In this episode, Dave talks about the recent IPO of a major Chinese Amazon seller, SainStore, and explores key insights from their filings. He covers the diverse brand strategies employed by the company (and a lot of other Chinese companies, in fact), the viability of the aggregator model in China, and the company's profitability metrics, inventory management practices, and even their social credit score. 

Another Amazon seller has gone public... but in China. 

It seems that the aggregator model has been working well over in the East, but what specifically are they doing to succeed? 

Here's the 5 takeaways that I learned when looking over this company's IPO fillings. 

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business.

The Big Takeaways

• The aggregator model in China is thriving, with companies creating multiple brands in-house (rather than purchasing companies at 4x and 5x).
• Profit margins for major Chinese sellers are significantly lower than Western expectations.
• SainSmart holds about 25% of their revenue in inventory, which could turn out to be a HUGE risk in cash flow.
• The social credit score in China is a real and impactful metric for businesses.
• 75% of SainSmart's revenue comes from Amazon, but they also diversify across other channels that you wouldn't expect.
• The need for sellers to chase off-Amazon sales for better pricing power is ABSOLUTELY crucial.
• Chinese sellers are adept at utilizing multiple sales channels, including lesser-known marketplaces.
• The business model for Amazon sellers is evolving towards higher revenue with lower margins.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction to Chinese Amazon Sellers Going Public
• 02:12 - Diverse Brand Strategies of Chinese Companies
• 04:37 - The Aggregator Model in China
• 06:31 - Profitability and Revenue Insights
• 08:28 - Inventory Management Strategies
• 10:52 - Understanding China's Social Credit Score
• 12:12 - Revenue Channels Beyond Amazon

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. 

Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.  

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!

 

In this episode, Dave dives into the 10 biggest sellers (by revenue) on Amazon, delving into their business models, what types of products they offer, and what small businesses can learn from them. Dave talks about  discuss the importance of targeting the right demographic, the competitive landscape of supplements, and the rise of Amazon-native brands like Anchor.

Did you know that the top 10 third party amazon sellers combine for over $3 billion a year in sales?

And I’ll bet you think they’re making millions selling toilet paper and airpods.

But you couldn’t be more wrong.

In this episode, Dave deep dives into the 10 biggest sellers on Amazon by revenue — what industry they sell in, what their best selling products are, and how much revenue they generate for Amazon per month. 

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction to Amazon's Top Sellers
• 02:44 - Bigger Than Lululemon? 
• 03:50 - The Gardening Giant
• 05:28 - The Rise of Korean Beauty
• 07:16 - The Snail Slime Phenomenon
• 08:46 - Targeting the Right Demographic As A Strategy
• 10:34 - The Competitive Lighting Market
• 11:52 - The Supplements Boom: Key Players
• 13:10 - A Subscription Model Success
• 15:21 - The Amazon Native Brand Leader

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. 

Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.  

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!

Mike is back on the podcast to finally reveal what he's been up to in the past year. He shares his journey from e-commerce to going full-time content creation on launching a YouTube channel while also talking about the importance of video content in promoting e-commerce brands and the potential for YouTube as a business opportunity. 

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – The Journey of Mike Jackness
• 02:32 – Transitioning from E-commerce to New Ventures
• 04:03 – The Impact of Amazon and Tariffs on E-commerce
• 12:01 – The Future of E-commerce and Emerging Opportunities

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. 

Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.  

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!

If you've been listening to the podcast recently, you must have asked yourself, "where did Mike Jackness go?".  Today, he's on the podcast to talk about his journey from running multiple e-commerce brands to transitioning out of the industry.

 

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business.

 

Timestamps

• 00:00 - The Journey of Mike Jackness
• 02:32 - Transitioning from E-commerce to New Ventures
• 04:03 - The Impact of Amazon and Tariffs on E-commerce
• 12:01 - The Future of E-commerce and Emerging Opportunities

 

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. 

Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.  

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!

Dave dives into Amazon's Q1 2025 earnings report and how it will impact sellers. He dives into Amazon's online store revenue growth, FBA fee growth, and the huge growth in advertising revenue, which is one of the major sources of income for the e-commerce giant. This is the earnings report right before the new tariffs start, so it's not indicative of how Amazon will be affected. 

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Understanding Amazon's Earnings and Its Impact
• 02:16 - Tariffs and Their Implications for Sellers
• 04:34 - FBA Fees: Trends and Insights
• 08:16 - Advertising Fees: The Growing Burden
• 11:10 - Market Reactions and Future Outlook

As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. 

Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.  

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!

In this episode, Dave shares some easy Amazon image hacks that can help you improve your click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates. We'll talk about how important it is to show your packaging in your main images, how you can sneak in some keywords without alerting Amazon's ban hammer,  and how you can A/B test against your competition.   

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you – so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business. 

As an Amazon seller, you always have to be ahead of the competition. This means offering a better customer experience overall, but what does that look like in e-commerce?    This means better product imagery. Images are the only way for customers to truly know what they're getting and better images often means higher click-through rates and higher conversion rates.    How do you get better product images? Here's 7 easy ways you can make your product imagery better than your competition.  The Big Takeaways

• Include a keyword in your main image packaging and add your packaging to your main Amazon image.
• More items in the main gallery image convey better value.
• A/B test your product image against competitors using PickFu.
• Check Amazon brand analytics for the performance of keywords for your product.
• Regularly update product images to reflect trends.
• Do not fear Amazon's TOS when it comes to images.
• Review competitors' images in competitive categories.
• Sometimes, ugly images perform better than beautiful ones.
• Continuously refresh your images to avoid looking dated.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction to Amazon Image Hacks
• 01:55 - Utilizing Packaging for Keywords
• 03:48 - Enhancing Product Images for Better Value
• 05:15 - A/B Testing Against Competitors
• 06:38 - Leveraging Amazon Brand Analytics
• 08:33 - Regularly Updating Product Images
• 09:59 - Pushing the Limits of Amazon's TOS
• 10:56 - Learning from Competitors' Successes

And that's the 7 ways you can improve your images. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below! 

Thanks for listening and happy selling! 

In this episode, Gary Huang is on to discuss 3 potential predictions for the future of e-commerce within the next three years. Gary and I touch on topics like globalization, the impact of AI, and the potential return of aggregators while emphasizing how important it is to start moving manufacturing out of China. 

Struggling with tariffs? Unsure about upcoming changes? Let’s talk! With Portless, you only pay tariffs after your customers pay you - so your cash always moves faster than your costs. Schedule a risk assessment and leverage tariff deferment today. All new customers get $1,000 to reinvest in their business. 

Big Takeaways

• Globalization is shifting towards a model that may exclude China.
• AI will significantly impact businesses, potentially leading to many closures.
• Aggregators in e-commerce are predicted to return with a focus on credible brands.
• New challenges often give way to new opportunity. New marketplaces present opportunities for sellers to expand beyond Amazon US.
• YouTube has the opportunity to become a major competitor to Amazon in retail.
• Diversification away from Amazon is crucial for long-term success.
• The current economic climate creates both challenges and opportunities for e-commerce.
• AI tools can enhance efficiency but may also threaten traditional business models.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - E-commerce Predictions and Global Sentiment
• 02:57 - Globalization 2.0: The Future of Manufacturing
• 05:50 - The Impact of AI on Business Survival
• 08:59 - The Return of Aggregators in E-commerce
• 12:09 - New Market Opportunities Amidst Uncertainty
• 15:02 - YouTube as Amazon's Biggest Competitor
• 17:57 - The Seven Figure Seller Summit and Future Trends

Gary, thanks for joining us on the podcast today. It was great having you on to talk about your upcoming event and some of your predictions for e-commerce in the future! 

If you're interested in 7 Figure Seller Summit which will be held on April 22 - 24th, you can get your limited time Free Pass by clicking on this link. 

 

 

Mike Jackness and Aymeric catch up on their e-commerce journey as friends and talk about how timing and luck are so important in entrepreneurial success.

Success is always a mix of luck, tenacity, and grit. 

It takes a bit of luck to be in the right place at the right time and some grit to keep going when things aren't as profitable as they used to. At the same time, success also involves balancing between trying new things and focusing on what works. 

Knowing when to zone in on the one thing or when to test the waters only comes with experience and time. 

My good buddy Aymeric who's been a friend of mine is on the podcast today to talk exactly about what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur. 

We've both had our fair share of successful and failed ventures, but that didn't stop us from trying and moving forward. 

If you're a business owner looking at the tariffs right now and thinking about moving out of e-commerce, this episode might be eye opening for you. In the end, the choice is yours to make. 

Aymeric, thanks for joining us on the podcast today! 

If you'd like to outsource some work and get your social life back together, check out the VA Placement service he offers here.

 

Tariffs are back again and stronger than ever. Things are still a little shaky at the moment because we never really know what will happen tomorrow but today, Dave discusses 5 ways you can deal with the new tariffs through DDP, diversifying, and negotiation. 

Big Takeaways: 

• It is basically impossible to eliminate the effects of the tariffs but there are ways to minimize them. 
• DDP shipping puts risk on your supplier, not you.
• Diversifying sales channels can be a great way to keep your profit margins healthy. 
• Negotiate discounts with your suppliers to soften the blow. 
• Moving your manufacturing can reduce tariffs and contribute to a healthier business.
• Accept that the business landscape has changed permanently.
• Look for new opportunities that arise from these challenges.
• Consider manufacturing in Canada and Mexico as alternatives.
• Evaluate your product catalog in these new market conditions.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 03:03 - Strategy 1: Shipping with DDP
• 05:50 - Strategy 2: Diversifying Channels
• 08:59 - Strategy 3: Negotiating with Suppliers
• 11:48 - Strategy 4: Moving Manufacturing
• 15:09 - Strategy 5: Accepting Change and Finding Opportunities

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!

In this episode, Chris Davey discusses his journey in e-commerce, the growth of his networking event at the Canton Fair, and insights into navigating the complexities of sourcing from China. We share our experiences about the safety concerns in China, travel challenges, and the importance of thorough research when attending trade shows.    We also talk about the networking opportunities going to China provides for Amazon sellers. We delve into the intricacies of product sourcing and development in the e-commerce space, particularly focusing on the advantages of Chinese manufacturing. We discuss strategies for identifying niche markets, the importance of building strong relationships with suppliers, and the rapid product development process that allows sellers to capitalize on emerging trends. The conversation also highlights the significance of differentiation in a competitive market and the benefits of being a first mover. The Big Takeaway

• Chris's product sourcing strategy involves developing accessories for popular products.
• The Canton Fair is divided into three phases, each focusing on different product categories.
• Networking is a key benefit of attending the Canton Fair.
• Post-COVID, there are fewer American attendees at the Canton Fair.
• Visa regulations for entering China can be complex and vary by nationality.
• Chris emphasizes how important of visiting suppliers' factories in China.
• Attendees should plan for at least 10 days to fully experience the Canton Fair.
• Designing accessories around popular products is effective.
• Predictive keyword popularity can lead to successful products.
• Niche markets can provide significant opportunities.
• Building relationships with factories is crucial for success.
• Rapid product development is key to staying competitive.
• Differentiation is essential in a crowded market.
• First-mover advantage can lead to increased sales.
• Networking events like FBA for You foster community among sellers.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction to FBA4U and Chris Davey
• 01:57 - Chris's Journey to E-commerce and Canton Fair
• 06:02 - Growth of FBA4U and Networking Opportunities
• 09:56 - Safety and Visa Concerns in China
• 15:54 - Canton Fair Insights and Supplier Strategies
• 23:32 - The Speed of Chinese Manufacturing
• 24:15 - Innovative Product Sourcing Strategies
• 27:15 - Niche Markets and Competitive Advantages
• 30:02 - Building Relationships with Factories
• 32:10 - Rapid Product Development Process
• 35:13 - The Importance of CAD in Product Design
• 39:11 - Differentiation in a Competitive Market
• 43:24 - Leveraging First-Mover Advantage
• 44:55 - Managing Minimum Order Quantities
• 46:51 - Building Strong Supplier Relationships
• 50:18 - FBA for You: Networking and Community

Thanks for listening!

Until next time, happy selling!