The Amazon Marketplace has become an ideal sales channel for new entrepreneurs looking for success in the e-commerce sector. For the most part, there are three types of third-party Amazon newcomers: those who have their own inventory, those who have zero inventory, and those who bring their exclusive products to this platform.
Although all third-party sellers will find plenty of opportunities to achieve e-commerce success on the Amazon Marketplace, those who introduce new products that require the generation of new Amazon Standard Identification Numbers may have a greater shot at growing their business and becoming worthy competitors.
Let’s say you have created a new line of fishing lures that you think can become top-selling items on Amazon. If you play your cards rights, you could be selling hundreds of lures after only a few weeks. After enjoying a healthy sales volume for a while, you will probably start thinking about expanding, and this is when Brandlox can help manage authorized sellers.
Managing and Protecting Your Brand
The Amazon Marketplace tends to attract independent sellers who wish to establish and grow their brand on their own. If you are the manufacturer of your own trademarked fishing lures, you will likely want to get started as an exclusive seller and distributor on Amazon; this is an excellent way to test the waters.
You want to experience the purchase transaction, the shipping process, customer service, and the positive reviews posted by satisfied buyers. Perhaps you want to see how the Fulfillment by Amazon centers work and get an idea as to how you should manage inventory and pricing. In other words, you want to be a hands-on entrepreneur in terms of brand development.
Managing your inventory
Having physical control of your inventory may lead you to think that no other Amazon seller will be able to list or offer your fishing lures; after all, you are not looking for partners just yet. What you may not be aware of is that the Amazon Marketplace is filled with “black hat” sellers who will not let a lack of inventory get in their way of plying their wicked trade.
ASIN hijacking is a real problem on Amazon. Just when you least expect it, an unauthorized seller will piggyback on your ASIN, and we are not talking about someone who purchased a couple of your lures and is selling them “used, like new.” Amazon hijackers will lure prospective buyers with your listings and sell them generic or counterfeit lures.
Unless you get Amazon Brand Gating approval, which is very difficult to get for newcomers, your ASINs will be exposed to hijackers. You can spot them on your Seller Central dashboard, but once you have 10 or more ASINs, they become impossible to manage.
Brandlox watches over your ASINs and lets you know about other sellers listing your products. Plus, it also lets you generate cease-and-desist letters when the situation requires them.
Classifying Authorized Sellers
Once you get the hang of the Amazon Marketplace, you may choose to expand your business by approving other sellers to list you ASINs and distribute your products. With Brandlox, you can assign sellers to your ASINs by entering their Amazon IDs. You will still receive notifications when unauthorized sellers try to list your products without approval, and you will be able to keep track of your authorized partners.
Choosing the right merchants to distribute your products on Amazon will increase the reach of your brand. Not doing anything about unauthorized sellers will dilute it and may end up tarnishing your reputation. To learn more about Brandlox and how it can help you manage your brand, contact one of our e-commerce consultants.
