Connecting with Amazon Experts

When you work with the Scrutton Bland E-commerce Business Advisory Team it is more than just the numbers. We work with consultants who are experts in Amazon, product and factory sourcing on an international level.

One of those consultants, who is also a Business Advisory client, gives us some insight as to how he developed his knowledge as he stepped into the world of Amazon with one product and now sells globally as well as helping others achieve the same through consultancy.

Ray has 30 years of product marketing. He takes us through how he started, the initial challenges and how he now helps others.

I set up my company in 1993, just before leaving my Financial Worlds job in Derivatives where I worked in the US, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.  It was born out of finding products that were different from what was out there, starting in the sporting goods area and switching to cleaning products, I have launched, and managed products that you will use today. Products that have become global hits like Oxi Clean, which we know better these days as Vanish Oxi Action.

When I started looking at Amazon as an opportunity, it was many years ago and was done by supplying them directly. This was fraught with issues, hidden costs, and charges which made it unappealing, so I set about having re-sellers who lived and breathed Amazon and eBay.

As time went by, I got more intrigued as to how Amazon worked, and with impeccable timing, I opened my account on 29 January 2020 with just one product, just to see how it worked. In March 2020 lockdown arrived, and so my one product that had been gathering dust suddenly became very popular. That product was a microfibre radiator brush.

Sales went from one or two to dozens, and then multiple dozens and into the 100s, which kept us very busy working from home, packing and dropping parcels at the local Hermes (now Evri) drop-off shop.

From there, we added more products that we had in the warehouse and haven’t looked back since.

There were countless things to learn, and given we were in lockdown, I had the time to spare.

I spent a lot of time researching, watching videos, and a bit like Thomas Eddison, a lot of trial and error, I gained a lot of knowledge which has become invaluable.

There were routines that Amazon said I needed to follow in certain areas which were laborious, however, I found workarounds that saved time and effort, little inside tricks that just sped things up, and helped me achieve a much better response with my listings and their positioning.

Not being happy with just the UK, my go-getting style got me looking at launching in the EU. Since Brexit, as we all are aware things have become more bureaucratic, Amazon does assist you to launch elsewhere and they have approved companies to utilise, and you tap into Amazon’s subsidies. So, getting registered for VAT in five countries was actually quite straight forward albeit each country had different needs, e.g. Poland, black ink, the signature must 100% match your passport signature, Spain required Notarizing, Italy was the easiest, all electronic just clicked and done.

I have spent 28 years scouring the world for products, notably China. It has been a voyage of discovery, and I now have three strategic partners who specialise in different areas – from plastic goods to mechanical technical products, and factory control if running a bespoke product. All these contacts were very helpful during COVID-19, as they helped me ship PPE to customers in the UK including NHS England.

I have supplied major retailers in the US and the EU, names such as Costco US and EU, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walgreens, Linens N ’Things, and Home Depot among others.

Amazon is a vast marketplace with enormous potential, and launching your brand on it can be a rewarding experience. I have gained extensive knowledge of navigating the platform and developed shortcuts, workarounds, and effective ways to make your products and brand stand out amidst the competition.

Whether you are thinking of launching on Amazon, and maybe a little phased by how to do it or are already doing some Amazon business and want to do better or extend your reach to other Amazon territories, I can help.

Amazon identified my brand and potential and offered me a development program that involves me having my own Amazon internal account manager and specialist. He has helped me understand how Amazon views sellers and their listings, and how to make things better so that you reach a higher positioning in product searches and win the all-important Buy Box.

As a seasoned Amazon seller with a successful track record of launching my brand on the platform, I am now fortunate enough to work with other business looking to sell online or expand on their offering and provide guidance and strategies needed to achieve success.

If you are interested in discussing your business with Ray, please get in touch with our e-commerce team by emailing hello@scruttonbland.co.uk