Report: Most Brands Seeing 4x ROI on Amazon Advertising

| Douglas P. Clement

With Amazon largely credited for the 115% spike in third quarter 2019 ecommerce ad spend, it’s no surprise that Feedvisor’s annual brand report shows 75% of brands selling on Amazon also advertise there. Feedvisor found 83% of brands advertising on Amazon saw a 4x return on ad spend, with half seeing 7x.

NYSE Owner’s eBay Acquisition Was On, Then Quickly Off

| Douglas P. Clement

The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), owner of the New York Stock Exchange, announced plans to acquire eBay’s marketplace business in a deal estimated at $30 billion. Two days later, the potential deal was off. The reason for the reversal? Investors pushed back hard, apparently. Here’s how the back-and-forth broke down.

Government Cracking Down on Counterfeit Ecommerce Products

| Douglas P. Clement

The U.S. government is cracking down on the sale of counterfeit ecommerce items and pirated goods, warning of stricter rules and penalties for participants in a rogue economy that was valued at $509 billion in 2016. A DHS report announcing the crackdown came in response to an April 2019 memorandum from President Trump.

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Pros and Cons of an Owned Ecommerce Website for Small Sellers

| Greg Chapman

Today’s small business owner can reach more customers in more ways. Between branded websites and marketplaces, the evolving nature of ecommerce means even the smallest businesses to effectively, efficiently reach a broader audience. But which makes the most sense from your business? Here are the pros and cons.

With so many cost-effective ecommerce options available to very small businesses (VSBs) with less than 50 employees, how do business owners know which channels make the most sense for their bottom line?

USTR Weighs Adding Foreign Amazon Sites to Notorious Markets List

| Mike O'Brien

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office is considering adding Amazon sites in the UK, Canada, Germany, India and France to the Notorious Markets list due to alleged growth in sale of counterfeit goods, based on a request from an apparel trade group, according to WSJ. Chinese marketplaces Taobao and Pinduoduo are on the 2019 list.

Alibaba Sets Another Singles Day Record With $38.4B in GMV

| Douglas P. Clement

Alibaba set another Singles Day record this year on 11/11/19, recording $38.4 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) during the 24-hour promotion created as a reverse spin on Valentine’s Day 10 years ago, up 25% from last year. By comparison, Adobe is forecasting $29 billion in total ecommerce sales for Cyber Weekend 2019.

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Report: Amazon Delivering Expired Food to Customers

| Daniela Forte

While Amazon is the go-to marketplace for an increasing number of consumers today, it is reportedly delivering unsafe food products past their expiration date, according to CNBC. This is on top of continuing allegations about the sale of counterfeit goods on the leading marketplace.

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Walmart Takes on Amazon with New Pricing Program

| Daniela Forte

Walmart is launching a program called “Competitive Price Adjustment” that will temporarily lower the prices consumers pay for some items on its marketplace. Here is how Walmart is competing with Amazon with this new program.