Handmade at Amazon's Failure to Launch, Part II

Custom Family Portrait from Photos

So why has Handmade at Amazon basically failed to launch?  One explanation was in my previous post on Handmade, but I'm hoping that's not it, that Amazon didn't basically start a dummy category just to drive down Etsy stock and buy it out.

I am hoping there's a much simpler explanation:  That the initial launch failed and they are back to the drawing board.

It's been four months.  The same few categories exist now that did then.  Not one addition.  So no hope for a truly successful Handmade site.

It would be like opening a grocery store with produce, a cereal aisle, bread and pet aisle.  And within produce, not having potatoes.  Or cat toys in the pet aisle, no hamburger buns in the bread aisle.

And worse after the first week, telling the employees to just put anything anywhere, put the dog food with the cat toys, the bananas in with the radishes.  And if someone asks for radishes, show them dog food.  Four months and they are UNABLE to either add the "potatoes" or add a Meat or Frozen Foods section?  Really?

I wonder if they are really just not happy with the results so far.

Amazon's search is based in large part on number of sales.  Which might work fine with "regular" Amazon, I have no idea, I'm not in the wholesale/retail business.

But the result of using that algorithm for Handmade is that for some searches, there is no variety, and the cheapest dominate, and smarty pants sellers of non-handmade use terms to dominate handmade searches.

If Amazon features $7 inkjets rather than $700 paintings, it's getting 1/10 of the fees it could get. It's hard to believe that is what Amazon opened handmade for.

There are people who love it there.  There are people who just plain sell well there, as opposed to those whose views continue to sink.  There are people who hate Etsy and love that it's not Etsy.  There are people who sold there before and understand the complicated ins and outs.  There are people who are thrilled that the handmade competition is kept so small and so narrow. And I'm happy for them.

But I'm of the mind that to truly serve Handmade sellers and Buyers, lots of very basic changes need to happen fast.  Increase categories, enforce listing rules and scrap the algorithm that has vinyl wall sayings and butterflies dominating a search for "custom dog portrait".  For instance.  And do it without waiting for other sellers to rat out the offenders.  THAT could be a full time job.  I just want Amazon to really launch.  And waiting for signs it will.

Why is Handmade at Amazon failing so many of its Sellers

Schnauzer Dog Portrait Painting

Why is Handmade at Amazon failing so many of its sellers? Not all, some report great sales, especially in the jewelry category.

The first ten days were great for many of us.  Amazon was pushing the Handmade category in the press, they had a banner advertising it and they sent out emails to their customers.

Since then, it seems they have just abandoned us.  A lot of money is being left on the table due to Amazon's inactions.

No new categories, irrelevant search results, no enforcement of the rules, no press, the Christmas banner left up until late January, when someone complained about it in the forums.  A single blogger with no staff would have changed that up without waiting to be told.

So what is going on?  Jason Rickenbacker thinks he knows, and I have to admit the puzzle pieces fit into those slots. He thinks Amazon opened a token Handmade to get the press and drive down Etsy stock for an Amazon buyout.  His article is here: http://seekingalpha.com/article/3805396-handmade-at-amazon-a-crafty-ploy-paving-the-way-for-an-etsy-buyout

What evidence do we have that he's wrong?  Only this: An Amazon employee answered a question their forums saying they were really building a legit site, and then immediately closed the discussion.  Move on, nothing to see here.  Their actions do not correspond with those words.

Some specifics that seem to prove that Rickenbacker is right:

1.  No new categories.  3 months plus in, and we have yet to see an addition of categories.  But if the current categories worked, I'd put less value on that.  The category where sellers put their items is ..... anywhere they please.  The first page in the Drawing category has exactly one drawing.  The rest of the page is coloring books, paper dolls, reproductions prints. The painting category? Mostly inexpensive reproduction prints.  There's a category FOR reproduction prints, but Amazon, well aware of the issue, has done absolutely nothing to clean up the categories.

2.  No press.  No publicity.  No nothing.

3.  Irrelevant search results.

A search for "custom dog portraits" showed that half of the results were for wall decals, mostly of butterflies.  Half.  Amazon's reaction when I brought this up in their forums?  That we should assume that the seller broke their rules and used misleading search terms and we should rat them out and THEN, Amazon would act.

They are aware of it, but task US with filling out forms to rat them out!  I should note that the ratting out of the misuse of categories has gotten....zero action on Amazon's part. They are well aware of the abuse of categories.  Why should we expect Amazon to enforce any rules for handmade when history shows they do not?

And
4.  The Amazon Handmade Forums.  Amazon permits their forums to be used by a handful of users as Snarkland, where legitimate questions, discussions and comments about the above or any other Amazon failing are ridiculed, along with the askers.

Few sellers use their forums because of this and several Facebook groups have emerged where discussions are civil.

Allowing a handful of users to drive off questioners about Amazon negatives raises a lot of red flags too.

UPDATE:  An Amazon employee has publicly chastised the nasties on their forum for their behavior. That's a good sign, the most hopeful sign I've seen in three months that Amazon might really be in this for the long haul.

In conclusion, I think Amazon still could turn this around IF they want to, and if they didn't just start a mock site to drive down Etsy stock, as Jason Rickenbacker suggests.  As of now, though, there are a lot of potential sales left on the table because buyers can't find what they search for, what they browse for and don't even know that what they are shopping for exists on Amazon.  What possible motivation is there for Amazon to stall Handmade?

Well.....maybe Rickenbacker is right.

Handmade at Amazon from a Seller's Perspective

So a week into Handmade at Amazon, how is THIS seller faring?

Custom Pet Portrait by me
Golden Retriever

Very well, thank you.  Much better than expected.  I've sold 3 portraits, have one about to purchase (she's getting her photos for her custom house portrait this weekend) and several serious inquiries.  How did I do at Etsy, same time period?  One sale, one inquiry who balked when she realized I actually charge for my time and expertise.

Amazon quickly moved to give us a copy feature that we requested.  Nice.  

Am I leaving Etsy?  No.  The fees are cheaper and I'd rather sell there.  I'd rather sell from my own site robinzebley.com I charge myself no fees, lol!  But my goal is to reach as many people as possible so that if my style resonates with them, we can do business.

Am I scared about the bloggers who do not want me to sell there?  No.  I make money where I can.  I don't UNDERSTAND Amazon like I do Etsy, but somehow, people are finding my portraits and contact me.  There's a lot of fear of Handmade at Amazon, and I think it's from folks who Etsy has treated over-fairly who are worried that buyers will abandon Etsy.

More and more, the art category, that was demoted there as a main category, is inundated with mistagged, miscategorized and mis-titled reproduction prints, which flood the paintings and drawings categories so that buyers can't find originals.  Etsy's aware of this and doesn't even say a soft "now kids, that's a no-no".  Anything goes, apparently.

And I won't be shocked if buyers of handmade do abandon etsy, for the reason that it seems less concerned with showing buyers what they WANT To see than in partnering up big shops to manufacturing.

But Etsy gave Amazon the opening, and Amazon is running with it.  And I'm in that pack.