📦 The Order : Weekly Roundup - trademark cases spiking
Issue #116
Happy Sunday,
Here’s a quick roundup of last week’s news :
Chart of the week 📈
As MIT Technology Review highlights in “The counterfeit lawsuits that scoop up hundreds of Chinese Amazon sellers at once” the race against trademark infringements is on (and big business for law firms).
Benchmarks 🎯
Conversion rate benchmarks play a critical role in fine-tuning your tactics around product listing & advertising optimizing. We are looking at main & subcategory levels to identify trends and derive suitable actions. Here’s a current snapshot on the pet supplies space on Amazon.com.
Want to see benchmark at play in combination with automated product listing optimization? Apply for access here.
Movers & Shakers 💪
Conditions apply - a case for the fine print: “Founders of Kettlebell Kings Sue Factory 14, Razor Group for Fraud and Breach of Contract” [Yahoo Finance]
Strategy 📈
Ok, you already know this one: “Amazon Prime Day is back July 11-12! Here are 5 shopping tips to help you prepare” [Amazon]
Yes - it is a mess (we see a major spike in at risk status for accounts as well…): “Amazon Briefing: Sellers are ‘living in a state of anxiety’ as they scramble to verify accounts under the Inform Act“ [Modern Retail]
“TikTok looks to challenge Amazon and Shein with new e-commerce initiative” [Techcrunch]
“Amazon to Sell DPReview, a Photography Site It Planned to Shut Down” [The Information]
Competition cops going after prime cancellation: “Amazon's subscription spat is anything but prime” [Reuters]
“Amazon Aggregators Face a New Reality” [Practical eCommerce]
Interview with Brad Moss: “Brandless Exec on Acquisitions, AI, More” [Practical eCommerce]
The Modi effect: “Amazon raises investment in India to $26 billion by 2030” [Reuters]
“Amazon may 'surpass' Walmart as largest U.S. retailer: JPMorgan analyst” [Yahoo Finance]
“Analysis: Why Walmart's new bet on fashion brands, home decor threatens specialty chains” [Reuters]
A new avenue for local brands to sell, starting with Spain: “Alibaba is launching Tmall in Europe” [eCommerce News]
“JD.com sales during China shopping festival beat expectations -analysts” [Yahoo Finance]
$21.5M deal: “Overstock is poised to get brand, data with Bed Bath & Beyond winning bid” [Modern Retail]
AI-curated Top News 🤖
👋 ChatGPT & Bing are back to 📦 The Order
Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) Reopens for Registration: Amazon is reopening registration for the SFP program, which allows third-party sellers to offer Prime shipping on their products without using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). The program was paused in 2019 due to concerns about the quality of customer experience it was providing, but Amazon has worked on improvements and is now ready to open it again12.
New SFP Requirements: Some sellers who previously participated in the SFP program have voiced concerns about Amazon's shipping requirements. These include the need to guarantee two-day shipping across the entire country, which for some sellers resulted in high shipping costs that reduced profitability. Some sellers also felt that the new metrics used to evaluate sellers in the program were impossible to maintain. Ecommerce expert Rick Watson suggested that it would be more effective for Amazon to certify the logistics providers used by merchants rather than the sellers themselves, as this could create a larger industry focused on meeting Prime standards2.
Amazon's View on Chinese Marketplace 'Temu': Amazon has claimed that the recently launched Chinese marketplace Temu does not meet its strict qualification requirements for fair pricing. As a result, Amazon is excluding Temu from its routine checks for competitive pricing. Amazon is presenting this decision as a move to protect its reputation and avoid association with potential counterfeit products1.
Strike by Amazon Drivers in California: In Palmdale, California, 84 drivers who deliver packages for Amazon went on strike over working conditions. However, Amazon has stated that these drivers are employed by a third-party contractor, Battle-Tested Strategies, rather than by Amazon itself, and therefore refuses to negotiate with the striking workers1.
Amazon Alexa's Comments on Market Monopolies: Amazon's voice assistant Alexa has made comments that label Apple as an oligopoly and Google as a violator of privacy rights. However, when asked if Amazon is a monopoly, Alexa responded, "Hmm, I don't know that one"1.
Events 🎤
Amazon Selling Partner API DevSummit, July 25-26, Seattle, US
Amazon Accelerate, Sep 12-14, Seattle, US
Make this week count 🙌
Christian