed by Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition. Vestager has been responsible for a string of major decisions against big companies, including the biggest tax fine in history – 13 billion Euro against Apple, for ten years of unpaid Irish taxes – and a total of 5.8 billion Euro in 2018 and 2019 decisions against Google.

This investigation centres on Amazon’s access to sensitive data from Amazon Sellers, and there are indications that the judgement here may not be a fine. If not, there would instead be an order to Amazon to change the way it operates, at least within the EU.

Google has been through something like this before, when Google Shopping was found to give Google’s clients an unfair advantage over other comparison shopping services (CSS). That led to Google Shopping Europe being created as a new, self-sufficient company in the EU and Switzerland, competing using the Google Shopping platform on an even platform with other CSSs.

The investigation is into a potential breach of Article 101 (about agreements that prevent, restrict, or distort competition within the single market) or Article 102 (concerning abuse of a dominant position).

Amazon’s Standard Seller Agreement

According to the standard Amazon agreement “You grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable right and licence to use, reproduce, perform, display (public communication), distribute, adapt, modify, re-format, create and exploit derivative works of, and otherwise commercially or non-commercially exploit in any manner, any and all of Your Materials”.

There are some exceptions for trademarks, but this grants Amazon permission to use Seller information any way it sees fit. The right to ‘create and exploit derivative works’ means that they can use Seller listings and campaign strategies themselves.

If Amazon sells the same products that you do directly, they can use your own sales history and changing strategies to inform their own marketing, getting the benefits without the sunk costs.

Amazon has a record of using Seller sales data to find new products to sell. Until recently, this would usually involve inviting the Seller to become an Amazon Vendor, and it would then be down to the company whether they wished to also sell on their own marketplace page.

However, this year Amazon has cut the majority of its smaller Vendors to focus on bigger brands.

This hasn’t stopped Amazon from selling identical products, or even ordering from its Sellers to sell directly. But the preferential Vendor partnership has vanished.

It seems likely that this practice might ‘distort competition’ as Article 101 puts it.

Amazon’s Buy Box

Over 80% of Amazon sales for a given product go to whichever Seller currently owns the Buy Box. Where Amazon sells a product and other Sellers also do, Amazon is directly competing for that Buy Box advantage.

Amazon also controls the algorithm which determines the Buy Box winner. The argument here seems identical to the case which created Google Shopping Europe.

Google was found to give itself advantage in Google Shopping adverts. If Amazon is found to have designed their algorithm to give themselves an advantage, they could be forced to change their practices in the Single Market, just as Google was.

Amazon has never disclosed what share it has of the Buy Box. It seems unlikely it would be easy to calculate outside a product-by-product basis.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.
We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.
We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.
If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,
1 New Quay Street,
Manchester,
Greater Manchester,
M3 4BN.
#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

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Weekly eCommerce News Round-Up: 6-12 July 2019 https://cspcommerce.com/ecommerce-news-12-july/ https://cspcommerce.com/ecommerce-news-12-july/#respond Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:29:05 +0000 http://cspcommerce.com/?p=1496 It’s a week of technological innovation, connectivity, and potential legislation in eCommerce. Our top stories of the week: Asos Introduces Virtual Catwalk New Report from BigCommerce Shows Why Cart Abandonment is High Royal Mail Adopting Electric Vans in Scale Size? Brings the High Street’s Big Advantage to eCommerce Will the “Amazon Tax” Launch Next Year?…

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It’s a week of technological innovation, connectivity, and potential legislation in eCommerce. Our top stories of the week:

  • Asos Introduces Virtual Catwalk
  • New Report from BigCommerce Shows Why Cart Abandonment is High
  • Royal Mail Adopting Electric Vans in Scale
  • Size? Brings the High Street’s Big Advantage to eCommerce
  • Will the “Amazon Tax” Launch Next Year?
  • Amazon Transparency Aims to Cut Counterfeiting
  • Federal Reserve Concerned over Libra Cryptocurrency
The Asos virtual catwalk brings a fashion show to your smartphone.

Asos Introduces Virtual Catwalk

Asos have added a new feature to their app. Called the Virtual Catwalk, if gives you the chance to see what products look like on models of different sizes. Asos customers will have a clear picture of how a given outfit looks on their body type.

The Virtual Catwalk is currently available only on iOS 11.3, but is expected to roll out to other devices over time. It also covers only 100 of the newest Asos Design items – but that will also grow.

Users will have to point their device toward a flat surface and the ‘model’ will appear in that spot on the screen.

By moving around, you’ll be able to see the outfit closer-up or further away, or move around the spot to see it from different angles.

Models will move as if posing on the catwalk, unless paused.

We reported on something similar a couple of months ago, coming from Argos, but this launch is too close to have been inspired by it. That may mean other companies will be launching similar services in the none too distant future.

New Report from BigCommerce Shows Why Cart Abandonment is High

A detailed report on global shipping from Big Commerce offers some statistics every eCommerce business should take some time to consider.

According to the report, one in two shoppers in the UK shops online at least once a week, whether for clothes, furniture, DVDs, stationery and other small items, or groceries. The size of the potential audience for an eCommerce business is huge – but they’re also picky.

BigCommerce’s big focus in this investigation was cart abandonment. We shouldn’t have to tell you how much is potentially lost in abandoned carts every year (although almost half the retailers BigCommerce contacted admitted they weren’t sure what their cart abandonment rate is), but it’s big enough that many businesses spend on remarketing directly to shoppers who abandoned their carts.

In theory, a customer who adds an item to their shopping cart should be as high-intent a customer as it’s possible to have. But only one in four have never abandoned a cart when they looked over shipping options and decided none were acceptable.

This figure probably includes the 44% of shoppers who avoid retailers without free shipping.

There’s more to shipping options than cost, of course. Everyone finds cancelling an order because it can’t arrive in time perfectly reasonable. And some customers refuse to accept certain shipping couriers.

To get around that last one (and to help with the second), Cloud Commerce Pro customers can always set up integrations with more shipping providers and couriers.

Royal Mail Adopting Electric Vans in Scale

For our British customers, the Royal Mail is a crucial part of shipping logistics. Small surprise their fleet is huge – around 49,000 vehicles are reported to be under their umbrella.

Which makes their trial of nine fully electric vans a potentially major step.

These vans – sleek, smooth, and clearly emblazoned with the signature Royal Mail livery – are supplied by Arrival. Arrival used to be Charge Auto – a company you might associate with Roborace or Formula E.

Arrival can produce a little under 1000 electric vehicles a week at its new Banbury factory, and this trial represents the facility’s first test.

This isn’t Royal Mail’s first investigation of electric vehicles – they’re also committed to an order of 100 electric vans from Peugeot, following a trial in February. But it seems that the company wants to diversify its supply and designs in the future.

We could be looking at a much greener Royal Mail over the next few years as older vehicles are decommissioned and replaced.

Size? Brings the Hight Street’s Big Advantage to eCommerce

As eCommerce gets more sophisticated, more and more businesses have begun trying new ideas to add value to their website and help them stand out.

Streetwear brand Size? has gone in the other direction – instead, software developed by Hero will link customers shopping online with a staff member from Size? to get the same kind of consultation and advice you’d expect in the shop.

Since eCommerce began, the one thing it hasn’t been able to measure up to the high street on is advice and expertise. If this idea catches on, that might finally be about to change.

At that point, the only real advantage left to bricks & mortar shopping will be instant gratification.

As you read that, you’re probably thinking of at least one other advantage of physical shopping. Well, read on.

Will the “Amazon Tax” Launch Next Year?

A digital services tax which would levy 2% of revenue on companies making £500 million or over, with £25 million or more coming from the UK, has been seen in the next finance bill’s draft legislation.

The so-called “Amazon Tax” (as Amazon and Google are two of the most obvious targets of the legislation) was first discussed last year, but seemed unlikely to make it to the draft stage. After all, the phrase ‘too big to tax’ has occasionally floated around in reference to the world’s biggest firms since ‘too big to fail’ went out of fashion. The idea of keeping these multi-nationals from operating in your country is one that most governments aren’t comfortable with, even as a risk.

Now, however, unless the draft radically changes, the Amazon Tax will begin in April 2020 – and the government claims this legislation will bring in £400 million per year from Amazon, Google, and similar businesses.

There is a real chance that things will change – France’s introduction of legislation covering the same basic goal, has seen them threatened with tariffs on US trade as a result. The current White House position is that legislation like this targets US companies more than others.

There’s probably an interesting discussion here about the point where a company stops being an American company and starts being a global one, but the time to have that discussion isn’t during trade negotiations.

Amazon Transparency Aims to Cut Counterfeiting

Following the traditional pattern of testing a new process or service in America and then rolling it out elsewhere, Amazon Transparency has ended its time as a US exclusive.

Part of Project Zero, Amazon Transparency is designed to cut down the risk of counterfeit items on Amazon. Brands that sign up will be given unique codes for their products. These can be scanned by customers through a mobile app to confirm that what they’ve bought is the real deal.

Through 2019, brands using Transparency have received zero reports of counterfeiting. Amazon estimates

Federal Reserve Concerned over Libra Cryptocurrency

The Chairman of the US Federal Reserve has indicated that Libra may have to be put on hold. According to Chairman Powell, Libra “raises many serious concerns regarding privacy, money laundering, consumer protection, and financial stability.” He has urged a slow, careful review of the project before it goes forward.

At the same time, he’s acknowledged that digital currencies will have to be handled differently to traditional money. You could read his remarks – made during his regular testimony to a House subcommittee on monetary policy – as a call to develop new legislative frameworks designed for cryptocurrencies.

Ideally, such a framework would permit cryptocurrencies to do what they do best while ensuring privacy, data security, and consumer protection. But to do that there would have to be some mechanism for oversight, either of the currencies themselves or the entities that create them.

It’s possible that currency founders will become, effectively, banks in the future.

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The post Weekly eCommerce News Round-Up: 6-12 July 2019 appeared first on CSP Commerce.

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