October is just around the corner, and there’s some scary good news this week from Amazon! 👻 Read the newsletter this Tuesday for tips that will drive your revenue 📈
Amazon announced this week they’re holding another two-day Prime shopping event called the “Prime Early Access Sale.” The press release labels it a “new holiday shopping event for members” that gives them early access to holiday deals.
When do things kick-off?
Starting October 11th, holiday deals on hundreds of thousands of items will open for Prime members in 15 countries — North America and Europe, but not India. What gives?
Before Black Friday…
It seems like an odd move for sure. But with projected slumps in holiday sales, it looks like Amazon is trying to offer multiple publicized sales to maximize revenue through the end of the year.
Prep time
Amazon sellers will need to act fast if they want to boost their sales and take advantage of the event. Here are a couple of things you can do:
- Use the Prime Day Hub technique — create a recommendations page for your customers with top Prime Day product promotions
- Review previous Prime Day numbers, and target the products your audience loves best.
We’ll have more exclusive tips on Tuesday. Join our thousands of subscribers to be a step ahead of your competitors!
Top Retailer News
Etsy launches coupon campaign
Etsy announced on their community board this week that they’re giving select buyers 20% off on their next purchase. They’re hoping to replicate the success they had back in June when they launched a similar campaign.
How does it work and who’s footing the bill?
If you’re an Etsy seller, don’t fret. The company stated that everything is “fully funded by Etsy.” And for the process: “The promo code will be unique to the buyer and will last for two days.”
Who reaps the benefits?
Unfortunately, not all sellers benefited from the marketing campaign back in June. The company used the email to guide customers to specific pages and “Star Sellers.”
If you don’t receive any bites from a coupon this time, it could be a good time to let Etsy know about it.
eBay raises sneaker fees
Sneaker merchants on the eBay platform received some negative news this week regarding fees.
The company will charge a flat $14.95 shipping fee for sneakers with an Authenticity Guarantee. On top of the charge, sellers will have three days to ship the items to eBay’s authentication hub.
Why the fee?
The post on Monday stated their intention is to remove “the complexity tied to shipping for both sellers and buyers.” However, you won’t have to pay for the label to ship to the authentication center.
When do the fees kick in?
The post states that the rates begin in October.
Also in the News:
International Retailer News
Cainiao and Cosco unite for speedy European deliveries
Merchants using Alibaba in the EU have reason to celebrate. The Chinese retailer’s logistics arm Cainiao is now working with China’s Cosco Group for faster fulfillment in Europe.
What’s the deal?
Cainiao is developing a European base at Zeebrugge port in Belgium. And with the deal, Cosco vessels will now bring goods into the port for customs clearance and rapid distribution.
Next steps
The first shipment arrived last week as part of a pilot phase. From there, things will only get faster.
A Cosco spokesperson stated, “Our staff at the terminal shared transport information and are working to simplify the warehouse logistics and improve overall delivery time by more than 20 percent.”
The bottom line
eCommerce in Europe is picking up speed, and new direct hubs to China are opening up — bypassing Russia — every few months. Expect more to come.
DHL purchases majority stake in Monta
Monta, a premier fulfillment provider in the Netherlands, received a tremendous boost this week. DHL acquired (in Dutch) a majority stake in the company, which will provide an opportunity for rapid expansion.
DHL benefits
Monta isn’t the only one getting a solid deal out of the acquisition. DHL will now be able to better respond to the needs of small and mid-size European online retailers.
Final quote
“We want to roll out our successful business model outside the Netherlands so that our customers can also expand internationally” – Edwin van der Ham, Monta CEO.
Also in the News:
- Dowsure reached 1.5 Billion RMB Transactions Milestone. Dowsure.
- Cargus and SwipBox join forces in Romania. SwipBox.
Webinars
For everyone
Various dates: Amazon advertising’s global webinar program continues with 20+ webinars scheduled, covering Prime Day Preparation, Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, reporting, optimization, and other tips. Amazon.
For US sellers
October 6: Demystifying Amazon Marketing Cloud’s Attribution Model. Tinuiti.
For UK sellers
October 5: Amazon Brand Conference 2022. ChannelX.
Various dates: Amazon advertising’s global webinar program continues with 20+ webinars scheduled, covering Prime Day Preparation, Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, reporting, optimization, and other tips. Amazon.