[Crew Review] This Chinese app is going public in the US—soon

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Chinese fashion brand Shein has been banned in India but has successfully re-entered the country through a loophole—twice.

Now, it’s the no. 2 most popular app in the US, and the company is planning to go public in the United States next year.

Amazon Top Terms

“Money soap” is all the rage in this week's Amazon top 10 list, claiming the coveted #2 spot. Sales for this unique product have skyrocketed from a mere 4 units per day to an impressive 101 units per day within the past two weeks.

What makes money soap so special? Well, it's a bar of soap that holds a real $1, $5, $10, or maybe even a $100 bill hidden inside. As you lather up, the bill gradually reveals itself. 

This quirky item has taken social media by storm, fueling its growing popularity among consumers.

So if you'd like to add a fun and profitable item to your product lineup or if you are an Amazon seller eager to make a splash in the market, come to check this list every week for ideas.

Classic for a Reason

Every year, we conduct a survey among established e-commerce sellers to see what their favorite seller tools are. There’s one that never missed the list: Helium 10.

Year after year, Helium 10 continues to appeal to both beginner and experienced business owners because it’s an all-in-one powerhouse for revenue growth.

Get your discount codes here.

How Are Small Businesses Doing on Amazon?

Amazon recently released its US Small Business Empowerment Report. Just like its previous releases, the latest report focuses on the company’s benefits towards small and medium-sized businesses on the platform.

Here are some of the salient points, looking at data from 2022:

• More than 60% of sales on Amazon are from independent sellers, a majority of which are small and medium-sized businesses.
• Third-party sellers sold more than 4.1 billion products.
• Brand owners who sell on Amazon grew sales by more than 20% YoY.
• Nearly 100 million products were donated by independent sellers through the FBA Donations Program.
• FBA costs 30% less per unit compared to other shipping options in the US.
• Health and personal care is the top category for sellers.

Google’s AI Search Engine Will Have Ads

In keeping up with the demands and popularity of AI-integrated search engines, Google rolled out Search Generative Experience, a feature that provides users with conversational responses to ordinary searches. And because it has the biggest digital ad share, the company is adding sponsored ads into these conversations.

If you inquire about laptop bags, for example, Google will recommend actual products, tips on how to choose the best ones, and suggestions for follow-up queries.

It’s still experimental at this point, but just imagine what it can do for your sales if your product is consistently recommended to potential customers. This also means that SEO and good reviews have never been as important as today.

The feature will roll out over the coming weeks through a waitlist.

Let Google Take Care of Your Listing Images

Don’t you wish you can just describe what you want your listing images to look like and it will magically appear in front of you, ready to be uploaded?

Google’s Project Studio is making that a possibility.

The feature uses generative AI to create product imagery without having to reshoot. It allows sellers to generate a new listing image by describing your desired background, improve image quality by enhancing low-resolution images, and removing distracting backgrounds. This is great news for any business owner who has been through the arduous process of organizing shoots to create marketing materials.

Sellers in the United States can access Product Studio in the next few months.

Etc.

Meta’s Twitter. Meta is developing a text-based app similar to Twitter, code-named P92.

TikTok vs. Montana. The popular social media platform filed a lawsuit against Montana after the latter banned residents from downloading the app.

Congrats, Jeff. Amazon’s founder is reportedly engaged to girlfriend Lauren Sanchez.