This episode explores the realities of selling on Amazon, based on a three-month survey of over 300 sellers. The host presents findings revealing that competition is the biggest challenge, followed by account health compliance and increasing fulfillment fees. More significantly, a surprising 35% of respondents, including a third of those with over $5 million in annual revenue, reported being suspended from the platform at some point. Against this backdrop of uncertainty, the average seller expressed a moderate fear (6 out of 10) of suspension, with larger sellers exhibiting slightly less fear despite facing greater potential losses. Furthermore, a significant majority (63%) viewed Amazon as an unfair marketplace, particularly private label brands (74%), citing issues like unfair advantages for international sellers and Amazon's own private label brands. Finally, the data suggests that Amazon seller support is widely perceived as inadequate, hindering business goals for 60% of respondents, and that many sellers have raised prices in response to increased FBA fees, leading to decreased profitability for half of those surveyed. This reveals a complex and challenging landscape for Amazon sellers, highlighting the need for improved platform fairness and support.
