Doug Duguay

Your Amazon account doesn’t need more ad spend. It needs tighter control. Every review call sounds similar. “Let’s increase Sponsored Ads.” “Let’s push during the next sale.” “Let’s match competitor pricing.” But if growth isn’t predictable today, more spend rarely fixes it. On Amazon, scale doesn’t come from activity. It comes from structure. Clear hero SKUs driving rank. Search term ownership in priority keywords. Contribution-level clarity before scaling ads. Inventory planning around event spikes. Strict pricing discipline across online and offline. We’ve seen brands do ₹1–2 crore a month on Amazon. And still have no idea which 20% of SKUs are actually driving 80% of profitable growth. High revenue. Low visibility. Thin margins. Amazon rewards clarity. It penalises inconsistency. Stock-outs kill rank. Deep discounting resets price anchors. Poor listing hygiene impacts conversion. Uncontrolled returns erode contribution silently. Many brands are “working hard” on Amazon. Very few are operating it like a performance engine. More campaigns won’t fix a weak structure. Better control will. Are you scaling revenue? Or building profitable, defensible rank? #Sundariyer #iinc #EcommerceIndia #AmazonIndia #D2CIndia #BrandGrowth #IndianBrands

3

1 Comment

“I don’t get it. We’re spending more, ACoS is lower, but sales aren’t moving.” It's not just you. This is the reality among founders, and we hear this all the time. If you're running ads on Amazon, well, you've likely faced at least one of these PPC's biggest nightmares: 1. Wasted spend on branded terms You’re paying for clicks you should own because your competitors are outbidding you. That’s margin erosion. 2. No real keyword strategy Setting things on auto does not mean you have a strategy. If you're not continuously testing or optimizing match types, you're gambling ad dollars away. 3. ACoS is down… but so are sales That’s usually a sign the high-intent, acquisition-driving campaigns were cut to hit a ratio. Focus on contribution margin, new customer growth, and total account performance. 4. Budget bleed on low-intent clicks Top-of-search placement is expensive and often ineffective if the keywords aren’t high-intent. $3+ CPCs for “best skincare” or “protein powder” may drive visibility… not purchases. Are you actually converting or just boosting impressions? 5. No unified view of Organic + Paid You can’t fix bad listings with good ads. If your PDP is weak (think: poor images, unclear value prop, no social proof), ad dollars won’t save it. The bottom line? You can’t outspend a weak strategy or outbid a broken listing. To win, your ads, keywords, and PDPs have to work together. Otherwise, you're in for another nightmare at scale.

11

3 Comments

In 2025, retailer brands hit record sales and outgrow big brands. Shoppers want good value and good quality, and retailers now offer premium and functional options too. Where it’s already mainstream: -United States. Retailer brands grew +3.7% vs +1.1% for national brands. Sales are close to $280B , a record. For many shoppers, own brands are the default. -United Kingdom. Own-label share stayed near parity with brands (about 47–52%). Premium private label is growing fast. -Western Europe. In several countries, private label is over 40% of category sales. It’s part of the regular basket. Where it’s growing up: -Asia–Pacific. 54% of consumers say they now buy private label more often (leaders: Thailand, India, China, Indonesia). People see it as “good enough quality at a fair price.” -Latin America. Share is lower than in Europe, but growth is faster than the global market. Big room to grow, especially for discounters and club formats. Where it’s still early: Middle East & Africa. In many countries, share is still under 2%, but momentum is building as modern retail expands and shoppers seek affordability. Why this is happening: -Value without trade-offs. Most shoppers see private label as “good value for money” and a real alternative to brands. The stigma is fading. -Retailer strategy. Big chains launch premium lines (chef-inspired, plant-based, “made without”). Own brands are about innovation, not just low price. -Promo reality. Brands overuse discounts. Retailers push their own labels smartly, earning margin and loyalty, so private label keeps its share. What manufacturers should do (5 quick moves): 1) Rebuild the portfolio for profitable volume. Cut the long tail. Put money on your #1–2 brands and best-margin SKUs. EY State of Consumer Products 2025 says companies that simplify portfolios and focus win more. (EY) 2) Innovate for clear, simple benefits. No “just another flavor.” Make health-led products (high protein, no sugar, clean label) and easy formats. PwC Voice of the Consumer 2025 shows health benefits are a top reason people switch food brands. (PwC) 3) Co-create with retailers, not just ask for shelf space. Bring a category growth plan, exclusive packs, and retail-media tests with incrementality. Deloitte 2025 Consumer Products Outlook urges precision growth (balance price-volume-mix and smarter demand gen). (Deloitte) 4) Run price–pack–promo with hard measurement. Use RGM: targeted promos, MMM, and receipt data to prove lift vs. private label. Deloitte 2025 Outlook calls for profitable growth levers, not blanket discounting. (Deloitte Insights) 5) Tighten operations and cost-to-serve with data/AI. Make the supply chain transparent, cut waste, and free margin to reinvest. KPMG Global Tech Report 2025 (Consumer & Retail) links higher digital/AI maturity to better profitability. (KPMG Assets) #PrivateLabel #FMCG #CPG #Retail #StoreBrands #ConsumerTrends #RGM #CategoryManagement #RetailMedia #RetailInnovation

19

Cross-selling doesn’t automatically grow AOV Here’s proof: I audited a Shopify store with 50K+ orders/year They sell niche footwear accessories And they were offering bundles, but only as add-ons (metal tips, lace locks) The result? ✔ 45% of orders were bundles × AOV was stuck at $13.75 The reason: Customers were buying 2-5 items per order, but almost never full sets What the data showed: - Avg. items per order: 2.5 - Common patterns: 2 or 3 colors of the same product - Most frequent combos:  -> black + white  -> sail + pink  -> Jordan 1 + aglets But the site didn’t push bundles actively It didn’t make mixing easy And it didn’t highlight common combos The opportunity? Test new mix & match formats: 1) 3-pack builder: any 3 colors 2) 2 laces + optional add-ons 3) Trio + aglets: 2 required, 1 optional + accessory Expected impact? 👉 +15-20% AOV uplift 👉 More 3-5 item orders 👉 Better category discovery This is exactly the kind of audit insight I’ll be sharing at the Shopify Founders Meetup in Bratislava - Nov 6 If you’re building a Shopify brand in Slovakia and want more ideas like this: Register here👇 https://lnkd.in/epyc4aKr

4

I still remember the night before my very first Amazon FBA shipment. Standing there with one box, twenty identical products inside, I froze—do I need to label each product with an FNSKU, or just slap one on the box? The question felt *so* basic, yet the weight of "getting it right" was heavy. Because the truth is, success often hides in the small, overlooked details. If you’re starting out: 1. Yes, **each product** usually needs its own FNSKU label. 2. The **shipping box** itself gets the UPS label and the Amazon box content label. 3. Triple-check your labels before shipping—errors cost time and money. This was a small challenge, but it taught me something bigger— confidence is built one step at a time. For anyone dreaming of launching an online store—whether Amazon, Etsy, or eBay— these little lessons are your building blocks. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, that’s okay. It’s all part of the journey to building something real. Curious—what’s one "basic" step you struggled to get right in your own business? Let’s share stories and help each other nail those details! #Entrepreneurship #AmazonFBA #EcommerceJourney #MentorshipMatters

7