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Amazon Testing Pricier UPS Option for 3P Seller Returns

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is testing a program that will require sellers who fulfill their own returns to offer UPS as a return shipping option for customers, in addition to the less expensive U.S. Postal Service they had been using exclusively. The test will run Sept. 5-Oct. 2 in order to “understand buyer behavior,” Amazon said. Naturally, sellers are not amused.

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Prime Day Sees Modest Gain in Challenged Year

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon once again claimed that the latest Prime Day event was the biggest ever, with 300 million items sold and importantly, more than $1.7 billion saved by shoppers, as some observers had said ahead of the fact that deals weren’t all that spectacular compared to everyday offerings.

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Shopify Launches Boatload of Apps, Pushes into B2B

| Mike O'Brien

Shopify is pursuing a new avenue of attack against Amazon, launching 100 new/updated apps including tools for merchants to drive B2B sales while also turning on social commerce via Twitter, in an effort to boost slowing DTC ecommerce revenue growth. The company said Shopify Editions represents a “connect-to-consumer” focus.

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Prime Day Win Would Buoy Challenged Amazon

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is looking for a big win from Prime Day 2022 (July 12-13) to help restore some mojo to a company unaccustomed to criticism for earnings challenges, overbuilt warehouses and a stock that shed 40% of its value in the past 12 months, pre-split. This is the first time since 2019 it’s been in its accustomed spot in mid-July.

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Amazon Aggregators See Deal Flow Dip in Q1

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon aggregators have seen massive investment and deal flow since 2020, but the activity has been slowing as the valuations of top sellers has increased, according to a report on M&A activity in the sector from investment banking firm Capstone Partners. There were just 30 acquisitions of major FBA brands in Q1 vs. 159 in all of 2021.

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Marketplace Tax Laws Still Challenging, 4 Years After Wayfair

| George Trantas

Beyond the sales tax complexity of marketplace facilitator laws, states have used the Wayfair decision to implement new rules for marketplaces. From policing stolen goods to expanded income tax obligations, marketplace tax laws are far reaching. Here’s how they’ve changed, and how they’re impacting remote sellers.

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Amazon Marketing: Allocate Your Budget, Maximize ROI

| Vitalii Khyzhniak

Each business must concentrate on certain marketing areas during various growth stages. However, the biggest mistake is being afraid to market. Amazon marketing is a system of accruing progress, and it can’t be profitable from the start. Here are some budgeting guidelines for each stage of your business development.

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Walmart Offers Discount to New Sellers

| Mike O'Brien

In an effort to lure in more third-party sellers as it battles Amazon’s dominant marketplace, Walmart is offering new sellers a 50% discount on commissions for 90 days, while also extending savings on Walmart’s version of FBA to new signups. Discount are available to new merchants who sign up by May 31 and start selling by June 30.

Most Ecommerce Marketplaces Will Fail, Here’s Why

| Alexander Graf

Too often, ecommerce marketplaces are looked at like a new feature, such as adding search capability. Thus, the marketplace project is not set up to overtake the main business, but pitched as a 12-24-month project to so many vendors.. The perspective is inside out. It’s rarely done outside in, from a customer-first point of view.

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Amazon Acquisition of Welsh Startup Veeqo Out of Stealth

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon continues to expand its ecommerce service offerings through acquisition, the latest example being Veeqo, a UK-based startup that provides inventory and order fulfillment tools for sellers on a variety of platforms including Shopify and eBay in addition to Amazon. The deal closed in November but was just revealed.