I have just finished giving an informative and valuable live session at this year’s SellerFest hosted by OrangeKlik. In my live session, I talked about the latest updates in 2022 China Sourcing, delays, Which parts of China are affected by COVID lockdowns, Shipping costs update, and what can you do to reduce the impact of sourcing challenges.
In this valuable session you will learn:
Check out the replay of my live session here to know the latest updates of Sourcing in China and how to overcome disruptions in the supply chain in 2022.
The Consumer Trends Report from Jungle Scout is quarterly research of 1,000 U.S. consumers that looks at how purchasing habits and preferences vary over time.
As a result of current events, they discovered that people begin to cut back on their spending when inflation rises. Rising inflation has influenced 72 percent of consumers’ consumer expenditure, and 70 percent are making less “fun” or impulse purchases.
Now, people buy more necessities like groceries, vitamins, and cleaning supplies than electronics and clothing. Additionally, it was also found that consumers have designated different shops for different products.
They go to Amazon for products categories belonging to Arts, Crafts & Sewing, Automotive Parts & Accessories, Books, Electronics, Exercise/Fitness Supplies, and Office Supplies. On the other hand, consumers prefer Walmart.com for essential products.
Even though total consumer expenditure is predicted to fall or remain stable this quarter, 11% of consumers are expected to increase their spending. They’ll spend more on luxury items to treat themselves, celebrate an occasion, a gift, or after a pay raise.
Brand loyalty and online purchases are fueled by pricing and coupons. Consumers want to remain in and spend on the house and self-care in 2022. Thus home renovation and the homebody economy will continue.
Takeaway: Amazon Sellers need to look out on trends and demands on these products and use it on their advantage. With the increased competition, it is important to stay ahead and utilize all availbale information on consumer behavior and spending. In addition, with the ongoing supply chain disruptions in China having this data on hand will allow you to plan ahead shipping and manufacturing to avoid losses due to delays.
You can get the full report here
Walmart has launched its Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), a low-cost fulfillment solution. Walmart has seen tremendous growth in the past two years, with U.S. GMV fulfilled by WFS growing 500% last year.
What the team started from the ground up has developed into a thriving business with vendors worldwide. The firm wants to work with its merchants to establish trust and openness. It also paves the way for an understandable and straightforward fee structure.
Their second anniversary also coincides with the launch of new growth possibilities for new WFS sellers that join up and inbound at least one item between February 21 and April 30, 2022. For the first 90 days, sellers get free storage and 10% off fulfillment.
If a client has a problem with an item, they can contact Walmart Customer Service or return it to their local Walmart store, which has over 4,700 locations in the United States. WFS makes it easier for your customers to have a better experience, increasing their likelihood of returning.
Takeaway: Walmart is consistently working towards growing their online marketplaces. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next few years, competition between them and Amazon would be as close as a thread. So, leveraging now in Walmart can be a great move for many Amazon sellers wanting to scale.
Are you one of the many ecom business owners stuck in the growth phase? Feeling lost and don’t know where to start to scale your FBA business?
It is undeniable that competition on Amazon can grow faster than your sales. It is challenging to scale successfully and grow your business to 7 Figures in a highly saturated market.
However, I assure you that scaling to 7 Figures in Amazon is an achievable goal with the right strategies and tools to help you. I invited Don Henig from AccrueMe to share real case studies how Amazon sellers are scaling their businesses from $144k to $1 million in 2022.
You’ll learn:
To join RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3J7nDQZ
We are looking for an A-player to join our team! I’m hiring a part-time Executive Assistant (virtual position) to take care of all the details of the administrative side of my business and personal life so I can focus on business growth and spending quality time with my family.
If you have extensive experience managing an executive’s personal and professional calendar and have a passion for details, quick problem solving, rapidly learning a variety of different skills and helping others, then this is for you.
The full job description and details to apply are here.
In case you missed it:
Have a great weekend!
-Gary
I’m looking for someone detail-oriented and proactive with excellent communication skills to be my virtual executive assistant.
You will be the “Glue” that takes care of all the details of the administrative side of my business and personal life so I can focus on business growth and spending quality time with my family.
I need an A-Player and near perfectionist who can be a trusted partner for the long term. This will be a fast-paced role with a variety of different tasks and challenges that present themselves each week. If you are looking for a slower role, or you tend to get overwhelmed quickly, then this is not the right fit for you. If you are looking for a temporary job while you find something better or so you can go back to school later then this is not the job for you.
If you have extensive experience managing an executive’s personal and professional calendar and have a passion for details, quick problem solving, rapidly learning a variety of different skills, and helping others, then this is for you.
I am based in Okinawa, Japan (UTC+9) and I am a husband and father of a 3-year-old son. I expect you to be available between 9am and 6pm Tokyo time on a daily basis. During crunch time, you might need to be available on weekends / outside of regular working hours as well.
See my LinkedIn for more about me and my business: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyhuang/
If interested, please apply here.
According to our sources on the ground, Shenzhen is no longer in lockdown and factories and deliveries are beginning to resume as normal.
However, other parts of China continue to be affected including the Shandong area. One of the suppliers I’m personally working with has experienced a lockdown until monday February 28th, at the least.
So, the takeaway is continue to monitor and communicate with your suppliers to minimize the disruptions due to the pandemic.
Prime Day is fast approaching. Amazon made changes to implement automatic inventory removal. This deals with items that have been in a fulfillment center for more than 365 days and are also subject to long-term storage fees.
ASINs have been at the fulfillment center for more than 180 days and have not been sold in the last six months.
Sellers can liquidate these items or provide a valid return address in the Auto-Fulfillable Inventory settings, and Amazon will return the inventory to the seller. The inventory will be automatically donated, recycled, or disposed of if no return address is specified.
Removing stale inventory will benefit sellers who suffer from long-term storage fees. It will also improve Inventory Performance Index scores and frees up space in Amazon fulfillment centers for more popular inventory.
Starting April 15, the automatic removal shall be implemented every month. If you wish to modify your return address, please do so at least 24 hours before April 15 to guarantee that your changes are preserved.
American vendors have been recovering market share on Amazon for more than a year, reversing a multi-year pattern of losing to primarily Chinese sellers.
Domestic firms account for 55 percent of the top third-party sellers on Amazon’s marketplace in the United States, up from an all-time low of 48 percent in November 2020.
Sellers located in the United States have increased their market share during the last sixteen months. For years, the proportion has been steadily decreasing.
Top sellers aren’t the only ones who behave this way. Since late-2020, American vendors have been increasing their expected sales volume share. After falling below 50% at one point, it has now recovered.
Some problems include lockdowns, supply chain difficulties, seller suspensions, and Amazon FBA inventory constraints. There has also been a decline in new seller registrations from China, accounting for 75% of all new seller registrations.
Finally, Chinese retailers are losing ground in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and other Amazon markets.
What else is impacting the trend, and, more importantly, whether it will be reversed, is unknown.
As you’ve seen, China sourcing is changing by the day and I’d like to invite you to a live training session that I will give at Seller Fest Online on March 28, 2022. In this training you will learn:
I’m thinking of doing something different for our next event. I’m going to focus on a specific topic to help your Ecommerce business.
To decide what that topic will be – I’d love to ask for your vote!
Please cast your vote in this quick 3 min survey
Thank you!
In case you missed it:
Have a great weekend!
– Gary
Covid waves will hit the global supply chain for two years, Reagan economist warns
Economist John Rutledge, who was an advisor to President Regan, said that “the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to inflict pain on the global supply chain and contribute to the semi logjam into 2023.”
The reasons include:
This means that the Perfect Storm of Logistics may extend into 2023!
So you’re probably wondering what’s the best way to manage your inventory to prepare for Q4 and beyond
How to prepare inventory for Q4 and beyond – Live Webinar by So Stocked 9/16 at 2PM PST
To help you prepare your inventory so you don’t run out of stock while dealing with Amazon inventory restrictions, I’d like to invite you to a live webinar by Chelsea Cohen from So Stocked.
She spoke at the last 7FSS and So Stocked is a secret weapon used by a number of 7 Figure Amazon sellers to help manage their inventory forecasting so they don’t run out of stock or over order.
Chelsea will be giving a live webinar next week and you are invited.
Amazon’s new restock limits, we are no longer just marketers. We must also be good inventory managers. This webinar by SoStocked will help you to adopt inventory management best practices and to restructure your logistics to prepare inventory for Q4 and beyond.
Thursday, September 16th (11 am PST/2 pm EST)
Register here: https://sostocked.com/inventory-secrets/?via=7fss
Please note that I am an affiliate for So Stocked so if you do decide to use their paid service I will receive a small commission which helps pay for my coffee! If not, no worries, feel free to join their free webinar to learn inventory management best practices nonetheless.
Here are some things you may have missed recently:
Have a great weekend!
Gary
As we are turning the calendar to September, Happy Labor Day to those celebrating in the US!
It’s the unofficial end of summer as we are almost entering fall and Q4.
Meanwhile, because of space issues and Covid risks at our current residence, my family and I decided to move our home this week which is a big project so this will be a short newsletter.
59 container ships stuck “at anchor” at the Port of Long Beach
It seems that the shipping headaches continue as there are now 59 container ships “at anchor” at the Port of Long Beach according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California.
According to Business Insider, the Port of Long Beach, CA accounts for nearly one-third of US imports.
The reasons for the wait include “ the labor shortage, COVID-19-related disruptions, and holiday-buying surges.
Port of Los Angeles data indicated that the ships’ average wait time had increased to 7.6 days.”
“The normal number of container ships at anchor is between zero and one,” according to Kip Louttit.
Source: Southern California Marine Exchange
As you can see from this graph, the problem seems to be escalating.
Plan ahead guys and if you don’t have your orders for Q4 on the boat yet, better move fast so you don’t miss out!
Amazon bans over 50,000 “Blackhat” sellers in China
This can be considered “good news” for ecommerce sellers who are playing by the rules.
According to a Global Times report “Since May, Amazon has blocked up to 50,000 Chinese sellers on its platform. The reasons for the ban include “improper use of review functions”, “soliciting fake reviews,” and “manipulating reviews by giving gift cards.”
What are the banned sellers doing to react?
Some are looking at setting up their own websites to eliminate the risk of putting all their eggs in one Amazon basket.
But it’s not so easy driving traffic and building trust selling from your own website.
There is a saying in Chinese called “Kill the Chicken to scare the Monkey”. Will this bloodletting by Amazon be the wakeup call needed to jolt Chinese blackhat sellers that they need to start playing by the rules?
Time will tell!
The moral of the story is: In any case it makes business and ethical sense to play by the rules.
Here are some things you may have missed recently:
Have a great weekend!
Gary
This week I’m taking a family vacation after launching the 7 Figure Seller Summit last week. So this will be a short newsletter. Hope you are all enjoying your summer.
Amazon Vs. Walmart: The Epic Battle Of Retail Kings Gets Hot
Amazon, the e-commerce giant, had dethroned Walmart and the battle holds big stakes for both Amazon and Walmart stock.
Amazon’s plan to build its retail stores steps up its game and goes ahead against Walmart.
According to Investors Business Daily “According to data compiled by FactSet and reported by the New York Times on Tuesday, Amazon’s sales, and those of third-party sellers on its platform, eclipsed Walmart’s over the year ended in June. Consumers spent $610 billion at Amazon from June 2020 to June 2021. In that same period, shoppers spent $566 billion at Walmart, the report said.”
Amazon is cheaper in the “Foods and Beverages” category, which covers the same products as Walmart. Walmart has many physical stores but purchasing from Amazon is available in more countries. Walmart has a higher net income than Amazon, but Amazon is experiencing more online growth.
But keep an eye on Walmart. With a renewed customer focus and an established retail presence, Walmart could continue to see amazing growth.
Both Amazon and Walmart set the bar for all other retailers on everything from logistics to customer service and innovation. If Amazon does it, Walmart and all other companies follow. Their continued push for customers helps move all other retailers to a stronger customer focus.
Amazon plans to open its own department stores, report says
Oh, boy. Amazon goes again! Does Amazon make another push into the physical retail space? the giant is reportedly planning to launch its own department stores. Focusing on apparel, electronics, and household goods but in a scaled-down format.
The new spaces will span 30,000 square feet and carry items from top consumer brands. For perspective, department stores typically take up 100,000 square feet. Amazon’s reported expansion comes as some retail chains, having survived the financial shock unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic – a vigorous comeback.
As many Americans work to reconfigure their social lives in the second year of the pandemic, department stores are cashing in on the increased spending.
Here are some things you may have missed recently:
Have a great weekend!
Gary
Global Demand is only up 2.7% – Why are shipping rates so high?
Ecommerce entrepreneurs are faced with skyrocketing shipping container prices of over $20,000 per container from Shanghai to Long Beach.
What’s the reason?
According to supply chain expert and consultant Lars Jensn,”The problem right now is predominantly one of capacity.”
“Ocean freight capacity is being heavily curtailed by congestion, with equipment tied up both on land and at sea” according to Freight Waves.
The causes of congestion keep coming: from the lack of containers available for shipments, to the Covid closings in China at the Yantian and Ningbo ports, to the ocean vessel stuck at the Suez Canal, to the numerous delays off the port of Long Beach – it’s been a domino effect in escalating the capacity problem.
As you may have expected due to the supply chain challenges, the impact is already felt in back-to-school supplies.
“It’s back-to-school shopping season — and product shortages, which have affected everything from furniture to chicken wings, are hitting school supplies” according to WCPO news..
Walmart is struggling with supply shortages of products such as Disney backpacks.
It looks like we will see fewer deep discounted products like $0.10 spiral notebooks because supplies will be tight.
I believe this is the canary in the coal mine.
This Q4 I expect many holiday products to be in short supply given the Perfect Storm we’re facing now.
You’re probably asking how can I Navigate this “Perfect Storm” to win in Q4?
7 Figure Seller Summit 5 – Final Day!
As we navigate through the ecom “Perfect Storm”, I have invited over 30 7 Figure Amazon Sellers and Ecom experts to share the latest strategies on how to overcome the logistics challenges and high shipping rates so you can win in Q4.
On day 5 (today) you will also learn how to prepare for an exit from 7 and 8 Figure sellers who’ve done it, as well as what NOT to do so you don’t leave money on the table as you maximize your business valuation.
Here are some things you may have missed recently:
Have a great weekend!
Gary
PS: Over 3,000 people have signed up for 7FSS – don’t miss out on the last day – we will have a live Q&A Recap webinar tonight 8/20 at 6pm EST but only if you register for a free pass
According to the South China Morning Post, on Wed Aug 11, 2021 “China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, has closed one of its terminals (Meishan) indefinitely after a vaccinated worker tested positive for the coronavirus.”
Source: Reuters – China has shut down the Meishan terminal at Ningbo Port – 5th busiest port in the world
What does this mean?
If you have an upcoming sea freight shipment shipping out of FOB Ningbo Port – you should check with your freight forwarder now about the impact of the Meishan Terminal closure.
What can you do?
Supply Chain professionals are quickly shifting shipments to the Port of Shanghai. However that may come at an additional cost and capacity may fill up quickly as Shanghai is already the busiest port in the world.
Takeaway: Remember what the 7 and 8 Figure Sellers at the 7 Figure Seller Summit are saying – Be agile and pivot quickly!!
Mobile Ecommerce market share growing and expected to double to $359 B in the US by 2025
eMarketer released a report recently on Retail “Mcommerce” sales which includes online sales made over mobile devices.
“New technologies, such as AR, 5G, and more seamless buying through one-touch systems like Apple Pay or Google Pay, will continue to drive growth in the future.
New channels—including social commerce, live shopping, and influencer direct selling—will also spur growth.”
If you’re selling on Amazon or Ecommerce, it makes sense to optimize your listings to consider shoppers who are browsing on their phones and tablets. This trend will only grow bigger and bigger.
Tips for Selling on Amazon FBA in 2021 from 7 and 8 Figure Sellers
Recently I was featured on the OrangeKlik Podcast and shared the top strategies for selling on Amazon FBA
Think of it as a high level overview of what you’ll learn at the 7 Figure Seller Summit.
You’ll learn:
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hHkIQpBgG8
Here’s your ticket to selling on Amazon Globally (Sponsored message from Zonguru)
Zonguru is sponsoring the 7 Figure Seller Summit and their team of Amazon experts understand the importance of earning additional income outside of a traditional job.
Their all-in-one FBA tool suite gives you the data needed to find and launch a product, get to page one, and grow your business in Amazon’s growing marketplaces, like Australia and India.
The stats show that scaling into these growing marketplaces now–while the iron is hot–will set your business up to rise with the eCommerce boom.
To ensure you have the tools you need to find the right product in the right marketplace: we are giving you a 1-year subscription to the ZonGuru Seller Package at almost 40% off!
You will also get these FREE bonuses:
In total, this package will save you $438.
Get this special offer here 👉https://zonguru.link/7figureoffer
7 Figure Seller Summit 5 is only 3 days away!
Join over 1,500 sellers who have already registered for the award winning 7 Figure Seller Summit which launches online Aug 16-20!
You will learn the latest strategies, how to overcome the logistics challenges and high shipping rates, as well as how to prepare for an exit from over 30 7 and 8 Figure Sellers and ecommerce experts.
If you haven’t already – Get your free pass now!
Here are some things you may have missed from last week:
Have a great weekend!
Gary
China-U.S. container shipping container rates sail past $20,000 to record
Source: Reuters
Shipping costs from China to the US have skyrocketed to an all time high this week according to Reuters.
The cost of shipping a container from the Port of Shanghai to Long Beach/LA has surged past $20,000 a container.
A combination of factors including the more virulent Delta strain of COVID leading to lockdowns, a surge in shipping demand as economies reopen, a lack of logistics capacity, and even typhoons in Asia have caused this “Perfect Storm”.
“Shipping companies can charge four to ten times the normal price to move cargoes…. We have not seen this in shipping for more than 30 years,” said Philip Damas, Managing Director at maritime consultancy firm Drewry.
Damas expects the “extreme rates” to continue until Chinese New Year 2022.
Online Retailers Tumble as Amazon Sales Miss Shows Reopening Hit (Bloomberg)
Amazon sales revenue “lagged forecasts for the first time since 2018” according to Bloomberg.
This has some speculating that ecommerce may slow down as the world reopens from lockdowns.
Amazon stock dove by as much as 8.1% as a result. Etsy and Ebay stocks dropped as well from the news.
On the other hand, according to a number of ecommerce entrepreneurs I’ve spoken to, while they did see a dip in sales on Amazon, they are seeing a slow rebound as we transition into Q3.
In my view, many people were simply waiting to go out and resume their normal lives visiting stores, eating out, and reconnecting with the outside world.
Moreover, summertime is the SLOWEST season of the year in ecommerce as the weather is warmer, school is out, people take vacations and spend less time in front of screens.
However I believe this is temporary.
Traditionally as back to school season begins ecommerce picks up as well.
But it is an important note that Ecommerce sales may be returning to more normal growth this year contrary to the stratospheric highs seen in 2020.
Get $400 in Free FBA reimbursements from GETIDA (Sponsored)
If you have been selling on Amazon for some time then chances are you may be leaving money on the table.
Did you know that Amazon often overcharges you, the FBA seller, in the following ways?
The FBA discrepancy rate can range between 1-3% of your annual FBA sales.
Over the course of a $1 million dollar business that can be $10,000 to $30,000 annually that is being withheld from you.
You can do this yourself but if you don’t have the time it makes sense to get help with an FBA auditing and reimbursements solution like GETIDA this so YOU CAN GET YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY BACK.
GETIDA is a sponsor of the upcoming 7 Figure Seller Summit and they provide Amazon sellers with a ton of value so you can keep more money in your POCKETS:
So if you want someone to get this money back from Amazon for you, I highly recommend using GETIDA to maximize your available Amazon FBA refunds. They only charge fees when they are successful in getting money back for you.
GETIDA has also prepared a Special Offer which you can signup for here:
Get up to $400 In Free FBA Reimbursements.
Top 10 Lessons Learned for Amazon Sellers (VIDEO) – by Gary Huang
I was interviewed recently by my friend Amy Wees from Amazing at Home to share the Top 10 lessons I learned after interviewing over 100 7 Figure Sellers and Ecom Experts
In this 55min session you here to learn:
Watch the replay here: https://www.facebook.com/amazingathome/videos/692526788814150
The 7 Figure Seller Summit is only 10 days away… here’s what people are saying about it:
Meghla Bhardwaj, Founder of India Sourcing Network
People should join the 7 Figure Seller Summit because it is being hosted by [Gary]. He is a seller [himself], and he understands the challenges that sellers face. And he really has a good understanding of how sourcing works and how ecommerce works, and how Amazon works.
So there is no better host than [Gary] to do a conference because he knows the right questions to ask and he knows the right people to get on the summit.
Chris Davey, 7 Figure Seller:
I attend a lot of Amazon conferences and there are always so many little diamonds of information that can help take your business to the next level.
The beauty here with the virtual conference is you can watch that content over and over until you fully understand how to implement into your business
Tim Jordan, 7 Figure Seller:
There’s a lot of content out there that sucks. But Gary seems to be bringing together some really good stuff that it’s relevant and updated because the world of ecommerce continues to evolve constantly.
So if you’re not staying up to date with good current information, you’re probably getting left behind.
Sharon Even, 7 Figure Seller:
You have a lot of value. The 7 Figure seller summit has a lot of serious sellers, very well known sellers, who are not only sellers, but people that are very credible and very respected in the industry. So there is a ton of value there. And you put a lot of time into it. That’s why you should join.
Chris Rawlings, 7 Figure Seller:
It’s a good mix of people who are kind of well known and have a consistent message to deliver, and other people who are not well known, because they don’t speak, they don’t teach they just do it.
Gary is in a position to be able to find these people and get them to spill the beans. So I’m really really excited about this. Thank you Gary for putting this together.
Get your free pass to the 7FSS today
Here are some things you may have missed from last week:
Have a great weekend!
Gary
If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re an FBA seller thinking about selling your business. Congratulations! You’ve been successful in one of the most competitive industries, and now it’s time to take what you’ve learned and move on to the next adventure.
Selling your FBA business can be exciting and scary at the same time. Getting the most from the sale also takes some work upfront, but there are many benefits to getting your business in order.
First, the good news: When selling to Thrasio, you don’t need to have your business perfectly shipshape before meeting with us. In fact, we don’t want you to put off getting in touch. However, selling your business is a multistep process, and doing a little homework can pay off at the negotiating table.
● Money? If so, how much?
● How involved do you want to be in the business?
● Do you want to move quickly or wait for the perfect deal?
● What category are you in?
● What’s your market share?
● What does your revenue stream look like over the course of 12 months?
If you’re a one-person operation, chances are good that a lot of your systems and processes live in your head. Start thinking about all the information you need to gather in order to hand over your business successfully.
If you’re running a business with one or two ASINS, this might not be very much. But if you have 100+ variations that all sell at different rates, you’ll want to be able to provide as much detail as possible to a broker, buyer, or investor on key business areas, such as supply chain operations and customer service.
If you’ve never sold a business before, you’ll want to develop your own group of trusted advisors—people who have experience selling a business and people who will have your back. This might include a broker, an accountant, an attorney, or even a mentor with experience in the space. Having people you can count on before, during, and after the sale is invaluable.
Don’t forget to keep operating your business at maximum effort until the deal is closed and you have cash in hand. Inventory issues or a lag in PPC investment can affect your business’s value.
Want to learn more about selling your business? Reach out to us!