Christian Smales
As the world's biggest marketplace, Amazon makes regular changes to stay on top of a fluctuating environment. Changes are made to ensure the platform is still suitable for both buyers and sellers on the website when these natural changes occur.
So what are the biggest adjustments and updates Amazon has made to its platform during Q2? And why did the eCommerce giant decide to make them?
Table of contents:
Amazon Q2 Updates
Q2 adjustments and updates
Q2 changes due to COVID-19
Final notes
Amazon Q1 Updates
Increase in IPI threshold for storage limits
Temporary pause of removal operations
Period for returns extended
Product video engagement metrics now in Seller Central
Paused account suspensions for order performance
eBay Updates
New categories
Photo backgrounds removed
New Terapeak features
Enhancements in offers to buyers section
Marketplace Updates - Amazon Q2
Q2 adjustments and updates
Apparel size standardisation
As of June 30th, Amazon began standardising the sizing for apparel listed products. The aim of this is to show consistent sizes to customers so they get a better idea of what size they need, and so they can compare products easily. For dresses, sweaters (jumpers) or coats, this will be optional for July 31st. However, as of August 31st, it will become obligatory. Amazon has stated it will roll out a similar standardisation for other apparel product types throughout 2020.
Payment summary widget removed
Amazon has decided to remove the payment summary widget from Seller Central. It is not entirely clear if the marketplace intends to make this change permanent or temporary. However, Amazon did state that it is due to them making improvements to the page.
The total payment balance across all accounts in each country will be now visible in the KPI (key performance indicator) bar at the top of the page. This can be reached in the following way:
- Click total balance on the KPI bar dropdown
- Select payments (under the reports tab in the navigation bar)
New payment dashboard
This quarter, Amazon has introduced a new payment dashboard. The dashboard gives sellers an ‘at a glance’ view of their finances to simplify the financial experience for the seller. With the change, all finances aspects of a merchants’ account can now be seen on a single page.
To access the payment dashboard, select ‘payments’ under the reports tab.
The payment dashboard will include your total balance and available funds at the top of the page. By selecting the account type and period of settlement, you can see what makes up your total balance. This includes various elements such as sales, refunds, and expenses.
Q2 changes due to COVID-19
Account suspension pause maintained
The pause to account suspensions for order performance was extended from Q1 into Q2, ending May 31st. This included the late shipping, cancellation and order defect rates. Amazon said it had made this decision due to the high quantity of merchants mentioning supply chain difficulties. As of June the 1st, Amazon restored its standard order performance standards.
To better manage your order performance from June the 1st onwards, Amazon recommends you do the following:
- Monitor your inventory levels and make sure your listings reflect availability within your inventory.
- Make sure your shipping choices match your capabilities
- Manage your customer inquiries as quickly as possible, and always within 48 hours.
Vacation mode
Amazon has actively encouraged merchants who cannot fulfill standard orders to put their accounts on vacation mode. The platform has stated that any merchant doing this will not face any additional sanctions for using vacation mode longer than is normally expected. When a merchant decides to start selling again, they will still have the same stock capacity and ratings as before.
Continuation of storage fees being waived
Towards the end of Q1, Amazon began waiving the inventory storage fees for products stored in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic, for 2 weeks. If a merchant in one of these nations hasn’t already benefited from this, they will automatically have their inventory storage fees waived now/after sign up.
Amazon has also waived the long term storage fees in those same countries, as of April the 15th.
Pause in repayment of lending loans for merchants
Amazon also announced a pause in the repayment of lending loans for merchants based in the United States, or the United Kingdom. This pause was active until April 30th.
Final Notes
Amazon has remained vigilant to any COVID-19 related supply chain issues during Q2, keeping many of the temporary measures that were implemented in Q1 in place, with the aim of assisting small businesses.
Related: How Coronavirus is Impacting eCommerce (Data Digest)
Whilst Amazon has retained its focus on helping small businesses, it has also refocused by making smaller adjustments. These changes were implemented with the hope of making the platform more user friendly for both buyers and sellers. Tweaks such as apparel standardisation and an at a glance dashboard both contribute to this.
With relative normality resuming for eCommerce businesses, Q3 may see platforms like Amazon consider larger changes to the platform.
Return to top of page or Check Out 5 Tips to Increase Online Sales During Coronavirus Pandemic
Amazon & eBay Updates for Retailers - Q1 2020
With marketplaces continuing to adapt and push forward, it is important to stay on top of the latest developments. This becomes especially important now, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Marketplaces have been forced to adapt at an even faster rate than normal. So what main changes have we seen from marketplaces in the first quarter of 2020? And how have they adapted to deal with an influx of orders in the short term?
Amazon Updates
Like most marketplaces during Q1, Amazon’s main aim seems to be to endure as well as possible during COVID-19. It aims to do this by supporting smallers sellers, by loosening restrictions. Amazon is also encouraging the burst of eCommerce use by offering buyers similarly loosened restrictions.
Increase in IPI threshold for storage limits
IPI is Amazon’s way of measuring a seller's ability to manage their inventory efficiently. Sellers receive a score between 1-1000. Due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, Amazon has increased its IPI (Inventory performance index) threshold for storage limits to 400.
Previously, the threshold was 350. For sellers, a score below threshold means storage capacity will be limited by Amazon. The increase in the threshold may lead to more sellers having limited storage.
It is believed Amazon introduced this policy change to keep the selling platform as fair as possible. With the sudden influx and rise of people buying online, the change was made with the aim of maintaining balance.
Related: Learn How to Easily Transition Your Store to Online
Should you wish to increase the threshold to ensure you maintain unlimited storage, it is best to keep track of your data. Ensure you have sufficient stock but not excess, whilst organising returns effectively.
Temporary pause of removal operations
To ensure Amazon can maximize its capacity to provide essential household and medical supplies, removal operations (the removal of items from a seller's inventory) have been temporarily halted. Consequently, long term storage fees for April 15th have been waived for the following nations:
United States
United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
Poland
Czech Republic
Period for returns extended
Amazon has also extended it’s returns period, temporarily. This is only for orders placed on Amazon.com and does not apply to every item. Therefore you should check Amazon’s policies.
Most items ordered from Amazon or our Seller partners between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020 can be returned until May 31.
For items purchased after April 30, 2020, the normal return window will apply, which is usually 30 days from the date of receipt of shipment.
Product video engagement metrics now in Seller Central
Video metrics can now be seen in your video management and this means a seriously big opportunity for advertisers.
Setting up your Amazon Video Ads requires working with an Amazon Advertising expert. If you already have a managed advertising account with Amazon, you should contact your account liaison directly.
source: tinuiti
You can now see how videos uploaded via Inventory (Upload & Manage Videos section) influence your viewership engagement. It’s essential to track views and engagement data and create content that may drive sales.
Videos can contain product details, customer testimonials, brand information, and more. Amazon recommends keeping your video at around 15 seconds of length for maximum impact and combining video with other types of ads. For better results retailers can mix video ads together with on-site display ads, sponsored ads etc.
Paused account suspensions for order performance
Due to the issues Coronavirus has caused many businesses, Amazon has paused account suspensions for order performance.
This means that those businesses who are having to cancel a lot of orders, or are shipping them late are not punished. These changes are active from March 20th.
Amazon stopped accepting most inbound shipments from sellers so it could focus on fulfilling high-demand goods such as medical supplies and household staples. In addition, Amazon has also paused account suspensions for high order defect rates, from March 15th.
eBay Updates
With its Q1 updates, eBay’s focus is mainly on lessening the impact of Coronavirus. With leniency for buyers, and some for sellers. Sellers may contrastingly find that some restrictions have been tightened to ensure issues are resolved quickly.
However, those changes should not affect sellers who are responsible with their sales. Unlike Amazon, eBay has also made a few changes that are non-coronavirus related. Many of these changes are aimed at making the interface more friendly for sellers, whilst making data more accessible.
eBay has made a number of changes this Spring. Here are some of the most important:
New categories
4 new categories have been introduced so buyers can find items with greater ease. These are Business & Industrial, Watches, Home & Garden, and Sporting Goods.
These categories will be introduced from the beginning of May and will be available from the usual drop down category box (which is used when listing a product for sale.) The categories are new optional choices.
Merchants who previously sold items under different, broader categories can choose to change categories, or not. If you wish to change the category in DataFeedWatch, it can be done under the categories tab.
Photo backgrounds removed
60% of US digital shoppers said they needed to see an average of three or four images when shopping online while 83% of US smartphone users surveyed found product images and photos to be "very" and "extremely" influential.
The removal of the background is a great opportunity for sellers to showcase their produce as the center of the advertisement. The change highlights eBay’s attempt to resolve the issue of poor quality photos being uploaded, which often deter potential buyers. Optimizing images on eBay will now take on a similar look to that of Google Shopping.
Backgrounds from your photos will now instantly be changed to white. Prior to the addition of this feature, backgrounds were inconsistent. They required the seller to take time removing the background themselves for the best results. The background change is done automatically for every photo and is not optional.
New Terapeak features
Terapeak is an exclusive eBay tool that collects and uses supply, demand and pricing data to help provide insight. With Terapeak you can spot patterns in data, and recognize what competitors are doing. It is a great way to improve your own listing.
Terapeak features can be found under the research tab in the seller hub. The features are available to all users on a basic package or more.
eBay’s latest Terapeak features that will allow for:
• Easier categorization (view only transactions that occurred in a specific eBay category)
• Data analysis (such as market trends, share and sales)
• Type-ahead component (recommends categories based on frequent seller searches)
As of March, other new Terapeak features will include a type ahead component, data visualizations and a listing report for all active listings.
Enhancements in offers to buyers section
The “Offer to buyers” feature in favor of interacting with buyers who show interest but haven’t yet completed their transactions. You can now offer your products to ‘watchers’ at a discounted price and even negotiate with them.
According to eBay around 30% more watchers turn into buyers when they receive an offer from a seller.
Previously you could only reach 10 buyers at one time with an offer. This has now been upgraded to 40 buyers.
To initiate the negotiation process with those interested, simply send watchers a counteroffer. The maximum number of negotiations per potential buyer is 5.
Final Thoughts
Leniency and efficiency are currently the unsuspected face of eCommerce. Due to the ever changing situation during Q1, many marketplace amendments are aimed at resolving delivery and supply chain issues.
Whilst helping small businesses with their own supply and delivery issues has also become a necessity. And with no sign of the need for eCommerce relenting, marketplaces will need to keep adapting their processes well into Q2.
