How should Amazon brands deal with slow-moving and stuck inventory before fees, margin erosion, and bad decisions pile up? 

In this episode, Paul Sonneveld speaks with Chad Davis, founder of Lucra Commerce, about how excess inventory happens, what it truly costs, and how brands should evaluate their options—from price moves and Subscribe & Save plays to removals, disposals, and doing nothing when storage economics actually justify it.

What does a strong Amazon vendor relationship actually look like—and when is AVS worth the cost? 

In this episode, Paul Sonneveld speaks with Travis Chappell (Head of Vendor Services at Venture Forge) about how vendors can move beyond transactional interactions with Amazon and build relationships that improve speed, visibility, and commercial outcomes. 

They unpack the real roles of AVS, Vendor Managers, Senior Vendor Managers, and Category Leads, how to manage those relationships intentionally, and how to tell whether AVS is creating value or just adding cost.

Large CPG teams don’t lose on Amazon because they lack effort—they lose because their operating rhythm can’t keep up with complexity. 

In this episode, Donte McCrary-McClain (Willse-McClain Advisory) explains why late February is the ideal moment to tune up your Vendor Central ways of working, how to choose KPIs that actually trigger decisions, and how to build launch governance that prevents cross-functional chaos. 

Expect practical frameworks for KPI ownership, readiness gates, weekly huddles that drive action (not decks), and a repeatable learning loop across content, media, and supply.

Amazon profitability isn’t a “finance problem” anymore—it’s the make-or-break conversation agencies must lead. 

In this episode, Andrew Morgans (CEO, Marknology) explains how agencies can shift from execution vendors to profit partners, using structured diagnosis, fee visibility, and cross-functional levers (content, ads, ops, strategy) to protect margins as Amazon costs keep rising.

 Expect practical quick wins, a KPI→root cause→fix framework, and how to keep client relationships alive when budgets get squeezed.

🧠 Amazon Vendor in 2026: Complexity Up, Support Down—Now What?

This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this no-holds-barred closing panel, six of the sharpest minds in Amazon Vendor strategy—Sam Adams, Chris Khoo, Paola Marzario, Oliver Tomaschewski, Toni Turbanisch, and James Wakefield—break down how brands can thrive as Vendor Central becomes more automated, fragmented, and unforgiving.

Expect tactical takes on the hybrid model as insurance, the one hire that matters (data mastery), the truth about VM support (it’s already gone), and why off-Amazon traffic and operational resilience are now essential—not optional. If you want to stay in control as Amazon changes the rules, start here.

🚨 Tentpole Deals = Tentpole Profits—If You Prep Right

This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Sam Adams (Toucan e-commerce) reveals what separates vendors who coast through Prime Day from those who crush it. Learn why price history, SOA funding, ASIN selection, and retail readiness make or break your deals—and how to combine them with full-funnel ads for exponential new-to-brand growth.

If you’re not building demand before the event and retargeting after, you’re leaving serious money on the table. This is your peak-period blueprint for 2026.

📉 Struggling Vendor Account? Here’s the 6-Week Turnaround Playbook

This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Toni Turbanisch (ex-Amazon Strategic Account Services and Managing Director, Turbanisch Consulting) delivers a no-fluff rescue plan for underperforming vendor accounts. From cutting the deadweight in your catalogue to fixing returns, auditing agency spend, and rebuilding team accountability, Toni shows how to stabilise performance fast—and why most turnarounds fail without data clarity and ruthless weekly routines.

If your margins are bleeding or you’re stuck in reactive mode, this is the wake-up call you’ve been waiting for.

🚚 Amazon Vendor Logistics: Your Hidden Profit Lever for 2026

This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Oliver Tomaschewski (Founder, DiCommerce) unpacks the inbound, outbound, and consolidation programs that smart vendors are using to cut freight costs, reduce chargebacks, and win AVNs. From WePay vs TheyPay to SUPERPICS, FC Direct, and Vendor Flex, Oliver breaks down exactly how to turn logistics into a margin advantage—fast.

If you're still treating logistics like a backend function, this is your wake-up call: it's now a strategic lever in every vendor negotiation.

🌍 MoR in Europe: Smarter Scaling Without the VAT Headaches

This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Paola Marzario (Founder, BrandOn Group) breaks down how the Merchant of Record (MoR) model gives brands a vendor-style experience beyond Amazon—across Europe’s fragmented marketplaces. Learn how MoR absorbs the tax, compliance, returns, and reconciliation mess so your team can focus on pricing, content, and strategy.

If you're eyeing Zalando, Leroy Merlin, Kaufland, or Decathlon—and want Amazon-style simplicity without losing control—this is your playbook.

🤝 Your AVS Isn’t Magic—But It Can Be a Multiplier

This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Travis Chappell (ex-Amazon, now Head of Vendor Services at Venture Forge) reveals how to turn your AVS and VM relationships into growth accelerators. From unlocking escalations and deal funding to getting insider category intel before it’s shared on email, Travis shows how high-trust relationships fuel strategic wins.

Learn what Vendor Managers really want in 2026 (predictable net PPM, exclusivity, supply chain hygiene), how to structure a Vendor Improvement Plan, and why your AVS should never feel like a ticketing bot.