Amazon doesn’t overlook smaller sellers
Amazon is introducing a wide variety of features designed to help independent small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) grow sales.
Since the beginning of 2019, Amazon says it has launched 150 tools and services as part of more than $15 billion it is on track to invest this year to better support SMB sellers in its stores. The e-tailer is making this investment as it reports SMBs made up 58% of all physical gross merchandise sold in Amazon’s stores in 2018, and SMB sales exceeded $2 billion on Prime Day in July 2019.
Delivered through Amazon’s Seller Central business management command center, these tools and services give SMBs access to sales and inventory insights as well as resources to help them manage and grow their business with Amazon. Types of recently introduced tools and services include:
• Fulfillment and inventory tools: The Target Inventory Levels tool launched in the U.S., the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and Germany is designed to help selling partners obtain better insights into their fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) managed inventory. Achieving suggested inventory levels increases one-day delivery eligibility and qualifies selling partners for lower storage fees.
• Pricing management tools: The free, opt-in Sold by Amazon service automates prices, ensuring that selling partners will never receive less than the established price for a product, even if the product is sold to an Amazon customer for less.
• Business reports and analytics tools: The Product Opportunities dashboard generates customized reports based on business analytics and data that provide curated guidance for selling partners, like purchasing trends and requests for quantity discounts.
• Seller University: An improved, redesigned Seller University portal helps selling partners find relevant educational content easier. In addition, Amazon launched a feature in Seller Central that gives selling partners personalized guidance about additional selling programs and features that they can experiment with to accelerate their growth. Each recommendation includes educational content (including Seller University videos).
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of the economy, and we are committed to empowering them,” said Nicholas Denissen, Amazon VP of small business. “As part of our dedication to supporting independent retailers, we have thousands of employees around the globe who work hard on their behalf, developing tools and services to help them grow their sales in Amazon’s stores. Ultimately, our success depends on their success.”
Since the beginning of 2019, Amazon says it has launched 150 tools and services as part of more than $15 billion it is on track to invest this year to better support SMB sellers in its stores. The e-tailer is making this investment as it reports SMBs made up 58% of all physical gross merchandise sold in Amazon’s stores in 2018, and SMB sales exceeded $2 billion on Prime Day in July 2019.
Delivered through Amazon’s Seller Central business management command center, these tools and services give SMBs access to sales and inventory insights as well as resources to help them manage and grow their business with Amazon. Types of recently introduced tools and services include:
• Fulfillment and inventory tools: The Target Inventory Levels tool launched in the U.S., the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and Germany is designed to help selling partners obtain better insights into their fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) managed inventory. Achieving suggested inventory levels increases one-day delivery eligibility and qualifies selling partners for lower storage fees.
• Pricing management tools: The free, opt-in Sold by Amazon service automates prices, ensuring that selling partners will never receive less than the established price for a product, even if the product is sold to an Amazon customer for less.
• Business reports and analytics tools: The Product Opportunities dashboard generates customized reports based on business analytics and data that provide curated guidance for selling partners, like purchasing trends and requests for quantity discounts.
• Seller University: An improved, redesigned Seller University portal helps selling partners find relevant educational content easier. In addition, Amazon launched a feature in Seller Central that gives selling partners personalized guidance about additional selling programs and features that they can experiment with to accelerate their growth. Each recommendation includes educational content (including Seller University videos).
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of the economy, and we are committed to empowering them,” said Nicholas Denissen, Amazon VP of small business. “As part of our dedication to supporting independent retailers, we have thousands of employees around the globe who work hard on their behalf, developing tools and services to help them grow their sales in Amazon’s stores. Ultimately, our success depends on their success.”