Issue 133: A chat with Joe Henderson: How Data, Partnerships, and AI Helps to Scale Fulfillment
Hello, MyFBAPrep Sellers!
This week’s lineup is all about working smarter at scale. We sat down with Joe Henderson to chat about how data, AI, and the right partnerships can take your fulfillment game to the next level.
Plus, we’re unpacking how to turn returns from a costly headache into a strategic win, and how video logging is changing the way sellers monitor packing stations. Let’s dive in!
Scaling Smarter: Fulfillment Insights from Joe Henderson
💬 We sat down with Joe Henderson, Sr. Director of Technology Alliances at Deposco, to explore how brands can stop operating in survival mode and start scaling with intention.
From his early days in the Marine Corps to leading partnerships at a major WMS and OMS provider, Joe’s journey is packed with hard-earned insights.
He dives into the role of AI, data, and systems that don’t just manage logistics—they enable real growth. If you’re ready to move from “getting by” to “growing big,” this one’s for you.
From Headache to Strategy: Managing and Preventing eCommerce Returns
Returns Don’t Have to Be a Headache! Returns are inevitable, but they don’t have to be profit killers. This week’s feature dives into how eCommerce sellers can shift from damage control to strategic advantage.
Learn how to reduce return rates, handle them with ease, and turn frustrating refunds into repeat customers. Packed with actionable tips for FBA and beyond, this is your blueprint for return success.
How to Reduce Returns Like a Pro ➔
Everything You Need to Know About Amazon Reverse Logistics
Returns on Amazon aren’t just part of the game—they’re a category all their own. This guide breaks down everything sellers need to know, from setting refund rules to managing inspections, removals, and FBA costs.
Whether you’re using FBA, FBM, or a 3PL, this is your blueprint for a smoother, more profitable return process.
The Full Guide to Amazon Returns ➔
6 Ways Video Logging Enhances Packing Station Visibility
In this guest post from VisAI Labs, discover how advanced video logging is helping 3PLs and eCommerce brands prevent errors, reduce fraud, and boost customer trust. Here are six ways video can transform your packing workflow:
- Eliminate packing errors with video proof
- Prevent packing errors before shipment
- Validate returns and combat fraud
- Reduce customer claims and refund costs
- Improve order accuracy rates at scale
- Elevate the post-purchase experience
Whether you run your own warehouse or partner with a 3PL, these insights will help you build smarter, more transparent fulfillment operations.
Top Industry News
Amazon Haul Expands As Chinese Competitors Face Tariff Upheaval (Forbes)
Amazon is expanding its new low-cost “haul” store at a pivotal moment for cross-border e-commerce. Six months after launching as a mobile-only beta, the retail giant has extended Amazon Haul to desktop consumers while broadening its product assortment to include branded items.
Tariffs Tilt the Scales: US eCommerce Sellers Poised for Margin Gains Amid Trade Tensions (FreightWaves)
The ongoing trade war between the United States and China is reshaping the e-commerce landscape, potentially leading to higher margins and improved profitability for U.S. online sellers, according to Aaron Rubin, CEO of warehouse management system provider ShipHero.
China’s E-Commerce Giants Are Putting Up a Fight (Bloomberg)
Chinese tech giants are working to help exporters find buyers in the domestic market. JD.com Inc. said earlier this month that it would purchase at least 200 billion yuan ($27.4 billion) of goods from exporters over the next year and help sell them at home. PDD pledged to invest 100 billion yuan to help its sellers pivot to local consumers. Alibaba’s supermarket chain launched a new channel for firms looking to sell at home.
China Cargo Charter Flights Cancelled as eCommerce Volumes Plunge (AirCargo News)
Cargo charter flights out of China have been cancelled as a result of a rapid decline in e-commerce demand to the US, according to freight forwarder Dimerco. In the forwarder’s monthly market report, Dimerco reported that from the end of April, several freighter charters have been cancelled, while further cancellations are expected in the coming weeks.
US Amazon Ecommerce Forecast 2025 (eMarketer)
Despite accounting for more than 40% of US ecommerce sales, Amazon continues to outpace its competitors. The ecommerce giant is making inroads in health and personal care, but it still faces an uphill battle in food and beverage, a coveted retail category that continues to grow online.
Ecommerce Trends: 5 Shifts Happening Because of New Tariffs and Trade Rules (Digital Commerce 360)
Tariffs and shifting trade policies in 2025 have disrupted ecommerce, particularly hitting cross-border sales, consumer electronics, and home goods, while prompting retailers like Shein and Temu to raise prices and tech vendors to roll out supply chain tools. Carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL are adjusting operations due to de minimis rule changes, and drop-shippers are seeing falling U.S. sales and slimmer margins as sourcing from China becomes more difficult.
ChatGPT Shopping Is Coming (Practical eCommerce)
Diligent code hounds discovered Shopify variable names in ChatGPT’s JavaScript, leading to speculation that the ecommerce platform might soon announce a new AI integration. Several sources reported finding the Shopify-related code on April 20, 2025, beginning with Alexey Shabanov’s article in TestingCatalog. Shabanov displayed screen captures of the code and speculated that OpenAI might have an affiliate relationship with Shopify.
Amazon Sellers Reportedly Skipping Prime Day Due to Tariffs (PYMNTS)
For years, Amazon’s Prime Day has been a prime opportunity for the company’s third-party merchants. But amid an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, some sellers are sitting out this year’s shopping event or scaling back their discounts, Reuters reported Monday (April 28).
Exclusive: Amazon is No Longer Penalizing Some Top Sellers for Raising Prices Aggressively Amid U.S.-China Tariff War (Fortune)
Some top Amazon sellers recently got an unexpected shock after increasing their prices to offset added costs from President Trump’s tariff war: The online retailing giant penalized their listings. But this week, several of those same top sellers told Fortune that Amazon seems to have reversed itself—and is now letting them raise prices, without penalty, by as much as 25%.
Until next time,
Katherine Schneider
Marketing, MyFBAPrep