Craftsmen are known for their “do it yourself” attitude, and we certainly saw echoes of that proud heritage at the National Hardware Show this year. From fighting counterfeiters to implementing Seller Fulfilled Prime through dropship, attendees at NHS 2019 were eager to discuss the different tools they can use to take more control of their brands on online marketplaces.  

Fighting Counterfeiters 

In most cases, “do it yourself” is a mantra about taking initiative and getting a job done. But when faced with counterfeiters, that mantra becomes more of a frustrated shout at unscrupulous companies who make imitation products. These counterfeits are often poor quality, leaving disappointed customers and harming the brand’s integrity 

  To combat counterfeiters, brands have a few options: 

  • Trademark, patent, and copyright your products 
  • Monitor your sellers and distributors 
  • Enroll in Brand Registry and request Brand Gating to protect IPR and report infringements 
  • Enroll in Transparency to enable Amazon warehouses and brick & mortar shoppers to easily verify if a product is authentic 
  • Differentiate your packaging. If customers receive a product with different packaging, it can alert them to a counterfeit 
  • Use tracking codes and serial numbers to learn where your product ends up 

Oversized Shipment? No Problem. 

Oversized products are a common issue for this industry, and the resulting fees from Amazon can quickly add up. That’s why many companies are looking into a dropship approach.  

 Dropshipping is the practice of a shipping a product directly from the manufacturer to the customer, rather than storing product in a fulfillment center and using FBA shipping. By dropshipping, brands can avoid oversized shipment fees from Amazon. 

etailz uses dropship for partners who want us to take a more aggressive approach to their catalog, expanding their selection of products online so that customers are more likely to find what they’re looking for.  

The greatest obstacle for dropship is that the onus for providing two-day shipping now falls on the brand instead of Amazon’s robust FBA system. Without providing two-day shipping, dropshippers cannot show the Prime badge on their listings, which can deter some shoppers. 

However, dropshippers can retain the Prime badge if they qualify for Seller Fulfilled Prime.  Although Amazon has closed registration for Seller Fulfilled Prime, brands can still sign up for a waitlist, or, for those who want an faster solution, they can work with trusted partners like etailz who are already enrolled. 

Selling Yourself on Amazon 

If you’re tired of spending your days dealing with issues like counterfeiters, rogue sellers, and mysterious fulfillment fees, it may be time to consider a different Amazon business model. The simplest solution is to take absolute control of your Amazon channel by utilizing etailz’s in-house Amazon agency, Marketplace Growth Partners. 

Marketplace Growth Partners deploys etailz’s decade of ecommerce expertise, technological resources, and experienced teams to help you master the marketplace from your own account. You can start the conversation with them today by reaching out through their contact form 

As always, we enjoyed our time visiting with brand representatives in-person, getting to learn more about the current and upcoming challenges and how we can work together to address them.  

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