News

  • Sustainability & Beauty

    Sustainability is becoming central to growing the beauty e-commerce market. The beauty industry – including skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare – has long been criticized for its environmental impact, use of toxic chemicals, and non-recyclable materials. However, in recent years, beauty has been undergoing a green movement, known as “sustainable beauty,” with brands taking action…

  • AI-Fueled Voice Shopping to Change Ecommerce Landscape

    Developments in A.I. technology – like Amazon’s Alexa – are poised to reshape ecommerce and consumer behavior. As a result, online sellers will need to adapt to new product search methods powered by A.I. in order to stay on top of the trend. “You will never go to a search site again, you will never…

  • Health and Personal Care Ecommerce Continues to Boom

    Health and personal care products – such as beauty, medicine, and hygiene – have long been a brick-and-mortar retail stronghold. Yet, as more consumers turn online for their shopping needs, physical retail dominance in this category is beginning to slip. Amazon, the world’s predominant ecommerce marketplace, is expected to overtake Walmart in health and personal…

  • Inflation Targets the Pet Industry

    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…

  • Businesses Struggle with E-Commerce Demand

    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…

  • Amazon Announces New Surcharge to Cope with Rising Costs

    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…

  • Amazon Continues to Expand Same-Day Delivery Services

    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…

  • Advertising Costs On the Rise

    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…

  • Amazon Increases Annual Fee for Prime Membership – February 2022

    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…

  • ZQUARED’s Year in Review 2021

    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…