News

Although overall U.S. economic inflation shows signs of cooling in recent months, the pet care industry continues to suffer from a high consumer price index (CPI) - the standard statistic used to measure inflation rates. As a result, pet care businesses struggle to maintain a profit margin without pushing consumers away with rising prices on…

E-commerce growth has soared since the onset of COVID-19, surpassing FTI Consulting’s pre-pandemic 2025 sales figures projections. It is on course to reach $1 trillion in 2022 for the first time ever. Analysts predict e-commerce retail to grow at a 10% compound annual growth rate through 2027, and exceed $2 trillion by 2030, which will…

Due to rising costs tied to inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the ongoing pandemic, Amazon announced that it will be adding a 5% surcharge for all US-based third-party sellers who use Amazon Fulfillment Centers to store, pack, and ship products. The surcharge is scheduled to go into effect on April 28. Approximately 89 percent…

In March 2022, Amazon announced the latest expansion of their “mini-fulfillment centers” to Boston, which allow for same-day delivery to Prime customers within the Greater Boston Area. This service is now available in 27 cities across the country. Same-day delivery allow orders to arrive within hours of purchase. Orders placed as late as midnight arrive…

Across Amazon, sellers and consumers alike are being hit with substantial price increases in Prime membership fees, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) expenses, and Amazon advertising costs. Extenuating circumstances continue to affect Amazon FBA rates. Namely, a dramatic increase in sellers on Amazon has led to supply chain bottlenecks, labor shortages, wage increases, logistical nightmares, warehousing…

On February 3, 2022, Amazon announced that the company will increase the annual price of Prime membership in the U.S. from $119 to $139 – representing a 17% increase. This price hike is the first to hit since 2018 and is meant to offset inflation, rising wages and transportation costs. Annual membership prices are rising…

Since our inception, ZQUARED has experienced exponential client and revenue growth due to our knowledge of all things Amazon. Our Brand Partners trust us, and the numbers show it! From 2018 to 2021, ZQUARED has more than doubled their revenue from $30mm to upward of $60mm annually. Our company growth can be attributed to our…

In today’s competitive Amazon marketplace, having a solid understanding of the Amazon Buy Box is critical. Over time, your ability to “own” the Buy Box can be the difference in thousands of dollars of sales. What is the Amazon Buy Box? The Buy Box is the “box” on a product detail page where customers can begin the…

When Amazon places restrictions on a listing – or on an entire category – sellers rightfully get nervous. If that category is loosely defined, the restrictions can spill over into non-offending products and accounts. The result can go beyond lost sales for legitimate sellers. It can mean weeks or months spent trying to correct a mistaken…

Prime Day is quickly approaching, and you’re invited to participate! Amazon Prime Day 2020 marked the two biggest days ever for small and medium businesses in Amazon’s stores worldwide. Independent third-party sellers — most of which are small and medium-sized businesses — surpassed $3.5 billion in sales on Prime Day — a nearly 60% increase…