Speaker: Christopher Shelton Having studied BA in Modern Languages (German, French and Spanish) and MA in Translation Studies at the University of Sheffield, working in ecommerce was never my intended career path. And yet, after nearly five years of working in the field, particularly with Vendor Central, I still enjoy the experience and challenge as much as I did when I first started. As we all know, Amazon is constantly changing, so there is plenty to get to grips with. Today, I hope to give you a brief overview of my experience using Vendor Central through areas such as reports, AMS and AVS.

1. Christopher Shelton
chrisshelton@sealskinz.com
Getting to grips with Vendor Central
– An insight into working with
Vendor Central on a daily basis

2. Contents
• Personal Background
• About SEALSKINZ
• Optimising Listings
• Data & Reports
• Accounts & Deductions
• AVS Programme – Pros and Cons
• Advertising – Tips and Tricks
• Key Takeaways
• Questions

3. Personal Background
• BA Modern Languages and MA
Translation Studies graduate
• Experience of translating
professionally, utilising language skills
in customer service, business and
ecommerce (VC since 2018)
• Marketplace Manager at SEALSKINZ
since August 2021

4. Who are SEALSKINZ?
• Based in King’s Lynn
• 25+ years of experience manufacturing
and selling waterproof socks, gloves
and hats
• 7+ years selling via Vendor Central in
the UK, US and EU
https://eu.sealskinz.com/

5. Optimising Listings – Titles,
Bullets, Product Description
• Titles – Brand Name, Product Type, Size, Colour,
USPs, Keywords
• Bullet Points – Min. 5, new mandatory fields, i.e.,
materials, wash care instructions, sizing, fit type
• Product Description – Build on BPs, provide your
company profile (About Us)
• Images – Main (white background shot), lifestyles,
infographics

6. Optimising Listings – Brand
Name & Store
• Brand name – ensure that this is spelt
consistently across markets and areas of
Amazon, i.e., within the Brand Registry too
SEALSKINZ Sealskinz SealSkinz Seal Skinz
• Ensure your Brand
Store links on the
byline of the listing,
i.e., Visit the
SEALSKINZ Store

7. Optimising Listings – Variation
Listings • Style
• Colour
• Size
• Manual
template
submission still
possible
• GS1 certificate

8. Optimising Listings – Browse
Nodes
• Support – Top Solutions

9. Optimising Listings – A+ Content
• Merchandising – A+ Content Manager – Start
creating A+ content
• Enrich your item’s detail page (+IDQ score) and
tell your brand’s story
• Appears below the product description

11. Optimising Listings – Videos
• Manual uploading now available in the
UK and EU
• Items – Upload and Manage Videos –
Upload Video
• Video requirements:
.mp4 or .mov under 5GB
(480p or higher
recommended)

12. Reports – Analytics
• Ordered Revenue
• Ordered Units
• Average Sales Price (ASP)
• Lost Buy Box (LBB)
• Glance Views
• Conversion Rate
• Search Terms
• Repeat Purchase Behaviour
• Market Basket Analysis
• Inventory Health
• Forecast and Inventory Planning

13. Accounts
• Monitor Amazon’s deductions and avoid any
surprises… (Payments – Financial
Dashboard)
• Returns (Payments – Product Returns)
• Chargebacks (Reports – Operational
Performance)
• Shortage claims (Payments – Invoices –
View all invoices – shortage invoices)
• Co-Op agreements (Payments – CoOp)
• Invoice timely and check payment in
progress vs. ready for payment

14. AVS Programme
• Amazon Vendor Services
• Dedicated Account Manager (Brand
Specialist)
• Becomes part of your terms and
conditions with Amazon
• Monthly Co-Op deduction
• Advantages & Disadvantages…

15. AVS Programme – Pros and Cons
+ -
- Dedicated POC (BS) - Cost (%)
- Strategic insight - Deal funding & events
- Easier CPI access and process (Minimum
order value, longer delivery windows,
consolidated shipping post-Brexit)
- Data overload & data reliability
- Live chat
- Your own vendor mailbox
- Staged purchase orders
- Brand ramp-up programme/ expanding into
new markets

16. Advertising – Tips & Tricks
• Participate in the webinar series (suitable for all
levels)
• Find out if you have an Ad Account Executive
• Outsource support from agencies

17. Advertising – Tips &
Tricks
• Start with Sponsored Product advertising
• Automatic targeting for min. 2 weeks
• Don’t set an end date
• £10 min. daily budget
• Dynamic bids – up and down
• Use the ad group setting
• Use the 4 match types (close, loose, substitutes &
complements)
• After 2 weeks, download search term report and add
high-performing ones as keywords in a manual
campaign
• Manual product targeting also possible
• Build campaigns around on hand inventory & focus on
sell-through
• ACOS & ROAS

18. Advertising – Tips &
Tricks
• Sponsored Brands (Store Spotlight,
Product Collection & Sponsored
Brands Video)
• Sponsored Display (Product or
Audience targeting)
• Worthwhile testing if budgets permit
• Use ‘Deduct from Payment’ if possible
to prevent campaigns being paused

19. Key Takeaways
• Undertake ASIN health checks (titles, bullet points,
images, product description, A+ content, VLs…)
• Ensure your brand name is spelt correctly in the Brand
Registry + your VC account is linked to the BR
• Keep an eye on your remittances and what Amazon are
deducting (Co-Op, returns, chargebacks) and dispute
accordingly
• Review reports and monitor your LBB %
• Focus advertising on ‘unhealthy’ inventory and
sell-through
• AVS – A possibility, but not essential
• Deal fund where necessary, but don’t be afraid to say
no…

20. Christopher
Shelton
chrisshelton@sealskinz.com
Thank You
Questions?