Here’s my list of Amazon FBA-related news and Updates for December 2023. 

Amazon Introduces AI-Generated Product Photography

Changing your product listing’s photography to reflect the time of year, or creating lifestyle photos to show a product’s use in context can increase conversions and help your listings gain a  competitive advantage. 

Why? It keeps your listing fresh, and seasonal themes can help form emotional connections with customers that help push sales. 

But until now, such photos required multiple costly video shoots, and/or the help of a talented graphic designer.  

Amazon recently announced a beta version of an AI-powered image-generation tool that creates lifestyle photos based on text prompts. 

Sellers can quickly create visually appealing product photos using simple sentence commands. According to Amazon, the tool removes creative barriers and also reduces the financial burden of creating custom images. 

In theory, it should benefit both Amazon and third-party sellers. 

Is Social Shopping the Next E-Commerce Craze? 

I was flipping through the channels at a relative’s house over Thanksgiving and the Home Shopping Network caught my attention. 

The scene was two older women sitting around a high-top table going gah-gah over various scented candles they were pitching. Their ‘performance’ was a complete cringe-fest, with outlandish overreactions and the repeated absurdity, “This-is-what-heaven-must-smell like!”

“Who buys this crap?” I thought to myself. “Seriously, this is such an outdated way of shopping.” 

Fast forward 48 seconds. 

I look over my wife’s shoulder and notice she’s watching a live shopping event on TikTok Shop, with two younger women pitching…you guessed it, an assortment of scented candles. Talk about a glitch in the matrix. 

It dawned on me that I was looking at a different version of the same thing. The only difference is their target audience and broadcast method; Cable T.V. vs. TikTok, but both fall under the category of social shopping. 

What Exactly is Social Shopping? 

Social shopping is a combination of e-commerce and social media. Brands and personalities use platforms like Amazon Live, TikTok Shop, Instagram, and Pinterest to push products just like the Home Shopping Network has done for decades. With social shopping, transactions take place directly on the platforms themselves. 

Meta, (The platform formerly known as Facebook), recently released an Amazon integration feature that allows Amazon users to shop directly from Facebook and Instagram. 

Here’s how I see it: social shopping is a more direct way of selling products and does away with product pitches through organic content or hiring an influencer. Viewers tune in to shop with the intent to make purchases, which is exactly what we as Amazon sellers want. 

But it is worth the extra time and effort (not to mention the potential making an ass of yourself on social media)? 

Here are some stats that caught my attention. According to Hubspot:

• 1 in 4 consumers purchase products through social media. 
• Nearly 50% of brand owners say consumers buy directly through social media 
• 53% of consumers plan to spend more through social media in the future

So as competition grows, social media plays an undeniable role in the success of Amazon product campaigns. My team and I will keep a close eye on this as a viable way of driving external traffic, or an alternative to Amazon altogether (similar to going off-platform with Shopify). 

Amazon’s Top-Selling Black Friday and Cyber Monday Products 2023:

A little inspiration’s always good to steer Amazon product research. I’m constantly checking best sellers’ lists and trending products to steer my product research better. 

That being said, Amazon recently released of top-performing Black Friday and Cyber Monday products. 

Here are a few that topped the list. 

• She’s The Birdie Personal Safety Alarm
• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Game
• The Woobles Crochet Kit for Beginners
• Beckham Hotel Collection Bed Pillows
• You Laugh You’re Out – The Official Family Game

At a quick glance, the games/toys space seems to be doing quite well. 

Are these trends related to a society-wide technological detox? Food for thought moving in 2024. 

Is Temu Poaching Amazon Customers? 

Temu is a new e-commerce platform that promises unbelievably affordable prices by shipping products directly from Chinese warehouses and factories straight to U.S. customers. Their business approach does away with the middle man (aka you and I), and as a result, can deliver products at rock-bottom prices right to customers. 

The company made its big debut during a 2023 Superbowl ad break, and since then the app has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times by U.S. consumers thirsty for savings. 

Temu promises users can “Shop Like A Billionaire.” 

But should Amazon sellers be worried that Temu and similar platforms are stealing Amazon customers?

Yes and no. 

On one hand, the rock bottom prices shouldn’t be too concerning since FBA sellers will always be competing with Chinese sellers with low price points. That’s why I champion creating custom brands. So I don’t think your average Prime user will suddenly switch to shopping on a Chinese website. 

But there’s a bigger, “frog in boiling water” scenario that concerns me a bit. 

Temu is modeled after the success of parent company Pin Duo Duo, a Chinese-based online retailer whose ultra-quick rise to success is something to take note of. 

Pin Duo Duo, which translates roughly to “Together, more savings, more fun” used social shopping, group discounts, WeChat integration, and in-app games and rewards to skyrocket its user base. 

The company effectively gamified shopping. Interactive group discounts reward customers who refer users to opt in. The more you refer, the more you save. As more people download the app, more get hooked, and the cycle repeats. 

In a nutshell, they have gotten folks addicted to shopping, with some calling the app a “digital poker machine.”

All social platforms do this to an extent, but I’ve never seen it gamified and in your face on a shopping app quite like Pin Duo Duo and Temu. 

So what’s the main worry with Temu?

That they’re in this for the long haul and are using questionable tactics to slowly creep in on the U.S. e-commerce market, which could mean stiffer competition for FBA sellers. 

Allegations of security risks have resulted in Temu being banned from government devices in the state of Montana, and I wouldn’t be surprised if other governments followed suit. They’ve also been linked for selling items sourced from China’s Uyghur region, which is prohibited by U.S. import law. 

All this said I don’t think Temu is a massive threat to Amazon sellers. On top of everything else, customers are also complaining about:

• Slow shipping times (items are shipped from China)
• Very cheap product quality 
• Non-existent customer service

We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it. 

Amazon Winners Academy Wins

I’m very happy to share some big wins from clients in my Amazon Winners Academy program: 

Here’s what one of my clients, Mustafa said about hitting 10k in monthly Amazon sales. 

“Remember that success is not just about reaching a certain number or goal. It’s also about the journey and the lessons you learn along the way. Every challenge you face and overcome is an opportunity for growth and improvement.

As you continue on your journey, keep pushing yourself to be better and to achieve even greater success. Stay focused on your goals, and don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. Remember that failure is not the end of the world, but rather a chance to learn and grow. So stay focused and remember that failure is the foundation of success.”

Christina also had some words of wisdom after hitting her first sales, just a few weeks after launching her product. 

“Persistence, patience, consistency & the responsibility you have to yourself to learn and go after what you want is the key to driving and making this business successful! I’m so excited to continue this journey within the community and learn with you all as we grow to even bigger & better things!”

And a massive congrats to Caner, for hitting over $30,000 in Amazon sales last month! 

Keep up the great work! Here’s to a profitable finish to the year!

How Do I Get Started Selling an Amazon Product?

My Amazon Winners Academy (AWA) mentorship guides you through the entire Amazon FBA process and provides a community of support with others on the same journey. 

You’ll get hands-on support from experienced Amazon sellers. 

AWA gives you a much-needed safeguard from costly mistakes, dead ends, and failed product investments to efficiently reach your passive income goals. 

So whether it’s solving issues with your Seller Central account, creative approaches to product research, scaling to new markets and niches, validating product ideas, customer service issues, and more, we’ve got you covered. 
Learn more about it here.