July has been a bustling month for the e-commerce industry, marked by significant events and strategic shifts. From Amazon’s record-breaking Prime Day to the launch of innovative programs by TikTok and Amazon, the e-commerce landscape is rapidly evolving. Notably, Rufus is now available to all US customers, and Amazon and Temu are swapping strategies to stay ahead in the competitive market. Also, Amazon’s new feature allows sellers to generate 3D product photos using their mobile devices, and FBA sellers benefit from automatic reimbursements. These developments highlight the dynamic nature of e-commerce and the continuous drive for innovation and customer satisfaction.
In this article, we will cover:
- Amazon Prime Day A Record-Breaking Event
- Rufus is Now Live for All US customers
- Amazon and Temu Swapping Strategies
- TikTok Launches New Program
- Generate 3D Product Photos with the Mobile on Amazon
- FBA Sellers are Getting Automatic Reimbursement
Amazon Prime Day: A Record-Breaking Event
We all know that Amazon Prime Day takes place on the 16th and 17th of July this year. However, the significant fact of Prime Day this year is that it smashed all previous records.
U.S. shoppers spent a whopping 14.2 billion dollars online during the two-day event. According to Adobe Analytics, that is 11% of Amazon’s total sales for the entire year. The top categories of this year’s event were consumer electronics and back-to-school products.
Amazon announced that Prime Day this year was the biggest Prime Day shopping event ever. Prime members are involved with millions of deals across more than 35 categories, buying more items than any previous Prime Day.
On the other hand, independent sellers, most of whom are small or medium-sized businesses, sold over 200 million items during this 48-hour event. It was a successful event for the sellers.
Rufus is Now Live for All US Customers
Rufus is a new AI-powered shopping assistant. It is now available for all US customers on the Amazon mobile app.
It will help customers find products, compare options, and get personalized recommendations. Previously, a few lucky shoppers could try it out in the beta version, but now everyone in the US utilizes this feature.
This handy chatbot is trained to learn about Amazon’s product catalog, customer reviews, community Q&As, and other public information on the site.
On the flip side, there is a recent article we found that says Amazon’s AI assistant, Rufus, is great at answering questions about specific products. But it struggles to sort through the vast catalog of Amazon.
It looks like sellers might have to wait a bit longer for some updates to make Rufus even more helpful.
Amazon and Temu Swap Strategies
Amazon is gearing up to launch a new section on its site for low-priced fashion and lifestyle items. This new strategy is similar to Temu.
According to CNBC, Amazon will handle shipping these products straight from China to US shoppers, aiming for delivery in about nine to eleven days. This new setup could be a game-changer for Chinese sellers. They can offer cost-saving deals by cutting down on the middleman. But, it could be trouble for the US FBA sellers to compete with the price.
On the other side, Temu is stepping up its game to be more like Amazon. They are focusing on faster shipping and reducing supply chain risks.
In a surprising twist, 20% of Temu’s US sales now come from local warehouses, up from zero just earlier this year. They have made this shift in just four months by teaming up with local sellers. Though many of them are Chinese companies based in the U.S.
With this move, Temu skips direct shipping from China and offers bigger items like furniture and much quicker delivery. It is surprising that 103 out of 120 top products on Temu’s homepage now ship from U.S. warehouses and arrive in less than five days.
TikTok Launches a New Program To Attract More UK Merchants
TikTok has launched a new program called the “£1 Million Club” to help UK retailers hit big sales goals.
It’s offering a bunch of significant benefits for new merchants, such as up to 90 days without any commission fees, free storage and fulfillment, and top-notch seller support. They will give your brand a boost with extra promotional help.
The expansion of TikTok will help it become a major e-commerce site in the UK market. However, the previous attempts by TikTok to expand in the UK faced challenges due to low consumer interest and internal issues.
Generate 3D Product Photos with the Mobile on Amazon
Amazon just dropped an impressive new feature for US sellers. They can now create stunning 3D product models for free right from the Amazon Seller iOS app.
The announcement from Seller Central says the eligibility will depend on product category, physical properties, and other factors. So this is not for all products. To access this tool, you will need an iOS device with iOS 17 or newer, and your device language must be set to US English.
Once you have successfully scanned, Amazon will need more or less three weeks to make the 3D model visible to customers. 3D models will be added to your listing automatically. So, check your product’s eligibility. Then give the shoppers more exciting experiences.
FBA Sellers are Getting Automatic Reimbursement
This is one of the biggest news stories for Amazon FBA sellers. Amazon will automatically reimburse FBA sellers for items lost in their fulfillment centers as of November 1, 2024. This update will save you time and hassle.
Amazon said almost all reimbursement claims related to warehouse losses, damages, and customer returns will now be handled proactively.
But if anyone doesn’t get an automatic reimbursement, they can still file a claim manually. The most important factor of this update is that you still need to manually submit all the removal claims.
There is also a new eligibility window for manual claims, starting on October 23, 2024. Here is a quick breakdown of it:
- You have up to 60 days to file a claim after reporting the loss or damage.
- For returns, you can file a claim between 60 to 120 days after the refund or replacement date. Wait at least 60 days before submitting the file.
- For returns, you can file a claim between 60 to 120 days after the refund or replacement date. Wait at least 60 days before submitting to give customers time to return the item.
- For all other removal claims, you will have 60 days to file a claim after the shipment is delivered.
Conclusion
To sum up, in the e-commerce industry, e-commerce giants like Amazon, TikTok, and Temu pursue innovation and customer-centric strategies. Amazon’s record-breaking Prime Day and the introduction of new features like 3D product photo generation highlight the company’s commitment to enhancing the shopping experience. Meanwhile, TikTok’s new program and the strategic idea swap between Amazon and Temu reflect the dynamic and competitive nature of the market. E-commerce platforms are continuously evolving to meet the demands of both consumers and sellers. As we move forward, these advancements set the stage for even more exciting changes in the months to come.
If you need any help with any e-commerce platform, feel free to let us know in the comment box or email us at the following email address: info@ecomclips.com
To learn more about e-commerce updates, please check out our other blog. Also, you can check out our YouTube videos as well.
