Christmas 2021 is coming and as always, the festive shopping season is set to be an important time for online marketplace sellers around the world. Here, we explore how you can maximise selling potential on Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace, during the year’s busiest shopping period – and beyond. 

Make sure Amazon is right for you 

If you have a multi-product offering, maximise your marketplace business by understanding which of your products will perform on Amazon and which won’t. Research what sold well during previous Christmas sales and create a cross-marketplace strategy, placing your products on the most appropriate platform, not just Amazon. Also, don’t fall into the trap of trying to go toe-to-toe with competition on low margins for products that sell perfectly well at higher margins on your own e-commerce site. This could result in alienating your clientele elsewhere and even devaluing your products across the board.  

Make your products stand out against competitors 

With so much competition on Amazon (a search for “headphones” for example, returns over 4,000 results), online sellers need to differentiate their brands from the countless competitors. One popular and effective method is to utilise Amazon Brand Registry, a service that helps protect brand trademarks and, as a result, increase trust with consumers. The second method is A+ Content, which allows merchants to add rich snippets to their listings, with enhanced product descriptions that build a brand story and emphasise the benefits to customers. 

Get to the top of Amazon listings   

Amazon prioritises sponsored product listings, then sponsored brands, then bestsellers, with organic results following suit after these categories. This means before you even get to organic listings (non-sponsored), a large amount of page real estate has been taken up, putting less established brands at a disadvantage.  

To overcome this issue, try investing in paid search ads (PPC or pay per click) to ensure your products remain discoverable in the most popular categories. This is especially critical during Christmas and other periods of increased traffic.  

Optimise your listings by region 

If you sell internationally on Amazon, ensure you localise your listings and curate your product selection. By understanding which categories are biggest in each region, you can focus your promotions and paid search campaigns on products that you know will sell the best.  

For example, the lower end of the Chinese market is well covered by domestic sellers, making it difficult for western merchants to break into this area. However, if you’re a western seller catering to the luxury end of the market, there’s a much greater opportunity.   

Plan for impacts to the supply chain over the Christmas season The busiest time of year for e-commerce and marketplaces puts a strain on logistics and postal services, too. As the demand for online purchases increases, you need to ensure delivery doesn’t become a sticking point. This is especially important given Amazon Prime and the associated next-day or two-day shipping customers expect.  

Ensure you’re well catered for globally across multiple carriers in case of challenges such as mail strikes or adverse winter weather. Don’t underestimate the increased demand on your own business either. Having flexible additional headcount as a release valve for higher volume periods can help you  maintain a good level of shipping and customer service and keep your seller accounts in good stead.  

Check the consumer product trends

It is, of course, difficult to say for certain what the hot product each Christmas is going to be, but you can look at trends and market research from previous years, as well as forecasts to paint a relatively accurate picture. Toys always do well at Christmas for obvious reasons, but those categories are often tightly policed by marketplaces fearful of children being left with a "lump of coal under the tree" because the merchant has failed to deliver. We’re also seeing a growing movement in US and European markets towards "ethical consumerism", so wellness brands or sellers with environmental credentials may benefit in terms of Amazon Christmas sales.   

What’s trending in one region definitely doesn’t mean it’s a global trend. Even across mainland Europe, shopping preferences can vary dramatically. Once again, it comes down to understanding the local culture and preferences.   

Having an innate knowledge of your customer base is the number one thing you can do to prepare for success at Christmas, especially on marketplaces like Amazon where your products can quickly and easily be showcased on a global scale. While it’s beneficial to offer your entire SKU catalogue globally, focusing on key products in key markets will ensure you don’t waste ad budget or efforts in areas where you’re less likely to succeed. Finally, don’t underestimate your international customer base. Ensure you’re set up for international trade and have the right partners and systems in place to make overseas selling as simple as possible.