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  • 80/20 of Ecom 12/6/24: Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat, Black Friday Records, and the Ultimate Seller Hack

80/20 of Ecom 12/6/24: Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat, Black Friday Records, and the Ultimate Seller Hack

Author

Gary Huang
December 06, 2024

Black Friday and Cyber Monday just passed and we are going into the heart of Q4 winning time! This week from Trump’s latest tariff threats to Amazon breaking Black Friday records, here’s what you need to know to stay ahead. Plus, we’ve got this week’s game-changing Seller Hack that can save you hours of manual work. Let’s dive in!

Quick Highlights

• Trump’s 100% tariff threat on BRICS countries.

• Black Friday breaks records: What it means for sellers.

• Best Buy expects tariffs to increase prices—import now.

• Seller Hack of the Week: Build your Brand Brain with Custom ChatGPT.

• 7-Figure Seller Japan Mastermind – Early Bird Tickets Ending Soon.

According to Supply Chain Dive, "Donald Trump threatened to levy 100% tariffs on members of BRICS if the group attempts to shift from the U.S. dollar to an alternative currency."

The BRICS are a group of countries Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and others who are banding together to counter Western influence as part of the geopolitical and economical world order. 

The Donald threatening 100% tariffs on Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and more

Recently a number of countries including China, Russia, and Brazil are proposing moving away from the US Dollar as the defacto standard for international trade.

Trump posted "say goodbye to selling in the US" and countered by threatening to slap a 100% tariff on any country that moves away from the USD for trade. 

Takeaway: China is part of the BRICS and a possible target to the 100% tariffs.  Trump wrote "The Art of the Deal" and this may be part of the negotiation process to keep the USD as the de facto international currency.

Amazon’s 2025 Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday deal event was its biggest ever

According to a press release this week, "Amazon announced that its Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday holiday shopping event—from November 21 through December 2—was its biggest ever compared to the same 12-day period ending on Cyber Monday in prior years."

They broke records in both sales revenue and units sold.

Takeaway: Rumors of the death of Amazon have been greatly exaggerated.  Keep crushing Q4 guys!

This piece of retail news is relevant to Ecom sellers because it's an indication how a major player like Best Buy which sources goods from China is reacting to the impending tariffs.

In a Best Buy Q3 earnings call, the company anticipates price increases for US shoppers if the Trump tariffs are enacted as planned. 

To reduce the impact, Best Buy is scrambling to bring imports in before the tariffs take effect in Jan 2025. 

CEO Corie Barry said: “typically, in history, this ends up being some kind of costs that are shared.  To some extent, the vendors have some, to some extent Best Buy but, of course, we see that the customer ends up bearing some of the cost of tariffs".

Takeaway: Even though you're probably scared to raise your prices, prepare to adjust prices and pass some of the tariff costs on to the consumer.  And try to beat the tariffs by importing your shipments in ASAP.  


Why Use This Hack?
Save hours of manual data analysis or avoid the cost of hiring a full-time brand manager. 

This custom ChatGPT acts as your 24/7 brand assistant, centralizing all your brand’s data and providing tailored insights to supercharge your decision-making. 

From optimizing your listings to refining your PPC strategies, this tool gives you the edge you need to scale faster—without the overhead.

Who Can Benefit from This Hack?

  • Brand owners seeking to centralize data for faster decision-making.

  • Amazon/Walmart sellers managing multiple SKUs and PPC campaigns.

  • Teams needing an efficient way to collaborate and execute daily tasks based on data.

Step-by-Step Guide
1. Get ChatGPT Plus

  • You’ll need the paid version of ChatGPT to access the “Custom GPT” feature.

2. Access Custom GPT

  • Navigate to the ChatGPT app or website.

  • Open the menu and select Custom GPTs.

3. Configure Your Brand-Specific ChatGPT

  • Name: Assign your brand’s name (e.g., “Nature Made - Brand Hub”).

  • Description: Write what the ChatGPT will manage (e.g., “Centralizes data and guidelines to streamline Amazon strategies like PPC, listings, and content”).

  • Instructions: Provide specific guidelines for your team. Example: “Analyze reviews monthly and suggest actionable improvements.”

4. Set Up Conversation Starters

  • Add prompts to guide daily tasks, such as:

    • “Generate a PPC strategy for our new product.”

    • “What keywords should we target for the holiday season?”

    • “Identify the top 3 issues from last month’s reviews.”

5. Upload Knowledge Base - Upload files such as:

  • Monthly brand analytics reports.

  • PPC performance data.

  • Customer reviews.

  • Listing guidelines.

  • This ensures ChatGPT has the data to make informed suggestions.

6. Start Using It: Ask questions such as:

  • “What are the top-performing keywords for my brand?”

  • “Create a strategy for Black Friday promotions.”

  • “Analyze recent reviews and suggest improvements.”

7. Continuously Update Data

  • Regularly upload new data to make the tool smarter over time.

  • Examples: New ASIN performance, keyword reports, or updated brand guidelines.

Ready to Build Your Brand-Specific ChatGPT?

Follow along with Vincenzo Toscano’s full walkthrough video and try it yourself:

💡 Learn the updated 2025 roadmap to selling up to $2 million on Amazon Japan in 2025. Network with 7- and 8-figure sellers, gain actionable strategies, and learn from top experts.

🎟 What’s Included:

• Two full days of conference activities

• Lunch, coffee breaks, and snacks

❌ Dinner will be added separately.

❌ Hotel accommodations are not included.

Tickets:

✅ Regular Price: $1499

🔥 Early Bird Discount: $1099 (Save $400!) 

🎟 Promo Code: 7FSJM3EB (enter at checkout) ⏳ Offer ends Tuesday, 12/15/24!

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Have a great weekend,

Gary