7 Ways a 3PL Can Be More Viable Than Internal Ecommerce Fulfillment

| Brian Barry

For many ecommerce businesses, even absent COVID-19, a profitable Christmas season will make or break the year. During the shutdowns, many 3PLs have remained open, serving clients even amid the labor challenges. Should you continue internal fulfillment or move to a 3PL? Here are seven considerations as you weigh the choice.

Avoid These 4 Deadly Sins of Ecommerce Sellers During a Crisis

| Daniel Sugarman

While everyone might be caught between a rock and a hard place, the COVID-19 outbreak has proven there is definitely a wrong way to act during times of crisis. Here are several instances in which ecommerce sellers paid a hefty price for the decisions they made. Avoid resorting to these methods when your business is in crisis mode.

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.

Prime Day Delayed Until At Least August Due to Coronavirus Issues

| Mike O'Brien

Amazon is pushing Prime Day from mid-July to sometime in August or later, Reuters is reporting, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, further impacting already distressed third-party sellers as restrictions on processing nonessential orders through Fulfillment by Amazon are just now being eased.

SHOP SAFE Act of 2020 Targets Counterfeit Ecommerce Products

| Douglas P. Clement

With a legislator raising the alarm that consumers’ “lives are at risk” due to dangerous counterfeit ecommerce products, a bipartisan group proposed the SHOP SAFE Act to crack down on ecommerce fakes. The GAO found that 20 of 47 items purchased from third-party sellers on popular consumer websites were counterfeit.

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.

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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?

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6 Tips for Thriving in a Saturated Amazon Marketplace

| Kunal Chopra

Amazon is the world’s most valuable brand, with an estimated 38% of U.S. ecommerce sales, forcing business owners to create a brand presence there. Unfortunately that popularity makes it harder to capture consumers’ attention. These 6 tips will help marketers grow your company’s ecommerce business on Amazon’s marketplace. 

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.

eBay CEO Devin Wenig Resigns, Citing Differences with Board

| Mike O'Brien

eBay announced the resignation of President and CEO Devin Wenig, who said in departing after eight years at the helm that he’s been out of sync with the company’s new board, of which he was a member. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Scott Schenkel, eBay’s senior vice president and CFO.