Latest / Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast / Can’t Make Profit? INR Chaos, Prime Day Prep, and the Rise of Walmart Deals

Transcript

Can’t Make Profit? INR Chaos, Prime Day Prep, and the Rise of Walmart Deals · Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Selling on Giants, E-commerce news and updates week of June 24th, 2025.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Selling on Giants, E-commerce news and updates.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Will, host of the Selling on Giants podcast, and every week I break down what's happening across Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify so you don't have to scroll forums or decode press releases.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: This week, INR claims are still burning sellers.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart wants you to ship smarter and Shopify is lobbying Washington.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: But first, the thread that hit every seller right in the margin.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Can't make profit?
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Seller forum breakdown becomes must-read for operators.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most upvoted threads in the Amazon seller forums this month came from a seller who spent over 18 months on Amazon without turning a profit.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Their bottom line gripe: Amazon only works for Amazon's wallet.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: But the reply that followed?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Straight up required reading.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Guardian Worldwide laid out a tactical framework that sliced through the noise.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: AI ads aren't magic.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Auto campaigns burn cash on broad, irrelevant terms.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Think cup instead of insulated stainless steel tumbler.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Manual targeting, crawlers control.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Skip suggested bids.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Start with exact match, build from what works, and save broad match for later.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Reverse engineer your margin.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Back into your break-even ACOS advertising cost of sale by subtracting cost of goods sold and profit target from your sale price.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Best quote in the post Most sellers spend less than an hour a month on their ads.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's not enough.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Belavic's take profitability isn't a hope strategy.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Clean up your targeting, prep your listing, and use data to drive decisions, not gut feel.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart Custom Shipping.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: More control, fewer surprises.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart dropped a major upgrade for sellers.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Marketplace Custom Shipping.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Think of it as a regional shipping cheat code for non-WFS brands.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's Walmart Fulfillment Services.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: With MCS, you can set cutoff times and handling buffers.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Offer faster shipping where your ops allow.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Control pricing by zone to protect margin.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Why it matters?
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Faster, more accurate delivery windows increase conversion and help you compete with Amazon without losing your shirt on shipping.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you're running your own third-party logistics or managing regional fulfillment, MCS is worth testing, especially ahead of the July 8 to 13 Walmart deals event.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: The INR claims mess.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Sellers follow the rules, still lose over on the seller forums, INR item not received, claims are once again top of mind and not in a good way.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Sellers are using buy shipping, getting signatures, checking all the boxes, and still losing A to Z claims.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Worse, there's no reliable appeal system.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Fraudulent buyers keep winning.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Safety claims lack transparency, and the so-called claims protected badge means nothing when Amazon doesn't enforce it.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: One seller put it best a fair system should balance both sides.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: That balance does not exist.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: A tip from forum user Null and Void for USPS deliveries, that's the United States Postal Service, prompt the buyer to contact their local inspector and file a missing mail inquiry.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: USPS sometimes flags repeat problem addresses, which can help your case in a dispute.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Until Amazon fixes this system, keep documentation airtight and lean on postal tools whenever possible.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Shopify to Washington, make taxes, simpler for small brands.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Shopify is stepping into the policy ring, asking lawmakers to simplify federal tax rules for small businesses.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: The pain point?
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Sales tax complexity across state lines.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: They're pushing for federal level filing and reporting standards.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Clear thresholds before sellers are required to collect out-of-state tax, protection from overlapping and confusing local regulations.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Why it matters?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: If you're selling on Shopify, Amazon, and Walmart, tax compliance can turn into a full-time job.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Shopify is trying to make sure it doesn't have to be.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Creating a chain reaction of good habits, want to scale smarter, start smaller.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear's concept of linchpin habits is making waves again, and it translates perfectly to e-commerce operations.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Examples.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Build habits that reduce friction and create compounding gains.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon Creator Connections.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Low-risk sales engines still sleeping on creator connections.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Wake up.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of Amazon's easiest ways to build velocity without turning on ads.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: You offer a 10 to 30% bonus commission to Amazon approved creators, they post content, and you only pay on conversion.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Top performing brands are picking high inventory or new SKUs, offering 60-day plus campaigns, stacking creator connections with affiliate and influencer outreach.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Why we love it?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's plug-and-play performance with no creative haggling and no cost until a sale happens.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Shopify launches Road to Retail.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Program Shopify is helping digital native brands break into brick and mortar.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: The new Road to Retail initiative connects successful DTC direct to consumer, brands with Target, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, and more.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: The program includes retail mentorship, supply chain guidance, consumer discovery strategies for physical shelves.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: This is Shopify saying what we've all known.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: OmniChannel is no longer optional.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: If your packaging and margins are dialed in, this could shortcut your shelf launch.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Prime Day, 2025.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: CC's three-phase prep strategy.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Prime Day is July 8th to 11, and if you're waiting to start planning, you're already behind.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Belavic strategist CC breaks it down.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Lead up, four weeks out, sponsored display, competitor ASIN targeting, upper funnel influencer traffic.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Prime week, exact match keywords, sponsored products, budget rules that scale winners.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Post-event AMC, that's Amazon Marketing Cloud, powered retargeting, upsells, and loyalty ads.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Quick reminder the last FBA fulfillment by Amazon deadline was June 18th.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: If you missed it, shift to Prime exclusive discounts and coupons, and make sure your listings are fully optimized before turning on spend.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart Deals event.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: July 8th, 13, Walmart isn't just watching Prime Day.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: They're challenging it.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: From July 8 to 13, Walmart Deals returns with six days of online and in-store offers.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Sellers should submit deals by July 1st, optimize PDPS product detail pages with fresh images and keywords.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: Stack Walmart Connect ads with social and affiliate campaigns.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't an either-or moment.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Smart brands will play both events, sync promos across platforms, and double up on exposure.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's your selling on Giants news and updates for the week.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: We covered INR headaches, ad profitability, tax relief lobbying, shipping hacks, and full funnel prime day prep.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: If this saved you hours of forum scrolls and slack debates, leave us a review wherever you're tuning in.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: It helps us bring in sharper guests and keep this show seller focused.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Will from Bellavics see you next week.