MerchantSpring Marketplace Masters

In this episode of Marketplace Masters, host Paul Sonneveld goes deep on the operational side of Amazon Direct Fulfillment with Chris Khoo , founder of KhooCommerce and one of the most experienced operators in the Amazon vendor world. Most vendors treat Direct Fulfillment as "FBM for 1P," backup inventory, or a chargeback eraser. Chris explains why the reality is more demanding, and more...

Is Canada the smartest—and most overlooked—gateway into North America for Amazon brands? In this episode of Marketplace Masters , Paul Sonneveld is joined by Sebastien Masson , Founder of Account as a Service (AAAS), explored why Canada offers a compelling opportunity for brands expanding internationally. They discussed the advantages of lower competition, cheaper Amazon CPCs, stronger review gene...

In this episode of Marketplace Masters , Paul Sonneveld sits down with Jason Linscheid , Founder of The Vendorist and former Amazon Senior Vendor Manager, to explore the strategic role of Amazon Direct Fulfillment for enterprise vendors.   Topics Covered:  Amazon Direct Fulfillment vs. traditional Vendor Central fulfillment   How to evaluate DF at the ASIN level   Profitability, cash flow, and wor...

In this episode of Marketplace Masters , Paul Sonneveld sits down with Ephraim Ausch , Chief Logistics Officer at Tactical Logistics Solutions, to unpack one of the biggest fulfillment debates facing Amazon sellers in 2026: Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD) vs. third-party logistics providers (3PLs). With Amazon introducing new logistics surcharges, rising transportation costs, and chang...

Amazon Business is now generating more than $80 billion in annual B2B revenue — and yet many manufacturers still don’t have a clear Amazon B2B strategy. In this episode of Marketplace Masters , Paul Sonneveld speaks with Brian Beck , one of the world’s leading B2B eCommerce experts and author of Billion Dollar B2B eCommerce , about how Amazon Business is reshaping B2B distribution and what mid-mar...

Is South Africa the next major eCommerce growth market for Amazon brands? In this episode of Marketplace Masters , Paul Sonneveld speaks with Maon Seidel , Founder & CEO of eCommerce Counsel, about the rapid evolution of South Africa’s eCommerce landscape and what enterprise brands need to know to succeed on Amazon South Africa and Takealot. They explore the strategic differences between Amazo...

What does it really take to build a successful Amazon agency over 10 years? In this episode of Marketplace Masters , Paul Sonneveld sits down with Hamish Conway , Founder of Sell Global, to break down the real journey of scaling an Amazon agency—from early-stage growth to working with major brands across Amazon Seller and Vendor Central. Learn how to grow an Amazon agency, avoid costly mistakes, a...

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 (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 relationsh...

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 sits down with John Aspinall (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 wh...

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 speaks with Scott Bass , 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...

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 speaks with Chad Davis , 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...

What does a strong Amazon vendor relationship actually look like—and when is AVS worth the cost?  In this episode, Paul Sonneveld speaks with Travis Chappell (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 Ma...

Large CPG teams don’t lose on Amazon because they lack effort—they lose because their operating rhythm can’t keep up with complexity.  In this episode, Donte McCrary-McClain (Willse-McClain Advisory) explains why late February is the ideal moment to tune up your Vendor Central ways of working, how to choose KPIs that actually trigger decisions, and how to build launch governance that prevents cros...

Amazon profitability isn’t a “finance problem” anymore—it’s the make-or-break conversation agencies must lead.  In this episode, Andrew Morgans (CEO, Marknology) explains how agencies can shift from execution vendors to profit partners , using structured diagnosis, fee visibility, and cross-functional levers (content, ads, ops, strategy) to protect margins as Amazon costs keep rising.  Expect prac...

🧠 Amazon Vendor in 2026: Complexity Up, Support Down—Now What? This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this no-holds-barred closing panel, six of the sharpest minds in Amazon Vendor strategy— Sam Adams , Chris Khoo , Paola Marzario , Oliver Tomaschewski , Toni Turbanisch , and James Wakefield —break down how brands can thrive as Vendor Central becomes more autom...

🚨 Tentpole Deals = Tentpole Profits—If You Prep Right This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Sam Adams (Toucan e-commerce) reveals what separates vendors who coast through Prime Day from those who crush it. Learn why price history, SOA funding, ASIN selection, and retail readiness make or break your deals—and how to combine them with full-funnel a...

📉 Struggling Vendor Account? Here’s the 6-Week Turnaround Playbook This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Toni Turbanisch (ex-Amazon Strategic Account Services and Managing Director, Turbanisch Consulting) delivers a no-fluff rescue plan for underperforming vendor accounts. From cutting the deadweight in your catalogue to fixing returns, auditing...

🚚 Amazon Vendor Logistics: Your Hidden Profit Lever for 2026 This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Oliver Tomaschewski   (Founder, DiCommerce) unpacks the inbound, outbound, and consolidation programs that smart vendors are using to cut freight costs, reduce chargebacks, and win AVNs . From WePay vs TheyPay to SUPERPICS, FC Direct, and Vendor Fle...

🌍 MoR in Europe: Smarter Scaling Without the VAT Headaches This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session,  Paola Marzario (Founder, BrandOn Group) breaks down how the Merchant of Record (MoR) model gives brands a vendor-style experience beyond Amazon—across Europe’s fragmented marketplaces. Learn how MoR absorbs the tax, compliance, returns, and reconcili...

🤝 Your AVS Isn’t Magic—But It Can Be a Multiplier This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Travis Chappell   (ex-Amazon, now Head of Vendor Services at Venture Forge) reveals how to turn your AVS and VM relationships into growth accelerators. From unlocking escalations and deal funding to getting insider category intel before it’s shared on email, T...

💸 Amazon’s Not Stealing Your Margins—But You’re Probably Leaking Them This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, James Wakefield (Founder, ProfitGuard by Wake) exposes the hidden profit killers inside Vendor Central: chargebacks, shortage claims, co-op errors, and returns. James explains why most deductions aren’t mistakes —they’re caused by upstream...

🤝 Amazon AVNs Are Not a Surrender—They’re a Strategy This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 2. In this session, Asha Bhalsod (Founder, Etopia Consultancy) shows vendors how to negotiate AVNs from a position of strength—not fear. From owning your data and knowing your net PPM to structuring win-win concessions and pulling unprofitable ASINs, Asha lays out a no-fluff a...

🧠 Amazon Vendor 2026: Your Expert-Led Playbook Starts Here This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 1. In this session, Martin Heubel , Kara Babb , Alexandra Carmody , and Ryan Craver tackle the real questions vendors are facing—from launching new SKUs without overcommitting to using Born to Run wisely, quantifying the value of Direct Fulfillment, and escalating Amazon...

🚀 The Perfect Amazon 1P Launch—Blueprint, Hacks & All Launching on 1P? Don’t wing it. This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 1. In this session, Ryan Craver (Co-Founder, Podean) shares the exact blueprint for launching at scale on Amazon—plus tactical hacks your competitors don’t want you to know. From pricing parity, profitability, and content that converts to P...

🚨 Your Amazon 1P Account Is Not Safe—Unless You Do This This session was recorded as part of the Amazon Vendor Summit on Day 1. In this session, Alexandra Carmody (SVP, Front Row) exposes the real risks behind vendor account closures—what triggered Amazon’s 2024 purge, what changed in 2025, and what’s next in 2026. From PO cuts, silent signals, and VM ghosting to building resilience with SKU rati...