Owen Carr’s Post

Do what you say. One of our recent brand partners came to us after working with a different ecommerce solution provider who ended up not being able to maintain their Prime status. Their revenue was down. Their traffic was declining. And with Q4's premium selling season approaching, they were eager to find a partner who could deliver. I feel strongly that this is something brands today need to hear, especially those in the big-and-bulky space: you deserve an ecommerce partner who can not only secure your Prime badge but ensure your listings maintain that Prime status 24/7, 365 days a year, across all zip codes. Regardless of what you sell, what size your products are, or how much they weigh. If you are struggling to find someone who can truly deliver on that vision, send me a DM.

Your Amazon listings now have a mind of their own. A few weeks ago, Amazon announced that all listing titles, descriptions, and product recommendations on the channel would be changed from shopper to shopper using generative AI. The idea of personalizing content based on consumer insights is nothing new. Our team, alongside others in the industry, has been leveraging AI for a while now to scan reviews and consumer feedback, helping us identify areas for improvement in listings, content, and imagery. So, what's the big change? This is a 100% hands-free shift on the brand side. Every Amazon user will 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 experience your listings differently, based on their searches, preferences, and purchase history, enabling brands to make timely changes rather than waiting to adjust and improve content manually. I do not think this will have a dramatic, overnight impact on listing performance, but rather serve as a new tool we can incorporate into the sub-steps of how we operate, where we can see gradual change add up over time. What do you think? How do you see this changing the Amazon experience for sellers and consumers?

Another great all-hands meeting in the books! Last week, Spreetailers from around the globe gathered in Lincoln to discuss the future of Spreetail for this Q4, 2025, and beyond. My favorite part of these meetings is always getting to spend time with one another and connect face-to-face. I am so grateful for the relentless hard work that the Spreetailers continuously put in to deliver even greater value to our brand partners. Feeling ready and excited to see some of the new initiatives that we discussed come to life, I know we have a great few years ahead of us.

3 things successful brands have in common. At Spreetail, we are fortunate to work with many great brands worldwide. These are a few things we look for and where we see strength within our partners that allow us to grow over the long haul. 𝟭. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁  Ecommerce and consumer products are changing every day. The things that worked yesterday may or may not work in the future. Brands that are curious, have a learning mindset and are open to constantly trying, testing, observing, and adjusting are the ones we see doing well over time. 𝟮. 𝗥&𝗗 & 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱  It is now easier than ever for factories and companies to replicate products. We have easier access to more data. Communication is more streamlined. Although global transportation has had hiccups in the last few years, it has never been more consistent and more affordable than it is today. We should be constantly assessing where the consumer is going. How can I adjust feature sets? How can I create unique product offerings that convey a strong brand story? Brands that sit in the great products they made 5, 10, or 20 years ago are the ones that struggle more over time. 𝟯. 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲  Are you building a 5-star-worthy product? Is it something that customers see as a good product and a good value? There are few things worse than giving customers 1-day delivery on a great-priced item with strong content and advertising, just to have the item returned because it is not good quality, or it is not manufactured consistently. When you think about great brands throughout history, they have been successful in part through consistent quality and production.

A few weeks ago, Walmart hosted its 2024 Marketplace Seller Summit. Several new ecommerce announcements came both before and from this event that I believe show Walmart as marching ahead of the curve in ecommerce. Here are a couple you should know. 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.  Walmart announced a new ecommerce program called LocalFinds, allowing shoppers to easily discover merchandise located within their vicinity, with in-store pickup and delivery options available. Bridging the gap between online and offline shopping. I think this highlights two things. First, consumers want products faster than ever. If they see that they can get their hands on an item that same day, or the next day, they're more likely to click "buy". Brands that can deliver that speed are placing themselves ahead of the competition. Second, consumers live in an omnichannel world with online shopping, offline shopping, and cross-channel shopping. You may be seeing success on the one or two channels you sell on but think about the growth you are missing out on by not making yourself available to those other audiences. 𝟮. 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀.  In an earnings call before the summit, Walmart's CEO discussed how their recent AI investments are increasing impulse purchases, saying "We're in this situation where we've got the best ecommerce food offer, and new tools are helping us connect impulse items that are general merchandise... which helps us improve both sales and profitability.” What does this mean for brands? If AI is not a part of your business model, whether it's task automation, data insights, or personalized customer suggestions, it may be time to invest. Also, customers now expect a personalized experience. Winning today means tailoring your content, listings, and descriptions with a consumer-first perspective. Giving them a custom experience based on what they want to know before purchasing. Let's grow the conversation. What initiative or announcement caught your attention? What else do you think brands can learn here? https://lnkd.in/e4qWf98V

Would you buy the first phone case you find? Probably not. And that level of consideration and product comparison only escalates with bigger-and-bulkier items like desks, chairs, or couches. As a brand, knowing your competitive landscape and understanding your digital shelf is vital to staying competitive and earning those conversions. You need to consider your content quality, advertising, shipping speed, product features, logistical operations, product representation... And, of course, pricing. This is not to say you want to be the cheapest or the most expensive, but you should know how your product compares and have a defined strategy surrounding that data. What other products are your customers looking at? Is their review count increasing faster than your items? Do they appear to be getting more promotional prices? Are they selling more units? How do you stack up to the competition, and what can you refine to stand out?

If your brand was affected by Amazon's 1P vendor changes, message me now for a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 with the Spreetail team. We hope to help brands find the right path forward, turning these challenges into growth opportunities.

What should I be doing 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 to prepare for the holiday season? What are the highest return promos across top channels? How do I set an advertising budget for the holiday season? Join some of Spreetail's top ecommerce experts to discuss these questions and more in our upcoming webinar, "Spreetail's Guide to Prepping for the Holiday Selling Season." It's not all about Spreetail. It's not painfully long. We're not telling you things you already know. We're sharing key insights from our industry experts to help your brand maximize growth this Q4. Register now and join us live next Tuesday, September 10th, at 1p.m CT: https://hubs.li/Q02MXbfX0

Searches on Amazon can be highly, HIGHLY specific. We've all been there. Searching for a certain item and getting lost in the wrong set of products, not finding what we're looking for. Recently, my team and I were working with a stepladder brand. While doing product research on Amazon, we noticed their stepladder appeared in search alongside stepladders intended for children to reach bathroom sinks or counters. None of the product pages containing their item actually had step ladders for adults, even though the product itself was a step ladder for adults. How would someone searching for adult stepladders find that item? What a missed opportunity. Search on Amazon is huge. Shoppers there do not use the traditional category or navigational refinements typically used on other websites. A majority of them strictly use the search tool to find the items they want. If you know what consumers are searching for, your listings should be optimized to match those searches. Ensuring customers are able to find your product and have a better experience with it.

I will admit, I am turning into a sports dad. Relay race, tug-o-war, 100-meter dash, whatever it is, there is a good chance that I will be one of the loudest parents cheering from the sidelines. This past weekend was no different, as we held our first track and field day for Nebraska-based Spreetailers. It was great seeing all of the parents and even grandparents coming together and cheering on our Junior Spreetailers. Thank you to everyone who joined us, especially Brei Wagner Holcombe and Makenzie Hilt who helped plan such a great morning for everyone.