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We’re almost at the tail end of this year and 2021 is just a few weeks away. Let’s look ahead to what 2021 may have in store for the Amazon market. What should you look forward to or prepare for as an Amazon seller? Here’s a quick list of important dates for the coming year and what to expect on those days. It’s always a smart thing to plan ahead and calibrate your products and promotions to fit changes in market demands so you won’t miss your chances. That’s how you get ahead of your competition and win big. Before we get down to those dates that matter, let’s begin by highlighting Amazon’s most anticipated date of the year, Prime Day. It is Amazon’s 2-day sale event that gets people flocking to the platform to grab some great deals. As of now, it is back to its regular schedule of mid-July of 2021 after this year saw it held in October. If you’re new to Amazon, Prime Day is Amazon’s major event of the year for sellers and buyers alike. It is when prime deals happen on the world’s largest online market platform. The event features over a million deals globally and buyers shop to get the most out of the price drops, incredible steal deals, and awesome offers. Make sure that you and your team are ready for this big show by ensuring you have more than sufficient inventory just before the dates. Also, ensure that your products stand out in their niche to attract a good share of the influx of shoppers. Aside from Prime Day, here are other significant dates and seasons you should be ready to either amplify your sales or strategize for seasonal opportunities and challenges. Here's a quick table for you to print with the biggest events of 2021: 2021 1st Quarter Valentine's Day February 14 St. Patrick’s Day March 17 2021 2nd Quarter Easter Sunday April 4 Mother’s Day May 9 Memorial Day May 31 Father’s Day June 20 2021 3d Quarter Independence Day July 4 Amazon Prime Day Mid-July Back to School September (dates vary) Labor Day September 6 2021 4th Quarter Thanksgiving Day November 25 Black Friday November 26 Cyber Monday November 29 Christmas Eve December 25   February 14 (Valentine’s Day) Depending on how the pandemic crisis evolves in the first quarter of the year, big celebrations and romantic dates may still not go back to usual. Nonetheless, people will still find a way to celebrate important occasions like Valentine’s. Love-themed gifts, jewelry, couple items, chocolates, and the like will still see a rise in sales especially online. Couple that with sweet deals and your sales will be on a roll. March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) This cultural and religious holiday in honor of Ireland’s patron saint also celebrates the beginning of Christianity in Ireland. Load up on all things green from clothing to accessories. This is a day when people go green and shamrock prints are proudly worn and displayed in celebration of the feast. From green t-shirts to leprechaun costumes, to green ties and socks, people dress up for the occasion and the style can go anywhere from conservative to outlandish. Other saleable items include shamrock pins, buttons, mugs, plates, and even green hair dye. April 4 (Easter Sunday) This Christian holiday is always festive, fun, and meaningful. The run-up to this day usually sees a spike in art and craft materials for Easter egg painting, bunny costume making, and other Easter decor. Easter ham and Easter lamb are the popular dishes served for the celebration so expect related ingredients like seasonings and mustard to be searched and purchased online along with other bunny-themed items. Chocolates shaped like bunnies and eggs are also in demand. May 9 (Mother’s Day) Mom’s special day means greetings, gifts, and gatherings galore. Expect Amazon sales to surge from online shoppers looking for mother’s day gifts. If your products cater to mothers or women in general, prepare your inventory, promotions, and optimization so you can take advantage of this annual occasion. Search and purchases start surging as early as two weeks before the date so get ready early and make the most of it. For your UK market, Mother’s Day, also called Mothering Sunday will fall on March 14 so be sure to get ready for that as early as the first quarter of 2021. May 31 (Memorial Day) Also called Decoration Day, it is a public holiday that honors the men and women who laid down their lives in the course of service. It marks the beginning of the summer season and also the lean period that sees a slowdown in many niche markets. It’s a good time to put in an extra effort to promote your products and manage your inventory to avoid overstocking. June 20 (Father’s Day) It’s that special day for the man of the house and expect dad-themed gift items to sell like hotcakes around this day. Sports items from basketball to golf to fishing gear, car parts and accessories, men’s apparel, leather goods, watches, and other premium items for men are in demand around this time of the year. July 4 (Independence Day) It is food, festivities, and fun every 4th of July as families and friends gather to celebrate this annual holiday. In keeping with the trend, expect a rise in sales of patriotism-themed items such as red, white, and blue colored apparel, hats, socks, sunnies, bags, etc. Barbecue and cookout items and ingredients are also popular along with other all-American food and stuff. Star-spangled banner-themed flags, balloons, streamers, dining ware, cups, table cloth, and other household and outdoor items are a hit among Amazon buyers. September (Back to school) Dates vary depending on school districts. While there are still uncertainties as to when physical schools will resume, the September reopening of classes for the 2021-2022 academic year is likely whether it be online learning or a face-to-face setup. School supplies, learning gadgets, teacher and student planners, as well as academic books, will be among the most searched items around this time so be prepared for the rise in demand.     September 6 (Labor Day) Labor Day is a federal holiday that celebrates the American labor movement and American workers. Amazon also runs a Labor Day Sale event for a wide range of products in celebration of this day. From fashion to home, tech, and games, marked down prices attract a huge number of shoppers looking to find great deals on this special holiday.  November 25 (Thanksgiving Day) This secular holiday is a well-celebrated American holiday marked by festivities and the exchange of gifts. Some of the popular gift items on demand around Thanksgiving are decorative household items like dried flower bouquets, platters, turkey-themed, and pumpkin- themed mugs and dishes, board games, kitchenware, journals, shirts, and other quirky items.  November 26 (Black Friday) It’s the Friday after Thanksgiving Thursday when people go from shop to shop to find the best deals in town. It marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season with retailers giving steep discounts in the hopes of attracting shoppers scouring for the best price drops. Black Friday deals on Amazon also cause a shopping hysteria especially when it comes to gadgets and appliances.  November 29 (Cyber Monday) It’s the massive online equivalent of Black Friday that happens every Monday following Black Friday. Online shoppers all over the world flock to Amazon and other platforms to find awesome deals. Be sure not to miss this opportunity of extremely high traffic. Pull out all the stops to ensure an increase in sales volume. It is the Christmas shopping opening salvo of sorts that gets online shoppers primed to splurge on sweet deals. December 24 (Christmas Eve) It’s the height of the Yuletide festivities but also brings the shopping season to an end. Price slashes continue to be offered by online stores as well as physical stores but the shopping frenzy mellows and sales begin to plateau, catering mostly to last-minute shoppers and post-holiday deal finders. So mark these dates and plan ahead for your best Amazon year ever.  

If you’re lucky enough to be counted among the “e-commerce elite”, success comes with a stereotype. More than one 7-figure Amazon seller has been known to speak out about pulling all-nighters, skipping the gym, and hustling at the cost of family time.  Amazon seller Joy Packard wants to kill this stereotype.  As a nationally renowned speaker, Amazon seller and business coach, Joy has spent more than a decade deep-diving into the world of Amazon, Ebay and Shopify. She also runs the Podcast “Joy Reveals’, does personal development retreats, and manages multiple streams of e-commerce income. I sat down with Joy to talk about her business-building process, her bustling coaching career and why she’s so adamant about being a “momtrepreneur.”  Tell me a little bit about your eCommerce background, specifically how you started selling on Amazon. What did the process look like for you? I've been selling online for almost seven years now. Before I sold on Amazon I was actually an online marketer with a few different revenue streams. I would get emails all the time about joining different online courses, but one day a specific one about Amazon selling caught my eye. As I read the email it resonated; I remember thinking that it was the kind of thing I enjoyed anyway (I really love shopping finding deals). I thought the business model sounded like something I could do, so I talked it over with my husband and we collectively decided I was going to go “all in”. It was a private label course, so that’s where I started. I learned a lot finding my first private label product. I was at a conference when I found this one particular product - a bamboo pillow - that I purchased wholesale for $6 or $7. I put it up on Amazon and it instantly did really well, so I created my own listing and brand name. I was selling $200+ a day in product and thinking ‘this is real!” Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Competitors started popping up and doing black hat stuff to kill the listing. Amazon caught on to this and said the product was inauthentic even though my brand (Bamboo Pillow Perfect) was on the listing. Amazon suspended the listing on my account and within 6 weeks the sales rank dropped to 260,000. At the same time, other sellers came on and listed their own products. It put me in a terrible position, but I learned my lesson.  After this tough break, I found retail arbitrage, which was basically me and my best friend going out to the stores like Walmart, Ross and Marshalls and learning how to buy cheap items to resell. For a long time the process was basically shopping three days a week and prepping and shipping two days a week. At the beginning we were just shipping out of my little bitty office. Soon this moved to my dining room table, but I knew I needed to do something different because when I finally hit $15k in monthly sales  and eventually we moved into a rented space. What is the most important decision you've made in your e-commerce journey? There are a few things:  First and foremost, outsource what you can. At some point,  I realized I couldn’t make my Amazon sales grow unless I had the help of other people.  I hit something like $15,000 a month in sales but I couldn’t move beyond it. The business really started to scale when I outsourced my packing and shipping. In order to keep growing, I realized I needed to outsource, so I got someone to help with my packing and shipping. After that, I was able to start shopping three or four days a week instead of the two. It was a huge, pivotal move.  One of the other outsourcing-related things I speak about at different conferences is virtual assistants -- I use a few to keep myself organized because I deal with so many tasks every day. I can’t emphasize the importance of writing down your everyday tasks to figure out what you can outsource to free up your time. Second, know your numbers and start clean -- you need to have a good business and accounting setup. You need to really know what’s in your inventory. Lots of sellers think they’re making money when they’re actually not. There are all sorts of costs new Amazon sellers don’t think about: shipping fees, Amazon fees, error fees, etc.  Online selling has changed a huge amount since you started. What would you do differently if you had to start your Amazon business from scratch?  Amazon sellers are spread too thin. I would pick a system and really learn it, and follow it daily; turn down all the distractions and don’t jump around to the next big thing all the time. If I had to start over today I would absolutely simplify. It really takes focus to target one process before moving onto several; many Amazon sellers are spread too thin. I would pick a system and really learn it, and follow it daily; turn down all the distractions and don’t jump around to the next big thing all the time. Also, I would realize sooner that there will always be some failures in this business; no e-commerce seller gets by without making mistakes. Sometimes I’ve had things that flat out fail..  These days, I spend a lot of time getting my mindset in order and  listening to personal development rather than focusing on the failures. What's your best advice for new e-commerce sellers who are launching Amazon businesses in 2020? Be careful with capital, and try not to go into debt even though it’s hard. I started with products in my home that were new. I put them on Amazon and Ebay, which allowed me to raise about $1500 in capital. A lot of people have gotten in this business with $300-$500 and expanded that by making really good decisions. Really pay attention to what you’re doing and don’t be sloppy.  No matter what selling method you use, it can be a process. You’ll make mistakes. There was one time I did a wholesale buy that looked great on paper. The rank was fantastic so I dropped  whole bunch of money on a couple of pallets. It flopped. It was probably  $500 worth of stuff and I just ended up just donating to get it out of my warehouse. Any last pieces of advice? It is super important to make your listing stand out whether you’re doing wholesale or private label. l always do something to make my listings stand, even if it’s small. Also, find balance. I have an everyday list of what I need to be doing. Each day I figure out the most important tasks that need to get done. I don’t beat myself up if I can't get all of them done. You just have to  balance out your time -- if you can get three things done every single day you're doing good, as long as you're moving forward.    Scaling any e-commerce business requires the right tools. If you’re looking to scale your Amazon store through automation, check out ProfitGuru -- a free all-in-one software program that will help you find and vet products more efficiently.

Mordechai Hoffmann has two settings: drive and hustle. In the past decade, he’s advised dozens of Amazon companies to the tune of tens of millions of dollars in sales. He’s recently jumped in as the e-commerce director of OrthoStep, an up and coming shoe care startup. Oh, and did I mention he’s not even 30 years old yet? With a clear vision and incredible insight into the e-commerce industry, he took the time to answer a few questions about Amazon selling, e-commerce scaling, and how the marketplace has shifted (and will continue to change). When and how did you enter the e-commerce world? My career started out in a very niche online watch company. They had their own website, but they were doing Amazon and eBay as well. I was the jack of all trades over there; I got my hands dirty in every aspect of the business which provided me with the foundation of my e-commerce career. From there I started my own e-Commerce company and also worked for an amazon-only business that was focused on the seasonal space. After a few years, I became the Director of E-commerce at OrthoStep, where I’ve helped drive 8-figure sales. Amazon is great, but the real name of the game at OrthoStep is diversification: In addition to Amazon, we’ve created our own website and we have recently launched on eBay and Walmart as well. We are actually working on a rebrand for our product line that will be finalized in the coming months, which was done so we don't have to rely on Amazon alone to build our brand. OrthoStep Shoe Shine Kit. Image courtesy orthostepinc.com How has the Amazon game changed since you started? Amazon used to be a haven for people doing retail arbitrage. It was easy to just sell anything on the platform and avoid RO complaints from the manufacturers. It was also very simple to do private label since there wasn’t much competition. You could easily import some products from China and scale a business relatively quickly. This has all changed. You must run Amazon as a proper full-time business in order to be profitable. Amazon is an everchanging platform and you have to adapt in order to stay alive. There is no silver bullet to building an Amazon business quickly. Quite frankly it’s not that easy to build an Amazon business that is profitable within a few months. It takes a lineup of unique products, brand awareness, and ingenuity to scale properly. One thing we’ve focused on in recent months is killing products that don't perform well after we exhausted all means instead of pumping money into them. We’ve also eliminated some of our oversized items due to FBA fees going up in those categories. What do you attribute to your success? What can you tell me about your process? My success comes from my experience. We all make mistakes, but I’ve learned from my mistakes in order to avoid more costly ones down the road. I had one product that I truly believed in and poured a ton of money and time into it against the advice of my boss and peers. It was basically DOA and we had to kill the product right away. I learned the hard way to take advice and critique from others. I have somewhat of a simple process for success: Create a brand and products that you would purchase as a consumer. Don't go the cheap route and expect customers to be kind to you. This will inevitably lead to negative reviews and high return rates. It's a long journey, but if you do it the right way and have someone experienced guide you along you will succeed. You wear a lot of hats right now; how do you stay on top of everything? My first thing is to always use a reminder/to-do app and schedule everything in my calendar. There are a few software platforms that I use for Amazon that make my job easier. I won’t plug them here, but it is a must for every seller to have a basic set up for accounting, inventory management, and data management. You have managed to build quite a few revenue streams. Why it's important for Amazon sellers to diversify? I know many people that have gotten either their account or their product shut down by Amazon for one reason or another. It can be hard for a small business to diversify, but the foundation for a long-term e-commerce business should be building a brand, not just selling on Amazon. It’s easy to build a website; it takes virtually nothing to create one on Shopify. Do you want to learn to sell on Amazon? Don’t hand over thousands of dollars for a “guru” or a course. I’ll give you everything you need to get started with this 100% free course.  

Think about the most dangerous, liability-inducing product you could theoretically sell on Amazon. A few things probably come to mind... Guns. Fireworks. Matches. Industrial chemicals. The chance you’re selling any of these products is close to zero. In fact, you’re likely selling low-risk products like toys, household products, or kitchen items. Many e-commerce sellers don’t think they need to carry a business insurance policy because the cost outweighs the chance they’ll ever have a problem. Here’s the truth: Most e-commerce business owners don’t sell blatantly dangerous items, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have liability. All it takes is a bad grocery item or a toxic lotion to put a small store out of business. In fact, in 2014 the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals took on the case of Heather Oberdorf, a woman who purchased a dog collar from a third-party Amazon seller. While she was walking her canine the dog’s collar broke, causing the leash to snap at high speed and damage Oberdorf’s left eye. She sued both Amazon and The Furry Gang (the third party seller) for damages, claiming both entities should be liable for the defective, dangerous product. Read more here: https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/3/20681301/amazon-federal-circuit-ruling-liability-defective-products The Furry Gang (an LLC registered in Nevada) did not have liability insurance and vanished without a trace. Not even a private investigator from Amazon could find a member of the LLC. Unfortunately, most sellers cannot run away when a liability issue arises. The resulting cost can be tragic. It doesn’t matter how big or small an Amazon business is; there is always a risk when the general population is using your products. The only way to fully protect business assets is to carry full business insurance.   When do you need liability insurance for Amazon? Do you… Have a Professional FBA Seller account? Have more than $10,000 in sales per month? Sell topical items (products applied to the skin)? Sell consumables (products customers eat)? Manufacture your own items? Buy wholesale or private label items from China or another foreign country? If you meet any of these criteria, liability insurance is a requirement for your business.   What type of liability insurance do I need? Sellers have vastly different insurance needs depending on business size, structure, number of employees, etc. For example, an amazon seller who has a dozen employees working in a large warehouse needs a much different insurance policy than a small business that ships products once a week. It’s best to talk to a knowledgeable insurance agent to determine exactly what kind of protection your business needs. You may need multiple types of policies if you’re a large business or a single umbrella policy if you run a solo business. Here are the kinds of insurance you need to understand before talking to an agent:   General Liability General Liability insurance pays for issues like injuries, accidents, and negligence. If a customer comes into your warehouse and slips on a wet floor, this would be covered by a general policy. A general liability policy also covers problems like bodily injury, property damage, legal fees, judgments, and settlements. Amazon requires any business that does $10,000+ a month in sales OR has a professional seller account to carry a minimum of $1 million policy. You can expect to pay $75-$150 a month for a small business like this, but expect the price to increase depending on your business size and annual revenue. If you run a business out of your home, you should know homeowner’s policies don’t cover damages or loss for business activity on your personal property. Ask your agent for additional coverage options if you fall in this scenario. This is Amazon’s exact insurance requirement for third party sellers: “Pro Merchants who sell on Amazon.com must provide proof of Commercial General Liability insurance. This insurance, obtained at the merchant’s expense, covers up to $1,000,000 per occurrence and must include products, bodily or personal injury, property damage, and other requirements as stated in the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement. The insurance must indicate that Amazon.com and its affiliates are added as additional insured.” Required? Yes (Pro Merchants) Minimum Liability Limits $1,000,000 Annual Cost $900 - $1800 (small business) $2000+ Medium/Large business   Property insurance If your business owns or rents space like a warehouse or retail front, property insurance will cover the loss of equipment, inventory, furniture, and more. Sometimes property insurance is folded into general liability insurance policies. Pricing varies widely based on the size and geographical area of the space. Required? No Annual Cost Varies   Product Liability Insurance Product Liability Insurance covers inventory at an individual product level. Product insurance isn’t necessary for sellers who do retail arbitrage or U.S.-based wholesale, but it is important for sellers who a) manufacture their own products or b) have products manufactured overseas. From a legal standpoint, ordering products from a foreign country makes you the “manufacturer” even if you don’t make the product yourself. This is because, in case of a lawsuit, it’s nearly impossible to go after a company in a foreign country. Having this coverage ensures that you won’t lose your business if your supplier makes a mistake. Product insurance is usually an extension of liability insurance or rather than a separate policy. These policies tend to be expensive and can be hard to find. A good way to estimate product insurance cost for a low-risk item (not topical and has no moving parts) is to calculate $0.25 for each $100 in revenue. High-risk products can be up to $.50 per $100 in revenue. If you’re looking to protect your business or if you’re interested in learning more about this coverage, check out our friends at Insurance Canopy for a Product Liability Insurance policy. Their experience, licensed agents can assist in helping you know the details or understand the nuances of product liability coverage.   Required? No, but highly recommended Average Cost .025%- .050% of revenue   Business Car Insurance Do you run errands for your business with a personal vehicle? Business car insurance protects your personal vehicle when you’re using it to buy supplies, make deliveries, run to the post office, etc. As an absolute minimum, you should add a Hired & Non-Owned clause to your current policy. This will ensure your business is covered if an accident occurs on company time. If you have a car used exclusively for business, you’ll need to separate commercial auto policy. Required? Yes, by law Average Cost Varies   Suspension Insurance If Amazon suspends your selling account it can take months to get reinstated. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t release your account balance while your account is frozen -- they can hold your money for months. Most sellers don’t have enough cash reserve to weather this type of storm. Suspension insurance will protect your business cash flow while you’re going through the reinstatement process. Sometimes a suspension insurance policy even includes the services of a professional writer who can help you write an appeal letter. Suspension insurance isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s a good idea if your business couldn’t handle a 3-month cash flow lapse. Required? No Average Cost $500+ annually   Data Breach Insurance If you have a large e-commerce business that sells outside of Amazon, your computers may store sensitive or non-public information about customers. This includes credit card data, addresses, or other personal info. Data Breach Insurance covers your business on the chance it faces lawsuits from an electronic breach. If the cost of Data Breach insurance doesn’t feel justified, consider there were 2000+ major breaches on small U.S. businesses in 2019 -- cyberattacks are now considered to be among the top five risks to global stability. Required? No Average Cost $800+ annually   Workers’ Compensation If you have W-2 employees, Workers’ Compensation is required in every U.S. state. If an employee gets hurt on the job, it protects their paycheck and your liability. This is generally paid through your state, rather than a private company. Contact your local labor commission for information specific to your area. Required? Yes, if you’re an employer Average Cost Varies based on employer pay Running an e-commerce business always involves risk, but insurance is the best way you can identify and mitigate expensive (or fatal!) issues before they strike. Meeting with a commercial insurance broker is the key to ensuring your business is protected from the most angles possible. Questions? Comments? Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. his post is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice

If you’ve bought anything on Amazon lately, you may have noticed it was a little (or a lot!) pricier than it was last month. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon prices are spiking as nervous consumers continue to hoard supplies. Supply chains are struggling to keep up with this demand and retain healthy employees. Some products - especially household items and groceries - are selling at 2x, 3x and even 4x their normal prices. Customers are calling this “price gouging” while sellers are reporting the price increases are necessary to cover rising procurement costs. Who’s right? Well...both. Let’s just say it’s a little complicated.   What is price gouging anyway? Price gouging occurs when a seller increases the prices of goods to a higher level than is commonly considered “reasonable or fair”. The problem is, nobody (including Amazon) has defined exactly what this means. Here is the company’s official Fair Pricing Policy: Sellers are responsible for setting their own prices on Amazon marketplaces. In our mission to be Earth's most customer-centric company, Amazon strives to provide our customers with the largest selection at the lowest price, and with the fastest delivery as sellers play an important role. Amazon regularly monitors the prices of items on our marketplaces, including shipping costs, and compares them with other prices available to our customers. If we see pricing practices on a marketplace offer that harms customer trust, Amazon can remove the Buy Box, remove the offer, suspend the ship option, or, in serious or repeated cases, suspending or terminating selling privileges. Pricing practices that harm customer trust include, but are not limited to: Setting a reference price on a product or service that misleads customers; Setting a price on a product or service that is significantly higher than recent prices offered on or off Amazon; or Selling multiple units of a product for more per unit than that of a single unit of the same product. Setting a shipping fee on a product that is excessive. Amazon considers current public carrier rates, reasonable handling charges, as well as buyer perception when determining whether a shipping price violated our fair pricing policy. Generally, Amazon only strictly enforces this policy with emergency essentials, but they have recently started expanding this to a concourse of other products too. In addition to taking down more than 3,000,000 listings involving hand sanitizer, medical masks and sanitary wipes, they are actively sending price gouging warnings and policy violations for grocery items, gardening supplies, medicine etc. Here’s an example: At the start of February, a 10-pack of N95 masks was selling for more than $100 (versus $40 normally) according to data from Reuters. A pack of respirators was selling at $25 (versus $7 normally). In a single day in March, every single one of these listings was removed from Amazon’s catalog, minus brands they carried themselves. “There is no place for price gouging on Amazon,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, citing the fact that Amazon can take down offers that hurt customer trust. What does this mean for sellers?   Determining if your Amazon pricing is too high To avoid a painful (and costly) Amazon suspension, here are a few guidelines to follow. Please note that these specific recommendations are specific to Covid-19, but the general idea applies in any situation where there is a national shortage of products. Do not sell essentials on Amazon during a national emergency, even products you may have regularly carried for years. This includes any products that are essential for health and human well-being or those that have a shortage at a national level: Face masks Sanitizing wipes Diapers Respirators Personal protective equipment Toilet Paper Hand sanitizer Lysol products Disinfecting products For all other non-urgent items, the rule of thumb is to stay within 20% of the highest Amazon price in the past 3 months. You can find the 20% range for specific products using price charts within Supply Spy’s product search tool. 1. Open the ProfitGuru dashboard and click products on the left-hand menu. Paste the specific ASIN you’d like to search for in the ASIN filter field at the top of the page. 2. Click the View Historical Data button 3. The red line on the chart indicates the price fluctuations for the product during the past year. Look for any price spikes within the past three months and adjust your own pricing accordingly.   Price Spikes Across Amazon We’ve compiled 15 products that have had major price spikes on Amazon in the past two months. Please note that we are NOT suggesting you buy these specific products. This is purely for illustrative purposes as some of these products are restricted and/or essentials as listed above. This list may help you find secondary products. For example, even though hand sanitizer is restricted, Amazon customers are buying essential oils to make their own sanitizer at home. Medical masks are off-limits, but the bandana market is having a huge spike as people search for alternatives. Without further ado, here are 15 products that are either facing a huge demand spike or selling out completely in April:   1. Item: Augason Farms Deluxe Emergency 30-Day 1-Person Food Supply Kit “No one wants to be caught unprepared in a disaster. Augason Farms Deluxe 30-Day Emergency Food Supply helps eliminate the risks of poor nutrition during unexpected disastrous events. This 30-day survival kit combines flavor and nutrition at an affordable price. This 30-day survival kit includes 11 varieties of mouthwatering foods totaling 37,080 calories. Broken down, that is 1,236 calories per day which meets most national health organization’s average recommended daily caloric intake. Unlike other survival food brands that offer empty calories, Augason Farms emergency foods offer nutritious calories so you can have confidence in surviving even the toughest challenging situations.” Price Feb. 1st: $70.89 Price March 1st: $248+ Price April 1st: Out of Stock   2. Item: Zep Antibacterial Disinfectant Cleaner Zep Antibacterial Disinfectant & Cleaner with Lemon has demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to 2019 novel coronavirus-Wuhan on hard non-porous surfaces. When used in accordance with the directions, it can also be used against Human Rotavirus, Rhinovirus Type 39, Hepatitis A virus, Poliovirus Type 1, and Canine Parvoviurs on hard, non-porous surfaces. Price Feb. 1st: $35.88 Price March 1st: $46.17 Price April 1st: Out of Stock   3. DuPont TY122S-XL-EACH Disposable Elastic Wrist Bootie and Hood Tyvek Coverall Suit Tyvek protective apparel combines durability with comfort, making it extremely versatile. From painting to composites, agriculture to crime scene investigation, Tyvek offers a range of protective apparel to meet safety needs. Price Feb. 1st: $7.47 Price March 1st: $17.45 Price April 1st: $22.04   4. Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Crisp Linen, 38 Ounce Lysol disinfecting spray helps protect families and helps keep them healthy. The products are designed to provide germ protection and can kill 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria on hard surfaces, when used as directed. Price Feb. 1st: $10.71 Price March 1st: $26.99 Increase: Out of stock   5. PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer, Refreshing Gel, 8 fl oz Sanitizer Table Top Pump Bottles Hard on germs, gentle on hands. Purell products can be used throughout the day to help provide protection against the spread of germs. Price Feb. 1st: $8.85 Price March 1st: $39.99 April 1st: Out of stock   6. Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel 20-Pack PocketBac Sanitizers, Assorted Scents, 1 fl oz each Need moisturized, germ-free hands on-the-go? No problem! Enriched with shea extract, vitamin E, 68% alcohol and aloe, Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers kill 99.9% of most common germs and keep your hands clean and soft. Bonus: they come in a ton of year-round and seasonal scents to leave your hands lightly fragranced. Price Feb. 1st: $35.95 Price March 1st: $74.99 April 1st: Out of stock   7. North Safety 770030L 7700 Series Silicone Half Mask Respirator Large (1 EA) Mask Only The North by honeywell 7700 Series Half Mask is the most comfortable half mask available. Made from 100% silicone for superior fit, durability and comfort. The improved cradle suspension system sits securely on the head, and provides an even seal without pressure points. Price Feb. 1st: $22.99 Price March 1st: $42.16 Price April 1st: Out of stock 8. Member's Mark Purified Bottled Water (16.9 Fl. Oz, 45 Pk.) This purified, mineral-enriched bottled water comes in a convenient 45-bottle pack. Keep a pack of refreshing bottled water on hand in your home or stock up for your next big event. The 16.9-Ounce Bottles are also ideal for concession stands, convenience stores and vending machines. Price Feb. 1st: $17.83 Price March 1st: $18.85 Price April 1st: $39.98   9. Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit, 2-Person, 3-Day Backpack Each kit contains enough emergency supplies to sustain two people for three days, as recommended by the American Red Cross. There's food, water, and emergency blankets, plus a 33-piece First Aid kit, two 12-hour safety light sticks, dust masks, nitrile gloves, and an emergency whistle. Each kit also contains emergency ponchos and pocket tissues. The kit, in a handy backpack, can be stored at home, at school, or at the office. Price Feb. 1st: $40.00 Price March 1st: $50.88 Price April 1st: $77.99   10. Survival Garden 15,000 Non GMO Heirloom Vegetable Seeds Survival Garden 32 Variety Pack by Open Seed Vault It contains 32 Varieties of All Natural Vegetable Seeds: Non-hybrid, Non-GMO, Heirloom 100% naturally grown and open-pollinated seeds with high germination rate. Price Feb. 1st: $17.99 Price March 1st: $29.95 Price April 1st: $54.99 32 Varieties of All Natural Vegetable Seeds: Non-hybrid, Non-gmo, Heirloom 100% Naturally Grown and Open Pollinated seeds with high Germination Rate   11. Brandzig Sterile Alcohol Prep Pads (300-Pack) | Thick 2-Ply Antiseptic/Sanitizing Isopropyl Medical Wipes | Individually Wrapped Alcohol Cleansing Swabs for Antibacterial Protection, Diabetic Supplies The perfect choice for disinfecting skin before an injection or measurement, these Brandzig Sterile Alcohol Prep Pads are 2-ply, fully antiseptic and saturated with alcohol. Each pad measures 2” x 2” in size, gamma-treated for sterility to ensure safe and effective use. Price Feb. 1st: $6.50 Price March 1st: $19.99 Price April 1st: Out of Stock   12. Quality Chemical Isopropyl Alcohol Grade 99% Anhydrous (IPA)-1 Gallon (128 oz.) 99% (anhydrous-grade) concentration has 0% water, and 0% additional additives Designed for use in industrial, commercial, medical, cosmetic, automotive, electronic, pet care, horticulture, and laboratory applications. Price Feb. 1st: $28.99 Price March 1st: $43.99 Increase: Out of Stock   13. NOW Supplements, Vitamin C-1,000 with Rose Hips, Sustained Release, Antioxidant Protection*, 250 Tablets NOW Vitamin C-1000 is specially formulated to provide a sustained release of vitamin C and includes rose hips as an added source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a water soluble nutrient well known for its vital role in the immune system. Price Feb. 1st: $15.10 Price March 1st: $14.13 Price April 1: $51.12   14. Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy Lozenges Sugar Free Wild Cherry, 18 Count Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges can shorten a cold by 42% when taken at the first sign of symptoms and used as directed. Cold-EEZE is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended zinc lozenge brand. The homeopathic cold remedy is made with a distinct zinc gluconate formula, the active ingredient in Cold-EEZE. Price Feb. 1st: $4.99 Price March 1st: Out of Stock Price April 1: $29.99   15. Simple Green 30501 d Pro 5 Disinfectant, 1 gal Bottle Price Feb. 1st: $15.32 Price March 1st: $34.76 Price April 1: Out of Stock Simple Green d Pro 5 is a one-step disinfectant that has a high level of active ingredients for heightened efficacy and economy, and because it has no added color or scent - and carries a USDA rating for sanitizing, it can be used in food production, processing, and service facilities.   That’s a wrap If anything, let the above list serve as a reminder that Amazon selling isn’t dead. Even though most FBA items are currently restricted, there is still a HUGE amount of opportunity to find in-demand products. Here are few last-minute tips to keep your inventory priced right: If you use a repricer to set “maximum price” to avoid accidental price gouging when other sellers go out of stock. Pay attention to the news. If you have an item that is suddenly in-demand by hospitals or medical professionals, it’s best to pull it and stay safe. Respond to all customer questions, complaints and refund requests quickly.. If you get a policy notice or warning for an item, reply to it immediately or pull the item. If you have enough of these notices build up, it will result in an automatic suspension. Questions? Comments? Drop me a message at [email protected] and I’ll do my best to answer anything you throw at me.

On March 17th, U.S. Amazon dropped a huge bomb to FBA sellers: Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) warehouses would only receive “essential” items through April 5th, 2020. FBA sellers were no longer allowed to create shipments unless they included approved items. This drastic step is in direct response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Amid employee shortages, Amazon wants to ensure household staples and medical supplies remain available to customers, even if that comes at the cost of third-party sellers. This decision forced many Amazon FBA sellers to make a quick shift in the business model. Some stopped operations altogether, while others started tackling the logistics of moving their business to self-fulfillment.   What is the difference between Amazon FBA and FBM? Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a selling method in which sellers use Amazon’s warehouse, customer service team, and logistics setup to sell products. Amazon ships sellers’ products to customers directly from Amazon warehouses spread across the country. These products are typically offered with 2-day Prime shipping. Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) is a selling method where suppliers list their products on Amazon but handle all logistics on their own (shipping, inventory tracking, etc). This method typically comes with longer ship times, but lower fees for sellers. Going from FBA to Merchant Fulfilled shipping can be a huge logistical challenge; it requires more space, more time and more manpower. In this article, we’ll walk through 7 tips to help sellers make the transition, all while keeping cash flow in the green.   1. Use a third-party fulfillment company No matter how big or small your Amazon business is, there are a number of companies that offer services nearly identical to the FBA platform. Most third-party options are more expensive than Amazon’s FBA fees but may be more cost advantageous overall (especially if you ship a high volume of items). Before you consider using a third-party fulfillment service, take these factors into consideration: Volume: Find a fulfillment company that matches up with your volume. The servicer’s average annual order volume will tell you if your business is a good fit for their structure. Pricing: It’s important to consider the size of the products you’re selling. Some third-party logistics companies aren’t set up to deal with oversize, hazmat, or other irregular products. Global shipping: Most third-party fulfillment companies are not set up to ship internationally. If this is an important aspect of your business, make sure the company you choose has the ability to serve all of the countries your service. Warehouse distribution: If you run a high-volume Amazon business, make sure the company you choose has warehouses spread across the company to reach all your customers. Similarly, if you run a small company you may want to choose a location within your physical state. Return Management: Not all third-party companies manage Amazon returns. Make sure to choose a company that can either resell your returns or make it cost-efficient for you to dispose of them. Platform Integrations: A good third-party platform should provide integrations for platforms beyond Amazon (Walmert, Shopify, etc) as well as other software integrations for bookkeeping, taxes, etc. These third-party fulfillment companies will take care of warehousing and shipping your products -- all you have to do is arrange for the products to be shipped to them in bulk. Quiet3PF Quiet3PF uses an advanced technology experience to create customized shipping solutions. They have 3-4x throughput of traditional fulfillment centers, making them a great option for Amazon companies that do high volume. Visit Site Deliverr Deliverr offers quick fulfillment solutions that almost mirror Amazon FBA coverage. They utilize Amazon’s Seller Fufilled Prime network to guarantee MF items will show up with a Prime tag to 95%+ buyers. Visit Site DHL E-commerce DHL E-commerce officers international and domestic parcel delivery, expeditated shipping process and has a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service to provide discounted fufillment. They mainly serve large clients ($10M+ yearly revenue) Visit Site FlowSpace FlowSpace offers 1-2 day shipping options for Amazon sellers in the U.S. They also have integrations for Walmart and Shopify. Visit Site AMFlat AMFlat Logistics houses a wide variety of service for ecommerce sellers including dropshipping, warehousing and long-term storage. Visit Site AMSFulfillment AMSFulfillment provides third party fulfillment for large Amazon businesses businesses ($10 million+) Visit Site Newgistics Newgistics is a fully integrated end-to-end eCommerce solution that serves more than 500 active clients. They specialize in clothing, health & beauty, and electronics. Visit Site Fulfillment.com Fulfillment.com provides fulfillment for high-volume items in categories like health & beauty, household products, and toys. They offer shipping within North America, the Netherlands and the UK. Visit Site ShipBob ShipBob is a tech-enabled third-party logistics company that fulfills e-commerce orders for direct-to-consumer brands. They typically work with companies (those with less than 100 skus), making them the perfect option for small FBA businesses. Visit Site   2. Secure Funding The economic consequences of the Covid-19 have been drastic, hitting small Amazon businesses especially hard. It can take a lot of cash flow to buy packaging, space, and hire employees. Here are a few emergency-funding resources available to aid sellers’ immediate cashflow issues: Note: As of March 19th 2020, Amazon Lending is not approving any loans, which is why it is absent from this list. Most sellers who have previously had open loan offers are reporting those offers have now vanished from their seller dashboard.   Payability Payability is a financing company that provides Amazon sellers and e-commerce sellers with daily cash flow, capital advances and the Payability Seller Card. Interest rates vary. Visit Site Fundbox Fundbox services short-term loans called “payment advances.” These loans give borrowers the exact amount of money they need, under the assumption, they’ll pay it back in a relatively short amount of time. Visit Site Behalf Behalf offers flexible, short-term financing with repayment terms to U.S. based businesses. Rates are around $20 per $1000 borrowed per month. Visit Site Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program The SBA provides government-funded low-interest working capital loans up to $2 million. These loans are for small businesses facing the temporary loss of revenue. Visit Site Fundation Fundation is a direct lender that offers small business loans online. Fundation requires a minimum credit score of 620 for loans under $75,000 and 640 for loans greater than $75,000. Visit Site Facebook Grants Facebook is providing grants and advertising credits for businesses in more than 30 countries where the social media site operates Visit Site   3. Find local suppliers While you’re switching up your business model, look for local suppliers and manufacturers who can provide products for you to sell. Not only does this stimulate your local economy, but you’ll likely have a faster turnaround. There are a few good ways to look for suppliers: Local Public Resources Most cities have a list of local businesses that can be obtained through a chamber of commerce. Many also local libraries also pay subscription fees for supplier directories that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars to access. These directories will give you access to companies in your local area, as well as companies across North America. Utilize Google Finding suppliers with Google is simple. Use a combination of your zip code plus a keyword to see what companies are in your vicinity. Here a few examples: Manufacturer + 84129 Wholesale + 90301 Distribution + 32003 Use your local network Local connections and business networks are providing online resources in the wake of the local events being shut down. Connect with local business organizations via email, chat or phone call and ask if they have a list of accredited local suppliers they endorse.   4. Co-op with other local sellers Is your Amazon business located in a metro or suburban area? Chances are there are other Amazon sellers near you in the exact same boat. Creating a co-op can give you the benefits of a larger business with none of the costs. Consider these options: Sharing the cost of a warehouse space Ordering shipping supplies in bulk Shipping supplier orders together to mitigate freight costs Spitting the cost of employee help   5. Know your shipping costs While FBA fees automatically include your shipping costs, Merchant Fulfilled shipping costs can vary widely depending on where your customer is located. One of the most important parts of transitioning to MF shipping is knowing your costs before you list any items. so you can adjust your pricing accordingly. Unless you sell large items, USPS typically has the best Amazon-contracted rates. Use the USPS Postage Price Calculator to estimate your shipping costs. Enter the farthest U.S. zip code from your location (like Florida to California) to tell you the highest possible shipping cost. If you ship in large bulk (typically 100+ packages a day) both UPS and FedEx will give you a discounted rate that may beat Amazon’s rate, upon request. UPS Calculator FedEx Calculator   6. Look for supply chain gaps In any emergency, there are gaps in the supply chain that allow sellers to market products that wouldn’t otherwise be profitable.SupplySpy can help you find popular Amazon products that are out of stock or in short supply. Before we jump into this topic, It’s important to note that we’re not encouraging price gouging of any type -- especially on essential products (read: any items that don't have an alternative and are necessary to sustain life). Amazon’s fair pricing policy has been increasingly enforced over the past month, especially in regards to masks, gloves, diapers and hand sanitizer. The best way to approach pricing (and avoid getting kicked off Amazon) is to use common sense. A $5 bottle of vitamins shouldn’t be selling for $99. 1. Go to the ProfitGuru Dashboard 2. Set the following filters: Category: Your choice Rank: Sub-15,000 Sold by Amazon: No Number of FBA sellers: 0 (Will show out-of-stock listings. This can be expanded to 1-2 sellers) Weight: 0-1 (optional) 3. Find products Look for items that could have a current sales estimate HIGHER than a 30-day estimate. This means the product is in high demand.   The Final Word Covid-19 may be a huge blow for FBA sellers, but it certainly won’t be the last. The online selling world is constantly changing and businesses must have the ability to adapt. Keep up with the latest news by following the ProfitGuru blog, the Amazon Seller forums, and Google News.

Hi Allee, I want to launch a new line of clothing on Amazon, but the cost of getting Amazon-approved barcodes seems ridiculous. It seems I have to have one for every variation, which means hundreds of UPCs. This will cost me thousands of dollars. I can buy UPCs from other sites for almost nothing -- why is it so important I buy them from GS1? The debate has been raging for years: Do you really need to buy “official” GS1 barcodes to create listings on Amazon? Everyone seems to have a different answer to this quandary. Gurus will tell you one thing while Amazon’s own seller support agents say something completely different. As it turns out, most people are asking the wrong question. With a new emphasis on brand registration, there have been some major shifts in Amazon’s product identification policy in the past 18 months. This blog post will address these changes, as well as answer the most common identification-related questions we get from Amazon sellers. If you want the TLDR version of this post, click here. Basic Requirements Each product that Amazon fulfills must have a scannable identification label. Almost all North American manufacturers already provide this in the form of a UPC code. These codes are leased to businesses by an international organization called GS1. Many Amazon sellers never have to worry about this; they simply buy products with existing barcodes from wholesalers. The complication comes in creating bundles, multi-packs or private label listings. No two listings on Amazon can share the same identifier, so each needs a unique GS1 UPC code. Sellers can lease UPCs directly from GS1, but they’re not cheap -- packages start at $250, plus an annual renewal fee. There’s also the issue of prefixes. GS1 assigns a specific piece of a barcode that identifies a company name, called a prefix. UPCs with a company prefix can only be purchased once -- you can’t add more UPCs to a specific prefix after you initially buy them. This means you’ll want to buy all the barcodes your company will ever use upfront, which can be prohibitively expensive. Prefix Pricing Schedule* Number of items needing a barcode/GTIN** Initial fee Annual renewal fee 1 – 10 $250 $50 1 – 100 $750 $150 1 – 1,000 $2,500 $500 1 – 10,000 $6,500 $1,300 1 – 100,000 $10,500 $2,100 Here’s where it gets confusing. A quick Google search shows hundreds of companies that sell UPC codes for a fraction of the cost of GS1. You can even buy them on eBay for a few pennies. Why spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars when you can get them dirt cheap? GS1 is the only UPC generator in the world; all other companies are reselling UPC codes they bought through GS1 more than a decade ago. Until the mid-2000s, GS1 sold codes, which allowed purchasers the rights to resell the unused codes. Eventually, GS1 moved to leasing codes, which removed the resell rights from buyers. There are still millions of pre-2000s GS1 UPC codes available from companies like Speedy Barcodes, but they aren’t registered to the GS1 database under your company name. In short: these UPC codes aren’t (and can never be) formally connected to your company. In 2018, Amazon started enforcing its already-existing policy stating that it would check UPCs against the official GS1 database. This move was meant to stop sellers from creating listings using existing brand names (think Fisher-Price), but it also caused an uptick in fear among small sellers without the means to purchase official GS1 UPCs. Valid UPCs We verify the authenticity of product UPCs by checking the GS1 database. UPCs that do not match the information provided by GS1 will be considered invalid. We recommend obtaining your UPCs directly from GS1 (and not from other third parties selling UPC licenses) to ensure the appropriate information is reflected in the GS1 database. Important: All invalid product UPC listings will be removed and may result in your ASIN creation or selling privileges being temporarily or permanently removed. For more information on licensing UPCs from GS1, see the GSI standard website. Source: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/external/LE2KYT2UVPMTYGS When creating a product listing, you’ll often see the following message: “The validity of a Product ID is checked against the GS1 GEPIR and ISBN.org 3 databases. If your Product ID is not registered with GS1 then the linked ASIN will be suppressed and it may result in the removal of your product creation privileges.” As of 2019, Amazon still hasn’t enforced this rule beyond restricting the creation of listings with specific major brands. There are still hundreds of thousands of sellers using unregistered UPCs. Amazon can technically remove these listings at any point, though it is unlikely because of the incredible impact it would have on their catalog. In short, yes; you can technically buy UPC barcodes without going through GS1 and they’ll likely work on Amazon. However, this is a high-risk decision if you plan to sell on Amazon long term. The good news is, there is one approved loophole for Amazon sellers who don’t want to deal with the time or logistics of GS1 barcodes -- a GTIN exemption. What is a GTIN exemption? A GTIN exemption is when Amazon allows you to sell generic or self-branded products without a UPC code. Instead, they provide an Amazon-generated label with a non-UPC barcode. Traditionally, GTIN exemptions were hard to get. Many sellers reported waiting weeks or months for Amazon to approve their request. In 2019, Amazon has made this process much more smooth -- the application only takes a few minutes, and they respond to most requests in two business days. Applying for a GTIN exemption If you have an active seller account, visit the GTIN Exemption page. You do not have to apply for an exemption for each product; simply apply for a brand within each category once. After approval, you can add as many of your products as desired on Amazon without applying for the brand/category exemption again. Choose the product category and brand name (if applicable) to check if you’re eligible for an exemption. As of this blog post (December 2019) some categories may be automatically approved for exemption based on account history. Jewelry is the only category that is auto-approved universally. The other categories will require you to submit documentation -- either a letter from the brand owner or pictures of an item (if you’re selling a private label product).  Important: Make sure you write down the names of the brands you’re trying to get an exemption for. If they are auto-approved, Amazon does not provide a way for you to re-access your list of exemptions. You need the exact brand name you registered when creating listings. If you are not auto-approved, a case will be opened with the name of the brand exemption you’re seeking.  Amazon responds to most GTIN exemptions in less than 48 hours. 24 hours after approval, you can create a listing with your exemption. Fill in the brand field with the exact name you put in your GTIN exemption application. It won’t work if you add extra characters or spaces. Leave the product ID blank.  Common Questions about Amazon UPCs What is GS1? GS1 is an international nonprofit that aids in business communications. They lease UPC barcodes --  symbols printed on products that can be scanned electronically. GS1 barcodes are scanned billions of times every day When do I need a GS1 UPC?  Technically, you don’t have to use GS1 UPC. There are no legal requirements that necessitate having one on your products and getting an exemption from Amazon is fairly easy in most categories. This being said, you’ll need GS1 UPCs if you are planning to sell your products outside of Amazon.  Almost all major retailers and distributors require it.  Why can’t I buy UPCs from 3rd party sites?  GS1 is the only UPC generator in the world; all other companies are reselling UPC codes they bought through GS1 more than a decade ago. UPCs from a 3rd party will be registered under a random company’s name -- not yours. Amazon’s official Amazon states they will cross-check your UPC with the official GS1 database to make sure the company information matches. At this time there is no proof that Amazon is enforcing this, but they could choose to do so at any time.  What happens if I’m already selling a product with a non-GS1 UPC or barcode on Amazon? Most likely nothing. If Amazon removed every product that has used a non-GS1 UPC in the past decade, a huge piece of their catalog would disappear. This being said, the only way to completely stay within the terms of service is to redo the listing completely. Amazon does not change product identifiers on existing listings. What barcode do I use for Amazon multipacks?  Before purchasing a UPC, make sure there is not an existing listing of your multi-pack. The entire point of Amazon’s UPC policy is to avoid duplicate listings; there is no point in recreating something that already exists. In addition, make sure your request does not fall under the restricted brands list. You cannot make listings involving these brands without written permission from the brand owner. Most of the time a multipack will qualify for a GTIN exemption, so there’s no need to purchase a UPC. What barcode do I use for Amazon bundles? Just like multipacks, make sure your request does not fall under the restricted brands list. You cannot make listings under these brand names without explicit permission from the brand owner. Most of the time a bundle will qualify for a GTIN exemption, so there’s no need to purchase a UPC. Do not list a bundle under the UPC of one of the products within the bundle (i.e. using the UPC of a bar of soap to create a listing for a spa gift basket). This would allow another seller to change your listing to the correct product in the future. Can I get a UPC exemption if I’m brand registered? Yes -- the status of brand registration is irrelevant. Any seller can apply for an exemption. How do I check the company name my current barcodes are registered under? GS1 provides a search tool for this purpose. 

There are a lot of things to remember when creating the perfect Amazon listings: Copywriting SEO Keywords However, If you want to convert your viewers to customers, there’s one thing that trumps all: product photography. Even with great headlines or perfect keywords, photography is the first thing a potential customer sees when they’re browsing. Nearly 75% of online shoppers base their purchases on product photos. This concept even goes beyond sales; more than 20% of customers who return products do so because the product looks different in real life than it does online. Think of it this way: Your photos are like selling a car. No matter how nicely the engine runs, nobody will give it a second glance if the body is falling apart. But she runs great Ma! In this article, we’ll review Amazon photo requirements, teach you how to bootstrap gorgeous e-commerce photos without special equipment and clue you into common beginner photography mistakes. Before we jump in... Your product photos tell the story of your business. They are the easiest way to differentiate your product from competitors, convey product size, and explain different uses of an item. Your photos need to meet Amazon’s technical photography requirements, but they also play a huge role in encouraging customers to buy your products. This can be a difficult balance to achieve. While this article is all about taking incredible photos on your own, be aware that some products are more difficult to photograph than others. It’s always advisable to get professional help where needed. Even if you take your own photos, this could mean outsourcing photo editing, infographic design or modeling. Do this, not that Don’t: Make the buyer question what you’re selling.     Even the most well-composed photo is bunk if a potential customer doesn’t know what they’re buying. The main photo on a listing must have a completely white background and should only include the product itself -- no accessories, illustrations or small children. Secondary photos have a little more wiggle room. They can include text, show the product in use and have a background of your choosing. This being said, the product itself should always be the main focus of the photo. Do: Focus on your main image. Your main image is the first thing a potential customer sees and is the main conversion point for a listing. It should be bright, attention-grabbing, and extremely high quality. Customers are picky -- there’s always that one person who will do 100x zoom to see the texture of a washcloth. If your resources are limited, always put the most effort into your main photo. Amazon Main Image Requirements The main image must be the cover art or a professional photograph of the product being sold. Drawings or illustrations of the product are not allowed. The image must not contain gratuitous or confusing additional objects. The image must be in focus, professionally lit and photographed or scanned, with realistic color, and smooth edges. Books, Music, and Video/DVD images should be the front cover art, and fill 100% of the image frame. Jewel cases, promotional stickers, and cellophane are not allowed. All other products should fill 85% or more of the image frame. The full product must be in the frame. The background must be pure white (RGB 255,255,255). The image must not contain additional text, graphics, or inset images. Pornographic and offensive materials are not allowed. If you don’t follow Amazon’s main image requirements, your listing is at risk of being suppressed by Amazon, meaning it won’t be available for customers to purchase. You can check if any for suppressed listings using the following steps: Go to Inventory > Inventory Reports. Select the “Listing Quality and Suppressed Listing Report” Click the “Request Report” button. Download the report and review the issues with the Field Name = Main Image URL To fix a suppressed listing image, upload a new main image that meets Amazon’s image requirements: After uploading the new image, it can take up to 48 hours for a suppressed ASIN to become available. Do not: Take pictures without considering the backdrop. Nobody (and I do mean nobody) wants to see your kitchen table/bookshelf/kids toys/carpet in the background of your photos. Not only is this unprofessional, but it makes buyers feel uncomfortable. If you can’t take enough time to crop out a background, what does it say about the kind of business you run?     Do: Invest in some basic necessities The goal is to create a much smaller version of this. There are a few products that are must-haves for a DIY photography shoot: A white background If your product is on the small side and you have a few dollars to spare, nab a lightbox from Amazon. It isn’t fancy, but it includes everything you need to get started including a tripod, backdrops and light strips. If you want to completely bootstrap your photoshoot, you can make your own lightbox with household materials -- a cardboard box, white sheet, and a few bright lamps will do the trick. Why is an Amazon lightbox important? It is like a great light equalizer. Taking a photograph in an uncontrolled setting means you’re getting light and shadows from all sorts of places; windows, house lights, etc. With a lightbox, your subject will have fairly equal lighting no matter where you position the lights. A camera In 2020 most cameras can shoot at such a high quality that almost any is suitable for taking Amazon photos. Naturally, if you have a solid DSLR camera on hand you should definitely use it, but if all you have is a decent cell phone camera, it will do the trick. The best camera is the one you have on hand. Any of the following models will work: iPhone 8+ Google Pixel 2+ Huawei P20 Pro+ Samsung Galaxy S8+ You can also use a point and shoot -- just make sure it has a minimum of 10 megapixels and contains a macro setting. A well-lit room Choose a room with some natural light. The bigger window means you’ll have to work less to adjust your secondary lights. Remember: The closer you are to a window, the more uneven soft light/dark shadows you’ll get. The farther you are from a window, the more even light/lighter shadows you’ll deal with. How to do a DIY photoshoot Place your lightbox on some type of table, making sure the lights are positioned opposite of one another and the tripod is centered in front of your product. Make sure a backdrop is attached to the inside of your lightbox. For Amazon purposes, it should generally white, though you can use a colored backdrop for secondary photos. The backdrop should have a slight curve/slope at the back and be free of any wrinkles and/or debris (they WILL show up much more prominently in your photos than they do in real life). Clean your camera lens, especially if you are using a cell phone. Think of everything your camera is exposed to: bags, pockets, fingers, etc. A quick wipe can drastically change the quality of your photo. Do not: Use camera unnecessary camera features. You don’t need to zoom, use filters, flash, etc. It’s much better to adjust your lighting so your product looks natural. Do: Take/Test differents kinds of photos There are a few different types of photos you want to have in mind as you plan out your photoshoot. As mentioned above you’ll need to follow strict guidelines about the main image, but don’t be afraid to A/B test the other images to see what converts best. 1. Main image 2. Lifestyle image 3. Infographic 4. Packaging image 5. Model Image Your listing can have a maximum of nine photos. At a minimum, you should fill four of those spots, but it’s always advantageous to fill as many of the spots are possible with the largest variety of photo types as possible. Do not: Neglect the importance of category guidelines Overall, the image requirements for Amazon aren’t enormously complicated. What is complicated is how Amazon presents them; instead of being located in one central Seller Central page, Amazon has scattered them across multiple pages. Each of the 45 categories has subtle differences in guidelines, which is confusing to any seller. Here are the most important rules category rules you need to be aware of. Do: Review all Amazon photography rules Any product image you submit to Amazon should meet specific technical specifications: The file must be in TIFF, GIF, PNG or JPEG format. Any other file type will fail to upload. An image dimension at least 1000 pixels on one side. This is most important for your main photo, but is strongly suggested for your secondary photos as well. Every file name should contain a product’s identifier (ISBN, ASIN, UPC, etc.) followed by a period and the file extension (e.g. C000443745.jpeg or 455678967845.tif). File names with special characters like dashes, spaces, or other symbols will prevent your images from being published online. Although many sellers overlook the importance of correctly naming files, it can actually help your SEO and make your product more likely to show up on outside websites like Google. That’s a wrap… Ecommerce photography can really be summed up in a few words: solving pain points. Your main photography goal is always to visually explain how your products work and how they fill a customer’s need. While this article mostly references Amazon photography, the same guidelines apply across all of ecommerce. No matter what business model you’re using (wholesale, private label, dropshipping) or which platform you’re utilizing (Shopify, Ebay, Etsy, Amazon, etc) good photographs will increase your conversion rate and customer satisfaction. Do you have any questions about e-commerce photography? Comment below or shoot a message to [email protected]. I’d love to hear what’s working or not working) for your brand.

Are you ready to build your Amazon empire? There some things you already know come with the territory: suppliers, shipping, choosing products. However, there is one HUGE thing most new sellers don’t think about until it’s too late. Yes, we’re talking about taxes. Being self-employed means the government takes a huge chunk out of your paycheck. However, if you know have some basic knowledge and an excellent tax professional on your side, you can expense all of your business costs to free up money for your Amazon empire-building. According to the IRS, any business expense is deductible as long as it’s “ordinary and necessary.” We’ve compiled a list of the 12 biggest tax deductions your Amazon business may qualify for. Disclaimer: I am not a licensed tax professional accountant, nor do I wish to become one. Nothing in this blog post is tax advice. These are simply ideas I’ve used while managing my own business. Please run any of these thoughts by your personal tax professional before putting them into use. 1. Inventory (COGS – Costs Of Goods Sold) This will likely be an Amazon Seller’s biggest (and most straightforward) deduction. Put simply, it’s the cost of the product you sell. The cost of goods sold is calculated by deducting gross receipts from your sales, which equals your gross profit for the year. Sometimes, a seller may include additional expenses when calculating COGS (like manufacturing costs on a private label product). This is generally allowable as long as you don’t try to deduct it again as a business expense. 2. Home Office Deduction If you run your Amazon store from home, you may qualify for a home office deduction. The size of this deduction depends on how much space is dedicated to your business. To take the deduction, your space must meet the following qualifications: It can only be used for business activities. (If you occasionally work from your living room couch, it won’t cut it.) The claimed work area must be the principal place of business for your company. If you work out of another co-working space or warehouse, the deduction no longer applies. The majority of the time you spend working in the space must be related to your business. It’s a bad idea to try and double up a room like your kitchen. There are two ways to calculate the home office deduction. The first is a simplified method -- just multiply the square footage your business uses by $5, with a max of 300 square feet ($1500). Most business owners opt to use this method, as it’s less likely to attract IRS scrutiny. The second is to use the regular method, which isn’t nearly as simple (though it may net you a bigger deduction if you use a large amount of space.) First, figure out the percentage of your home’s square footage you actively use for your company (see rules from the simplified method). Add up any home expenses you have (utilities, mortgage payment, interest, property taxes, etc.) and apply the above percentage to your final number. If you use the regular method, you must report expenses on Form 8829. As you figure out which method is most beneficial, be aware that the IRS is a stickler on home office expenses. Each year, make sure to have any paperwork needed to back up your deduction. This can include pictures, work schedules, square footage maps, etc. 3. Mileage Deduction Does your business require daily drives to the UPS store or post office? Do you meet with suppliers or drive to trade shows? Every mile you drive your business is deductible, and the amounts add up quickly. The standard rate for 2019 is .58 per mile, so you can probably imagine how this can turn into hundreds (or thousands!) or dollars. Tracking every mile can be a time-consuming job, especially if you’re still opting to use pen and paper. Luckily, the past few years have seen an influx of mileage-tracking smartphone apps including TripLog, MileIQ, and TrackMyDrive. Each of these programs automatically detects car time and track mileages with extreme accuracy. One less thing on your plate! 4. Supplies Any good Amazon business is bound to use a host of suppliers in a given -- boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and polybags add up quickly. Any supplies you use from a Dymo to box cutter is deductible. It’s easy for these small costs to go by the wayside, so don’t slack in your tracking. 5. Shipping Shipping is the name of the game when it comes to Amazon FBA. Your product gets shipped multiple times -- first to you, then to Amazon, then to the customer. Each time you pay for your product to be on a boat, train, ship or truck, the cost is deductible. 6. Education Continuing education is one of the best investments you can make in your business. If you bought a book, course, or seminar about improving your Amazon business it is 100% deductible. This also goes for coaching/mentoring costs -- if you invested in knowledge, write it off. 7. Amazon Fees For every $100,000 in FBA sales you do, Amazon takes at least $33,000 in fees. This is one of the largest tax deductions your e-commerce business can take. You can view an annual breakdown of these fees in your Amazon account dashboard: From the Reports link, select Payments Select Date Range Reports. You will need to generate a report for both Standard and Invoiced orders (if applicable). Click Generate Report In the Generate date range report pop-up box, proceed as follows: Select report type: Summary Select reporting period: Month or Custom, and the specified date information Click Generate Review your report in the list on the Date Range Reports page Filter the type column by Order Add the total of Product Sales + Product Sales Tax + Shipping Credits + Shipping Credits Tax + Gift Wrap + Gift Wrap Tax + Promotional Rebates + Promotional Rebates Tax for both Standard & Invoiced Orders (if applicable) 8. Software Any software you use in the normal course of business is deductible. This includes repricers, product research, accounting, tax assistance, etc. 9. Home Office Repairs/Improvement Any major changes to your home office such as remodeling or repairs are tax-deductible. The only caveat is the improvements must be depreciated over a certain number of years, which can be complicated to calculate. Plan ahead on this one: before paying any renovations, talk to a tax professional to make sure you’re classifying it correctly an doing the math right. 10. Professional Services Do you have a bookkeeper? CPA? Lawyer? Good news! These are all “professional services” and are 100% deductible. This deduction applies to When you hire a business lawyer, CPA, bookkeeper, online bookkeeping service, or tax consultant, their fees qualify as deductible business expenses. 11. Independent Contractors Even if you don’t have employees, there’s a good chance you hired an independent contractor during the year. This is anyone who a) you have paid at least $600 during the fiscal year and b) works outside of your physical office and is not on your schedule/payroll. Did you pay someone to drive shipments to the post office, write bullet points for your listings, or take photographs of your products? They’re likely an independent contractor and their payments are deductible. Always double-check this with your tax professional. 11. PPC/Advertising This is one of the more straightforward deductions: any dollars you spent on advertising are deductible. This includes PPC, coupons, Google ads, etc. 12. Refunds When Amazon refunds a customer, you get hit twice: first with the cost of the product (since it will often come back lost, damaged, or not at all) and second with seller fees, which Amazon doesn’t reimburse. Make sure to track these refunds and fees with the Refunds report in Seller Central. As long as Amazon didn’t reimburse you, they can all be written off. What’s your best tax tip? Did I miss any deductions? Comment below or shoot an email to [email protected].

So, you want to sell on Amazon. Or maybe you don’t, but it’s likely crossed your mind at some point. A lot of people think about how to start an Amazon Private Label business, but they get overwhelmed with questions like:  What do I sell on Amazon? How do I find products to sell on on Amazon? How much are Amazon fees? How can I guarantee a profit? How do I open an Amazon account?  I’ll be the first to admit that there are a lot of barriers to overcome. These are the same questions I had before I started my Amazon business in 2014. Long before I did 7 figures of revenue with a private label product, I lost money on A LOT of products:  Silly Bandz Easter jelly beans iPad Cases Swimming Pools Pink Pens  It took me a few years to learn the right product sells itself. To start a private label business, you don’t need anything new or revolutionary; you just need to fill an existing need in the market. Sometimes, this even means repurposing items that are already commonplace. Here’s a list of 10 brilliantly simple Amazon private products that will inspire you (and possibly provoke a little jealousy). Important Note: This is not an article to tell you exactly what to sell on Amazon. Each of these product markets would be nearly impossible to break into at this point. These are simply examples of what you should be looking for. 10. Product: Acne Patches Cost $.50-$.80  Average sale price $9.99 People have been trying to cover up facial blemishes for thousands of years, but it took a genius to come up with a product that is basically a zit-shaped bandaid. These Acne Patches hide zits AND heal them. From a seller perspective, they cheap to ship and incur virtually no space-based storage fees.   9. Product: Casabella Guac-Lock Container Cost $1-$2 Average sale price $14.99  This glorified Tupperware container only has one purpose; keeping guacamole green. To anyone who has thrown away hundreds of avocado-dollars in the past decade (trust me, there are a few of us) this purchase is a no brainer.  8. Product: Handbag/Purse Light with Automatic Sensor The Perfect Bag Light Motion-Activated Purse Light Cost $.50-$1.0 Average sale price $22.99 This may be the most simple item on this list. At its essence, this is a flashlight with a hook. The same concept could be copied in a number of niches; think cars, pantries, cupboards.  7. Product: Diversion Safe Hair Brush by Stash-it Cost $2-3 Average sale price $15.99 This brush is a beach bum’s dream! It’s great if your Amazon product can fulfill one need, but fulfilling two needs can create a home run. Just make sure the needs are related or a product may lose its appeal; a hairbrush is a great pseudo-wallet, but a hairspray can wouldn’t have the same appeal.  6. Product: Anti-Soggy Cereal Bowl Cost $.30-$.80 Average sale price $8.99 It doesn’t take an engineer to come up with a partitioned cereal bowl, but it does take someone who really hates soggy Fruit Loops. See a need, fill a need.  5. Product: Linda's Gap Covers Cost $.30-$.90 Average sale price $0.95 I’m not sure who Linda is, but her product has saved me years of oven-moving and crumb cleanup. She’s the real the winner in this deal though: nothing beats selling a piece of rubber at a 10x markup.  4. Product: Microfiber Dusting Glove Cost $1.50-$2 Average sale price $12.99 There will always be a market for products that replace something disposable. It also helps that these gloves are self-sustaining; no sprays or harmful chemicals needed. From a seller perspective, they are easy to manufacture and cheap to ship -- all signs of a winning private label product.  3. Product: Touch screen Cleaner Balls Cost $25-$.50 Average sale price $9.99 Amazon is a graveyard of useless cell phone accessories, but there’s still hope for the niche: this brilliant cell phone/laptop screen cleaner will quickly remove those seemingly endless fingerprints and smudges. The profit margins aren’t too shabby either.  2. Product: Fantom Doorstop Cost $1-$3 Average sale price $24.99 Sometimes the most mundane products are the ones Amazon sellers don’t bother to deal with. This magnetic doorstop is the perfect example: cheap, efficient and completely boring. Luckily Amazon customers don’t see it this way: more than 2000 of these were purchased in 2019.   1. Product: Groove cleaning tool Cost $.25-$.50 Average sale price $6.98 If you’re thinking this looks like an extra-large toothbrush, you’re absolutely right. There are thousands of cleaning brushes on the market, but only a handful can claim to be made specifically for window bases. Where there’s a will, there’s a market.  Are you ready to start selling on Amazon? Check out some of our beginner’s guides: How to find 50 Promising Products To Sell on Amazon in 5 Minutes How to Understand Amazon’s Best Seller Rank 37 Startup Financing Options to Scale Your E-commerce Business Or, sign up our FREE Beginner course for free.

For some FBA sellers, the hammer dropped this week as Amazon cracked down on a new host of brands. You may have received a email that was identical to this: As part of our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible customer experience, we are implementing approval requirements for products sold under the following Whirlpool-affiliated brands: Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, EveryDrop, and Affresh. What does this mean for me? Effective March 17, 2020, your listings for the affected Whirlpool brands in Amazon’s online store in the United States will be removed. Please contact Whirlpool at [email protected] if you would like to apply to become an authorized reseller on Amazon. Can I still use FBA? Effective today, January 17, 2020, only sellers confirmed by Whirlpool as authorized resellers of Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, EveryDrop or Affresh products will be able to send shipments of those products to our fulfillment centers. This isn’t the first time (and certainly won’t be the last) that Amazon works with brands to restrict unauthorized third-party sellers. In the past 5 years, thousands of brands have become “gated”. Sellers get these notifications multiple times per month as the list of off-limits brands continues to grow. Double Check That Approval Getting approved or “ungated” in a brand usually means a seller must submit an official invoice and/or an authorization letter from the brand owner. This is nearly impossible for sellers who have business models based on retail arbitrage, but it also impacts wholesale-based businesses who can’t get brand authorization through their suppliers. Amazon occasionally automatically gives the approval to sell restricted brands based on account performance. Unfortunately, just because Amazon allows a seller to carry a certain brand doesn’t mean the brand itself has given permission. There are many aggressive brand owners who will go to all lengths to remove unauthorized sellers from their Amazon listings. Some U.S. sellers claim the first sale doctrine allows them to sell whatever products they legally own, not realizing that this constitutional mandate does not apply to Amazon (a private marketplace that can set whatever rules it wants). Brands most often issue the following complaints to sellers Suspected Intellectual Property Violation Listings removed from seller inventory due to potential misuse of intellectual property on the product detail page. Listings may be using unauthorized intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, or logos. Generally does not result in suspension. This complaint is sent via Amazon and appears in your seller heath dashboard. Received Intellectual Property Complaints An “official” version of an IP complaint that requires you to appeal to the actual brand owner who must retract it from Amazon. If you don’t successfully appeal the complaint, but opt to delete the ASINs from your inventory, it may result in suspension. This can happen at any point after the complaint -- up to 6 months, when the complaint disappears from the health dashboard. Product Authenticity or Condition Complaint A brand cannot issue these types of complaints directly through Amazon. Rather, they use a black hat technique to buy your product as a regular customer would on Amazon and leave bad reviews/complaints. This method can also be used by competitors. These complaints are visible in the health dashboard. Counterfeit Claim This occurs when a “customer” (more likely a brand owner) test buys your product and contacts Amazon saying the product is not identical to the picture in the listing. While Amazon should theoretically require photo proof to file this type of claim, they often let the complaint through their system with no evidence. This is one of the most common methods big brands use to knock out small sellers. It often results in suspensions that are difficult to recover from. Cease and Desist This an official letter issued by a brand before a brand takes legal action. Sometimes these letters are scare tactics, but they should always be taken seriously. These can come through Amazon’s messaging system, but legitimate brands will always send the letter via email or snail mail. IP Lawsuit Service If a seller does not respond to complaints via Amazon or a cease and desist letter, some brands will go as far as filing an intellectual property lawsuit. For obvious reasons, sellers should avoid this expensive scenario at all costs. Why does Amazon restrict brands in the first place? Amazon is customer-centric. Their number #1 goal is to be a marketplace that allows consumers to buy with confidence. There are a handful of sellers who sell counterfeit/used products and make it harder for the majority of sellers who follow the rules. Restricting brands is the way Amazon chooses to tackle this issue. Unfortunately, this system leaves many innocent sellers caught in a web of false complaints. Consider some of the complaints innocent sellers have received this month alone: IP complaints for a product a seller has listed, but has never sold Cease and desist letters for a product that wasn’t restricted IP complaints for a product a seller has never listed or sold 20-30 IP complaints (all at once) issued from fake companies Counterfeit suspension for a product the seller had official brand approval for Figuring out which brands are restricted/high risk has become a bit of a guessing game, as restricted products aren’t always gated on Amazon. This is why we’ve collected a list of more than 900 brands that carry some level of risk on Amazon. Each company listed below has a risk level attached: Some Risk means the brand/company is loosely tied to Amazon “suspected” IP/Fraud complaints Moderate Risk means the brand/company actively reaches out to sellers to try to remove them from listings Aggressive means the brand/company actively issues IP complaints via Amazon Aggressive/High Risk means the company actively issues IP complaints, sends cease and desist letters/lawsuits OR uses blackhat methods to remove small sellers from Amazon. Name Risk 1 Body Some Risk 1Com Aggressive 1MORE Some Risk 3Ns Aggressive/High Risk A World Of Deals Some Risk ACTLATI Aggressive Aden & Anais Some Risk Adidas Moderate Risk Adobe Some Risk Aerobie Aggressive/High Risk After Inked Moderate Risk Agfaphoto Some Risk Ahava Moderate Risk Aidance Skincare Some Risk AIDEA Some Risk Air Moderate Risk Akai Moderate Risk Akinger Some Risk Algenist Moderate Risk Alpha Some Risk Alpha Industries High Risk Altec Lansing Aggressive/High Risk American Girl Moderate Risk Amity Jack Some Risk Amope Some Risk Amovo Some Risk Amplixin Aggressive/High Risk Amway Aggressive Anastasia Some Risk Anastasia Beverly Hills Aggressive Ancient Nutrition Some Risk Andoer Aggressive/High Risk Angels Fancy Dress Some Risk Angelsounds Aggressive Anki Some Risk Ann Williams group Aggressive/High Risk Anova Aggressive Anova Culinary Some Risk Ansr Moderate Risk ANSR Some Risk Apple Aggressive/High Risk Aquafina Moderate Risk Aquapix Some Risk Armani Some Risk Art Of Shaving Aggressive/High Risk Artistry Some Risk Arvazallia Aggressive/High Risk Asantee Aggressive/High Risk Asics Moderate Risk Asobu Some Risk ASOTV Possible Risk aSquared Nutrition Aggressive/High Risk Atmosphere Aggressive Audio Quest Some Risk Audio Technica Aggressive Audiotech Aggressive Australian Gold Some Risk AVerMedia Moderate Risk Avon Some Risk Awapuhi Wild Ginger Aggressive Ayr Some Risk Aztec Aggressive/High Risk Baby Born Aggressive/High Risk Baby Bullet Moderate Risk Baby Dumpling Some Risk Babybjorn Some Risk Babyliss Aggressive/High Risk Babyplus Some Risk Baggallini Some Risk Baire Bottles Aggressive Bali Some Risk Balm Cosmetics Some Risk Bamix Moderate Risk Bandai Some Risk Bare Essentials Cosmetics Aggressive/High Risk Bargain Max Decals Moderate Risk Bassbuds Some Risk Baxter Some Risk Bayer Advantage Moderate Risk Beaba Moderate Risk Beachbody Some Risk Beats By Dre Aggressive/High Risk Beauty by Earth Aggressive/High Risk Beauty Pet Aggressive/High Risk Belkin Aggressive/High Risk Bella Some Risk Benchmade Aggressive/High Risk Benefiber Aggressive/High Risk Berwick Some Risk Besdata Moderate Risk Best Home Some Risk Bestomz Aggressive/High Risk Beyond Tangy Moderate Risk BGZ Aggressive/High Risk BH Costmetics Aggressive/High Risk Bic Aggressive Big Mouth Some Risk Billy Jealousy Aggressive/High Risk Bioderma Some Risk Biolite Aggressive Birkenstock Some Risk Black & Decker Moderate Risk Black Diamond Some Risk Blackhawk Some Risk Blinc Aggressive Bliss Some Risk Blitzball Aggressive Blue Microphones Some Risk Bodum Aggressive Body Shop Some Risk BodyGuardz Some Risk Boldify Some Risk Boley Moderate Risk Borghese Some Risk Bose Some Risk Boston Moderate Risk Boston Acoustics Some Risk Botanic Hearth Moderate Risk Bpro Some Risk Brach’s Moderate Risk Bracoo Some Risk Braggs Moderate Risk Bratz Aggressive Braun Some Risk Breville Some Risk Britannia Moderate Risk Britax Aggressive Brooks Some Risk Brookstone Aggressive/High Risk Brother Some Risk BSkinny Global Moderate Risk Buck Some Risk Bulbhead Moderate Risk Burberry High Risk Burt's Bees Aggressive Butter London Moderate Risk Butterick Some Risk Buxom Buxom Possible Risk Cable Matters Moderate Risk Calphalon Some Risk Calvin Klein High Risk Canada Goose Some Risk Canary Aggressive Cane + Austin Aggressive Canon Some Risk Canon Cameras Moderate Risk Capital Brands Some Risk Care Touch Aggressive Cargo Some Risk Carhartt Aggressive/High Risk Carter’s Aggressive/High Risk Case Mate Aggressive/High Risk Case-Mate Aggressive CaseMate Moderate Risk Casematix Some Risk Casio Aggressive Catrice Some Risk Caudalie Possible Risk Cel-Fi Moderate Risk Champion Some Risk Chanel Some Risk Chemex Some Risk Chi Aggressive Chico Moderate Risk Chinkyboo Some Risk Chloe Moderate Risk ChoiceRefill Some Risk Christian Dior Moderate Risk Citizen Some Risk Clarins Aggressive/High Risk Clarisonic Aggressive/High Risk Claritin Aggressive/High Risk ClicTime Some Risk Clinique Moderate Risk Cloud B Some Risk Coach Some Risk Cole & Mason Aggressive Coleman Aggressive College Hill Games Some Risk Color WOW Moderate Risk Columbia Some Risk Comfort Click Moderate Risk Comfort Zone Some Risk Comfylife Aggressive/High Risk Comic Concept Aggressive/High Risk Comic Images Moderate Risk Comic Maker Some Risk Comtrex Some Risk Converse Some Risk COOLA Aggressive Country Life Some Risk Cra-Z-Art Aggressive Cra-Z-Gell Aggressive Cra-Z-Slimy Aggressive Crabtree & Evelyn Some Risk Craft-tastic Aggressive/High Risk Crayola Aggressive Crest Some Risk Crocs Moderate Risk Crosley Some Risk Cross Aggressive Crucial Some Risk Crystal Star Moderate Risk Cuddl duds Some Risk Cuisinart Moderate Risk Cult Cosmetics Some Risk Dandy Blend Aggressive Davey Some Risk Davidoff Aggressive/High Risk DBPower Some Risk Ddf Moderate Risk DDF Some Risk Dead Sea Aggressive Deborah Lippman Some Risk DecoBros Aggressive Deejo Some Risk Defender Gated and cease and desist email Definitive Technology Some Risk Dell Some Risk Delorghi Moderate Risk Denon Some Risk Deny Designs Moderate Risk Dermalogica Aggressive/High Risk Deuter Aggressive Dewalt Some Risk Dickies Aggressive Diesel Some Risk Discovery Kids Moderate Risk Disney Some Risk Disney Frozen Some Risk DJI Some Risk Dkny Some Risk Dockers Moderate Risk Dog & Bone Some Risk Dog Pain Away Moderate Risk Dolce & Gabbana Some Risk Doolini Nature Some Risk Doterra Aggressive Dove Some Risk Dr Tobias Moderate Risk Dr. Brandt Some Risk Dr. Denese Moderate Risk Dr. Dennis Gross Skin Care Some Risk Dremel Moderate Risk Dunkin Donuts Some Risk EASTFUN Some Risk Easypix Some Risk EB5 Some Risk EC Technology Some Risk Eco Defense Some Risk Eero Moderate Risk Elizabeth Arden Some Risk Emarth Some Risk Emile Henry Aggressive/High Risk Eminence Some Risk Energizer Moderate Risk Enfamil Aggressive Epicuren Discovery Some Risk Epilady Aggressive/High Risk Epson Possible Risk Ergobaby Some Risk Erno Laszlo Some Risk Escada Aggressive eSpring Some Risk Essie Aggressive/High Risk Estroven Aggressive/High Risk Eu Natural Aggressive/High Risk Eureka Aggressive/High Risk Eva Naturals Moderate Risk Excedrin Some Risk Eyeko Some Risk EzyAbsorb Moderate Risk Farberware Some Risk Favorite Findings Moderate Risk Felina Some Risk Ferragamo Some Risk Fettle Excellence Moderate Risk Fifine Some Risk Fifty/Fifty Some Risk FineVine Some Risk Fingerlings Aggressive Finnlo Some Risk Firstcom Moderate Risk Fissler Gmbh Some Risk Fitbit Some Risk Fitlife Moderate Risk Fizz Creations Ltd Some Risk Flawless Touch Aggressive Flex Tape Some Risk Flexseal Aggressive Flextape Some Risk fosa Aggressive/High Risk Fossil Aggressive Foxbrim Some Risk FoxyBae Some Risk Franklin Electronics Some Risk Fremantle Home Entertainment Some Risk Frozen (Disney) Some Risk Fruit of the Loom Moderate Risk Frye Some Risk Funko Moderate Risk Furminator Some Risk Future Play Moderate Risk Garnier Some Risk GARUNK Moderate Risk Gatco Some Risk GEFU Spirelli Spiral Slicer Some Risk Gel-a-peel Moderate Risk Georgie Interactive Puppy Some Risk Georgio Armani Aggressive Gerber Baby Food Some Risk Gianna Rose Aggressive Gibby & Libby Moderate Risk Gigamic Some Risk Gigen Moderate Risk Gillette Some Risk Ginna Rose Atelelier Aggressive/High Risk Giraffe Bath & Body Some Risk GK hair Aggressive GKhair Some Risk Glad Aggressive Glitzhome Some Risk Gn Netcom Aggressive GNC Some Risk Go Extreme Aggressive Goal Zero Some Risk Godefroy Eyebrow Tint Aggressive Goextreme Some Risk Goldfaden MD Moderate Risk GoldieBlox Some Risk Google Chromecast Moderate Risk Grace & Stella Some Risk Graco Some Risk GrandeLashMD Aggressive/High Risk Green Mountain Coffee Aggressive Greens First Boost Aggressive Griffin Aggressive Grill Daddy Moderate Risk Gucci Some Risk Guess Some Risk Gund Some Risk Hallmark Moderate Risk Hamilton Beach Possible Risk Hammer Some Risk Hanes Some Risk Hape Moderate Risk Hape International Some Risk Harley-Davidson Aggressive/High Risk Harry Potter Some Risk Harry’s Razors Aggressive Hasbro Some Risk Hatchimals Moderate Risk Hauptstadtkoffer Some Risk Havasu Nutrition Aggressive/High Risk Havex Machines Moderate Risk Hbo Some Risk HCF Moderate Risk HEALTHFORCE Some Risk HeightXL Some Risk Helen of Troy Moderate Risk Helle Some Risk Hempz Moderate Risk Heos Some Risk Herschel Supply Co. Aggressive Hess Some Risk Hilife Aggressive Holy Stone Some Risk Honest Baby Moderate Risk Hoover Some Risk Hot Tools Some Risk Hot Wheels Moderate Risk HSI PROFESSIONAL Some Risk Huion Moderate Risk Huretek Some Risk Hydro Flask Possible Risk HydroPeptide Aggressive Icebreaker Some Risk Ikea Aggressive/High Risk Incipio Aggressive Inkwrite Some Risk Inova Moderate Risk INSEESI Some Risk Instyler Moderate Risk Ion Some Risk iPhone Some Risk iRobot Roomba Some Risk It Works Aggressive It’s a 10 Some Risk Italkonline Moderate Risk Ito Professional Some Risk Jabra Moderate Risk Jabra/Gn Netcom Some Risk Jack Black Moderate Risk Jane Iredale Some Risk Jansport Aggressive Japonesque Some Risk Jennifer Lopez Moderate Risk Jezebel And Paramour Moderate Risk Jil Sander Some Risk Jo Malone Moderate Risk Jockey Some Risk John Frieda Moderate Risk Jokari Some Risk Jordan – shoes Moderate Risk Josh Bach Some Risk Jouer Some Risk Juice Beauty Aggressive Juicy Couture Some Risk Kaarvie Moderate Risk Kaavie Some Risk Kate Spade Aggressive/High Risk Kaytee Moderate Risk KEEN Some Risk Kenneth Cole Moderate Risk Kera Therapy Some Risk Keter Ltd Some Risk Keurig Moderate Risk KeySmart Some Risk Kidsbo Moderate Risk Kiehl’s Moderate Risk Kiehl’S Some Risk Kilner Some Risk Kind Bars Moderate Risk Kitchenaid Moderate Risk Kitsound Some Risk Klean Kanteen Aggressive/High Risk Klipsch Aggressive/High Risk Kong Company Aggressive Koolatron Some Risk KOOTION Aggressive Korres Some Risk Kwick Sew Aggressive/High Risk Kylie Cosmetics Aggressive/High Risk L.O.L. Dolls Moderate Risk L’Occitane Aggressive/High Risk L’oreal Some Risk La Bella Donna Moderate Risk La Roche Posay Some Risk Lacosta Some Risk Lalaloopsy Aggressive/High Risk Lamaze Moderate Risk LaMode Some Risk Lancome Some Risk Lander Moderate Risk Lanruo Some Risk Lax Some Risk Leatherman Tool Some Risk Ledger Moderate Risk Ledger Nano S Some Risk Lego Moderate Risk Leicke Some Risk Leicke Gmbh Moderate Risk Leicke Sharon Some Risk Levi’s Moderate Risk Liberty Some Risk Lifeproof Some Risk Linksys Aggressive/High Risk Linxor Moderate Risk Little Green Men Some Risk Little Tikes Some Risk Livivo Moderate Risk Lodge Some Risk Loftus Aggressive/High Risk Logitech High Risk Lokai Aggressive/High Risk Lorac Some Risk Lost Empire Herbs Moderate Risk Louis Vuitton Some Risk Lucky Brand Some Risk Luga Aggressive/High Risk Lush Moderate Risk Luxul Some Risk LVX Aggressive M-Digita Some Risk Mac Cosmetics Moderate Risk Macoon Moderate Risk Madax Some Risk Magformers Some Risk Magic Bullet Aggressive/High Risk Magic Tracks Aggressive/High Risk Majestic Aggressive Malin + Goetz Some Risk Marantz Aggressive/High Risk Marc Anthony Moderate Risk Marc Jacobs Aggressive Mario Badescu Some Risk Mario Cosmetics Aggressive Marubhumi Some Risk Marvel Aggressive Marvis Some Risk Mary Kay Aggressive/High Risk MaryRuth Organics Some Risk Matrix Biolage Some Risk Mattel Aggressive Maybelline Aggressive MDSolarSciences Some Risk Meaningful Beauty Moderate Risk Medela Aggressive/High Risk Mega Moderate Risk Megagear Some Risk Mehron Moderate Risk Melaleuca Some Risk Melissa & Doug Aggressive/High Risk MemorySoft Moderate Risk Menaji Cosmetics Some Risk Mensch on a Bensch Aggressive/High Risk Merrell Aggressive/High Risk Metabolic Nutrition Aggressive Michael Kors Moderate Risk Michele Aggressive Microsoft Moderate Risk Miele Some Risk Might Dog Some Risk Mirage Pet Products Aggressive Mirity Some Risk MiroPure Aggressive/High Risk Mizuno Some Risk Mlb Moderate Risk Molton Brown Some Risk Monsieur Bebe Moderate Risk Monster Headphones Some Risk Morning Pep Moderate Risk Moulin Roty Some Risk Mountain Hardwear Aggressive/High Risk Mrs. Anderson’S Some Risk Msi Aggressive MSRMUS Some Risk Munchkin Moderate Risk Mustela Some Risk MyLifeUNIT Aggressive Nabisco Some Risk Nanda Home Aggressive Nars Some Risk National Geographic Moderate Risk Native Union Some Risk NaturaPrime Some Risk Nature Made Moderate Risk Nature's Bounty Some Risk Nature’s Sunshine Aggressive NaturVet Some Risk Nautica Aggressive Neat Company Some Risk Neato Robotics Moderate Risk Neewer Some Risk Nerf Aggressive Nestle Some Risk Netgear Some Risk Neuragen Pn Moderate Risk Neutrogena Some Risk New Balance Moderate Risk NewHM Aggressive/High Risk NextBase Aggressive/High Risk Nextec Some Risk Nia 24 Aggressive Nickelodeon Aggressive Nike Some Risk Nikon Aggressive Nikon Cameras Some Risk Ninja Blenders Moderate Risk Nintendo Some Risk Nioxin Moderate Risk Nite Ize Some Risk Nivea Aggressive NLU Products Some Risk No More Excess Moderate Risk Norax Some Risk Norelco Moderate Risk North Face Some Risk Now Foods Moderate Risk NuBrilliance Some Risk NuFace Moderate Risk Num Noms Some Risk Numark Some Risk Nutranext Moderate Risk NutraNuva Some Risk NutriBullet Some Risk Nutrilite Aggressive Nutrition Strength Some Risk Nuxe Moderate Risk Obagi Moderate Risk Ocean Pacfic Some Risk Ocean Saline Some Risk Offray Aggressive Okra Some Risk Olay Aggressive Olympus Some Risk Onkyo Moderate Risk Oofoos Some Risk Opinel Moderate Risk Opinet Some Risk Opportuniteas Moderate Risk Optimum Nutrition Some Risk Oral B Aggressive Oraquick Some Risk ORIA Aggressive Oribe Some Risk Original Penguin Aggressive Orlane Some Risk Ortho Molecular Some Risk Oscar Blandi Some Risk Otter Box Aggressive Oxa Some Risk Oxo Possible Risk OZ Naturals Moderate Risk Pabobo Some Risk Paddington Bear Aggressive Pampers Some Risk Panasonic Aggressive/High Risk Pandora Aggressive Paper Magic Some Risk Paraso Moderate Risk Parker Pens Some Risk Patagonia Aggressive/High Risk Patchology Aggressive/High Risk PATINA Premium Aggressive/High Risk Paul Mitchell Aggressive/High Risk Pavilion Aggressive/High Risk Pecute Aggressive Perfect Fitness Some Risk Perfume Samples Aggressive Perfume Testers Aggressive/High Risk Perricone Md Moderate Risk PetArmor Some Risk Peter Thomas Roth Some Risk Petsafe Aggressive/High Risk Philips Accessories Aggressive Philips Consumer Electronics Some Risk Philips Norelco Moderate Risk Phillip Mercier Some Risk Phillips Possible Risk Photive Aggressive/High Risk Phyto Aggressive/High Risk Picci Some Risk Pioneer Aggressive/High Risk Pirelli Moderate Risk PJ Mask Some Risk Pjxj Some Risk Play-Doh Some Risk Playgro Aggressive Playmobil Some Risk Playtex Moderate Risk PMD – Personal Microdermabrasion Device Aggressive/High Risk Pokemon Some Risk Polk Aggressive/High Risk Polo Ralph Lauren Some Risk Power Rangers Aggressive Precision Naturals Some Risk Premium Nature Aggressive/High Risk Presonus Moderate Risk Prevagen Some Risk Price Pfister Aggressive/High Risk Prince Lionheart Some Risk Princeton Tec Aggressive/High Risk Prive Some Risk Pro Lab Moderate Risk Proactive Some Risk Proctor-Silex Moderate Risk Project MC Some Risk ProLab Moderate Risk Protrack Some Risk Puma Moderate Risk Pure Some Risk Pure Encapsulations Aggressive Pure Enrichment Some Risk Pure Inventions Aggressive Pure Micronutrients Some Risk PureGear Aggressive/High Risk Pureology Some Risk uQicksilver Aggressive/High Risk Quincy BioScience Some Risk Rainbow Light Moderate Risk Rainbow Loom Some Risk Rainbow Sandals Some Risk Ralph Lauren Perfume Moderate Risk Rasyan Some Risk Ray Ban Some Risk Rayban Aggressive Rayware Some Risk Razor Some Risk Recticare Some Risk Red Castle Aggressive Redkin Some Risk Reebok Moderate Risk Reliable Some Risk Relic Some Risk Renew Life Moderate Risk Reserveage Nutrition Some Risk Revlon Moderate Risk Ripple Junction Some Risk Rodan + Fields skincare Aggressive Rode Some Risk Rodial Moderate Risk Roger & Gallet Moderate Risk Rosetta Stone Some Risk Rothco Aggressive/High Risk Rubbermade Some Risk Rubie’s Moderate Risk Sachajuan Some Risk Safeguard Some Risk Safety 1St Moderate Risk Salcoll Collogen Some Risk Samsonite Some Risk Samsung Moderate Risk Sandisk Some Risk Sanicat Some Risk Saponificio Aggressive Sara Happ Some Risk Satechi Aggressive Savfy Some Risk Scanpan Aggressive Scentio Some Risk Schizandu Organics Moderate Risk Seastone Some Risk Sebastian Moderate Risk Sennheiser Moderate Risk Sensa Some Risk Sentry Moderate Risk Sephora Some Risk ShaverAid Aggressive Sheer Strength Labs Some Risk Sheffield Moderate Risk Shine Some Risk Shiseido Gated Shopkins Aggressive/High Risk Showtime Some Risk Silver Miracles Moderate Risk Silvertrade Some Risk Siphotrol Some Risk Sk Ii Aggressive Skagen Some Risk Sketchers Moderate Risk Skinceuticals Some Risk Skip Hop Zoo Aggressive Skullcandy Some Risk Skyn Iceland Aggressive Slendertone Some Risk Smooshins Aggressive Snake Brand Some Risk Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine Aggressive SodaStream Some Risk Sodial Aggressive Sol Republic Some Risk Solar Brite Aggressive Solgar Aggressive Solio Some Risk Somme Institute Aggressive/High Risk Sony Cameras Moderate Risk Sound United Some Risk Spark Cafe Cups Some Risk Speck Aggressive Speedo Some Risk Sperry Aggressive Spigen Some Risk Squeezoos Moderate Risk Srichland Some Risk St. Tropez Some Risk Standard Process Moderate Risk Stanley Some Risk Star Wars Aggressive Startech Some Risk Starwest Botanicals Moderate Risk Steel Glo Some Risk Steelseries Aggressive Step2 Some Risk Stepping Stones Moderate Risk Steripen Some Risk Stickerfitti Aggressive Stila Some Risk StillCool Moderate Risk StriVectin Aggressive Strivectin Some Risk Stuff4 Moderate Risk Sultra Some Risk Suncast Some Risk Sunwise Aggressive/High Risk T-Mobile Prepaid Phones Some Risk T3 Aggressive/High Risk Table Mate Aggressive/High Risk Tamron Gated in US Taotronics Some Risk Tapestry Aggressive Tarte Some Risk Tascam Aggressive TB Tbuymax Some Risk Tea Tree Aggressive Tech.Bean Some Risk Telebrands Moderate Risk The Art Of Shaving Some Risk The Body Shop Aggressive The Brain Moderate Risk Theraflu Caplets Some Risk Thermopro Moderate Risk Thinkfun Some Risk Thirsty Milo Aggressive/High Risk Timberland Some Risk Time2 Aggressive Tinosorb Some Risk ToJane Aggressive Tommie Copper Some Risk Tommy Bahama Aggressive Tommy Hilfiger Some Risk TOMS Moderate Risk Toms Some Risk top4cus Aggressive/High Risk Topricin Aggressive/High Risk TORRAS Aggressive/High Risk Tory Burch Some Risk Toys Of Wood Oxford Moderate Risk TP-Link Some Risk Training Mask Aggressive Transformers Some Risk Travelon Moderate Risk Trend Setters Fitness Some Risk Trendykid Aggressive/High Risk Tribe Moderate Risk TropiClean Some Risk True Religion Brand Jeans Aggressive/High Risk TruSkin Naturals Some Risk TRX Aggressive Tuffy Some Risk Tummy Tucker Aggressive/High Risk Tumtum Some Risk Twin lab Aggressive Typhoon Moderate Risk Tzumi Some Risk Uarter Some Risk Uggs Aggressive Ugreen Some Risk ULAK Aggressive/High Risk Under Armour High Risk Urban Decay Some Risk Urpower Aggressive/High Risk Ust Some Risk V-Cube Moderate Risk Vanra Some Risk Vcube Moderate Risk Veggie Bullet Some Risk Vera Bradley Aggressive/High Risk Vichy Aggressive Victoria Secret Some Risk Vimerson Health Moderate Risk Vincent Longo Some Risk Vinsic Moderate Risk Vinvent Longo Some Risk Vionic Moderate Risk VIP Products Some Risk Visnic Moderate Risk VitaBreeze Some Risk Vitamix Some Risk Vive Moderate Risk Vogue Patterns Moderate Risk Volcom Some Risk VOLLUCK Possible Risk Vtt Some Risk Vulli Moderate Risk Wacom Some Risk Walkfit Platinum Orthotics Aggressive/High Risk Warner Brothers Moderate Risk Weber Some Risk Wedderspoon Moderate Risk Wen Some Risk Wen by Chaz Dean Moderate Risk Western Digital Some Risk WetNozeHealth Some Risk Whitby Some Risk Whitmor Possible Risk Williams-Sonoma Moderate Risk Wilson Sporting Goods Some Risk Wilton Aggressive Wisdomspot Some Risk Wolf Aggressive Wolf Garten Some Risk Wonder wallet Aggressive/High Risk Wusthof Aggressive/High Risk Xerox Moderate Risk Xtava Some Risk Yankee Candle Aggressive YCC Team Some Risk YCCTEAM Moderate Risk YCDC Some Risk Yeti Some Risk Yiman Aggressive Yongnuo Some Risk Yookidoo Moderate Risk Youngblood Some Risk Youngevity Aggressive/High Risk Younique Moderate Risk ZenNatural Moderate Risk Zing Anything Some Risk Zippo Some Risk Zirh Moderate Risk Zoku Moderate Risk Zoom Entertainments Aggressive/High Risk Zuru Moderate Risk