Scott shares a few 2026 updates shaping the Amazon landscape... plus a key reminder that opportunity is still real, but it’s shifting. He challenges the “Amazon is dead for new sellers” narrative. Michael White (a longtime SmartScout teammate) left to launch his own Amazon brand and has already crossed $1M in revenue after launching in August. This was driven by patient sourcing and a clear trend thesis. From there, Scott zooms out to the more sobering macro view behind his YouTube documentary “...
Mar 10, 2026•12 min•Ep. 51
Amazon sellers are entering a new era of product discovery, and AI visibility is becoming part of the playbook. In this episode, Scott sits down with Yona, founder of Amazon Growth Lab, to break down how brands can improve visibility across both Amazon’s ecosystem (Rufus, Cosmo, organic search) and external LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Yona explains why traditional keyword stuffing is fading, how Amazon is evolving toward context and use-case relevance, and why listing content now needs str...
Feb 24, 2026•45 min•Ep. 49
AI is changing how shoppers discover products, and Amazon sellers need to pay attention now. In this episode, Scott breaks down the rise of AI-driven product discovery through tools like Amazon Rufus and ChatGPT, and explains why visibility in AI answers is becoming a new layer of competition for sellers. He unpacks Amazon’s Cosmo framework, including the key product-understanding questions AI systems use to evaluate listings, and introduces SmartScout’s new tools built for this shift: the Amazo...
Feb 23, 2026•19 min•Ep. 50
Amazon’s new AI shopping agent could reshape how people discover and buy products online. Scott breaks down Amazon’s “Buy for Me” initiative, which is an AI-driven shopping flow that can surface off-site products and redirect shoppers to external stores. He unpacks what it could mean for conversion, attribution, and Shopify seller economics. Learn how it works in practice, and why it matters for sellers who rely on traditional storefront traffic. If the shopping experience starts on Amazon and f...
Jan 27, 2026•19 min•Ep. 48
Scott returns from a month of trade shows to break down what he’s seeing on the front lines of e-commerce, and why we’re entering a new era of “AI visibility” for Amazon sellers. He shares how the largest brand client his team has ever signed actually found them through ChatGPT, and what that means for agencies, software tools, and brands trying to stand out online. Scott walks through the major eras of selling on Amazon, from early booksellers and repricers to retail and wholesale resellers, th...
Nov 18, 2025•18 min•Ep. 47
Discover why simplicity might be the ultimate Amazon strategy. This is straight from an industry veteran who’s seen it all. In this episode, Scott sits down with Scotty O. of Quickfire and Always Off Brand podcast to unpack decades of experience navigating Amazon’s third-party marketplace. From working with iconic brands like Columbia Sportswear and North Face to building agencies and embracing straightforward solutions over flashy tech, Scotty O. shares practical wisdom for sellers at every sta...
Oct 30, 2025•33 min•Ep. 46
Nick from Aiometrix explains how agentic AI can automate busywork and boost results for Amazon brands. He began in a California garage with retail arbitrage, then expanded into wholesale and manufacturing during the COVID surge. Today, his team builds AI agents that connect to WMS and ad APIs to make real-time decisions on bids, budgets, and inventory so operators can focus on strategy. Scott and Nick cover Amazon’s AI roadmap for sellers and shoppers, why large companies move slowly, then fast,...
Oct 21, 2025•24 min•Ep. 45
Scott and Noah unpacks agency growth that actually moves the needle for Amazon sellers. They tackle conference takeaways, real playbooks for managing hundreds of brands, and how “unreasonable hospitality” builds sticky B2B relationships. You will hear how top teams stay resilient, communicate proactively, and keep speed and flexibility at the center of every client touchpoint. Also learn how AI is reshaping product discovery on Amazon, from ChatGPT workflows to Rufus and what that means for rank...
Oct 15, 2025•37 min•Ep. 44
Scott welcomes Dan Buford, known online as @1000Asins, to share the journey of scaling a wholesale Amazon business from the ground up. Dan explains how he left a demanding real estate career in New York to pursue e-commerce, starting with retail arbitrage before shifting to wholesale during the pandemic. He highlights the breakthrough moment of selling yeast during COVID, which fueled his full-time transition, and discusses how his team now spans the US, Philippines, and Serbia with in-house pre...
Aug 26, 2025•28 min•Ep. 43
Scott invites Jeremy, founder and CEO of Euka.ai, to tell us how TikTok Shop is transforming e-commerce growth. Jeremy shares how brands are leveraging micro-creators and affiliates to generate viral content, scale sales, and even create a halo effect that boosts demand on Amazon. Together, they unpack why TikTok has become a key driver for brands looking to go from zero to $100M in record time. Scott and Jeremy also discuss how Euka’s AI-powered platform helps brands automate creator outreach, ...
Aug 19, 2025•27 min•Ep. 42
Scott welcomes Belal El-Harazin, founder of Automato AI, to discuss how AI is transforming Amazon content creation, keyword strategy, and catalog management. Belal shares Automato AI’s mission to help sellers scale with automated content refreshes, brand voice integration, and powerful keyword discovery. Also highlighting fun.com’s AI-generated listings outperforming human copy. The conversation covers the shift from manual listing updates to autonomous optimization, Amazon’s evolving search fro...
Aug 12, 2025•28 min•Ep. 41
Scott is joined by CPG expert Nik Hall to discuss what truly drives success for consumer packaged goods brands on Amazon. Drawing from his experience building and exiting a gummy vitamin company, Nik shares hard-earned insights on category trends, why most failures come from chasing hype too late, and how overlooked niches often present the best opportunities. Get real-world lessons from both failed launches and breakout brands, highlighting the importance of strategy, timing, and execution. Sco...
Aug 05, 2025•33 min•Ep. 40
Scott and Alan Weiss, CEO of AVX Returns and a former 8-figure reseller, unpack the real cost and hidden opportunity behind Amazon returns. They explore why return management is often overlooked, how AVX turns chaos into cash, and what resellers can do to stop leaving money on the table. Episode Notes: 01:22 - Alan Weiss Introduction 02:23 - Alan’s Background and the start of AVX Returns 03:40 - The Reseller Landscape and the Sellers United Conference 04:33 - The Real Costs and Challenges of Han...
Jul 30, 2025•19 min•Ep. 39
Scott gets into the real-world financial decisions Amazon sellers face, especially when it comes to leveraging debt. He shares firsthand experience navigating inventory demands, Q4 cash crunches, and the lure of fast growth, while also examining the dangers of borrowing, from overvaluing inventory to the addictive cycle of continual loans. Hear case studies, cautionary tales, and reflections on what separates sellers who survive from those who flame out. Whether you’re debating your first credit...
Jul 01, 2025•22 min•Ep. 38
Scott returns from Prosper to share some personal updates and Amazon insights. Prime Day is expanding to four days this year — a move that makes sense as Amazon tries to give shoppers and sellers more time to take advantage of the buzz. Scott also talks about the return of Sellers United this October near New York City, a conference built for resellers of all sizes. Plus, he gives a casual rundown of what’s new at SmartScout. From tools that help track where your products get mentioned online to...
Jun 24, 2025•19 min•Ep. 37
Kicking off with a surprising connection through pickleball that led to discovering shared passions in e-commerce innovation, Scott sits with Andrew Smith, founder of Swapt and former Klaviyo engineer, about building smarter tools for Amazon sellers. Andrew shares his journey from working at IBM and Oracle to witnessing rapid growth at Klaviyo, which shaped his understanding of what marketplace sellers truly need. They dive into how Swapt is helping Amazon-native brands drive customer engagement...
Jun 17, 2025•29 min•Ep. 36
Jasim Eisa, Founder and CEO of Voadera, built an $80 million e-commerce business from the ground up, and here, he shares what’s working now—and what’s not. Scott and Jasim explore big shifts in the marketplace, such as Nike coming back to Amazon and what that means for resellers. Jasim also breaks down how major brands such as Adidas and Michael Kors are changing the way they sell on the platform and what sellers need to know about the growing “diversion economy.” With Amazon tightening its supp...
Jun 10, 2025•28 min•Ep. 35
Scott welcomes industry veteran Rob Principe to explore the explosive growth potential in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). Drawing from his extensive experience at Jungle Scout and Netrush, Rob shares insights on how emerging brands can leverage strategic positioning and TikTok's unparalleled reach to transform from unknown startups to market leaders. Learn why TikTok has become the essential platform for modern CPG marketing as Rob breaks down the critical differences between micro and macro-infl...
Jun 03, 2025•42 min•Ep. 34
Justin Willhite, Senior Influencer Marketing Manager at Twitch and Owner and Principal Talent at CommQuest, shares invaluable insights from his journey from YouTube creator to running a successful video production studio. Discover why "dark social media" is transforming marketing strategies, how brands can create genuinely shareable content, and the delicate balance between leveraging AI tools and maintaining authentic connections with audiences. Also, don't miss Justin's predictions on where vi...
May 27, 2025•34 min•Ep. 33
Neha Bhuchar, co-founder of Atom11 and former Amazon Advertising insider, shares Amazon Advertising secrets—revealing the game-changing concept of "retail-aware advertising" that integrates inventory, pricing, and search rank signals with advertising automation to maximize ROI. Discover how Amazon's algorithms work, from the critical difference between click-through and conversion rates to strategic approaches for the newly democratized Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). Neha breaks down complex conc...
May 20, 2025•37 min•Ep. 31
Discover the underutilized potential of Amazon Carrier Central for enhanced shipment trackability, effective management, and avoiding costly delays, especially during peak times such as Prime Day. Tyler Allgaier, Founder & CEO of Pitted Labs, breaks down how live loads directly at fulfillment facilities can be a game-changer for your operations. But that's not all – Scott and Tyler dive deep into Amazon bundling strategies, exploring how recent policy updates impact consumable categories and...
May 13, 2025•30 min•Ep. 30
Learn legal strategies to minimize tariffs with Burak Yolga, CEO and co-founder of Forceget. Discover the importance of understanding HTS codes and how they impact global shipping costs. Burak shares creative, legal methods like product disassembly and reassembly that businesses use to mitigate the financial burden of import tariffs. Drawing from his recent visit to China, Burak provides firsthand observations on the evolution of China's manufacturing and export strategies, offering a fresh pers...
May 06, 2025•28 min•Ep. 29
Discover the challenges large brands face on the Amazon marketplace and how to navigate this complex landscape with Scott and Aaron Conant, Co-Founder & Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect. Aaron shares his journey from corporate executive to building BWG Connect, a key platform for networking and sharing knowledge. Learn how peer-to-peer learning is crucial for overcoming operational hurdles, finding trusted service providers, and adapting traditional business models for Amazon. This ep...
Apr 29, 2025•26 min•Ep. 28
Jon Derkits, a former Amazon marketplace leader and now independent brand owner, shares his expert insights for Amazon entrepreneurs. He draws from his experience creating the "Best at Amazon" newsletter and his finance background to discuss Amazon Selling Strategies, Collaboration on Amazon, Impact of U.S.-China Tariffs, Essential Amazon Seller Tools, Balancing Content and Engagement, and Financial Acumen in E-commerce. Ready to level up your Amazon game? Tune in and gain the insights you need ...
Apr 22, 2025•48 min•Ep. 27
The e-commerce landscape is experiencing seismic shifts as new tariffs against China send shockwaves through Amazon's marketplace. Scott explores how these economic tremors are disrupting the delicate balance of global online retail—potentially the most significant supply chain disruption since COVID. Through exclusive insights from a conversation with one of the largest Chinese sellers in the world, Scott uncovers why businesses importing from China are facing unexpected cash crunches and how t...
Apr 15, 2025•21 min•Ep. 26
Scott brings you the latest from Prosper 2025, revealing the innovations that will empower you to succeed on Amazon. Discover cutting-edge tech for listing optimization, TikTok marketing, and private label repricing, and how other AI and emerging tools are reshaping e-commerce. Episode Notes: 00:23- New Tech for Selling on Amazon in 2025 01:35 - Autopilot Brand 03:00 - Automato AI 05:12 - The TikTok Influence 08:06 - Tools and Agencies Aiding TikTok Marketing Efforts 10:05 - Pricing Innovations ...
Apr 01, 2025•21 min•Ep. 25
Ever wondered what it's like to sell on Amazon? Here’s the best damn industry report for you. The Voice of the Amazon Seller unveils insights from over 300 Amazon sellers, revealing the challenges and triumphs of navigating this vast marketplace. Scott discusses everything from competition pressures and fee structures to the impact of international sellers and the fairness of Amazon's platform. Episode Notes: 02:05 - Survey Overview 02:25 - Seller Demographics 02:55 - Amazon as Main Business 03:...
Mar 25, 2025•19 min•Ep. 24
Is Amazon neglecting its sellers? Scott tackles this question head-on, brings you exclusive insights from Amazon employees and industry experts, and delves into the challenges sellers face, from navigating 1P and 3P complexities to dealing with account suspensions. Learn the truth behind the trend urging brands to switch selling models and how nuanced decisions based on product categories can make all the difference. Scott also unveils Amazon's new reseller support initiatives and strategic acco...
Mar 18, 2025•12 min•Ep. 23
Join Scott as he unpacks the remarkable growth of Tiege Hanley with founder Kelly Thornton. From initial struggles to becoming a powerhouse in men's skincare, Kelly shares invaluable insights into building a consumer brand on Amazon. Learn how Tiege Hanley leveraged YouTube for content-driven growth, simplified its product offerings, and mastered omnichannel expansion, including significant penetration into European markets. They delve into the challenges of scaling internationally, navigating d...
Mar 11, 2025•31 min•Ep. 22
Are you unintentionally sabotaging your Amazon profits? Dive into this week's episode and learn about the hidden "dead zones" in Amazon pricing, particularly within high-volume categories such as Grocery, Beauty, and Clothing. Scott reveals why pricing products between $10-$12 is a critical mistake due to Amazon's intricate FBA fee structures. Learn how these "dead zones" can significantly impact your bottom line and discover strategic pricing adjustments to maximize your margins. Beyond pricing...
Mar 04, 2025•13 min•Ep. 21
