Issue 125: Your eCommerce preparation primer for 2025
Hello, MyFBAPrep Sellers!
Happy 2025! We’d love to hear how your EOY sales went and your best and worst logistics experiences of Q4. Just hit reply to chat.
This newsletter is packed full of advice to help you prepare for 2025 and beyond, from sourcing/manufacturing decisions, to whether you should resell or build your own brand.
Happy holidays!
eCommerce 101: A Primer for Merchants
MyFBAPrep has published 300+ expert articles on topics across eCommerce, from deep-dives of different sales channels, to launching and scaling your brand.
We’ve put together a list of our most-loved, highly helpful pieces for you to use as a refresher before the new year hits.
See our 50 most-recommended blogs.
Reselling vs. Building Your Brand: Which Strategy Is Better?
It’s an age-old question in eCommerce; should you take the time and risk to build your own brand, or risk defensibility and resell another brand?
We share the pros and cons of each options, and provide quick guides into sourcing and brand-building to cover your bases.
Build vs resell: Pick your fighter
How to Find Suppliers and Manufacturers for Your eCommerce Product
Once you know what you want to sell, the hunt begins to find a supplier or manufacturer. You need a partner that’s trustworthy, reliable, and has as much of a focus on quality as you do.
Here’s our advice on where to start.
How to find your future favorite supplier or manufacturer.
Plan your 2025 shipping and fulfillment strategy… We know the urgency that’s needed for reliable, professional FBA prep, DTC fulfillment, B2B replenishment, and more. Let’s work together on your 2025 logistics strategy.
Get any and every logistics service you need to succeed
What to Do in the Event of a Product Recall in DTC
Recalls may seem daunting at first, but they’re important to mitigate harm to your consumers and damage to your brand. The key is knowing how to proceed correctly. Here’s a guide to help you issue and manage recalls.
- Identify the problem and assess the risks
- Stop distribution and sales
- Notify regulatory authorities
- Communicate with consumers
- Retrieve affected products
- Compensate or replace
- Document and report the recall process
- Conduct a post-recall review
- Rebuild trust with consumers
Check out platform-specific procedures to protect your brand during a recall.
Unlocking Recurring Revenue: How to Start a Subscription Box Business
This business model thrives thanks to three key elements:
- Curation: Product selection and variety are critical, as subscribers expect a new set of items or experiences with every box you deliver.
- Personalization: People subscribe to receive goods that match their preferences, so customized experiences are key.
- Convenience: Subscriptions eliminate the hassle of regularly reordering specific products, which is a primary reason why customers support this business model.
Start generating reliably recurring revenue.
Guide to Discreet Shipping and Packaging
Do you sell gifts or surprises? Or private goods that your customers prefer remain secret?
In our guide, we share how to utilize discretion in your packaging, shipping, and branding.
Keep things a surprise with discreet packaging.
Top Industry News
Top Challenges Faced By FBA Sellers In 2025 (And How To Tackle Them) – (Forbes)
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is one of the most cost-effective avenues for new sellers to get started with e-commerce, so much so that an estimated 73% of all Amazon sellers use FBA as part or all of their fulfillment strategies.
When you consider Amazon lists over 9.7 million individual sellers pushing some 3.4 billion products per year, FBA is one of the largest-scale logistics initiatives on the planet.
Amazon to Make Prime Exclusive Discounts More Difficult to Use, Sellers Say (eCommerce Bytes)
Amazon is moving Prime Exclusive Discounts to the Price Discounts tool, but sellers are upset because they will no longer be able to use features previously available to them.
TikTok Shop Order Cancellation, Return and Refund Update (Channel X)
TikTok have informed sellers of an update for the TikTok Shop Order Cancellation, Return and Refund Policy that may affect your account if you use the “Ship by Seller” method for your orders. Starting on the 10th of January 2025, all sellers that use the “Ship by Seller” shipping method will reimburse the shipping fees a customer has paid, when customers request a return and refund.
Alibaba Reportedly Plans $4 Billion eCommerce Venture With Korea’s E-Mart (PYMNTS)
Alibaba is reportedly establishing an online shopping venture with South Korean retailer E-Mart. The two companies are set to combine the assets of their respective online platforms, AliExpress Korea and Gmarket, to form a 50-50 joint venture.
Ecommerce in 2025: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Online Selling (Bowie News)
Thanks to the explosion of ecommerce over the past couple decades, consumers can find virtually any product or service they can think of online. In fact, the consumer ecommerce market is expected to approach $6 trillion by 2027, according to the International Trade Administration, up from roughly $4 trillion in 2024.
Recap: How Online Retailers Used AI in 2024 (Digital Commerce 360)
Artificial intelligence (AI) continued to advance in 2024. Online retailers used AI for customer experience and commerce-centered applications, building on existing use cases and finding new ways to capitalize on their data.
Although generative AI remains a popular focus, retailers have been using AI and machine learning for more than just producing marketing copy and images. Online retailers used AI for personalization, retail media networks, checkout, fulfillment centers and more in 2024.
DHL’s Greg Hewitt Talks Global Logistics and Industry Transformation (Adweek)
While reflecting on the industry’s transformation—from manual processes to AI-driven supply chain optimization—Greg focuses on the next big shifts shaping logistics, including automation, sustainability, and customer-centric innovations. The conversation highlights emerging trends in consumer behavior and explores what lies ahead for ecommerce in 2025.
Optimizing Shipping and Logistics in the E-commerce Era (Supply Chain Brain)
Over the past four years, the e-commerce landscape has experienced a seismic shift. The pandemic-fueled surge, in which e-commerce volumes grew at an aggressive 18% annually, has now stabilized to a more moderate 8.8%, according to a study released by Shopify. This recalibration, coupled with the lingering effects of the pandemic and the ongoing impact of inflation, has transformed the economics of parcel delivery, putting immense pressure on traditional logistics systems and retailers.
Consumers today crave fast, on-time and affordable shipping, but retailers are caught in a tough spot, especially entering peak season. Rising shipping costs and labor shortages are making it harder than ever to meet these expectations. The pressure is mounting, forcing retailers to rethink their approach to last-mile delivery this peak season and beyond.
Ecommerce Logistics Startup Locad Raises $9 Mln in New Funding (Reuters)
eCommerce logistics startup Locad said on Wednesday it has raised $9 million as it aims to expand in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the fourth quarter. While the company did not disclose the valuation at which the fundraising was made, a source familiar with the matter said it was around $60 million.
SPS Commerce Expands with Carbon6 Technologies Acquisition (Nasdaq)
SPS Commerce has entered into a merger agreement to acquire Carbon6 Technologies for approximately $210 million, combining cash and share considerations. The acquisition, aimed at enhancing SPS Commerce’s market position, involves issuing common stock to Carbon6 shareholders and includes regulatory conditions and lock-up agreements for stock transactions post-closing.
Until next time,
Rachel Andrea Go
Marketing Director, MyFBAPrep