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- 80/20 of Ecom 1/24/25: Rufus Blueprint, DSP ROI, AI Training, and Trump Tariffs Incoming
80/20 of Ecom 1/24/25: Rufus Blueprint, DSP ROI, AI Training, and Trump Tariffs Incoming
From Rufus to DSP, discover how sellers are navigating 2025 challenges
Gary Huang
January 24, 2025
Amazon’s newly unveiled AI, Rufus, is set to redefine e-commerce, combining advanced natural language processing (NLP) with real-time learning to bridge the gap between customer questions and relevant product recommendations.
It’s not just about keywords anymore—Rufus interprets context, using features like Noun Phrase Optimization (NPO) and Visual Label Tagging (VLT) to suggest the most relevant products to shoppers. Imagine a customer asking, “How do I remove gel nails?” Rufus doesn’t just provide an answer; it highlights “pure acetone” as essential and recommends top-rated acetone removers.
For sellers, the key to thriving in this new landscape lies in crafting product listings that align with Rufus’s semantic understanding. Incorporating detailed noun phrases, addressing common customer questions, and optimizing text on visuals will boost your product’s discoverability.
Takeaway: The era of static listings is over. Get ahead by aligning your content with Rufus’s capabilities to make your products the automatic answer to shopper queries.
Special thanks to Danny McMillan, Oana Padurariu, and Andrew Smith for their groundbreaking analysis of the Rufus patent.
The Year of the Snake is just around the corner, officially kicking off on January 29th, 2025. As one of the most significant holidays in China, factories and logistics partners are expected to remain closed from now until mid-February, or even later in some cases.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to reach out to your suppliers. Confirm your deliveries are on schedule and your production orders are accounted for to avoid significant delays caused by the holiday closures.
Keep in mind that the Chinese New Year is also a time for families to reunite, and many workers take extended leave to visit their hometowns. This means a slower-than-usual return to business operations.
Planning ahead is critical to ensure your supply chain runs smoothly during this period. Take action now to avoid disruptions that could impact your inventory levels in the weeks ahead.
President Trump has officially taken office, and the first wave of new tariffs is set to hit on February 1st. These changes will significantly impact sellers importing goods into the United States from China, Mexico, and Canada. Here’s what you need to know:
• A 10% tariff will be added to all imports from China.
• A 25% tariff will be applied to imports from Mexico and Canada, reportedly tied to efforts to curb the annual influx of fentanyl into the U.S.
What This Means for Sellers:
This is your signal to prepare your supply chain now. The additional tariffs will increase your landed costs, and a proactive approach is critical to minimizing their impact on your margins.
• Negotiate with suppliers: Talk to both your Chinese suppliers and logistics partners in the U.S. to split the cost burden of these tariffs. Collaboration is key to finding solutions that work for both sides.
• Optimize your supply chain: Look into diversifying your sourcing strategy. Southeast Asia, India, and domestic suppliers could help offset the risks of relying heavily on tariff-impacted countries.
• Reprice strategically: Adjust your product pricing to account for the new costs. Use tools like Profasee to reprice products dynamically and maximize profitability. Profasee helps you fine-tune your pricing strategy to respond to changes in the marketplace while protecting your margins.
Takeaway:
The turbulence is here, but preparation is your best weapon. Evaluate your supply chain, negotiate with suppliers, and adjust pricing models to weather the storm and maintain profitability in this new tariff era. Act now—February 1st is right around the corner.
Find out how brands are using DSP to outperform traditional Sponsored Brands Advertising in this exclusive live webinar with Vincenzo Toscano, CEO of Ecomcy.
See how DSP is delivering superior ROI, reduced CPA, and new-to-brand growth for sellers across categories.
What You’ll Learn:
• How a $5K DSP budget delivered 4x ROAS compared to $50K in Sponsored Ads.
• The secret to driving 65% of purchases from new-to-brand customers.
• How DSP reduced CPA by 34% while securing #1 bestseller rankings.
• How to combine DSP with PPC to expand reach and maximize returns.
• Actionable strategies to scale your sales and profits in 2025.
📅 Date & Time:
• New York: Wed, 22 Jan 2025, 4:00 PM EST
• London: Wed, 22 Jan 2025, 9:00 PM GMT
• Tokyo: Thu, 23 Jan 2025, 6:00 AM JST
• Melbourne: Thu, 23 Jan 2025, 8:00 AM AEDT
🔗 RSVP Now
This paid 120-minute masterclass is your opportunity to dive deep into actionable AI trends, tools, and strategies that will elevate your e-commerce business to the next level. Whether you want to streamline operations, spark fresh ideas, or see AI in action, this session is designed to deliver transformative insights.
You’ll Learn:
• Live automation demo: Watch as one pivotal aspect of business is completely automated live during the session.
• Step-by-step AI solutions, broken down so even beginners can follow and apply.
• Discover the exact tools and workflows that drive growth, streamline operations, and transform customer experiences.
• Join live demos designed to inspire action and deliver real results.
• Learn how to use AI for realistic video generation and storytelling.
• No-code AI apps: Build apps with Claude.AI and Google Spreadsheets.
• AI-powered workflows: Streamline your operations using Make.com to create AI-powered workflows.
Register here: Click to join
(Note: I’m an affiliate, so if you join, I’ll earn a small commission which helps support this newsletter)
I’m excited to announce that the 7-Figure Seller Japan Mastermind 3 will now feature two powerful tracks to help you grow your Amazon business in 2025:
Track 1: Learn how to scale your sales to up to $965,000 on Amazon Japan in just 12 months.
Track 2: Master proven strategies to expand your e-commerce business globally on Amazon and other platforms.
This event will take place over two days in Tokyo, March 17th and 18th. And on Day 3, we’re adding something truly unique: exclusive store visits based on your product niche.
For example:
If you’re selling pet products, we’ll take you to Japanese pet stores so you can see how similar products are marketed, from packaging to QR codes.
Selling toys? Explore top Japanese toy stores and uncover new product opportunities you’d never find online or outside of Japan.
This hands-on experience will help you better understand the market and find ways to stand out in one of the most lucrative and untapped Amazon marketplaces.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to level up your business and get insider insights from the Japanese market! Learn more
Want to be featured here in the 80/20 of eCommerce Newsletter?
I work with brands and sellers to help them grow, scale, and succeed. Here’s how we can work together:
Sponsorships: Promote your service to 13,000 engaged e-commerce sellers.
Consulting: Get tailored strategies to launch your profitable products, cut product costs sourcing, or Japan entry strategy
Partnerships: Let’s collaborate on webinars, content, or events.
Contact: gary [at] 8020sourcing.com
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