Amazon to drop zShops Listing Format

[mandy]

Important announcement regarding zShops
Posted: Sep 14, 2006 8:59 AM
Click to reply to this thread Reply

Dear Amazon.com zShops sellers,

Over the years, Amazon.com has worked to expand selection by enabling sellers to list their inventory alongside Amazon’s within the product detail page. This has resulted in unparalleled selection for customers and a great way for sellers to reach tens of millions of customers.

Since launching Amazon Marketplace, we’ve learned that customers prefer to shop for items via the product detail page. Accordingly, we ask that merchants with zShops listings migrate to sell in Amazon Marketplace. Sellers should continue selling using Amazon Marketplace listings to list their items on the most valuable real estate for selling on the web: Amazon product detail pages.


What does this mean to you?

For your continued selling success, we encourage you to keep selling on Amazon using Marketplace listings. Starting Tuesday, October 24, 2006, we will be replacing all current zShops Storefronts with a new Storefront exclusively featuring your Marketplace listings. On that date, customers will no longer be able to find your zShops listings and your Marketplace listings will appear in your new Storefront. Your zShops listings will still be visible from your Seller Account page for about one week from that date after which they will be removed.

Before Tuesday, October 24 2006, we encourage you to re-list your zShops listings as Marketplace listings to benefit from the new Storefront. The following tools make it easy for you to continue selling on Marketplace--you can create product detail pages and list your items in bulk or one item at a time without using zShops listings:

• You can create book detail pages (including pre-ISBN) or list books in bulk in Marketplace with the latest release of the Book Loader tool.

• You can create product detail pages for all other products, one at a time, using the Create a Product Detail Page tool.

Please note: Your existing zShops listings and zShops Storefront will continue to be available on Amazon.com until October 24, 2006 when your current zShops Storefront URL will be automatically redirected to your new Storefront.


How can I learn more?

• If you are a current zShops seller, learn more about what you need to do.

• Find out more about your new Storefront.

• Learn more about selling on Amazon.com Marketplace.

For any feedback related to the new Storefront featuring Marketplace listings, please contact us at zshops-changes-feedback@amazon.com

Thank you for selling at Amazon.com!

http://www.amazonsellercommunity.com/for...dID=122979&tstart=0

[mandy]

Seller reaction:
http://www.amazonsellercommunity.com/for...dID=122980

The Storefronts that will replace zShops will only display a seller's Marketplace listings.  Auction listings will not be shown in the storefronts.

[amy]

zShops 1999-2006 R.I.P. 

Negative: I have several hundred items to move from zShops to Marketplace
Positive: Even eBay's hidden Stores have 50x more exposure than zShops. The items might sell when they're moved from the zShops graveyard to Marketplace. 

[Anita]

As much as I shop Amazon, I don't think I have ever bought directly from a seller's zShop.

[amy]

[quote author=Anita link=topic=5144.msg24479#msg24479 date=1159070539]
As much as I shop Amazon, I don't think I have ever bought directly from a seller's zShop.
[/quote]

meanie 

[regic]

Some Amazon sellers may begin using PayPal for the first time next month to collect miscellaneous payments from buyers. Amazon is phasing out its zShops program that enables sellers to collect special payments from buyers and list unique items in an Amazon storefront. The online retailer plans to kill zShops on October 24, which could make PayPal a necessity for some sellers, and could make eBay Stores a good option for those who want a flexible storefront.

zShops' phaseout will make it impossible for sellers to combine shipments or collect special payments for overnight shipping.

"Wow," said one seller posting on Amazon's seller discussion board. "Does Amazon realize they are driving business to eBay?"

Amazon launched zShops in 1999, but steadily reduced its profile after its Marketplace platform debuted the following year...

full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m09/i26/s02

[Anita]

PayPal on Amazon!  Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[bargainbloodhound]

Dear zShops Music, Video, and DVD sellers,

We would like to thank those of you who sent us feedback following our
announcement regarding the migration of your zShops listings to Amazon
Marketplace. Over the past two weeks, we have been investigating the
important concerns that you've expressed and we are happy to announce some
solutions that address those concerns.

The following were the main concerns we heard from the selling community:

1) The October 24 date does not allow enough time to migrate all zShops
listings over to Marketplace.
2) While we have removed the ISBN requirement for the creation of Book
products, some sellers are not able to re-list Music, Video, or DVD
products in Marketplace because of the UPC requirement.
3) Some sellers have too many Music, Video, or DVD listings to migrate
manually.

We are addressing these concerns with the following actions:

1) Timeframe Extension:

We are extending the availability of your zShops listings in your zShops
account by 6 weeks, from October 24, 2006 to December 5, 2006. This
extension will allow you to have continued reference to your zShops
listings while you re-list them in Marketplace, though buyers will not be
able to view your listings during that time.

In the evening on October 24, 2006, the following will still occur:

* Your new Storefront featuring your Marketplace listings will replace your
zShops Storefront.
* Buyers will no longer be able to view your zShops listings.
* You will no longer be able to create zShops listings.

2) Registration for UPC Code Exception:

Sellers receiving this e-mail will have their seller account automatically
registered to a UPC Code Exception List. For a limited time, this
exceptions list will allow registered seller accounts to create Product
Detail Pages in Music, Video, and DVD categories without requiring a UPC.

To qualify for the UPC Code Exception List, sellers were required to have
at least 1 Music, Video, or DVD zShop listing at the time of this
communication, have a minimum seller performance rating, and be in good
standing, at Amazon's discretion. Going forward, sellers may be removed
from the exceptions list at any time at Amazon's sole discretion.

For the remainder of 2006, we will monitor the creation of the non-UPC
products to ensure a good buyer experience and, depending on results, may
extend the program beyond the end of the year. You will receive an e-mail
during the week of October 16, 2006 that describes how items without UPC
codes can be added to our product catalog.

*******************************
TIP: After you receive the instructions, you may want to use the Create
Product Detail Page tool to first re-list your most popular products in
Marketplace so that they will be available in your new Storefront for
purchase after October 24, 2006.
*******************************

3) Bulk Migration Assistance

If you have received this e-mail, we are going to provide you with
assistance, as you have a large number of UPC or non-UPC products to
migrate to Marketplace's Music, Video, and DVD catalogs. This effort is
focused on those who have over 80 Music, Video, or DVD listings in zShops
to re-list manually in Marketplace using the Create Product Detail Page
tool.

You will receive a separate e-mail during the week of October 16, 2006 with
detailed instructions.

How can I learn more?

You can learn more about selling in Amazon Marketplace, what you need to do
to migrate your listings, and more about your new Storefront by going to
our Help pages. Click "Help" from the Amazon.com home page, and then click
Selling at Amazon.com > zShops.

Thank you for selling at Amazon.com!

[mandy]

We would like to kindly remind all Pro Merchant sellers who have zShops listings about the October 24, 2006 date for migrating your listings over to Marketplace. See our previous announcement for details:

http://www.amazonsellercommunity.com/for...dID=122979

There are also recent developments which you should be aware of which occurred as a result of the feedback we have received about this change:

1) Timeframe extension for availability of zShops listings to sellers.
2) Solution for sellers who have zShops listings for Music, Video & DVD products without UPC codes.
3) Your Storefront URL will remain the same.

1. Timeframe Extension:

We are extending the availability of your zShops listings in your zShops account by 6 weeks, from October 24, 2006 to December 5, 2006. This extension will allow you to continue to have reference to your zShops listings while you relist them into Marketplace, though buyers will not be able to view your zShops listings during that time.

In the evening on October 24, 2006, the following will still occur:

* Your new Storefront featuring your Marketplace listings will replace your zShops Storefront.
* Buyers will no longer be able to view your zShops listings.
* You will no longer be able to create zShops listings.

2. Solution for sellers who have zShops listings for Music, Video & DVD products without UPC codes.

In addition to Books (ISBN and pre-ISBN), products in Music, Video & DVD categories without UPC codes represent the overwhelming majority of products listed in zShops today. To address this gap in Marketplace, we are launching a pilot program which will allow sellers to list Music, Video & DVD products without a UPC code. During this pilot, we will monitor the creation of the non-UPC product pages to ensure a good buyer experience before continuing or extending the program to other sellers.

At this time, the program's participants are sellers who are currently selling Music, Video, and DVD products in zShops and who have a high feedback rating. Sellers who were registered by Amazon to participate in the program will be receiving a separate e-mail with instructions on how they can use the Create Product Detail Page feature to add Music products without UPC codes. The ability to create pages for Video and DVD products without UPCs will follow soon after.

Sellers who meet the criteria above and who have over 80 listings in those categories will be offered bulk migration assistance.

If you are a seller who meets the criteria above, but you have not received an e-mail with instructions by October 24, 2006, please send an e-mail to zshops-changes-feedback@amazon.com with the subject line “Pilot program.”

3. Your Storefront URL will remain the same.

Following feedback regarding the change of the Storefront URL from www.amazon.com/shops/ to www.amazon.com/stores/, we have decided to accommodate the many sellers who actively market their URL link and leave the URL for the new Storefront as-is: www.amazon.com/shops/.

How can I learn more?

You can learn more about selling in Amazon Marketplace, what you need to do to migrate your listings, and more about your new Storefront by going to our Help pages. Click “Help” from the Amazon.com home page, and then click Selling at Amazon.com > zShops.

http://www.amazonsellercommunity.com/for...dID=124798&tstart=0

[bargainbloodhound]

OK it's 10/24 why the boink am I still seeing my zShops?