Last month, Dubai, the UAE, and Oman experienced intense rainfall—a rare occurrence in these regions. Experts blame the worsening climate change for this, as well as for the anticipated inconsistent weather in other areas.
Good thing our offer to you remains consistent: hot, relevant, and insightful ecommerce updates.
- Serial listing hijacker on Amazon 🎩
- A safe marketplace from Amazon hijackers 🦺
- TikTok Shop’s problems and solutions 📍
- Reason why brands fail (and how to overcome them) 💪
BLACK MARKET
Listing hijacking is a common black hat tactic on Amazon. In this scheme, hijackers ride on the popularity of a product and then sell a cheaper knock-off instead. This way, they can win the Buy Box and become the main featured brand.
But you know what’s a bigger headache than normal hijackers? A serial hijacker!
One seller posted how they were victimized by a serial hijacker under the brand “Soikoi.” Soikoi is found to be a Chinese account and also goes by $oikoi (S replaced by a dollar sign).
🕵️ What happened?
According to the post, the seller lost control over their listings. Now, they can’t edit the listings without approval from Soikoi.
As it turns out, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple sellers came forward with the same issue, meaning this has been going on for a LONG time.
- A post last February was one of the first reported attacks. The serial hijacker changed the brand name, disallowing the seller to replenish inventory without brand approval. Amazon resolved the issue but failed to apprehend the culprit.
- And here’s an unfortunate twist: Soikoi’s actions were not limited to the U.S.!
- On April 17, an Amazon Spain seller posted the same issue.
- On April 22, Soikoi prevented an Amazon Japan seller from sending FBA items and changing their listings.
- On May 1, the hijacker modified the brand name of an Amazon India seller’s listing.
Amazon is hot on the trail, but these multiple hijackings mean they’re dealing with a difficult enemy. 🥊
🛡️ How do you protect your brand?
There are some steps to prevent hijacking. For instance, you can register trademarks and your brand to help fight legal disputes. Of course, there’s also the proven and tested monitoring of your ASINs regularly.
Do note that anti-hijacking tricks don’t offer 100% guaranteed protection. So, once you notice something wrong with your listings, record all important information and report it immediately to resolve the problem as early as possible.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- TikTok Ghosts: What could happen if the U.S. ban on TikTok pushes through?
- Update Complete: Google's core update that aims to reduce low-quality content,= is finally done!
- $5K Bonus: Meta offers a hefty payout for creators to post on Threads.
HOT TOPIC
Selling on TikTok Shop? Here are some solutions to rising platform problems
Hijackers aren’t the only problem brands face. With TikTok’s possible U.S. ban, those on TikTok Shop also have to worry about the platform’s sustainable operation.
Modern Retail broke down the main seller concerns on the platform and what to do about them.
💔 The problems
- Increased competition. TikTok Shop has thousands of active U.S. merchants. It’s not as dense as Amazon, but it certainly is getting hard to get noticed.
- Increased costs. Aside from the seller fees going up 6% (then up again to 8% this July), the cost of advertising also increased.
- Increased counterfeiting. Look at the case of Scott McIntosh whose virality was a double-edged sword as counterfeiters copied his invention, “Cell Phone Seat.”
- Uncertain future. U.S. legislation mandates the sale of TikTok to American owners or face a ban. However, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance says they will fight the ban instead.
💡 The solutions
Despite the challenges, some brands remain optimistic and use the following strategies:
- Take advantage of some subsidies that remain. TikTok still pays for shipping on orders over $20. However, it’s uncertain whether these benefits will continue—better use them while they last!
- Increase your prices. You may not want to, but it’s one way to survive the increasing fees.
- Cut back on paid marketing, including ads and influencers. Explore other ways to promote your products at minimal costs.
What do you think? Is TikTok a sinking ship? We’d love to hear your take on this hot topic. 👂
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
2 reasons why brands fail (and how to overcome them)
External challenges like black hat tactics and rising selling fees can be a pain. But what if the problem actually lies in your brand management?
📌 An article by Entrepreneur shares 2 of the most common reasons brands fail:
1. Building an Amazon brand instead of a ‘unique’ brand
The Amazon marketplace can get flooded with similar products under different brand names. Merely copying what other sellers do will bury you in the “generic product” ditch.
How to stand out: Build a strong brand that is unique and goes beyond Amazon. Prioritize aspects like copywriting, sales psychology, and aesthetics to enhance customer experience.
2. Not focusing off Amazon
Using only on-Amazon strategies limits your opportunity to raise brand awareness and growth. That’s why big brands are selling on Amazon AND their sites—being an established and well-loved brand helps your Amazon journey.
How to grow: Focus on off-Amazon strategies, especially SEO for your brand website, social media mentions, influencer marketing, and getting featured in relevant blogs and videos.
Ecommerce isn’t easy. But the only true failure is when you stop trying. So, gear up and continue trying until your dream success becomes your reality. ✨
