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[LWN] 🚨 This Moment Changed My Life...

[LWN] 🚨 This Moment Changed My Life...

Lunch With Norm's Weekly Newsletter - Amazon News & Updates

August 12, 2024 • Estimated Read Time: 11 minutes

🚨 This Moment Changed My Life…

This newsletter is proudly sponsored by:

What you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

🚨 This Moment Changed My Life [True Story]
🗞️ Latest Amazon News and Updates
🛑 Warning to All Sellers - Amazon is About to Change Forever
🌍 Upcoming Amazon Events
📸 Memories From the Banff CMS Trip

A big thank you to everyone who came out to our 2nd annual Collective Minds Society event in Banff National Park.

The views of the rockies blew me away.

I’ll drop some pictures of the drip at the bottom of this newsletter.

This newsletter is brought to you by Walmart:

Luxe Weavers grew 45% YoY

Luxe Weavers started with just $200 in investments and a small team of three people passionate about bringing customers high-quality textiles at any price point.

Now it’s an eCommerce juggernaut, projected to hit seven figures and operating out of three warehouses across the country. By signing up with Walmart Marketplace, Luxe Weavers opened a new network of customers, tools for scale, and technical support that helped them grow.

Want to grow like Luxe Weavers? Start selling on Walmart Marketplace.

*Conditions apply

📸 This Moment Changed My Life... [My True Story]

Back in the early 70s, my childhood friend was moving to the big city.

He lived right down the street from me and I had knew him for my whole life.

I was pretty sad to see him go.

But this also meant new people were moving into our neighborhood!

Maybe they would have kids too?

I remember an excitement filled the neighborhood.

Everyone wanted to know who is going to be the new family living down the street?

When the house was finally bought, all the neighborhood kids ran to check out the house.

We ended up spotting the new couple!

We ran over to talk to them.

We found out they were getting married soon and that they’d be moving here in a few weeks.

Back in the day, it was frowned upon to move in before you were married.

They seemed very kind.

We all knew they were going to make a great addition to the neighborhood.

But the couple never came back.

Three month later and that house was empty.

Four months… still nothing.

What happened?!

Even our parents didn't know what was going on.

The house sat empty for 7 months!

One of the kids finally heard from his parents (which we verified) that the couple went back to Northern Ireland for their honeymoon.

Unfortunately, during this time, there was conflict in Ireland known as “The Troubles.”

Tragically, when they went to Belfast, a bomb went off and killed them both.

The neighborhood was in utter shock.

The couple we talked to just weeks before was never coming back.

It was a lot to handle as a kid, and probably my first time I had to deal with loss.

This was a defining moment in my life, and I learned a valuable lesson.

The sudden and tragic loss made me aware of the unpredictability of life.

Life can change pretty quick - For better or for worse.

No one is immune.

So remember, uncertainty is a constant.

Always be prepared for unexpected challenges, whether they are in life or in business.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

🗞️ AMAZON NEWS & UPDATES 🗞️

What’s happening in the world of Amazon today…

🚨 Amazon are going to enforce their new bullet point requirements - Read More
Changes include the following:
- Restriction of special characters, emojis, and some phrases, such as refund-related guarantees.
- Guidance to help you create high-quality bullet points that are clear and concise.
🔥 TikTok users can now shop on Amazon without leaving the app - Read More
🛑 Amazon Pay is no longer availble with Shopify Payments for regions outside of Japan - Read More
🛒 Amazon is fumbling India - Read More
Future Dates to be aware of:
- September 6: Deal sourcing ends for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
- October 19: Inventory must arrive to guarantee Prime badge-ready by Black Friday.
- November 21 to December 2: Black Friday and Cyber Monday events.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BEARD GUY?

Can you find Norm in the picture below? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see the answer!

WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK

👇 Highlights from last week’s Lunch With Norm podcast episode👇

WARNING - Amazon is About to Change Forever | Steven Selikoff | Ep. 612

Watch the full episode here

7 Key Takeaways:

At least 9 platforms will all be competing within the next 12-18 months, and all offering Chinese factories a direct pipeline to western consumers.
The Amazon Discount section will ultimately distribute from within the US. Temu is already doing this with some products.
The Chinese government is encouraging direct sales from factories to consumers
The de minimis loophole will not remain forever and should not be considered a differentiator for your products
TikTok Shop has huge plans to sell directly from factories.
Steven has confirmed all this at high leadership levels within the platforms as well as with factories they are recruiting from.
The only thing NOT to do is to sit on your a$$ and do nothing.
So what do you do now?
- ✅ Differentiate Your Product Line:
  - Start working on product differentiation now by adding unique features, enhancing quality, or creating a strong brand identity that cannot be easily replicated by factories.
- ✅ Secure Intellectual Property:
  - File for trademarks and patents in both the U.S. and China to protect your brand from being copied by factories.
- ✅ Expand to New Sales Channels:
  - Diversify your presence by selling on TikTok Shop, Temu, and Walmart in addition to Amazon. This reduces reliance on one platform and opens up new customer bases.
- ✅ Set Up U.S. Warehousing:
  - Explore options for U.S.-based distribution to offer faster shipping times, which are becoming a key factor for consumers when choosing where to buy products.
- ✅ Adapt Marketing Strategies:
  - Shift part of your marketing focus to social media platforms that integrate e-commerce like TikTok Shop.

DON’T MISS THIS WEEK’S EPISODE!

You can watch all episodes on YouTube or on my Facebook page at 12 pm ET on Wednesday!

Guests and topics are subject to change*

What you’ll learn:

I’ve been very excited for this upcoming episode. You are going to be blown away with how easy it is to implement AI into your social media marketing. It’s a game-changer.

Basically a click of a button, you will have graphics, templates, and so much more.

You’re not going to want to miss this.

Join us us 12 pm ET on Wednesday! If you have a question for Jake, email me and I’ll make sure we ask it on Wednesday 😎

Watch LIVE 👉 Sign up here