MerchantSpring Marketplace Masters

Amazon Vendor | Amazon vs Traditional Retail: Understanding the Amazon Mindset for Vendor Success

Struggling to grow on Amazon Vendor Central? You might be using the wrong playbook. In this episode of Marketplace Masters, Paul Sonneveld speaks with former Amazon AVS brand specialist Benjamin Bolshinsky [https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-bolshinsky/] (Founder of Vendor Launch) about how to succeed as an Amazon vendor—and why traditional retail strategies don’t work on Amazon. Discover how Amazon’s data-driven model impacts vendor relationships, product launches, and profitability, and what brands must do to drive sell-through, improve conversion rates, and scale revenue on Amazon. You’ll learn: *  How Amazon Vendor Central actually works  *  Why Amazon prioritizes data, demand, and profitability over relationships  *  The biggest mistakes brands make when launching products on Amazon  *  How to improve Amazon SEO, content, and advertising performance *  What Amazon Vendor Services (AVS) does—and how to get ROI from it  If you’re an Amazon vendor, brand owner, or eCommerce leader looking to improve Amazon sales, margins, and growth, this episode is a must-listen.

Agency Best Practice | When To Buy vs Build

As your Amazon agency grows, one question becomes impossible to ignore: Do you build your own analytics infrastructure—or buy a solution? In this episode of Marketplace Masters, Paul Sonneveld [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsonneveld/] sits down with John Aspinall [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaspinall/] (Velocity Sellers) to break down the real trade-offs behind this critical decision. From messy reporting and scaling data pipelines to rising client expectations, they unpack what actually happens inside agencies as they grow—and why so many internal builds fail to scale. You’ll learn: *  The tipping point where manual systems stop working  *  Why AI makes building easier—but not scalable  *  The hidden complexity behind APIs, data pipelines, and reporting  *  When building internally actually makes sense  *  How enterprise clients change your infrastructure requirements  *  And how to avoid costly “band-aid” solutions  One key takeaway:  Just because you can build it doesn’t mean you should. If you're running or scaling an Amazon agency, this episode will help you make smarter, more strategic decisions about your tech stack.

Amazon Vendor | Navigating Brand Registry as an Amazon Vendor

How does Brand Registry actually work for Amazon vendors—and why do so many brands still struggle to control listings, content, and brand presence on Vendor Central? In this episode, Paul Sonneveld [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsonneveld/] speaks with Scott Bass [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-bass-ab022793/], Director of Operations at Ecommerce Intelligence, about how Brand Registry has evolved, where vendor authority really sits today, and how brands can regain control through the right permissions, support paths, and hybrid strategies.

Agency Best Practice | Clearing Amazon Inventory: Cost, Causes, and Liquidation Options for Brands

How should Amazon brands deal with slow-moving and stuck inventory before fees, margin erosion, and bad decisions pile up?  In this episode, Paul Sonneveld [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsonneveld/] speaks with Chad Davis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaddavis7/], founder of Lucra Commerce, about how excess inventory happens, what it truly costs, and how brands should evaluate their options—from price moves and Subscribe & Save plays to removals, disposals, and doing nothing when storage economics actually justify it.

Amazon Vendor | How to Build Strong Vendor Relationships With Amazon — and Making AVS Pay Off

What does a strong Amazon vendor relationship actually look like—and when is AVS worth the cost?  In this episode, Paul Sonneveld [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsonneveld/] speaks with Travis Chappell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/travischappelluk/] (Head of Vendor Services at Venture Forge) about how vendors can move beyond transactional interactions with Amazon and build relationships that improve speed, visibility, and commercial outcomes.  They unpack the real roles of AVS, Vendor Managers, Senior Vendor Managers, and Category Leads, how to manage those relationships intentionally, and how to tell whether AVS is creating value or just adding cost.