RESOURCES

The level-headed response to last week’s lack of Amazon purchase orders for many brands was a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude – putting off any major evaluation until the following Monday to see if the trend would continue into its second week.

That second Monday has arrived, and by all accounts, it could be time for brands to begin taking the situation more seriously. As of midday Eastern Time Monday, many brands were reporting a second week of missed purchase orders, some despite receiving prior word from Amazon that POs would resume this week.

As we mentioned last week, MPS strongly recommends that anyone who does not have a Seller Central account to sign up for one as soon as possible and begin the steps it will take to put that channel into motion should it become necessary. For brands that already have Seller Central accounts, making sure your full catalog is uploaded into the 3P platform is a good next step.

Meanwhile, over the weekend several MPS clients received the email below.

The note urges brands that have not enrolled in Brand Registry to do so and states Amazon Retail prefers, “to source products directly from brand owners.” This clearly insinuates Brand Registry may be one of the parameters used moving forward to determine whether or not Amazon will continue to work with a brand via Vendor Central.

Given this note, a strong second recommendation would be for brands to confirm they’re enrolled in Brand Registry and to complete the process if they are not.

A third recommendation is -- if you’re able -- to remain level-headed, continue to assess the situation, and be prepared to act swiftly once more information is available.

This situation is sure to continue to evolve as the week progresses!