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10 TIPS How to Improve Your Sales During The Coronavirus Crisis!

Kika Angelic

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[whohit]10 TIPS How to Improve Your Sales During The Coronavirus Crisis![/whohit]As the world is struggling with the coronavirus crisis and people’s lives and businesses are affected by strict measures enforced by their governments or marketplaces, many e-commerce sellers are finding themselves in a difficult situation – some failing to make money or grow their sales.

In this article, I would like to present you my 10 tips how to increase your sales.

1. Find high demand products but sell them at reasonable prices

Many people saw a chance to make great profit once the first coronavirus cases were being announced across the western world and decided to stock tens of thousands of units of essential items to resell them later, when they become unavailable elsewhere.

This would be a good idea if the online marketplaces did not react by enforcing strict policies aiming to prevent this type of behavior.

Selling essential, high demand products such as grocery, toilet rolls, face masks or hand sanitizers is a great idea but make sure to price them reasonably. Not only you will attract lots of customers but you will ensure that your account remains active.

2. Focus on items that used to be sold in brick and mortar stores and are now closed

   Now, once all the brick and mortar stores are closed and no one knows when will they reopen, it’s the time for you to build business partnerships and explore new products.

Contact local retailers without an online or Amazon presence to see if they would be interested in cooperating with you and making their inventory available for sale with your help.

3. Watch your competition and adjust accordingly

Many sellers are now for various reasons unable to continue offering their products for sale on Amazon and that’s why you will often find popular listings abandoned with no competing offer in sight.

When there used to be a dozen of sellers selling the same item, you are now often left alone on listings. Take advantage of the situation and ensure to get as many sales as possible by setting a price which works for you. In addition, don’t forget to set Automated Pricing so the price gets adjusted in case that other merchants join the listing later.

4. Ship internationally

If you haven’t thought about offering international postage yet, think about it again. Brick and mortar stores around the world are closed with many popular items being unavailable.

There are millions of potential customers having nowhere to order them from, due to various restrictions imposed on retailers in their own country. Take your chance and offer postage worldwide!

5. Expand to global Amazon marketplaces

Have you only focused on your local Amazon marketplace so far? Why don’t you expand to advertise your products within all available international sites?

UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Usa, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UAE, Japan, India, Turkey or Singapore are all waiting for you and it’s not that difficult. You will be able to reach millions of new customers and expand your business.

6. Set up stores on different online trading platforms

Don’t limit your business and presence to Amazon. There are lots of other marketplaces where you can offer your products for sale as well and earn some additional profit.

Think about eBay, Walmart, Etsy, Bonanza, Ecrater or Rakuten but you can find some additional platforms in your own country, such as Gumtree in the UK, Aukro in Czechia or Fishpond in Australia.

7. Try different business models

Don’t focus on just one business model. If you are doing retail arbitrage, consider trying to set up a private label. Don’t just resell generic unbranded products but design something yourself. Have a Chinese factory manufacture the product for you, under your own trademarked brand and be the only seller of it without competition. 

The other options include B2B wholesale or dropshipping, which is a good business model as long as you have a trusted and responsible supplier.

8. Invest into creative advertising

Paying for Amazon PPC can be a good way how to attract more customers but have you thought of a different way how to advertise and build a large customer base? Focus on social media.

Set up a Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or a YouTube channel to promote your products and business. Reach out to your customers on a daily basis, provide quick and friendly customer service and don’t be afraid to try new things, such as having online influencers involved.

9. Help others during the global pandemic

While focusing on increasing your sales is very important, don’t forget that there are lots of unfortunate people that need your help. If you have the option, donate some portion of your inventory or sales to local organizations that provide for people in need.

If you are selling face masks or hand sanitizers, why don’t you offer some to hospitals in your area. You will have a good feeling that you helped and contributed with your part to fight the pandemic and this action may help you as customers will be more likely to support a business that thinks of others.

10. Get involved in the seller community!

Maybe you have never thought of it but actively participating in the seller community can help you boost your sales.

Contribute by posting into our Seller Forums, join our famous Facebook group Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide and learn more about the lives and experiences of other merchants. You can find friends who will offer you some guidance how to improve your own business while your tips may help someone else.

My name is Kristina Hajdukova, but I am known as Kika Angelic. I have been selling online since high school and I dedicated my entire life to helping other Amazon Sellers and building the seller community Regarding Amazon Seller Performance, you can always participate in my Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide group, where you will be very welcome. If you are an Amazon Seller who needs help with any Amazon-related issues such as suspensions, listing blocks or is looking for professional assistance, please don’t hesitate to subscribe to my new OnlyFans page at: www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic

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How Long do Factories Usually Shut Down for Chinese New Year?

Kika Angelic

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If you are an Amazon Seller who has been doing business involving importing from China for some time already, you may be familiar with the regular anxiety as February approaches each year. Every time Chinese New Year comes around, a lot of Amazon Sellers who rely on imports from China gets thrown for a loop. Rookie sellers often fail to anticipate the holiday’s impact on their production timelines, shipping timelines, and quality control.

As many seasoned sellers know, it’s critical to start planning for the CNY holiday far in advance. Factories shut down for several weeks, and after they reopen, it takes at least a few more weeks to get back up to full production capacity.

Here I will address the typical effects of these holidays and the actions you can take to avoid problems with your Amazon business.

How Long do Factories Usually Shut Down for Chinese New Year?

During the Chinese New Year holiday period, every factory in China shuts down… Yes, every factory. The official public holiday only lasts for seven to eight days. However, most factories are fully closed for two to four weeks.

Additionally, many Chinese factory workers take extra time off, leaving in the weeks leading up to company closure dates, slowing production down significantly. Many workers will not return immediately afterward, meaning it can take up to a month for production to return to full capacity after the holiday.

Why do Factories and Employees Take So Much Time Off?

Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is the country’s most important holiday. Like Thanksgiving or Christmas in the US, people travel back home to spend time with their families.

Since most factory workers are migrant laborers, they generally live far away from their hometowns and travel hundreds of kilometers or more to return home. If they have a husband or wife and children, it may even be one of the only times they see them during the whole year.

Companies require long closure times to allow workers to travel home and then back to the city where they work. 

5 Things You Should Note

With so many people traveling for Chinese New Year and the lengthy factory closures, there are certain things you need to understand if you want to properly manage your Amazon inventory and maintain your expected level of quality.

#1 It Takes Factories at Least a Month to Restart After Chinese New Year Holiday

You might assume that the same workers who left before the holiday will be coming back afterward. However, Chinese New Year is generally the preferred time to switch jobs in China.

Up to a third of workers might move to another factory or decide to stay in their hometowns and not come back. As such, your manufacturer needs to hire new workers and get them up to speed. Because of this, many factories will not be back to full production levels until about a month after Chinese New Year.

Based on my own experience, I had it frequently happen to me that a completely new salesperson turned up after February, who had no recollection of what I ordered before.

#2 There are Increased Quality Issues Before and After the Holiday

Before the holiday, factories are in a mad dash to get orders out the door, which leads to more things being missed and more quality issues than usual. You may see incorrect quantities of units received by Amazon FBA facilities following shipment, because your supplier opts to ship everything as it is (incomplete), as opposed to delaying and risking you cancelling the whole order. After the holiday, the factory needs to hire new workers who are more likely to make mistakes than experienced ones.

As such, consider stepping up your product inspection efforts in the months before and after the Spring Festival. 

#3 The Cost of Shipping Goes Up Drastically Around the Holiday

With the lengthy factory closures and the rush to get products out beforehand, manufacturers will often charge more if you want to ship an order close to Chinese New Year.

In addition to your factory taking time off, shipping companies also take time off. As such, heavy volumes are going to the ports before the holiday with only a limited number of ships, which means shipping rates go up.

Shipping rates have been a big topic in recent years, and they are much lower now than during the pandemic, but keep in mind that Chinese New Year is typically the most expensive time to ship.

#4 You Should Never Pay a Deposit Just Before the Spring Festival

Sometimes companies go out of business — and in China, the Spring Festival is the most common time of year to close down permanently. Factories that have not been doing well financially often choose to go out of business during Chinese New Year.

Paying a deposit just before the holiday can be a disastrous proposition. If your factory intends to close permanently and does not tell you, you may never get it back, so be sure to wait until they reopen.

#5 You Need to Forecast Far in Advance to Adjust for Production Times

As I have discussed, several factors affect production around the Chinese New Year. These include the rush before the holiday, the long closure times, and the ramp-up period afterward.

For any orders you would want to receive in March/April, you should start discussing them with your suppliers by around September/October.

When planning schedules, it is a good idea to take past data into account and also consider what may or may not happen globally. It is essential to forecast your inventory needs far in advance and consider many factors when developing your ordering schedule.

When do Factories Close for Chinese New Year 2024?

The dates for Chinese New Year and other traditional festivals are based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and thus they change every year, relative to the Gregorian calendar we use in the West.

February 10, 2024 is the first day of the “Year of the Dragon.” The official government holiday will last from February 10th through the 17th. Some factories may close earlier in the month and many will be fully closed for two to four weeks. So check with your factory contacts to get their exact closure dates.

As I have discussed, Chinese New Year is China’s most important holiday, leading to significant factory downtime and increased quality mishaps. As such, you should step up your quality control efforts around this time.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you are an Amazon Seller looking for free help with any Amazon related issues from me or other sellers with whom you can network, don’t hesitate and join our discussion forum for Amazon Sellers.

To stay in touch on Facebook, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome too.

If you would like to hire me to privately assist you, feel free to subscribe and reach out through my dedicated assistance page at www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic, where I provide support with Amazon related matters in exchange for a small $24.99 fee. Alternatively, you can post into the free public discussion forum for Amazon Sellers, where I will answer your question.

Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am presenting you several secret tips about appealing Amazon Seller Account suspensions (don’t be confused by the opening of the video, where I am enjoying a vacation – it’s a part of the story):

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Learn How You Can Sell Your Amazon Products All Over Europe with PAN-EU on AmazonPAN European FBA –

Kika Angelic

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Amazon PAN European FBA is a program offered by Amazon that allows sellers to store their inventory in multiple European fulfillment centers. With PAN European FBA, sellers can distribute their products across several European countries more efficiently, allowing for faster and more cost-effective delivery to customers.

This means when your FBA product is sold in one of these other European Marketplaces, you will only pay the local fulfillment fee instead of the more expensive cross-border fee for each order shipped.

It also makes you Prime-eligible and more visible to more shoppers in Europe.

Available Countries for PAN European FBA

The Amazon PAN-EU fulfillment centers are currently located in the following countries.

  1. United Kingdom (UK)
  2. Germany
  3. France
  4. Italy
  5. Spain
  6. Netherlands
  7. Sweden
  8. Poland
  9. Czech Republic

These countries are part of the Amazon European Fulfillment Network, allowing sellers to store inventory in multiple fulfillment centers across Europe. By using PAN European FBA, sellers can reach customers in these countries more efficiently and take advantage of Amazon’s logistics network for faster and more cost-effective order fulfillment.

Fulfillment Options for Amazon’s European Networks

When selling within the European marketplaces, you have 3 different fulfillment options.

  • European Fulfillment Network (EFN)
  • Pan-European FBA
  • Multi-Country Inventory (MCI)

Why will You Choose PAN European FBA?

There are several reasons why you might choose PAN European FBA as your preferred fulfillment method:

Effortless Inventory Management: PAN European FBA simplifies inventory management by allowing sellers to consolidate their inventory across multiple European countries. This centralized approach enables efficient tracking, replenishment, and distribution of stock, ensuring products are readily available to meet customer demand.

Lower FBA Fees: Utilizing PAN European FBA can lead to potential cost savings for sellers. By storing inventory in Amazon’s fulfillment centers across Europe, sellers can benefit from lower fulfillment fees compared to shipping products individually to different countries.

Access to European Customers: PAN European FBA provides sellers with access to a wide customer base across Europe. By utilizing Amazon’s extensive logistics network, sellers can efficiently reach customers in multiple countries. This expanded market reach, opens up new growth opportunities and the chance to tap into diverse customer demographics.

Fast and Reliable Deliveries: With inventory strategically placed across Europe, PAN European FBA enables fast and reliable deliveries to customers. This reduces shipping times and improves the overall customer experience.

Local Customer Service: PAN European FBA leverages Amazon’s established customer service infrastructure to provide local support to customers. Sellers can benefit from Amazon’s expertise in handling customer inquiries, returns, and other service-related issues. Local customer service enhances the overall shopping experience, instills confidence in customers, and fosters trust in the seller’s brand.

The Difference Between EFN and PAN-EU FBA?

The key difference between Amazon EFN (European Fulfillment Network) and PAN-EU FBA (Pan-European Fulfillment by Amazon) lies in handling inventory and fulfillment. 

Inventory Placement: With Amazon EFN, sellers can store their inventory in a single European country of their choice, typically their home marketplace. The inventory is then made available for sale across all eligible European marketplaces. 

In contrast, PAN-EU FBA requires sellers to send their inventory to multiple Amazon fulfillment centers across Europe, and Amazon automatically distributes the inventory to the most suitable fulfillment center based on demand and customer location.

Fulfillment and Shipping: Under Amazon EFN, when an order is placed in a European marketplace, Amazon fulfills the order from the seller’s chosen fulfillment center. This means that the order may need to be shipped across borders, potentially resulting in longer delivery times and higher shipping costs. 

On the other hand, with PAN-EU FBA, Amazon handles the fulfillment and shipping logistics. When an order is received, Amazon selects the inventory from the most appropriate fulfillment center within the European network, ensuring faster and more cost-effective delivery to the customer.

Cost Structure: Both Amazon EFN and PAN-EU FBA involve fees and expenses. However, the cost structure differs between the two programs. With EFN, sellers typically pay lower fulfillment fees but may incur higher shipping costs due to cross-border shipping. 

PAN-EU FBA, on the other hand, involves higher fulfillment fees but provides the advantage of having inventory stored strategically in multiple countries, potentially reducing shipping costs and delivery times.

Prime Eligibility: Another notable difference is Prime eligibility. With PAN-EU FBA, sellers have the opportunity to make their products eligible for Amazon Prime in participating European marketplaces. This can significantly enhance product visibility and attract Prime members who enjoy fast and free shipping. 

Amazon EFN does not offer automatic Prime eligibility.

Eligibility of PAN-European FBA

  1. You must have a European unified account. With a European unified account, you can create and manage offers on all Amazon European stores
  2. You also need to ensure that your account is in good standing and that you are not blocked in any of the countries where listings are required for PAN European
  3. You need to choose which and how many ASINs you want to enroll in PAN European
  4. For an ASIN to be enrolled in PAN European, you need to create an active FBA offer in all the marketplaces listed as required on the PAN-European FBA
  5. Manage your inventory page in your Amazon account. In most cases, these marketplaces are Germany, France, Italy, and Spain
  6. You need to send your inventory to an Amazon fulfillment center in one of the following countries- Germany, France, Italy, Spain, or Poland 

Cost of Amazon PAN-EU FBA

Before starting the PAN-EU FBA, you need to take into account the cost, because it’s a bit complex. Standard Selling on Amazon fees applies for each marketplace on which an ASIN is listed. According to Amazon, the following fees apply to Pan-European FBA stock-

Fulfillment Fees: For ASINs enrolled in Pan-European FBA, you will pay only the Fulfilment

Fee for the marketplace in which the order is placed, no matter where the stock is stored in

the Amazon European Fulfilment Network.

Storage Fees: Pan-European FBA ASINs will incur monthly storage fees and may incur

Long-Term Storage Fees if units remain in stock for 12 months or more.

Removal Fees: For removals (return of stock to you) from your Pan-European FBA stock

ordered to an address in the country of your home marketplace, we will charge local

removal fees applicable to your home marketplace, regardless of where the stock is located

at the time of the removal order.

As Pan-European FBA allows you to store goods in various fulfillment centers in Europe, and as the product is therefore always near the customer, you only pay the local fulfillment fee.

But Once you have joined the Pan-European FBA program, you will have specific tax return requirements for each country. Some countries require monthly VAT returns, and some require returns every quarter. 

Unless you are an expert, you’ll need a specialist acting on your behalf. The following fees apply to Pan-European FBA stock.

  • Note: The local fee does not apply to oversize products

Advantages of PAN European FBA

The PAN European FBA program offers several advantages for sellers who want to expand their business in the European market. Here are some key benefits:

Expanded Market Reach: By utilizing PAN European FBA, you can increase your FBA sales by up to 30 percent by selling and storing your products all across the European Union. Also, you can easily reach customers across multiple European countries.

Flexibility: You have the flexibility to choose in which countries you place your stock, the more countries enabled the greater the advantages

Prime Eligibility: Sellers can make their products eligible for Amazon Prime. So, as a seller, you can reach millions of customers internationally by selling with the prime badge in countries you selected for inventory placement. It also significantly increases product visibility and encourages more customers.

Cross-Border Sales Made Easy: You can save on your fulfillment costs by up to 53 percent since you stop paying cross-border fees in countries you have enabled inventory placement and will be charged local fulfillment fees instead. It simplifies the process by handling customs clearance and managing tax collection on behalf of the sellers, making cross-border sales more seamless.

Simplified Logistics: Amazon takes care of the storage, packaging, and shipping processes that relieve sellers of the burden of managing their own warehouses and fulfillment operations. 

All you have to do is, send your inventory to a fulfillment center of your choice in Germany France Italy Spain, or Poland, then an Amazon algorithm will determine how much inventory to distribute to each country that you enabled for storage based on the customer demand. Amazon will also fully take care of the inventory redistribution across the countries

Reduce Fulfillment Fees: You can even reduce your fulfillment fees on low-cost products since FBA small and light products are now also eligible for PAN EU. You can save up to 0.26 Euros on every FBA unit fulfilled from Germany by storing your products in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland

Cost-Effective Inventory Management: It reduces the need for maintaining separate warehouses in each country, leading to cost savings in terms of storage and logistics.

Domestic FBA Fulfillment Fees: You can enjoy the domestic FBA fulfillment fees for orders in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden by activating your FBA listings in those countries and storing your products in Germany or in France for Belgian orders.

Disadvantages of PAN European FBA

While Amazon PAN European FBA offers numerous benefits, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider:

Increased Costs: Utilizing PAN European FBA involves fees and expenses. Sellers are responsible for storage fees, fulfillment fees, and other associated costs. It’s essential to carefully evaluate these expenses and ensure they align with the profitability of the products being sold.

Inventory Management Challenges: Managing inventory across multiple European countries can be complex. Sellers need to accurately forecast demand, monitor stock levels, and ensure proper inventory allocation to different fulfillment centers. This requires effective inventory management practices and systems.

Market Saturation: With the popularity of PAN European FBA, there is increased competition among sellers. The program attracts numerous merchants aiming to expand their presence in the European market, which can lead to market saturation in certain product categories. Sellers must differentiate their products and implement effective marketing strategies to stand out.

Product Restrictions and Compliance: Certain products may be subject to restrictions or regulations in specific European countries. Sellers need to ensure compliance with local laws, safety standards, and product regulations to avoid potential complications or restrictions on their inventory.

Potential Language and Cultural Barriers: Expanding into multiple European countries means dealing with diverse languages, cultures, and customer expectations. Sellers must be prepared to adapt their marketing materials, customer service, and product descriptions to cater to different markets effectively.

Final Thoughts,

Amazon PAN European FBA offers a powerful solution for sellers looking to expand their reach in the European market. It provides a seamless and convenient fulfillment option that can enhance the shopping experience for customers. 

By utilizing PAN European FBA, sellers gain access to multiple European countries, benefiting from faster delivery times and Prime eligibility. Compared to EFN, PAN European FBA allows for strategic inventory placement in various fulfillment centers, optimizing shipping costs and reducing delivery times. 

I hope you found this article helpful. If you are an Amazon Seller looking for free help with any Amazon related issues from me or other sellers with whom you can network, don’t hesitate and join our discussion forum for Amazon Sellers.

To stay in touch on Facebook, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome too.

If you would like to hire me to privately assist you, feel free to subscribe and reach out through my dedicated assistance page at www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic, where I provide support with Amazon related matters in exchange for a small $24.99 fee. Alternatively, you can post into the free public discussion forum for Amazon Sellers, where I will answer your question.

Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am presenting you several secret tips about appealing Amazon Seller Account suspensions (don’t be confused by the opening of the video, where I am enjoying a vacation – it’s a part of the story):

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New “At Risk” Account Health Status Warnings in Amazon Seller Central

Kika Angelic

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As an Amazon seller, maintaining a healthy account status is crucial for the success of your business on the platform. Amazon continually updates and enhances the tools and features available to sellers to help them navigate their seller journey. One recent change that sellers may be aware of is the display of the “Account Health at Risk” status.

Previously, the “At Risk” Account Health status used to be displayed in a marketplace-specific rectangle which reflected that particular store’s state.

Now, Amazon Sellers will see a drop-down menu called “Account Health” displaying the number of “At Risk Stores”. This then expands to show more information, as pictured below:

At the same time, there is now an orange rectangle in the middle of the screen displaying the At Risk status in the specific store as well (below):

I hope you found this article helpful. If you are experiencing issues with your Amazon Seller Account and your Seller Account already received a warning or is under a review, I can help you resolve the matter.

If you would like to hire me to privately assist you, feel free to subscribe and reach out through my dedicated assistance page at www.onlyfans.com/kikaangelic, where I provide support with Amazon related matters in exchange for a small $24.99 fee. Alternatively, you can post into my free public discussion forum for Amazon Sellers, where I will answer your question.

To stay in touch, feel free to join and post into my large Amazon Seller Performance – Friendly Advice – Worldwide Facebook group, where you will be very welcome.

Many Amazon sellers recently started trading stocks and crypto currencies, hoping to diversify their income, which is a very good idea with all the uncertainty which comes with the platform. For this reason, we launched a new Facebook group, Crypto Arbitrage Income (Bitcoin, Crypto, Altcoins, Blockchain, Trading) – feel free to join us and forget about the troubles of selling on Amazon for a moment!

Additionally, here you can watch my YouTube video, where I am presenting you several secret tips about appealing Amazon Seller Account suspensions (don’t be confused by the opening of the video, where I am enjoying a vacation – it’s a part of the story):

Continue Reading
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