With Amazon.com's e-commerce and Amazon Web Services (AWS) businesses' looming split, retailing experts weighed on the conversation, debating on whether this is a good idea or not. In a discussion on RetailWire's BrainTrust, they expressed their opinions on whether Amazon should remain one or split up its different subsidiaries.
Some say yes, some say no
Some say it's better to have them combined since "the online titan lifts all boats, just by being there." But, according to Lisa Goller, a content strategist, the breakup would affect the U.S. and global retail momentum by regressing without a united Amazon.
The reason for this, she cites, is that Amazon uses its scale and influence to modernize the global retail infrastructure. So a "united Amazon" is considered a powerful force for diverse stakeholders and even their rivals.
On the other hand, some say that Amazon is a "clear candidate for separation." For example, Paula Rosenblum, the co-founder of RSR Research, says that the retail business should run individually. She likened it to PayPal and eBay breaking up after being under one large company before. With this logic, she says, "why should Amazon continue this way?"
Splitting Amazon into two websites (one for the third-party and the other for first-party sellers) could be likely due to proposed antitrust legislation.
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Amazon is releasing an improved approach to managing canceled orders without searching for buyer-cancelation requests in the Buyer-Seller messaging tool.
They've modified it to display cancellation requests on a banner on the 'Manage orders' page. Sellers will be required to enable this option in the "Buyer-Requested Cancel field" for visibility. The change will be effective starting April 27, 2022.
We received feedback from many of you that you would like to have a better process to cancel orders without having to search for buyer cancelation requests in the Buyer-Seller messaging tool. You shared that it can be easy to miss seeing cancelation requests because they get lost among multiple buyer-seller messages, which if left unattended can result in product returns and refunds.
Although this update is a response to feedback, not all sellers are impressed. Some sellers stated they would rather check the reports instead of receiving an active notification.
Checking the reports may not be a hassle if the seller only fulfills a few orders, but this can become an overwhelming process with higher demand. "This is going to cause problems for us," wrote another seller. "We rely on email notifications to know which orders to cancel. We will not be able to know which orders to cancel if we do not receive email notifications."
In Amazon's official announcement, they reiterated that sellers will still be able to use the Buyer-Seller messaging tool for customer contact. If customers cancel their orders through this tool, sellers should instruct them to cancel their orders on their 'Your orders' page.
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A confused seller who lost four pallets two months ago aired their concern through a Reddit post stating that they are a private label seller and are not fighting to win the Buy Box. Amazon received their shipment with proof of delivery and a stamp from the FBA warehouse.
A few weeks after Amazon received the inventory, they realized they were short one pallet. The seller reached out to Amazon, who requested the following documents:
These documents, however, were not enough to validate the purchase. Amazon then asked for further proof:
The seller was baffled by the amount of information required, asking others if this request was anything out of the ordinary. Many commented that this was justifiable and that the reimbursement may take a few months, but the claim will eventually be processed and credited to the account.
The kicker now is that the original poster later edited the post with the following: "after a couple of weeks, Amazon started selling our product out of nowhere for an immensely low price, causing us to lose the Buy Box. Amazon is now selling our items from the lost pallet." The seller is currently resolving this with the FBA department.
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It's that time when sellers prepare for one of the most significant e-commerce sales events of the year: Prime Day 2022
For many, Prime Day is a tremendous opportunity to showcase your products and maximize your sales. As a result, Amazon shoppers anticipate big spending, and sellers are amped. Amazon's latest announcement encourages sellers to prepare for Prime Day early this year. It would be advantageous to prepare early on, given that there are still ongoing challenges in the global supply chain. You can expect inventory shipments to deliver later than usual because of this.
Other factors such as logistics, customs clearance, weather, and carrier-related issues can also be huge in these delays.
Here are some important dates to keep in mind in preparation for Prime Day 2022: