Sam Heyworth of Amazon discusses the powerful ways that GS1-issued Global Trade Item Number® (GTIN®) improve efficiency and business opportunities for small e-commerce brands.
Each summer, Amazon Prime Day is an event promising two days of epic deals. While the e-commerce platform began testing similar spring sales early 2024, Prime Day still offers the largest and deepest discounts for Amazon customers.
Small businesses made the July 2023 Prime Day event the largest ever, contributing to more than 375 million items sold. This major retail event is a key opportunity for growth for small to medium-sized brands in a variety of product categories.
To be successful, you must be adequately prepared to deliver big. Here are three tips to support your Prime Day plan.
1. Have a robust fulfillment plan
Amazon has set the standard on fast shipping. Make sure your product is in stock to keep in line with customer expectations. Don’t be shortsighted—your goal should be to beef up inventory so that you can have continued success beyond just the Prime Day event. Best-case scenario, you gain visibility and momentum to last for weeks after Prime Day.
Order early from your suppliers and do everything you can to adequately forecast sales. Sellers can often be confused about how to forecast. You may want to explore working with a partner or solution provider that offers a platform to check competitive sales volume for forecasting purposes. Or you can talk to your manufacturers and sourcing folks ahead of Prime Day to see if they can give you an accurate forecast of production to plan accordingly.
2. Have authentic UPCs
Amazon makes it clear that valid UPC barcodes need to be associated with seller product listings. They will not accept listings that have duplicate UPCs or barcodes that trigger a matching error in their verification processes. The last thing any seller wants is to risk being delisted during one of the busiest times of the year!
Amazon recommends obtaining UPCs directly from GS1 or the product’s original manufacturer.
GS1 US® offers two options to license UPC barcodes, depending on how many products you plan to list. The first option, a GS1 Company Prefix, allows you to get multiple barcodes at a single time: identify locations, cases, and pallets; and create coupons. The second option is to license the UPCs one by one, which could be the most cost-effective option if you have only a few products that need barcodes right now. A free subscription to GS1 US Data Hub® is included with either option to help you manage all your product identifiers in one place.
Which GS1 US option is right for you?
"We verify the authenticity of product UPCs by checking the GS1 database. UPCs that do not match the information provided by GS1 will be considered invalid. Obtain your UPCs directly from GS1….”
- Amazon Seller Central
3. Fine tune your marketing campaigns
Pros in the seller community say Prime Day marketing is all about jockeying for the best ranking. Consider running a promotion now when you have more eyeballs on Amazon than you do at other times of the year. Add coupons to items to take advantage of the increased traffic during this time.
Also, be sure to focus on driving brand loyalty. Many sellers are concerned about balancing margins and cash flow, but focusing on driving impressions during Prime Day can ultimately help your long-term profitability. Your goal should be to drive as many positive reviews as possible before the big day—monitor them closely.
Ultimately, Prime Day is a big opportunity for small businesses. Now is the time to examine your strategies and ensure you are prepared to capitalize on this high-profile retail event.
