https://youtu.be/5zFfRGlhzmk?si=wwAVIoLRhWtC4Nmo

How to Lower Tariffs and Protect Your Margins in 2025

With tariffs in flux and sourcing pressure on the rise, here’s how Amazon sellers are adapting — and what you can do to stay one step ahead.

Tariffs are back in the spotlight — and with new volatility around China and shifting global trade deals, Amazon sellers need to move fast to protect profitability. In this special segment of our May Capitalism Coaching Round Table, we broke down exactly what’s happening with tariffs and what strategies are actually working right now.

Here’s your complete guide to staying profitable and supply chain-resilient.

Current Tariff Landscape 

• China: Temporarily reduced from 145% → ~34% total with added fees. This “pause” is scheduled to expire August 12, 2025 unless a new deal is reached.

• UK: A new trade deal now caps tariffs at 10% and strengthens IP protection for U.S. sellers.

• Canada & Mexico: Standard import tariff remains at 25% for most goods.

If your business depends on Chinese manufacturing, now is the time to diversify and restructure your supply chain.

6 Actionable Tariff Strategies for Sellers

1. Negotiate with Current Suppliers
Many Chinese suppliers already have partnerships or factory access in lower-tariff countries — but you won’t know unless you ask.
Ask about:

• Lower-cost materials or production methods

• Sister factories in countries like Vietnam or India

• Moving molds or partial assembly abroad

• Better payment terms or bulk discounts to offset tariff costs

Build a real relationship. Suppliers are more likely to help when you treat them like long-term partners.

2. Diversify Your Sourcing Countries
It’s no longer optional — it’s strategic risk management.
Explore options in:

• Vietnam

• India

• Bangladesh

• Other low-duty zones based on your category

Use expos, sourcing platforms (like Alibaba or Global Sources), and trusted sourcing agents to run test orders. Don’t wait until you’re in a pinch — secure backups now.

3. Optimize Inventory and Logistics
Reducing tariff impact isn’t just about origin — it’s also about smart movement.

• Store imports in Foreign Trade Zones or bonded warehouses to defer duty payments

• Transship through lower-tariff countries before U.S. entry

• Audit packaging and weight to lower dimensional fees and shipping costs

Bonus: These steps also increase agility during busy seasons and reduce cash flow pressure.

4. Adjust Pricing and Product Positioning
Tariff-related cost increases don’t always require dramatic price hikes.
Instead:

• Use bundles to increase perceived value

• Add Subscribe & Save to drive long-term LTV

• Make gradual price shifts over time

• Emphasize premium features and reviews in your listing to justify price differences

5. Leverage Tariff Classifications
Not all import codes are created equal.

• Revisit your HS codes with a customs broker

• Explore modifications to materials or assembly to reclassify your product

• Look into country-of-origin rules that allow you to change classification via final assembly in a different country

Even small changes can significantly lower your tariff percentage.

6. Use Expert Sourcing Support
TurnKey has vetted sourcing partners who can:

• Relocate production

• Negotiate directly with factories

• Run global supplier searches tailored to your product

• Coordinate logistics and quality checks

If you’re doing $1M+ in annual revenue and actively looking to exit China, we can either manage the transition for you or refer you to a trusted fit.

Real Talk: Don’t Wait!

Tariff policy can shift with a tweet — and sellers who move early protect their margins first. The good news? There are options. Smart negotiation, strategic sourcing, and inventory optimization can help you weather this volatility and come out stronger on the other side.

https://youtu.be/SLJhLjRNEMo

Master Your Amazon Strategy with Customer Journey Insights

Discover how Amazon’s new Customer Journey Analytics Report can transform your brand’s marketing, pricing, and retention efforts

Amazon introduced the Customer Journey Analytics Report, a game-changing tool within Brand Analytics that tracks how customers engage with your brand across their purchasing journey. From awareness to purchase, this report provides actionable insights into customer touchpoints, drop-off rates, and conversion opportunities.

Here’s what the report offers:

1. Date Range Options: Choose between weekly or monthly data (quarterly still pending).
2. Customer Journey Flow: See how customers move from awareness (category vs. branded searches) to consideration (detail page visits), intent (add-to-cart or wishlist actions), and purchase (sales and repeat behavior).
3. Key Metrics: For example, 32,547 customers searched a brand, with a 32.25% increase in awareness, while 2,087 completed purchases, driving $141,107.81 in sales.

Why It Matters:

1. Optimize PPC Campaigns: Analyze branded vs. category search engagement to refine ad targeting.
2. Enhance Listings: Track drop-offs after changes to titles, images, or pricing to boost conversions.
3. Smarter Pricing: Find the perfect price point by monitoring how adjustments impact sales.
4. Increase CLV: Tailor retention strategies based on repeat purchase insights.

While the lack of quarterly reporting limits deeper repeat purchase analysis, comparing monthly trends can still reveal powerful patterns. Dive into this report today to elevate your Amazon strategy!

https://youtu.be/RAQtEnRB4R8

Breaking Into Retail:
Insights from Retailbound’s Yohan Jacob

Learn how to take your brand from e-commerce to big box retail shelves with expert advice from Yohan Jacob, founder of Retailbound.

In this Episode of Playbook for Amazon, host Alex welcomes Yohan Jacob, the president and founder of Retailbound, a firm that has guided over 500 product brands into major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Costco. With 18 years of experience, Yohan shares how the retail landscape has evolved since he started Retailbound in 2008, especially with the rise of e-commerce and omnichannel strategies.

Yohan discusses the shift from traditional brick-and-mortar retail to omnichannel approaches, accelerated by COVID-19, and highlights how retailers like Best Buy have adapted with curbside pickup and enhanced digital platforms. He also notes the growth of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands like Peloton and Casper, alongside the power of social media marketing in today’s retail world.

Retailbound specializes in helping brands with innovative, durable products (think consumer electronics, sporting goods, and housewares) break into retail. Yohan shares a success story of a smart ring brand, Ultra Human, which went from a crowdfunding campaign to generating $1.5 million in sales on QVC and expanding to 2,500+ stores across the US and Canada.

The episode also dives into Retailbound’s two key programs: Retailbound Launch, a comprehensive service for brands ready to hit retail shelves, and Retailbound Accelerator, a group coaching program for smaller inventors seeking retail education. Yohan emphasizes the importance of a strong Amazon presence before approaching retail buyers, offering practical advice for entrepreneurs at any stage.

Listen to the full episode to discover how to make your brand retail-ready and connect with Yohan at retailbound.com!

https://youtu.be/WgIX9AhKhUA

Unlocking Amazon PPC Insights for 2025

How Conversion Path Reporting and New-to-Brand Metrics Are Revolutionizing Amazon Advertising

What Is Conversion Path Reporting?

Amazon’s new Conversion Path Report offers a comprehensive view of your customers’ path to purchase across multiple ad types, including Amazon DSP, Sponsored TV, Sponsored Display, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Products. This report highlights the most effective touchpoints that lead to conversions, empowering advertisers to:

• Identify Optimal Ad Combinations: Discover which campaign types and formats drive engagement and sales.
• Understand Cross-Channel Influence: See how different ad types work together to influence purchase decisions.
• Balance Awareness and Performance: Build full-funnel strategies that blend brand awareness with performance-driven campaigns.
• Optimize Budget Allocation: Measure the impact of your strategies to plan future spending effectively.

For example, the report might show a path like “Sponsored Products > Purchase” generating $9,172 in sales or “Display (Amazon DSP) > Sponsored Products > Purchase” yielding $839. These insights reveal patterns previously hidden from advertisers.

How to Access Conversion Path Reporting

• Top 5 Paths: In the Ads Console, navigate to Campaign Manager via the left menu. Your top five conversion paths will appear in the insight cards at the top of the campaigns page.
• Custom Date Range: For a deeper dive, go to Measurement and Reporting > Sponsored Ads Reports > All Amazon Campaigns. Select your date range, run the report, and download it once processed (note: this may take some time).

Why It Matters

Conversion Path Reporting provides a window into how customers interact with your ads throughout their shopping journey. By moving beyond last-click attribution, brands can pinpoint high-impact ad sequences, make real-time adjustments, and maximize advertising efficiency—ultimately improving return on ad spend (ROAS).

New-to-Brand Metrics Expansion

The second major update is the expansion of New-to-Brand Metrics, now including Sponsored Products—the ad type accounting for roughly 78% of Amazon ad spend. Previously, New-to-Brand data (tracking purchases from customers who hadn’t bought from your brand in the past 12 months) was unavailable for Sponsored Products. Now, with this data accessible via the Conversion Path Report, advertisers can unlock powerful insights.

Why New-to-Brand Metrics Are Essential

• Measure Customer Acquisition: Assess how effectively your campaigns attract first-time buyers.
• Evaluate Brand Loyalty: A lower New-to-Brand percentage might signal strong repeat customer loyalty, while a higher rate indicates successful awareness campaigns.
• Optimize Ad Performance: Tailor strategies across ad types to convert new customers efficiently.
• Balance Cost and Value: Estimate customer acquisition costs (CAC) against lifetime value (LTV) for smarter budgeting.
• Drive Market Growth: Track trends to ensure your brand continuously reaches new audiences.

For instance, knowing that a Sponsored Products ad led to a $9,172 sale—mostly from New-to-Brand customers—helps you refine targeting and creative to attract more first-time buyers.

How These Updates Support Optimization

Together, these tools enable data-driven decision-making:

• Reduce Wasted Spend: Eliminate ineffective touchpoints and focus on high-performing paths.
• Boost Retention: Refine remarketing efforts based on repeat purchase behavior.
• Enhance Creatives: Craft compelling ads tailored to different funnel stages.
• Strengthen Attribution: Move beyond last-click models for a more accurate view of what drives conversions.

Amazon’s willingness to share this data signals a shift toward transparency, offering brands the tools to make smarter, more impactful advertising decisions in 2025 and beyond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo-UwxYINZ4

How to Leverage Influencers to Grow Your Amazon Brand

Explore practical tips for outreach, tracking, and structuring deals with influencers to elevate your Amazon success.

In today’s digital landscape, influencer marketing is a potent strategy for expanding your brand’s reach, especially on platforms like Amazon. This overview sheds light on the essentials of utilizing influencers to boost your sales and enhance brand awareness.

Why Partner with Influencers?
Working with influencers allows you to tap into new audiences, increasing your brand’s visibility and trust. Through authentic content, influencers can drive external traffic to your Amazon listings, offering you user-generated content useful for social media and other promotional avenues.

Finding the Right Influencers
Begin by defining your criteria—such as follower count and engagement rate—before seeking influencers. Platforms like Amazon’s Creator Connections can streamline this process, providing a marketplace to connect with potential partners.

Tracking and Compensation
Utilize Amazon’s tools like attribution links to track sales from influencer campaigns. Structure your compensation strategy, considering free products or commission-based incentives, to align with your budget.

For more information about influencer strategies, reach out to expert services that can help manage these relationships effectively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo-UwxYINZ4

How to Leverage Influencers to Grow Your Amazon Brand

Explore practical tips for outreach, tracking, and structuring deals with influencers to elevate your Amazon success.

In today’s digital landscape, influencer marketing is a potent strategy for expanding your brand’s reach, especially on platforms like Amazon. This overview sheds light on the essentials of utilizing influencers to boost your sales and enhance brand awareness.

Why Partner with Influencers?
Working with influencers allows you to tap into new audiences, increasing your brand’s visibility and trust. Through authentic content, influencers can drive external traffic to your Amazon listings, offering you user-generated content useful for social media and other promotional avenues.

Finding the Right Influencers
Begin by defining your criteria—such as follower count and engagement rate—before seeking influencers. Platforms like Amazon’s Creator Connections can streamline this process, providing a marketplace to connect with potential partners.

Tracking and Compensation
Utilize Amazon’s tools like attribution links to track sales from influencer campaigns. Structure your compensation strategy, considering free products or commission-based incentives, to align with your budget.

For more information about influencer strategies, reach out to expert services that can help manage these relationships effectively.

https://youtu.be/zcp7sr-ciV0

Mastering Q4 Amazon Strategies: Boost Sales and Maximize Holiday Visibility

Mastering Q4 Amazon Strategies: Boost Sales and Maximize Holiday Visibility

The holiday season in Quarter 4 or Q4   is a critical time for Amazon sellers to maximize visibility and revenue, especially during high-demand shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.To stay competitive, sellers should employ targeted strategies across discounts, promotions, and content.  Start by offering a 20% Prime Exclusive Discount that covers both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, streamlining pricing and attracting deal-seeking shoppers. If Prime discounts aren’t an option, consider using coupons to maintain competitive visibility. Amazon’s brand-tailored promotions can also drive conversions by targeting specific audiences, such as past customers and cart abandoners. Boost brand engagement with holiday-themed Amazon Posts that highlight your product as a gift,  and increase post frequency for greater visibility.

Collaborate with influencers through Creator Connections for ongoing exposure, allowing influencers to showcase products throughout the season. Updating your Amazon storefront with seasonal images  and gift guides can create a festive atmosphere for shoppers, especially when scheduled from mid-November through New Year’s.Finally, drive external traffic to your listings through email and  social media campaigns with Amazon attribution links,  focusing on holiday gift guides and last-minute offers to capture seasonal urgency. Combining these Q4 strategies can drive visibility and conversions,ensuring a successful holiday season on Amazon.

https://youtu.be/DvaIvADIZ18

Navigating the Challenges of Amazon’s Review Policies

How to Optimize Reviews While Staying Within Amazon’s Terms of Service

A Look Back at Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, held on October 8th and 9th, 2024, were significant events for sellers. To maximize engagement and compliance during these events, it’s crucial to understand Amazon’s guidelines and implement effective strategies.

Amazon Reviews: A Retrospective
Amazon’s strict review policies remain a key factor for sellers. It’s essential to avoid incentivizing or manipulating reviews. While tools like Amazon Vine can be helpful for new products, it’s important to balance them with organic reviews.

Maximizing the Impact of Prime Big Deal Days
During past Prime Big Deal Days, sellers who strategically increased ad budgets, optimized campaigns, and offered exclusive discounts saw significant gains. However, it’s crucial to ensure all promotional activities align with Amazon’s guidelines to avoid potential penalties.

The Evolving Landscape of Amazon Marketing
Recent changes in Amazon’s policies, particularly regarding marketing inserts and review solicitation, highlight the need for constant adaptation. Sellers should carefully review and adjust their marketing strategies to avoid negative consequences.

By understanding these past events and the evolving Amazon landscape, sellers can position themselves for future success on the platform.

https://youtu.be/8ZL53O44pfE?si=DqF5S_iI55x6JSd2

How to Choose Winning Products for Amazon Sellers

Key Factors to Consider When Selecting Your Next Amazon Product

In the competitive world of Amazon selling, choosing the right product can make or break your success. This guide outlines essential factors to consider when selecting your next Amazon product:

1. Market Demand: Look for products where the top seller generates at least $100,000 per month, and the 10th-ranked seller makes $30,000 monthly.
2. Competition: Aim for niches where the 10th-ranked product has fewer than 500 reviews, indicating room for new entrants.
3. Differentiation: Find at least one way to make your product stand out from competitors.
4. Price Point: Target products in the $9.99 to $150 range for optimal profitability.
5. Repeat Purchase Potential: Consider products that customers will buy regularly.
6. Size and Weight: Smaller, lighter products often have better profit margins due to lower shipping costs and Amazon Fees.
7. Brand Vision: Ensure your product aligns with your overall brand strategy and appeals to your target customer avatar.
8. Product Line Potential: Plan for at least five complementary products to build a robust catalog.

By following these guidelines and using tools like Jungle Scout or Helium10, you can increase your chances of launching a successful product on Amazon.

https://youtu.be/x0GRYflLwLI

Maximize Your Amazon Posts for Better Visibility

New Boosting Feature Offers Exciting Opportunities for Sellers

Amazon Posts, the platform’s social media-like feature, has recently introduced a game-changing option: post boosting. This new capability allows sellers to amplify their reach and engagement, similar to promoted posts on other social media platforms. By leveraging boosted posts, brands can significantly increase their visibility on Amazon, potentially driving more traffic to their listings and storefront.

To make the most of this feature, it’s crucial to understand what makes a post eligible for boosting. Amazon has set specific criteria that posts must meet:

1. Community Guidelines: Ensure your content adheres to Amazon’s community standards, avoiding prohibited language, hate speech or violence.
2. Image Quality: Use high-resolution images (minimum 1000×1000 pixels, maximum 10,000 pixels on the longest side) to allow customers to zoom in and see details.
3. File Formats: Stick to JPEG (preferred), TIF, PNG, or GIF formats, with a maximum file size of 10 MB.
4. Video Specifications: For video posts, maintain a minimum resolution of 540×960 pixels (1080×1920 recommended), with a length between 6 and 45 seconds.

When creating content for your Amazon Posts, consider these strategies:

1. Showcase new product launches
2. Use lifestyle images demonstrating your product in use
3. Create seasonal content to stay relevant
4. Highlight product features with close-up shots
5. Draw inspiration from successful competitors in your category

By following these guidelines and implementing creative strategies, you can create compelling posts that are not only eligible for boosting but also resonate with your target audience. Remember, the key to success with Amazon Posts is to provide value to your customers while showcasing your products in an engaging and authentic way.

https://youtu.be/-be8JcCccho

Winning Promo Hacks for an Epic Amazon Prime Day

Utilizing Coupons, Promo Codes, and Tiered Promotions

 Amazon Prime Day offers several promotional avenues to boost your sales, and understanding each can make a significant difference. Prime Exclusive Discounts are highly effective, but you can also leverage coupons, promotional codes, and tiered promotions. 

 Coupons will be available for scheduling once Amazon announces the Prime Day dates. It’s advisable to match at least a 20% discount to stay competitive. Promotional codes and tiered promotions, such as “buy two, get 10% off,” can complement your discounts and drive higher order values. Combining these promotions strategically can enhance your overall sales performance. Additionally, brand-tailored promo codes target specific audiences, such as abandoned cart shoppers or new customers, offering a personalized touch that can boost conversions. Preparing these promotional tools ahead of time and ensuring they align with your pricing strategy will position you well for a successful Prime Day