[Crew Review] Amazon’s Prime Day 2.0 is set for October 11-12

Amazon Top Terms

We’ve put keyword data from Amazon Brand Analytics under the microscope to show you the terms that have jumped in popularity on Amazon from September 11th to September 24th.

Last week, Mexico experienced a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked its southwestern coast. After this event, the term "noaa weather radio" rose to the top 10, taking our #8 slot. The National Weather Service suggests having an emergency plan and ready supplies such as flashlights, batteries, food, or a NOAA weather radio.

Sales for this product have gone from only 145 units per day to 694 units per day in the last few days.

Amazon Brand Analytics is one of the most valuable reporting tools in Seller Central right now, while it doesn't replace third-party tools you may already be using, it's definitely a nice compliment.

Prime Day 2.0 Set for October 11-12

After months of speculation, Amazon has officially announced a new shopping holiday this Q4. It’s called Prime Early Access Sale, but it’s essentially Prime Day 2.0 for third-party sellers.

In its press release, the ecommerce giant announced that the event will run for 48 hours from October 11 at 12 AM (PST) through October 12 in fifteen countries. The announcement teased huge deals from brands like New Balance and Peloton, which recently joined the Amazon marketplace, as well as a Top 100 list of curated giftable items for the holidays.

Source: Amazon

Though it’s hard to anticipate what this new sales event will bring, Amazon’s traditional Prime Day, which usually takes place in Q2 or Q3 of every year, has historically been a profitable period for third-party sellers, so this Q4 event could be a good way to maximize revenue before capping off the year.

Macy’s Launches Digital Marketplace

Legacy department store company Macy’s is taking a page out of Amazon’s playbook, launching a curated digital marketplace for third-party sellers and brand partners.

By allowing independent merchants onto its online platform, Macy’s seeks to expand its offered goods to customers without having to warehouse or manage actual inventories, while at the same time retaining the final say on which brands and products appear to customers on its site.

Other retail giants like Walmart and Target are also actively running their own ecommerce marketplaces, as more and more Amazon sellers are looking to expand their businesses outside of Amazon to reach more customers.

Etsy Sellers Create ‘Indie Sellers Guild’

Back in April, handmade and craft marketplace Etsy announced a transaction fee increase from 5% to 6.5%, which did not sit well with its millions of third-party sellers.

This incited an initial petition signed by over 80,000 sellers and a strike by 30,000. It demanded, among other things, the cancellation of the fee increase, a strong crackdown on resellers, and ending the Star Seller Program. 30,000 is just a fraction of the marketplace’s estimated 5 million seller base and has no material impact on the platform, according to an Etsy spokesperson.

However, as a byproduct of the petition, the sellers founded the Indie Sellers Guild, which, though resembling a non-profit organization more than a traditional union, calls for sellers to collectively seek contracts that protect them from sudden and detrimental changes to terms of service. It’s called the ‘Indie’ Sellers Guild, as opposed to the Etsy Sellers Guild, as it aims to be inclusive to sellers on other ecommerce sites.

Amazon Dials Back its Air Cargo Activity

A research by DePaul University in Chicago using flight tracking data and geo-imaging software has found out that Amazon is scaling back its air logistics network, dovetailing with recent reports that the ecommerce giant has been continually pausing or shutting down more of its warehouses as demand continues to slow down to pre-pandemic levels.

According to the report, Amazon Air’s expansion grew by only 3.8% between March and August of this year, paling in comparison to its 18.4% growth over the past year. On the other hand, Amazon recently announced Amazon Warehousing & Distribution, which promises “low-cost, long-term storage” for its third-party marketplace sellers.