Top 10 Tips: Recent Amazon Changes Shaking up Ecommerce
The ecommerce industry is one that has been steadily on the rise for a while now, and with more preferring to shop on ecommerce platforms, it is a trend that we are likely to see more of. It is not only more convenient to shop on ecommerce platforms for consumers, as they don’t have to leave the comfort of their homes, in most cases the prices on these platforms are very competitive making it cheaper too. It is no wonder that more and more businesses are setting up on ecommerce platforms to take advantage of the booming business that is there. There are of course a number of platforms one can engage in ecommerce on, with Amazon being one of the most popular out there. As with many ecommerce platforms, Amazon is always shaking this up, with changes designed to make the ecommerce experience there better being released on the regular. It is therefore important for businesses here to always be on top of things so that they are not left behind. Recently, Amazon has again made a number of changes that have shaken up the ecommerce industry, and to help unpack these changes, this article will highlight 10 tips to that effect.
One recent change Amazon has undertaken, one that is shaking up ecommerce, is the one where Amazon’s very own vendor central wholesale program cut thousands of merchants. This was done so that these merchants could enroll in Amazon’s brand registry, and in fact a number of these vendors were reinstated but not after having been given a 60-day window to ensure they do enroll. Those that weren’t lucky enough to be reactivated can however still sell on Amazon seller central which means they lose some of the perks that come with the Vendor Central wholesale system.
Amazon Seller Central hasn’t been spared either when it comes to these changes, as is covered over at runrex.com in great detail. Our next tip on this changes is that merchants on here are now allowed to set higher prices on Amazon as compared to when not on Amazon. This is being not the case before, as Amazon had a policy that dictated that products on Amazon should never be more highly priced than they were elsewhere. This change is sure to shake up ecommerce as it opens a number of options for sellers on Amazon.
Another recent change as far as Amazon is concerned that is sure to shake up ecommerce as an industry has to do with Amazon Prime. This is because, with Prime came the fire tablet, which brought about the Fire TV stick, which is the most reviewed product on Amazon, ever, and which has a physical button that shoppers can hold and that allows them to order more than 100 different products. This product, going forward, is set to shake up ecommerce no end.
Another change as far as Amazon goes is the one where it has expanded Prime now, which is its same-day delivery service, to 30 different metro areas and to other countries such as Japan, Italy and the UK. This service is available for Prime members and, as per the subject matter experts over at runrex.com, has become one of the most popular same-day delivery service out there, competing with services such as UberEats, FreshDirect among others.
Amazon Home Services, and its growth, is yet another recent change by Amazon that is shaking up ecommerce, especially when it comes to the furniture and appliances industries. This service helps those folks who buy products that need additional services such as assembly or installation, by combining both delivery of these products with assembly. With this service, Amazon is going head to head with Home Depot, IKEA among others who are big hitters in this industry.
The changes involving Echo and Alexa, with the latter being Amazon’s voice recognition technology, has also shaken up ecommerce, as is covered in great detail over at runrex.com. Echo’s extension to other Amazon services such as Prime Now among others has been revolutionary as far as ecommerce goes and it has proven to be quite the hit with Amazon customers, and as an AI home device it is sure to shake up ecommerce moving forward.
Speaking of AI, another change by Amazon that is sure to shake up the ecommerce industry has to do with AI employees and Amazon’s move to bring this service to retailers. This is still in the pipeline, but it will be a product recommendations engine that will be available to merchants that are on the AWS console.
Yet another recent change by Amazon that is set to shake up the ecommerce industry is the one on the introduction of enhanced shipping options. Amazon, as is covered in detail over at runrex.com, has been testing drone deliveries in the U.S, a move that is sure to make deliveries more efficient and timely. This is because the drones are able to pinpoint the shortest route to a destination and make the delivery.
The move by Amazon to end free returns is also one that could shake up ecommerce without doubt. This move comes after the one Amazon made last year when they said that they will ban those consumers who are serial returners, that is those that like returning products they purchase. This latest move by Amazon has seen them put up a number of a number of brick and mortar, over 600 in fact, which serve as locations where customers can return merchandise.
The last tip we have for you as far as changes by Amazon that are bound to shake up ecommerce has to do with the small matter of sales tax. With the introduction of regional taxes in 2019 as far as ecommerce goes is something that merchants have to warp their head around. On top of that Amazon will be collecting sales tac in every state on the products it sells directly.
The above ten tips look to highlight some of the recent changes by Amazon that are shaking up ecommerce, with more on this and other topics to be found over at runrex.com.