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FTC Suggests Possible Amazon Breakup in Antitrust Lawsuit

| Mike O'Brien

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed a long-expected antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, with the FTC accusing the company of monopolistic behavior on a broad scale and suggesting a breakup as one form of injunctive relief. The company used its market power to block competition, inflate prices and degrade product quality, the FTC alleges.

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Multichannel Ecommerce: The Path to Higher Revenue

| Eric Youngstrom

Multichannel ecommerce means selling products across different channels online to increase revenue. While the idea is pretty straightforward, everyone’s approach to expanding will be a little bit different. Exploring new channels opens a business up to new potential customers, increasing the potential for revenue by huge amounts. Here are some solid tips to set you up for success.

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Buy With Prime Expands Nationally

| Mike O'Brien

Buy With Prime, the program that lets retailers not named Amazon offer shoppers the Prime experience and promise, is rolling out for all U.S. merchants as of Jan. 31, the company announced, ten months after a beta launch by invitation only for select users of Fulfillment By Amazon.

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The Future for Marketplace Aggregators

| Ben Eachus

While marketplaces have made it easier than ever to launch a digital-first brand, the process of getting products to a customer’s door has never been more complex, and marketplace aggregators will face challenges and frustrations handling the supply chain complications.

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Shopify Acquires Deliverr for $2.1 Billion

| Mike O'Brien

Shopify is acquiring asset-light last-mile startup Deliverr for $2.1B, further building out its fulfillment infrastructure and giving it a counter-move to Amazon’s new Buy With Prime that extends the Prime experience to other retailers. But the question is, will it be enough to enable Shopify to gain ground on its much larger competitor?

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Unybrands Raises $300M to Scale Amazon Brands Pursuit

| Mike O'Brien

Unybrands, a Miami-based aggregator of successful brands both on and off Amazon, has raised another $300 million to pursue its manifest destiny of acquiring 20 companies in 2021, building out its platform and doubling headcount to 50. Unybrands CEO Ulrich Kratz said the company is tracking ahead of its acquisition goal.

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Dustup Between California Tax Authority and FBA Sellers, Explained

| Mike O'Brien

The Online Merchants Guild is suing California’s taxing authority for holding Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers liable for back sales tax. The issue: Is inventory stored in California by Amazon, which in many cases the individual sellers many not even be aware of, taxable? Scott Peterson of Avalar helps us unpack the issue.

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Amazon FBA Sellers Facing Suspension Over Late Carrier Deliveries

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is warning ecommerce shippers using Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) that late shipments to an FBA facility on the part of their carrier could result in suspension of their FBA shipping privileges, even if the shippers themselves aren’t responsible for the delays. The new policy went into effect on Aug. 25, 2020.

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Tips for Creating an Effective Ecommerce Website

| Kathryn Merwin

With ecommerce booming, especially with stores closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important that your ecommerce website stands out. Customers are more likely to buy from a well-designed, navigable, up-to-date site. Here are some tips to ensure it generates sales and encourages return customers.

Amazon Adjusted Buy Box Algorithm, Rewarding Merchant Fulfilled Orders

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon has recently adjusted its “buy box” product search algorithm to favor items that can be fulfilled and delivered faster by sellers themselves over Prime eligible products offered through Fulfilled By Amazon, which are taking weeks vs. days, experts say. The change was noticed last week by sellers using Merchant Fulfilled Prime.