[Crew Review] No more free Amazon returns?

First, it was the silent labeling of some products as frequently returned. Now, Amazon is charging some customers $1 for returning an order.

The company seems to be taking a new approach to returned items, and we can only hope it doesn’t come up with a policy that further narrows sellers’ profit margins.

Amazon Top Terms

We gathered data from March 26th to April 8th to present you with the most searched keywords on Amazon in the past two weeks. We will explore the increase in popularity of some of these keywords and the reasons behind their trending status.

The search term "bath bombs for boys" has been a trending term on Amazon this week. This surge in popularity is likely due to the Easter holiday when parents typically fill their kids' baskets with chocolates, toys, and other unique and fun items. 

According to data, products related to this keyword have seen a significant increase in sales, going from selling 72 units to 173 units per day in the last two weeks.

Selling handmade items online also has never been easier or more popular. The biggest advantage of selling handmade items online is the ability to turn your passion into profit. Check out these 50 products you can make at home and sell online.

Amazon Seller Fined $600,000 for Review Manipulation

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a final consent order to fine an Amazon seller for misleading reviews.

The seller in question is New York-based The Bountiful Company, a health supplement brand that makes Nature’s Bounty vitamins and other supplements. Based on the order, the brand made false claims by misusing the product variation feature provided by Amazon.

The Bountiful Company was alleged to have included new products or products that are doing poorly in terms of sales in the listings of their more successful items. This gives buyers the impression that the reviews and star ratings of the more established supplements are equally applied to all other products contained in the listings. This is in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act.

As punishment, the seller was fined $600,000 and was prohibited from making similar types of mirepresentations.

Overall, this is good news for other third-party sellers who have to work hard to promote their new and less popular products. However, considering that the variation feature is one allowed on the platform, this is an indication that some sellers can get away with manipulative practices like this and will continue to do so unless legal action is taken.

Walmart Continues to Close Stores

Despite Walmart’s promise in 2020 to remain in Chicago to support the city, the company has decided to close four of its stores there.

According to a blog post, Walmart made the move because the stores “have not been profitable since [they] opened the first one nearly 17 years ago – these stores lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years.” The retail giant also emphasized that it tried many different strategies over the years and invested millions of dollars, but its Chicago branches didn’t become as profitable as expected.

Walmart is planning on closing a total of 20 stores across the country in 2023 and has laid off more than 2,000 warehouse workers to prepare for what it considers a tough year.

TikTok’s Record Profit

Despite security concerns over TikTok, the app’s parent company, ByteDance, reported a $25 billion gross operating profit for 2022. This is about 80% better than its $14 billion profit in 2021, which indicates that the tech group is doing well in spite of resistance from various governments.

According to Statista, as of January 2023, the United States is the no. 1 country with the largest TikTok audience with 113.25 million users. Notwithstanding the legal challenges the app is currently facing in the country, TikTok remains popular and is a great platform for e-commerce brands to promote their products.

See You in Fort Lauderdale!

You still have more than a month to book your tickets and prepare for your trip to Florida for the Sellers Summit on April 23 to 25.

Get a chance to network with the most passionate e-commerce entrepreneurs and exchange stories over dinner. The Sellers Summit is also a curriculum-based event that offers actionable and practical strategies that have been proven and tested by real sellers like you.

Tickets are limited to keep it intimate. The price goes up on April 19, so make sure you claim your EcomCrew exclusive discount today.

Check for ticket availability.