Orders dropped by 60%! Did the US hurricane affect Amazon sellers?

The arrival of the US hurricane has caused considerable impact and damage to Florida. Amazon's local warehouse was also forced to close. Domestic cross-border sellers are also paying close attention to the situation in the United States. After seeing the experience of the people of Florida, the sellers said: The reason for the sluggish orders has finally been found.

Sellers' orders are declining, is it related to the US hurricane?

In recent days, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, USA, at Category 4 intensity, becoming one of the strongest storms ever to hit the US. The hurricane caused extensive damage to the state, destroying houses and beaches, and at least 10 people have died in the state.

Power outages caused by the hurricane affected about 2.2 million homes and businesses in Florida, and Amazon warehouses near Tampa and Orlando were also closed.

The hurricane caused power outages and the closure of some Amazon warehouses, which made domestic Amazon sellers who care about the American people uneasy. Some sellers said that the hurricane was coming and some areas of the United States had power outages, and the reason for the lack of orders was found.

It turns out that some American people are unable to purchase. After realizing this, a seller joked: "That's what I said. I have to give out coupons and reduce prices. It turns out my customers have a power outage and internet disconnection and can't place an order." Some Amazon sellers said frankly that philanthropists can always find reasons to comfort themselves, but finding the reasons will make them feel a little better.

In fact, the impact of the hurricane is basically in Florida, and the impact on Amazon sellers' orders may be limited. However, the downturn in Amazon orders is indeed happening recently.

Recently, many sellers reported that their orders have dropped, especially in the last few days of September. One seller said that when he opened the backend this morning, the order volume was cut in half, and the market was too bad. Another seller said that there were no orders for 6 hours, and he suspected that there was something wrong with the system. Several sellers used "a new low in orders, there is no worst, only worse" to describe the current order situation.

During the period of low orders, Amazon operators are most afraid of the boss's sudden greetings. One operator said frankly, "I thought I was the only one who felt this way, but it turns out that everyone is the same. Sales have dropped by two-thirds, at least 60%, and I dare not face my boss."

While orders are poor, Amazon sellers’ sales and ACOS fluctuate greatly. Some operators said that it is possible for sales to drop by 50% or increase by 50% compared to the previous day, and the conversion rate of advertisements is also unpredictable.

In fact, the sluggish orders for Amazon sellers did not only occur in the last few days of September. There were signs of this as early as the beginning of September, and this sluggish situation continued for the entire month.

One seller summarized the situation in September: "Compared to August, sales fell by 16%, advertising costs fell by 9.4%, and profits fell by 40%. The advertising budget was reduced in September, and the advertising costs could not be spent . In addition, new sellers in the category broke out, selling at low prices, and the phenomenon of similar styles became more and more serious. " Sellers with similar situations are not uncommon:

“——The performance in September was very poor, and the conversion rate was ridiculously low;

——September was the bottom, advertising money was wasted, and ACOs soared to a high level;

——It started to lose weight in September, and it is even worse these days at the end of the month, getting worse day by day;

——It turns out that everyone had a bad September. It wasn’t just me whose orders dropped by one-third.

——Sales in September are worse than in August. They have started to grow at this time of year in previous years. I hope October will be better.”

Amazon sellers are pinning their hopes on October as September orders are sluggish. One seller said that October will be a month of big sales and things should get better. If October remains sluggish, there may not be a peak season this year.

An industry insider optimistically predicted: "Thanks to promotions and holiday marketing, Amazon's online traffic and orders should increase in October." October is here, can the peak season be far behind?

Hurricanes are still continuing in the United States in October, and their impact is tending to expand. As the situation changes, the positive signals released by US holiday season consumption have turned into pessimism.

Hurricane to affect 6 states in the US

Hurricane Ian is bearing down on Florida, bringing devastating winds and flooding as it races toward a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 155 mph.

The impact of "Ian" has not ended. The hurricane has been downgraded to a tropical storm while rotating over the western Atlantic. The latest foreign media forecast is: the hurricane will sweep across most of the southeastern United States in the next few days, bringing rain, strong winds and storm surges.

The U.S. Hurricane Center said a hurricane and storm surge warning has been issued for the South Carolina coast as Ian's forecast approaches. The hurricane center warned: A storm surge of 6 feet or more is possible from Daytona Beach, Florida, to north of Charleston, South Carolina, and up to 8 inches of rainfall threatens the Carolinas and Virginia.

"It doesn't matter how strong the storm is. We're expecting quite a bit of rainfall," said Robbie Berg, a senior hurricane center specialist.

Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas have declared states of emergency, and meteorologists warned that danger from Ian will continue to spread across the Southeast, with danger expected inland and along the coast, AccuWeather reported .

"Rainfall from the hurricane is expected to affect at least six states , " said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Courtney Travis.

If the hurricane continues to affect more areas, more residents may lose power, further affecting logistics and delivery. The American people's attention will also be focused on the hurricane, which will more or less affect the sales of Amazon sellers.

An Amazon seller said that the hurricane in the United States caused great economic losses, not only in Florida, but also in the entire coastal area, and consumer enthusiasm was once again reduced.

It is also worth noting that according to statistics provided by market research firm NPD Group, 29% of American consumers are considering tightening their spending budgets during this year's holiday shopping season due to the obvious increase in negative sentiment towards the economy and personal financial situation.

Statistics show that one in five holiday shoppers say they will spend less during the holidays because of a change in their financial situation. More than one in ten consumers say they will spend less on gifts so they can spend more on expenses related to holiday entertainment, such as food, drinks and decorations.

Previously, several relevant institutions predicted that the overall retail sales in the United States during this year's holiday season will be on the rise. Although inflation may have an impact on holiday spending, overall holiday consumption may not decrease, and the American people will make purchases in advance.

Now it seems that the previous optimistic forecasts have undergone new changes.

Deloitte 's annual holiday retail forecast shows that holiday retail growth from November to January will slow by 4% to 6%.

Amazon sellers mentioned that the peak season will depend on the situation in October. Now it seems that the consumption situation in the US market in the future does not seem optimistic.

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