Solving Retail Contribution Issues for Amazon Sellers: Insights from Steven Pope

Steven Pope - Amazon Expert

What are Retail Contributions and How Do They Affect Amazon Listings?

As an Amazon seller, you might have heard about retail contributions, but what exactly are they and how do they affect your Amazon listings? Retail contributions are when a product has been listed under a retailer’s account rather than under the brand owner’s account. This can lead to listing issues and negatively impact your product’s visibility and sales.

If your product is listed under a retailer’s account, you may not have control over how your product is described, priced, or even the images used. This can lead to inconsistencies with your brand and poor product listings that deter potential customers. Additionally, retailers may not have the same goals as the brand owner, which can lead to price wars and product cannibalization.

Examples of retail contribution issues can range from incorrect product descriptions to pricing discrepancies. For instance, if you sell leather wallets, and a retailer has listed your product under their account with an incorrect description, potential customers may not find your product when searching for “leather wallets.” This issue can also lead to negative reviews and a decrease in sales.

Common Retail Contribution Issues Faced by Amazon Sellers

Retail contribution issues can impact different types of product listings. For example, with clothing products, retail contributions can lead to incorrect sizes, colors, or material information. This can result in negative reviews and a decrease in sales.

Another common issue is pricing discrepancies. Retailers may offer your product at a lower price, leading to a price war that ultimately harms both the retailer and the brand owner. This can also lead to product cannibalization, where retailers prioritize selling their products over yours.

In addition to impacting sales, retail contribution issues can also impact product visibility. Your product may not appear in the search results or be recommended to potential customers due to incorrect information or pricing discrepancies.

 How to Identify Retail Contribution Issues on Your Amazon Listings

To identify retail contribution issues on your Amazon listing:

  •  Start by investigating the parentage of the listing. If the parentage of the listing is incorrect, it can lead to retail contribution issues.
  •  Additionally, check data in Canada as retailers often list products there first.

To avoid retail contribution issues, ensure that your product is listed under your brand owner’s account. This will give you control over how your product is described, priced, and presented to potential customers.

 Solutions to Fix Retail Contribution Issues on Your Amazon Listings

To fix retail contribution issues on your Amazon listings:

  •  Reach out to Amazon Seller Support and explain the situation. However, avoid mentioning retail contributions as Amazon may not recognize this as an issue. Instead, highlight the incorrect information and pricing discrepancies.

To prevent retail contribution issues, monitor your product listings regularly and ensure that your product is listed under your brand owner’s account. If you notice any discrepancies, take immediate action to correct them.

 Parentage Issues Vs. Retail Contribution Issues: Which One Is It?

It’s important to understand the difference between parentage issues and retail contribution issues. 

  • Parentage issues refer to when a product has been listed under the wrong parent ASIN. This can lead to incorrect information, pricing discrepancies, and poor product listings.
  •  Retail contribution issues occur when a product has been listed under a retailer’s account rather than under the brand owner’s account.

To determine whether the issue is due to parentage or retail contributions, investigate the parentage of the listing and check data in Canada. If the issue persists, it may be due to retail contribution issues. In this case, follow the steps outlined in the previous section to fix the issue.

In conclusion, retail contribution issues can negatively impact your Amazon listings and sales. To avoid these issues, ensure that your product is listed under your brand owner’s account, and monitor your listings regularly.

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Steven Pope, Founder

Hi I’m Steven, founder of My Amazon Guy, a 500+ person Amazon Seller Central agency out of Atlanta, GA. We growth hack ecommerce and marketplaces through PPC, SEO, design, and catalog management.