CSA Exclusive: Amazon offers third-party sellers enterprise support
Amazon is opening its platform to small businesses looking for access to direct-to-consumer sales infrastructure and services.
Chain Store Age recently spoke with David Nadel, director of selling partner trust at Amazon, about the different services and solutions Amazon offers third-party sellers, especially small-to-medium-sized businesses. According to Nadel,
Amazon can help small businesses rapidly grow their sales on its platform by providing tools, services and scale.
“Amazon has hundreds of millions of customers around the world,” said Nadel. “We offer Seller University, which offers thousands of courses to help third-party sellers. We have a program with our Fulfillment by Amazon third-party fulfillment service where new, emerging sellers with unique selections receive discounts on storage and advertising.”
[Read more: Amazon doesn’t overlook smaller sellers]
Nadel also cited Amazon’s ability to provide front- and back-end global selling capability via international storefronts, and said the company will continue to create new tools for third-party sellers that lack infrastructure.
“We offer a range of services, regardless of the product a business sells or invents,” said Nadel.
One new service Nadel highlighted is the brand referral bonus, which allows a seller that directs non-Amazon marketing traffic to the site to make a purchase to earn a percentage of that transaction, as well as any other Amazon purchases that customer makes for the following two weeks.
“Some brands are earning thousands of dollars in brand referrals in a single month,” he said.
Nadel also mentioned a number of existing solutions and services aimed at third-party sellers, including customizable, multipurpose storefronts that enable customers to learn about a seller and discover the full range of their products. A brand follow feature allows customers to sign up to receive updates on new products and promotions from selected sellers.
“Customers who follow a brand spend double the amount of non-followers,” commented Nadel.
Amazon third-party sellers can also leverage the Fulfillment by Amazon infrastructure to provide full distribution for sales made on the platform. Small businesses can also utilize Fulfillment by Amazon as a white-label distribution service for sales made via other channels.
Nadel also had some advice for small businesses that want to engage in direct-to-consumer sales, discussed the effects of ongoing supply chain disruption.
“Listen to your customers,” he said. “Feedback is a gift. Stay informed on the changing needs of your customers and use any and all data at your disposal. Meet customers where they are. Grow responsively – your inventory should line up with what your customers want. Direct-to-consumer is powerful.”
In terms of supply chain disruption, Nadel said Amazon has already put infrastructure, such as ships, planes and trucks, in place to support the fulfillment needs of its third-party sellers. He also said sellers should follow the example set by Amazon and start their holiday promotional activities early.
“Amazon started our holiday promotion much earlier this year,” he said. “We’re engaging earlier with customers to smooth out demand over the holiday season. We actually began with early holiday activities last year, and are definitely keeping it up this year.”
[Read more: Amazon kicks off Black Friday – in early October]
Editor’s Note: Amazon is hosting Amazon Accelerate, its virtual conference for its online seller community, Oct. 20-21, 2021. Speakers including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, CEO of worldwide consumer Dave Clark, and other Amazon leaders will share news and insights to help sellers develop their businesses, enhance their brands, and effectively partner with Amazon. For registration and more information click here.