Amazon Marketing

Amazon is on a cleanup mission. As part of its ongoing efforts to improve the overall shopping experience for customers and increase the efficiency of its marketplace, Amazon has launched the “Bend the Curve” project—an initiative designed to purge stale product listings that are underperforming, outdated, or have no sales. In the coming months, 24 billion product listings could be removed, with Amazon aiming to reduce the number of ASINs in its catalog to under 50 billion by the end of 2025. As a seller, this means action is required to audit your listings, remove slow-moving products, and stay compliant with Amazon’s new standards. In this blog, we’ll break down why this matters, what you need to do to prepare, and how you can optimize your catalog to avoid being impacted by Amazon’s listing cleanup. Why This Update Matters for Sellers Amazon’s new “Bend the Curve” project is part of a larger trend where Amazon is placing more emphasis on quality over quantity in its product listings. Here’s why this update is crucial for every Amazon seller: Listings with No Sales, No Stock, or Outdated Information Will Be Purged Amazon is targeting listings that are stale and not performing. If your listings have no sales, incorrect stock levels, or outdated product details, they may be removed from the platform. This is an effort to clean up Amazon’s catalog and improve customer shopping experiences by providing them with the most relevant and up-to-date product options. Creation Throttling and Listing Restrictions If you have a bloated catalog with many underperforming listings, you may face creation throttling. This means that sellers with unoptimized catalogs will have a hard time creating new listings until their current products are optimized and relevant. Amazon is incentivizing sellers to streamline their inventory to improve product visibility and avoid these throttling measures. Fewer Listings, Better Quality While Amazon is reducing the number of ASINs on the platform, it’s also raising the bar for product listings. Sellers who focus on creating high-quality, optimized listings that are relevant to the current market will have a competitive advantage. How to Stay Ahead of the Curve: 5 Key Actions to Take Now The “Bend the Curve” project isn’t just about reducing the number of listings—it’s about improving the quality of those listings. Here are five actions you can take today to ensure your product listings are optimized, visible, and ready for the future: 1. Perform a Comprehensive Catalog Audit Start by reviewing your entire product catalog. Identify which listings have no sales, outdated product information, or no stock. These listings are the first candidates for removal. You’ll need to remove or update any products that aren’t performing well. Update product information: Ensure your listings have the most up-to-date and accurate descriptions, pricing, and stock information. Remove underperforming products: If certain products aren’t moving, it may be time to remove them from your catalog entirely. 2. Focus on High-Performing Products Amazon will be prioritizing listings that perform well and generate sales. To stay ahead, you need to ensure your top-performing products have accurate stock levels, detailed descriptions, and optimized keywords. These products are critical to maintaining visibility in Amazon’s search results. Audit your best sellers: Ensure they’re fully stocked and that their listings are optimized for searchability. 3. Use Amazon’s Tools for Listing Optimization Make use of Amazon’s Listing Optimization Tools to ensure your product listings are in line with the new standards. Tools like Inventory Performance Index (IPI) and Listing Quality Dashboard can help you track and improve the health of your listings. Optimize product descriptions: Focus on clear, concise, and informative descriptions that highlight your product’s benefits. Update product images: High-quality images can make a big difference in how your products are viewed by customers. 4. Avoid Creation Throttling with a Lean Catalog Amazon’s new creation throttling feature blocks sellers with overstuffed catalogs from adding new products. To prevent being impacted by this, it’s essential to streamline your catalog and ensure it consists of high-quality, well-performing listings. Focus on quality: Instead of creating hundreds of listings, focus on a smaller, more curated catalog of products that align with market demand. 5. Keep Track of Your IPI Score Your Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score directly affects your capacity limits and visibility on Amazon. Regularly monitor your IPI score and take steps to improve it by optimizing your listings, reducing excess inventory, and maintaining healthy stock levels. Monitor IPI: If your IPI score is low, you may face restrictions on how much inventory you can store in Amazon’s warehouses. Ensure your stock levels align with Amazon’s recommendations. How Big Internet Ecommerce Helps You Stay Ahead of the Curve At Big Internet Ecommerce, we specialize in helping Amazon sellers optimize their product listings, streamline inventory, and maintain strong visibility in Amazon’s marketplace. Here’s how we can help: Listing Optimization and Catalog Audits • We’ll help you perform a full audit of your product catalog, identifying slow-moving and outdated listings. • We optimize product descriptions, images, and keywords to ensure maximum visibility in Amazon’s search results. IPI Score Monitoring and Performance Management • We monitor your IPI score and provide actionable insights to improve your listing performance. • Our team will ensure your product catalog is streamlined and compliant with Amazon’s new requirements. Streamlined Inventory Management • We help you reduce excess inventory and optimize replenishment cycles, ensuring you stay within capacity limits. • Our AWS integration ensures a smooth inventory flow across Amazon’s FBA and AWD systems. Amazon Policy Compliance • We keep you up-to-date with Amazon’s evolving policies, helping you stay compliant with all new rules and guidelines to avoid penalties or listing removals.   Amazon’s “Bend the Curve” project is a wake-up call for sellers to optimize their listings and focus on quality over quantity. By following these actionable steps, you can ensure that your product catalog stays relevant, visible, and competitive in Amazon’s evolving marketplace. The key is to audit your catalog regularly, remove outdated listings, and make sure your

As Amazon FBA capacity limits for June and July 2025 tighten, sellers face new challenges in managing inventory levels and maintaining Prime eligibility. Amazon’s decision to reduce capacity from 6 months to 5 months of expected sales volume is a strategic move aimed at improving the overall fulfillment network efficiency. This blog post provides actionable insights on how to optimize your FBA capacity, plan ahead for Prime Day 2025, and make the most of available logistics hacks to reduce storage costs and keep your products in stock. What’s Changed with FBA Capacity Limits for June-July 2025? Amazon has announced the tightened FBA capacity limits for the upcoming months, creating new challenges for sellers who rely on FBA for order fulfillment. Capacity limits: 5 months of sales volume for June and July (down from 6 months in May). Performance-driven restrictions: Your IPI score, sales velocity, and inventory mix impact your capacity limits. Prime Day planning: Tightened capacity creates challenges for building inventory for Prime Day. No Overage Fees: Exceeding limits blocks shipments, but overage fees have been eliminated. How to Maximize Your FBA Capacity Audit Inventory Performance: Remove slow-moving products and transition them to Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) for bulk storage. Clear Excess Inventory: Quickly move underperforming products to free up space for best-sellers. Submit Capacity Increase Requests Early: Submit requests for increased capacity well ahead of June 9 and June 18 deadlines. Optimize FBA Replenishment: Use Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) for automatic replenishment to prevent stockouts and keep your products Prime-eligible. Adjust Shipment Cadence: Consider more frequent, smaller replenishment cycles to ensure a steady inventory flow. Maximize your FBA strategy with proactive steps like capacity management, inventory forecasting, and Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) integration to ensure you stay competitive and ready for Prime Day 2025. Ready to optimize your FBA strategy? Contact Big Internet Ecommerce to learn more about maximizing your capacity and preparing for Prime Day. Follow BIE on Instagram & Linkedin to stay updated with the trends.

Navigating tariffs and managing inventory can feel like a complex puzzle, especially with recent tariff hikes affecting many e-commerce businesses. With supply chain disruptions, rising tariffs, and increased shipping costs, how can sellers stay profitable while maintaining a competitive edge? In this article, we share insider strategies and logistics hacks to help sellers outsmart tariffs and maximize their FBA profits, even in the face of global challenges. Prioritize Market Share Over Short-Term Profits In the face of rising tariffs and costs, one key strategy is to prioritize market share over short-term profits. Losing market share due to price increases or stock-outs can be much more expensive than temporarily absorbing some margin reductions. Regaining lost rank can take far longer and cost significantly more than keeping your position in the market during difficult times. Strategy: Assess the marketing costs and efforts it took to secure your current position, then decide how much of a margin reduction you can absorb to keep that market share. In the long run, it may be more cost-effective to maintain your rank and sales volume, even if it means eating some losses for a short period. Break Down Your Cost Structure for Precision Understanding exactly where and how tariffs are impacting your business is crucial to managing costs effectively. Start by breaking down your product cost structure into its individual components, such as: Raw materials Labor Packaging Shipping Fulfillment By doing this, you can identify areas where tariff impacts are most significant and avoid overreacting to the situation. Targeted cost-reduction efforts (such as renegotiating shipping or manufacturing costs) can help mitigate the effects of tariffs without making drastic changes to your product pricing. Strategy: Don’t just look at your product cost as one lump sum—break it down and evaluate where you can reduce costs. From packaging to fulfillment, small adjustments can make a big difference. Audit HS Codes and Customs Documentation Incorrectly classified products are one of the easiest ways to incur unnecessary tariff costs. Many sellers use generic HS codes for their products, which can result in higher tariff rates than necessary. Strategy: Work with a customs expert to audit your HS codes and customs documentation. You may be able to qualify for lower tariffs by using more specific codes or discovering exemptions that you didn’t know about. Consider Assembly Restructuring One clever hack for minimizing tariffs is restructuring your assembly process. For example, if you’re importing products as finished goods, consider whether it would be more cost-effective to import the raw materials and assemble them domestically or in a location with lower tariffs (like Mexico). Strategy: Restructuring your assembly process can significantly reduce the declared value of your products for tariff purposes while also providing potential marketing opportunities, such as “Assembled in USA” or “Made in Mexico” labels. This can save you money on tariffs and make your products more attractive to customers. Develop Multi-Country Sourcing Relationships Diversifying your supply chain is a great way to reduce risks associated with tariffs and global disruptions. If you’re reliant on a single country or supplier, you’re at the mercy of tariff changes and trade policies. Strategy: Develop relationships with multiple suppliers in countries like Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. This gives you flexibility during tariff changes and provides leverage when negotiating prices or terms. For example, sourcing some products from Mexico can be a near-shoring solution that can help reduce both tariffs and shipping time. Implement Enterprise-Level Inventory Strategy Maintaining inventory flexibility is critical during uncertain times. To ensure your products stay in stock, especially during peak seasons, consider building an inventory reserve of 6-12 months. This can allow you to capitalize on bulk discounts and help you avoid stockouts when competitors run out of stock. Strategy: Use AI forecasting tools to predict your inventory needs and develop a capital plan that allows you to keep sufficient stock in your warehouse. With the right strategy in place, you can weather tariff changes and other market disruptions without losing ground in the market. Quick Assessment: Is This Strategy Right for You? Ask yourself these questions to determine if these strategies will benefit your business: Are you storing seasonal inventory for more than 2 months before selling it? Do you often find yourself with excess supply within the Amazon fulfillment network? Are your storage costs eating into your profits? Do you purchase in bulk to get supplier discounts frequently? Are you selling through multiple channels outside the Amazon store? If you answered yes to two or more of these, these strategies could be the solution you need to manage tariffs and inventory more effectively. How BigInternetEcommerce.com Can Help You Optimize At BigInternetEcommerce, we specialize in helping Amazon sellers navigate the complexities of tariff changes, supply chain optimization, and inventory management. Our expertise in logistics and supply chain strategies can help you: Audit and optimize your HS codes and customs documentation Develop multi-country sourcing strategies to reduce risk Build smarter inventory strategies using AI-driven tools Restructure your assembly process for tariff savings   Navigating tariffs and global supply chain challenges is difficult, but with the right strategies, you can turn these challenges into opportunities. By optimizing your cost structure, restructuring your supply chain, and developing stronger supplier relationships, you can outsmart tariffs and maintain profitability without sacrificing growth. The key is to strategize and take proactive steps now to ensure your business can weather the storm. Ready to optimize your supply chain and outsmart tariffs? Contact BigInternetEcommerce today to learn how we can help you implement these logistics hacks and maximize your FBA profits. Follow BIE on Instagram & Linkedin to stay updated with the trends.

Amazon has recently updated its Buyer-Seller Messaging system, introducing stricter rules to protect buyer communication preferences and ensure the platform is used for order-related communication only. This update, which takes effect immediately, aims to improve transparency and reduce the misuse of the messaging system for marketing purposes. For sellers, these changes mean a more streamlined, compliant way to engage with customers, but it also requires some important adjustments to how you communicate through Amazon’s platform. What’s Changing in Buyer-Seller Messaging? Amazon has removed the ability for sellers to add “[Important]” to message subject lines or override buyer opt-out preferences for non-critical communications. Here’s what you need to know: Order-Related Communication Only Sellers can still send critical messages related to order completion or customer service, but the messaging system can no longer be used for promotional or marketing messages. Message Templates for Easy Compliance Amazon encourages the use of message templates. These pre-built templates automatically include order IDs, translate messages into the buyer’s preferred language, and flag messages as [Important] when necessary. On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) Protection If you’re using the correct shipping labels marked as “OTDR Protected,” you’ll be protected from any penalties related to late deliveries that are outside of your control, provided you ship on time. No More Overriding Opt-Out Preferences If a buyer has opted out of receiving messages, you can’t override that preference unless the message is crucial for completing the order. How Does This Impact Sellers? Better Communication Control This change is designed to ensure that you’re using the Buyer-Seller Messaging tool only for relevant, order-specific communication, not for marketing purposes. This limits spam-like messages and improves the customer experience. Easier Management with Message Templates With Amazon now recommending the use of templates, sellers can easily comply with the new rules. These templates are designed to be automated, so you can focus on running your business, not worrying about formatting each individual message. Improved Customer Experience By eliminating promotional messages, buyers can feel more confident that communications will only be about the status of their order or any customer service inquiries. This helps build trust with your customers and may lead to higher satisfaction. Who Should Be Paying Attention? Current Sellers Using Buyer-Seller Messaging for Marketing If you’ve been using the messaging tool to send marketing emails or promotional offers, you’ll need to shift your strategy. Amazon is strictly enforcing its rules, and violating these can result in penalties or account health issues. New Sellers and Those Not Using Templates If you’re new to Amazon or haven’t been using message templates, now is the time to get familiar with them. They’ll ensure you remain compliant and streamline your messaging process. Sellers with a Large Volume of Orders If you’re a high-volume seller, automating messaging using templates will save you time and help ensure compliance at scale. How BigInternetEcommerce.com Helps You Navigate the Changes Messaging Compliance Audits • We can assess your current messaging practices to ensure they’re aligned with Amazon’s updated rules. • We’ll provide recommendations for optimizing your messaging strategy to stay compliant. Message Template Setup • We assist in setting up message templates to automate order-related communication and minimize manual effort. • We guide you in integrating templates into your daily workflow, so you’re always ready to comply. Shipping & OTDR Protection Setup • We help configure OTDR protection for shipments and guide you in using the correct shipping labels to prevent late delivery penalties. Amazon’s update to the Buyer-Seller Messaging tool is part of a broader effort to improve customer experience and reduce spammy or irrelevant messaging. For sellers, this means you must be more mindful about how you use the messaging platform and ensure that all communication is relevant and compliant. If you want to ensure your messaging strategy is up-to-date and optimized, now is the time to make adjustments before the new rules impact your account. Want help adjusting to these changes and ensuring your messaging stays compliant? Contact Big Internet Ecommerce today for a free messaging strategy call and stay ahead of Amazon’s latest policy updates. Follow BIE on Instagram & Linkedin to stay updated with the trends.

Amazon’s mobile app is more than just a platform for making purchases. It’s packed with innovative features that can transform the way you shop, discover products, and even engage with customers. From AI-powered guides to augmented reality (AR) tools, Amazon’s Shopping app is constantly evolving to enhance the shopping experience. As an Amazon seller, staying up-to-date with these features can help you boost product visibility, engage customers, and improve your sales. Let’s dive into 10 cool features of the Amazon Shopping app that you may not know about, but definitely should. 1. Shopping Guides (AI-Powered) Shopping for unfamiliar products can be overwhelming. Shopping Guides, powered by generative AI, help simplify product research by providing tailored product recommendations. Amazon uses Rufus, its AI-powered assistant, to provide shopping guidance on over 100 product types. This feature helps you find the right products faster while boosting the chances of your product appearing in front of the right customers. 2. Interests (AI-Powered Product Discovery) Amazon’s Interests feature takes product discovery to the next level. It helps customers find products based on their passions, preferences, and price limits. Customers create personalized shopping prompts using everyday language, and Amazon’s AI scans the store to notify them about relevant products, restocks, and deals. For sellers, this means more personalized visibility for your products. 3. View in 3D One of the challenges of shopping online is the inability to inspect products up close. Amazon’s View in 3D feature changes that by providing customers with interactive, 3D models of millions of products. Shoppers can rotate, zoom in, and inspect your product from every angle. This tool is perfect for sellers who want to provide a more engaging, informative product experience. 4. See It On Your Model (AI-Powered Fit Review) See It On Your Model leverages AI technology to let customers visualize how clothing and accessories will look on a model with similar size, body shape, and skin tone. This feature helps customers shop with confidence, reducing returns and improving satisfaction. If you sell fashion or accessories, make sure to take full advantage of this tool to enhance customer confidence in their purchases. 5. Find on Amazon Have you ever seen a product elsewhere but didn’t know where to find it? Amazon’s Find on Amazon feature helps shoppers easily locate similar products to those they see on websites or social media platforms. Simply share an image, and Amazon will display similar items on their platform. This feature is a great opportunity for sellers to have their products discovered without shoppers even needing to know your exact brand or product name. 6. Amazon Lens Ever wanted to buy an item you saw in person, but didn’t know where to get it? With Amazon Lens, customers can now take a picture or scan a barcode to find exact matches or similar items. This feature is incredibly useful for buyers who want to shop more intuitively and quickly. Amazon Lens is an excellent tool to increase your product’s discoverability when customers are looking for exact matches or related items. 7. Virtual Try-On (Augmented Reality) Nothing helps customers make a purchase decision like seeing how the product looks on them. Amazon’s Virtual Try-On feature uses augmented reality (AR) to help customers try on products like sunglasses, lip colors, and eyeshadow virtually. This feature reduces uncertainty and improves conversions—perfect for fashion and beauty sellers. 8. View in Your Room (AR Furniture Shopping) Buying furniture online can be tricky, especially when it comes to size and fit in your space. View in Your Room allows customers to use AR technology to see how furniture, décor, and even smaller items like lamps or coffee makers will fit into their room. This feature helps ensure customers get the right fit and feel more confident about their purchases. 9. Consult-a-Friend When shopping for new products, sometimes a second opinion makes all the difference. Consult-a-Friend allows customers to share a product with their friends and get feedback—via comments or fun emoji reactions. This social shopping feature can encourage engagement with your products, especially when friends have the chance to provide input or reassurance before purchase. 10. Skincare Quiz With so many skincare products available, how do you know which one is right for you? Amazon’s Skincare Quiz helps customers figure out which products match their skin type. By answering a few simple questions, shoppers receive tailored recommendations, making the decision process easier. As a seller, this feature can drive more personalized product recommendations and boost sales for your skincare line. How to Leverage These Features for Your Amazon Store 1. Optimize for AR & 3D Features If you sell products like furniture, fashion, or accessories, make sure to take advantage of View in 3D and View in Your Room to give shoppers a better buying experience. 2. Get Featured in Shopping Guides & Interests Optimize your product listings for relevant keywords so they can be featured in AI Shopping Guides and Interests—increasing your product’s visibility with interested buyers. 3. Promote Your Products on Social Media Encourage customers to use Find on Amazon or Consult-a-Friend to share and seek opinions on your products, increasing social proof and engagement. 4. Use Virtual Try-On and Fit Review If you sell fashion or beauty products, enable Virtual Try-On and See It On Your Model features to help customers visualize how your products will look on them, increasing conversions. Amazon’s AI-powered features are designed to make shopping easier, faster, and more engaging. By using tools like 3D product views, virtual try-ons, and AI-driven recommendations, sellers can improve the shopping experience for their customers and boost sales. By leveraging these features, your products will stand out, and shoppers will feel more confident in their purchases. As an Amazon seller, now is the time to tap into these cutting-edge tools to enhance your listings, engage with customers, and increase your sales potential. Ready to optimize your Amazon store with AI-powered features? Contact Big Internet Ecommerce today to get started with integrating these features into your listings