😮 SmartScout Just Broke Amazon Categories

Well, maybe they didn’t do THAT, but what they have done is break all the other product research software companies out there. In many ways, they made them a bit irrelevant.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been annoyed, drilling down into Amazon categories and finding myself at a dead end, but wishing the categories went deeper. A good example is when I sold men’s wallets. There were no ordinary wallets. These were high-tech RFID-blocking wallets. Well, guess what? No such category exists on Amazon. I had to make decisions based on the data for the category “Men’s Wallets.” That’s way too broad! And it’s exactly what SmartScout has fixed.

Oh, how I wish I had SmartScout back then. Their Subcategories tool takes broad Amazon categories down to hyper-specific niches and gives you precise market analysis. Everything from revenue, unit volume, and competing brands is at your fingertips. Basically, it’s a goldmine of information that Amazon refuses to give you, but SmartScout is glad to give you. It’s freaking genius, and I love it.

Thanks to SmartScout, you can avoid over-saturated niches now and make strategic decisions and avoid those “uh oh” moments when launching into the void.

One of the best parts of this tool is its trendspotting feature. Not only does it give you incredible niche-related data, but thanks to trendspotting, you can easily see all the recently launched products and which listings are hot and which are not. Basically, it saves you time and money.

Worried about Chinese sellers in a niche you’re researching? Don’t stress. With a single click, SmartScout will tell you the Chinese seller share of that niche. This is incredibly valuable!

Are you ready to inject steroids into your Amazon business? Of course you are.

It gets better. Right now, Smart Scout is offering my followers an exclusive 25% discount if you sign up here and use the code AMAZONINSIDERS.

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🚀 This Week's Amazon Hack: Own Your Returns

Returns suck. And Amazon just made them even suckier.

The extended holiday returns period has now been extended to January 31 for any items purchased from November 1 to December 31.

You and I can whine about it, or we can adapt.

If you are like most brand owners, your Q4 inventory is locked in and headed to FBA warehouses as we speak. So, I won't cover insert card tips because that ship has sailed.

What we will cover is what you CAN do this month to address the inevitable barrage of returns. After reading this, it might go from a barrage to a slow river. Fingers crossed.

Customer Avatar #1 is the typical Christmas Karen. She buys something from you, but for whatever reason, she returns it. This type of customer is also known to lie about the return reason to get a free shipping label from Amazon. Don't worry about these returns. There is NOTHING you can do about them. They are roaches, and honestly, you should view them as "sunk costs."

But what about everyone else? These are the normies. These are the confused. These are the unsure. These are the click happy.

This week, I want you to put your customer cap on and shop on your listings and store page. Basically, I want you to pretend that you're 10 years old.

Ask yourself if there is anything confusing about your listing pictures. Ask yourself if the images are clear. Ask yourself if the variation titles make sense. Ask yourself if the size chart is crystal clear. Ask yourself if your AI review summary is accurate.

If you have even 1% doubt, that means that you have work to do. Amazon makes it incredibly easy to get a free return, and customers know this. If they aren't perfectly happy, the return is going to happen.

Another non-sexy tip is to respond to customer emails within 8 hours. I know that this will be a HUGE pain for some of you, but it just has to happen. Make the customer stunned with how fast you are responding to questions. You need to stay at the very top of their inbox to prevent that return from happening this Q4. Also, develop some "tact" with how you respond. Don't be so boring. Use some spice with your language to capture their attention.

Answer ALL your Q&A questions and don't pencil whip it. Also, these answers fuel Rufus, Amazon's AI model, so go heavy with keywords here! Feed the beast!

Don't be sneaky! When it comes to our pictures, don't make a customer think that they are getting more than what you sell. This applies to your lifestyle pictures, especially. If someone buys a back scratcher for the shower, make sure they don't think that they are also getting a suction cup holder! Be CLEAR!

If you follow my guidance above, you will dramatically reduce your return rate this Christmas season. Embrace the GRIND!

🔥 Hot Amazon Seller News: New Year = Higher Fees

I know, I know, you come to this newsletter for inspiration, growth hacks, and good news. But I just can't sugarcoat it. I have some very bad news for you.

Yes, Amazon FBA fees are going up. No new fee types, but that is by design.

I know some of you sell larger items, so it's going to hurt you a little more.

Sub-$10 standard-size items will see the FBA fee increase by $0.05 per unit.

$10-50 standard-size items will see the FBA fee increase by $0.08 per unit.

$50+ standard-size items will see the FBA fee increase by $0.31 per unit. Ouch!

If you want the full breakdown from Amazon, you can read it here.

So, what's next?

As you know, I'm not one of the guys who spends all his time bashing Amazon for being unfair. My job is to HELP you thrive WITHIN the Amazon system even when it feels completely unfair.

So, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

It's time to fire up those awkward conversations with your factory and negotiate hard for better pricing to make these FBA fee increases irrelevant. If you source from China, right now is a good time to do that because they are freaking starved for work. Tariffs are crushing their production numbers, so they will be eager to move on to unit costs.

Step 2 is to finally take the plunge and launch on Walmart. Guess what? Advertising costs are pennies in comparison to Amazon, and the average net profit for sellers is 10% higher than Amazon's. If you play your cards right and zoom out, you might find yourself actually increasing the overall profit margin for your business. Remember, it's not just the Amazon line item that matters. By now, you should be selling on Shopify and social media as well. Amazon is just one slice of the pie.

Be strategic in 2025 and on. Refuse to get sucked into the negativity matrix. You and only you care about the success of your business.

Jon Elder

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