Our recent event at the Natwest Accelerator in Leeds was a huge success, showcasing two very different businesses that have both seen substantial growth through using Amazon.

We had a great turnout and were delighted to welcome attendees from various sectors. Our guests were a healthy mix of Amazon Vendors and Amazon Sellers from the online retail world as well as from larger companies and agencies, all eager to find out how to make Amazon work for them.

Prince Lionheart

Our first speaker, Emma Stapleton, heads up the European arm of successful US toy brand, Prince Lionheart. Selling high-quality baby and toddler toys, this family-owned business wanted to extend its reach into the UK and Europe and tasked Emma with the job. Emma’s initial impression was that the brand could be utilising Amazon much more to sell to their European customers.

Prince Lionheart is a large business with a healthy marketing budget and, despite having limited experience of selling through Amazon, Emma set about learning the ropes. By thoroughly researching online tools and selling options and taking the time to really understand how the process works, Emma built their Amazon presence from the ground up.

The takeaway from Emma’s talk was that larger brands do not need to fear selling on Amazon in order to protect their brand and sales elsewhere. The key is to develop a clear Amazon pricing strategy and build sales on Amazon itself.

VeloSkin

Our next speaker was the founder of VeloSkin, the skincare brand for cyclists, describing how he took the brand from having no Amazon presence to becoming the third best-seller in its category. VeloSkin had a limited marketing budget, so it drew upon years of experience and a thorough understanding of how Amazon selling works to maximise results. It developed a clear strategy and utilised the Amazon features that suited its company best. Just like Emma, it also used online tools to monitor, track and manage sales, with great success.

VeloSkin is proof that with expert input, even smaller companies with modest budgets can generate significant success through Amazon selling, but having a good understanding of the way Amazon works is crucial.

Q & A

Our speakers took to the stage and were joined by eCommerce Director of GTSE, Tom Armenante, for a Q&A session.

Audience members were keen to find out more about the online tools mentioned during the talks and our speakers named Helium10, Sellics and Sellerlegend as ones to try. Tools simplify many of the ongoing processes involved with managing an Amazon account, like researching keywords, targeting niche markets, monitoring reviews and managing ads.

Questions were raised as to how businesses can stand out among so much competition and whether it’s really worth investing time and money into Amazon selling. The answer from our panel was a resounding yes. Investing in Amazon pays off – as long as you can dedicate the time needed to understand how it works. If you don’t have the time yourself, it is always worth considering hiring an expert to help.

Other great tips from our Q&A session were:

  • Get fully on board with Amazon processes to make it work for you. You won’t be successful on there by doing it half-heartedly
  • Retain control of your pricing
  • Embrace Amazon selling but be smart about it
  • Don’t be put off asking for help from the experts
  • Consider becoming Brand Registered so you can retain ownership of your products

Thank you again to our expert speakers and our enthusiastic audience, we look forward to bringing our next event to Manchester soon.

If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected] or through our website.