The holiday shopping season is closing in, and marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart and eBay are getting a head start by cutting prices and offering early deals. A pricing war is brewing across multiple channels, and recent studies are giving new insight on the pros and cons of Amazon as a profitable marketplace for online sellers.
Amazon Slashes Prices On Third-Party Sellers Without Notifying Them
Amazon once again is being criticized for discounting seller’s products without notifying marketplace merchants. Amazon will still give the full price to merchants, stating on the discount tag: "This item is sold by a third-party seller. The discount is provided by Amazon."
The action has upset merchants on the Seller Central forum, who now have to deal with sudden inventory depletion and price changes. Some sellers have signed parity agreements with Walmart and other marketplaces, forcing them to match the prices offered on Amazon.
Via New York Post
Amazon Marketplace Not Good for Product Discovery, New Study Finds
Amazon is undoubtedly the leading force in ecommerce, with more than 90 million Prime members in the U.S. However, a new study by SmarterHQ has identified a number of weaknesses in the marketplace. For instance, 57% of Amazon shoppers log on only to look for a specific product or name-brand item, while 63% of shoppers already know what they want.
Via Business Wire
Only 6% Consider Amazon as a Fashion Destination
Amazon has captured 29% of the U.S. apparel ecommerce market, but the site is mainly used to purchase basics and clothing necessities, rather than a place to discover fashion. According to a new survey, only 6% named Amazon as a place to buy women’s clothes. Compare this to JC Penny and Macy’s, which both came in at 35%.
Amazon Prepares for the Holiday Season with New Updates
Amazon is pushing hard this holiday shopping season, from creating a series of gift guides to redesigning their Gift Finder interface. Amazon is also promoting their new Amazon Key service, which allows packages to be delivered securely inside homes without anyone present. A number of items are going on sale as Amazon consistently adds new deals to their Black Friday countdown.
Via Retail Dive
Adobe Forecasts Holiday eCommerce to Hit 107 Billion in 2017
More shoppers will be spending this holiday season. According to Adobe’s holiday retail report, online sales in the U.S. will rise 13.8%, up to 107.4 billion, compared to a 10% growth in physical retail. Adobe expects Cyber Monday 2017 to become the largest online shopping day in history, rising 16.5% compared to last year.
Via Business Wire
Want more tips and strategies to win shoppers this holiday season?
Check out our blog post: Multi-Channel eCommerce: How Top Sellers Win the Most Holiday Shopper
