Pandora's cyber attack proves trust is the rarest gem

We’re not into one-sided relationships, unless it’s Amazon’s fee hikes, but that’s another story. 

If you’ve got a newsletter that our readers would eat up, let’s talk partnerships or link swaps. 

Your audience meets ours, ours meets yours. 

Interested? Send your applications HERE.

• Pandora’s cyberattack cracks its shiny image 💥
• Walmart can help you crush the competition 🥊
• Amazon buyers are more unforgiving than ever 😤
• Join Amazon Brand Registry 🛡️
• Get Looped In and take the chaos out of ecommerce accounting ✉️

ECOMMERCE NEWS

First came M&S. Then the Co-op. Now, glittering newcomer to the breach list: Pandora. 

According to Startups, the global jeweller confirmed it had been hacked last week. No passwords or credit card info were taken, but the breach still shocked their Gen Z shoppers. 

That’s enough to hit pause on online orders. 🛑

📉 When trust tanks, sales sink

Cyber attacks aren’t “rare events” anymore, they’re routine. The ripple effects? Brutal:

• Gen Z pulls back. Over 33% of U.K. shoppers aged 16–24 say they may cut back or quit online shopping due to cyber fears.
• M&S downtime drama. After April’s breach, online orders were frozen for months, and click-and-collect only returned this week, on August 12.
• SMEs under siege. U.K. small businesses suffered 200,000+ cyber attacks in just three months last year, that’s one every 39 seconds.

💎 Hackers don't care what you sell

Jewelry, jam, or jumbo dog treats, cybercriminals don’t discriminate. The only difference is that big brands can throw money at recovery—smaller sellers, not so much.

Here’s how to fight back before it happens:

• Plan for holiday coverage. Schedule key updates before staff holidays.
• Stress test your systems. Find weak spots before hackers do.
• Train for remote risks. Teach staff how to protect sensitive info on the go.
• Be upfront. Post-breach transparency earns more trust than radio silence.

The real currency you’re guarding isn’t stock, it’s trust. And once that’s stolen, the climb back is steeper than your last Q4 sales spike. 🛡️

TOGETHER WITH WALMART MARKETPLACE

See how The Perfume Spot went from small storefront to e-Commerce juggernaut

When The Perfume Spot started it was just a small store on Staten Island. Now, they’re an e-commerce juggernaut with a team of 25 people and 8 figures in sales each year. How? In part by selling on Walmart Marketplace. 

With Walmart Marketplace, The Perfume Spot was able to instantly reach millions of shoppers, access powerful tools for scale, and sell on a platform invested in their success.  

Could you be the next Walmart success story? Sign up today to see. It just takes a few minutes to get started. 

Sign up now

BITES OF THE WEEK

• Safety Scam: Scammers send out fake product recall messages to scare victims into clicking harmful links.
• App Shutdown: The Amazon App Store will no longer support Android devices by August 20. 
• Replaced by AI: TikTok workers are striking as the app plans to dismantle its entire Berlin moderation team.
• Consumers Change: Get frameworks on how to adapt to the latest shift in consumer behavior.

HOT TOPIC

Amazon shoppers are less forgiving than ever

Amazon shoppers aren’t just picky anymore, they’re perfectionists with a stopwatch in one hand and a 1-star review in the other.

eComEngine reported that they now expect every order to be lightning-fast, perfectly packaged, and problem-free.

🛑 The non-negotiables 

On Amazon, buyer expectations aren’t just “nice-to-haves”—they’re deal breakers. That’s the bar the retail giant has set, and if you can’t meet it, watch them leave your store.

• Speed or bust. If you promise “ships in 24 hours,” deliver. Break it, and you’re breaking trust and your review score.
• Talk like a human. Buyers can spot canned apologies a mile away. A plain “We messed up, here’s the fix” goes further than corporate fluff.
• Ask the right way. Proactively request reviews, but keep it Amazon TOS-compliant.
  • Did you know? 88% of consumers rely on ratings and reviews before buying. So get those reviews.

🌟 Star ratings are your currency

On Amazon, your stars are worth more than your sales, at least until you get them right. Lose them, and you lose the game. 

Today’s buyers aren’t just less forgiving… they’re not forgiving at all.

SELLER REFRESHER

How to join Amazon Brand Registry

A+ Content. Counterfeit protection. Listing control. All of it’s behind one door: Amazon Brand Registry. But to get in, you’ll need more than just a brand name.

Here’s exactly how to do it without stalling your application for weeks.

• Step 1: Get your trademark in order
  • Your brand must have a registered or pending text-based or image-based trademark from an approved IP office. 📝
• Step 2: Gather your brand proof
  • Take clear product or packaging photos with your brand name permanently on them. 
  • Know your product categories and have a website or distribution info ready if asked.
• Step 3: Create your Brand Registry account
  • Log in with your Seller Central credentials so the accounts are linked. 
  • Fill in your trademark details, upload your logo, select product categories, and attach your supporting documents.
• Step 4: Upload and verify
  • Amazon may ask for distribution details to confirm ownership. Submit your application once everything is ready. 📤
• Step 5: Final confirmation
  • Amazon will contact the public trademark owner with a verification code. 
  • Enter that code in your Brand Registry account to complete enrollment.

💪 It’s worth the paperwork 

Getting into Brand Registry isn’t glamorous, but it’s your best defense against hijackers and your ticket to better branding tools. 

Because on Amazon, the real power move is owning your brand.