[Cartograph] December 2019 Newsletter

[Cartograph] December 2019 Newsletter

December 13, 2019

Happy December! The end of the 2019 holiday sales season is approaching, as is the end of the decade. While it’s not uncommon to see a slowdown on Amazon after the Christmas delivery period, sales for Organic and Natural will pick up quickly as we head into 2020. 2019 Holiday Shipping DatesAmazon has posted shipping cutoff dates for December 25th delivery, which will likely coincide with a slow in sales velocity. Non-Prime Customers

  • Saturday 14 – last day for free shipping on orders over $25

  • Wednesday 18 – last day for standard shipping

 Prime Members

  • Sunday 22 – last day for free Prime shipping

  • Monday 23 – last day for One-Day Delivery

 

Cartograph News

Repeat Purchase Tracking

We’ve launched repeat purchase tracking for all Seller Central-based clients, that tracks repeat purchases by monthly cohorts. Repeat purchase tracking is essential for consumables brands, and Amazon’s data structure makes it difficult to track. This reporting will help with decisions around trade spend, customer acquisition cost, ad retargeting, and lifetime customer value. Contact us if you’d like to see a demo.

Amazon News

Amazon Grocery Stores, 2020

Amazon has confirmed plans to open a grocery store in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, in 2020. The store, which will not be part of Whole Foods, will not be using Amazon’s cashier-less Amazon Go technology in store. The store will likely join Whole Foods in being a hub for Grocery and Prime Now orders.

Though unconfirmed, Amazon is reported to be evaluating locations in LA and NYC for this yet-unnamed grocery store expansion.

Amazon Vine

Amazon Vine, Amazon’s sampling-for-reviews program, is now available for FBA Sellers with Brand Registry.

Previously only available to Vendor Central Brands, Vine is a program where brands can have samples reviewed by Amazon-select customers (called “Vine Voices”) for a fee. Especially valuable for product launches, it can quickly add up to 30 reviews, and is one of the few “legal” ways to build reviews quicker on Amazon.

An example of a Vine review, as it appears to a customer

More information can be found on

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Buyer Message Sending

Many customer messaging campaigns used to ask for reviews have recently been suspended by Amazon. Historically, Amazon policy allowed for platforms such as Feedback Genius, Salesbacker, and Zonmaster to integrate with Amazon to allow brands to automate requests for product reviews – a key review building strategy that is still officially acceptable per Amazon’s published policies.

We believe a formal policy change banning all review solicitation through buyer-seller messaging is imminent, ending a strategy that’s been steeply declining in efficacy since Amazon introduced a customer opt-out feature last year. These changes come in tandem with the release of Amazon Vine for Sellers.

Increasingly we have observed Sellers ship product with inserts offering gift cards, discounts, or free products in exchange for proof of reviews – a clear violation of Amazon’s terms. We anticipate stricter Amazon enforcement of its Terms of Service in the coming months related to reviews.

As it becomes more difficult to gain reviews the traditional way, it’s important to continue to build reviews via available policy-compliant channels. Vine is the safest and most reputable way to accomplish this. Brands’ email lists and customer base are the next best source, followed by a handful of reputable micro-influencer agencies that can encourage their members to leave product reviews.

Products We Love

For the first week of December, Mike’s Hot Honey was ranked the #1 best seller in Grocery & Gourmet Food on Amazon! The perfect versatile condiment, this chili-infused honey is great on ribs, roasted veggies, pizza, ice cream, and more.

Mike’s Hot Honey is available in multiple sizes and form factors, so you can take this spicy honey with you wherever you go:

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New Cartograph Team Members!

We have a new addition to the Cartograph team: Jeremy Christner!

An Oklahoma City native and student of philosophy, Jeremy has more than a decade of experience in writing, independent publishing, and IT. When not working or reading, he enjoys road trips and nature hikes with his wife and two children.

Our full team can be found

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We’re hiring!

The Cartograph team is looking for people passionate about e-commerce, Amazon, and the Natural channel to join our team. We currently have openings in both Brand Management and Business Development. Please reach out to 

 for more information on opportunities to join us!

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