Hey there!

Happy Q3.

I'm back with another round of non-breaking news, memes, quotes, and updates for you in the most inconsistently published newsletter you'll find.

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💬 Quote of the Week

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People less talented than you are making more money doing the same thing you're doing. People less intelligent than you are out-earning you. People less awesome than you are killing it.

How? Simply because they consistently show up & put in the work every single day.

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Now let's see what we missed on the back pages of e-commerce news 👇

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What's the Matter?

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📰 Faux No!

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Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) is making significant strides in protecting both customers and brands from counterfeit goods.

Amazon claims their AI detection is blocking 99% of suspected fakes before they hit the catalog. This is combined with boots-on-the-ground investigations leading to over 200 legal actions, $180 million in penalties, and prison time for dozens of counterfeiters.

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Why it matters:

You know how I'm always talking about Amazon's massive fight against counterfeits? Well, Amazon has details on their massive fight against counterfeits.

The pros: a safer marketplace, less competition from bad actors, customer trust.

The cons: good sellers catching some friendly fire.

Some of the actions Amazon has taken can be misconstrued as anti-arbitrage seller.

Brand restrictions & regatings? The emotional response is that Amazon wants to go brand direct and eliminate third party sellers completely.

The more likely truth: They have identified, via this global task force, brands that are more likely to have fakes produced.

New sellers almost immediately getting Section 3 suspensions? The emotional response is Amazon is closing and locking the door because they're done with third party sellers.

The more likely truth: Counterfeiters use networks of hundreds of burner accounts so they can keep selling when Amazon shuts one down.

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📰 Peace of Mind is Cheaper Than Ever

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I feel like this news flew under the radar, but the lifetime IP Alert plan dropped to the lowest price I can remember.

It's just $129 now.

It's a no-brainer upgrade if you're paying annually. Also, this is the perfect opportunity to grab a copy for your VAs.

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Why it matters:

Your Account Health is everything in this business.

IP Alert is the best-in-class tool for protecting your account and potentially saving you thousands of dollars.

It's been around since 2018 (the OG). Over 30,000 sellers trust it. The brands listed have been personally vetted by the founder as an active risk.

It's a lightweight Chrome extension that works in the background automatically for you. And even has a mobile app for retail arbitrage.

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📰 Smells Like Teen Profit

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Perfume sales are soaring, TikTok is driving sellouts, and even deodorant is getting a luxury makeover.

The fragrance market, once left for dead during the pandemic, is now the beauty industry’s MVP. Prestige scents are outgrowing mass-market brands, with double-digit sales jumps and viral moments on TikTok fueling demand.

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Why it matters:

It’s a great opportunity: younger shoppers are hunting for unique scents and viral hits, while older buyers stick to classics.

A string of brand restrictions have soured many sellers on the Beauty category.

Plus most fragrances are classified as dangerous goods, which is another moat insulating us from the competition.

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📰 No More Mr. Nice Buy

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Mastercard has expanded its First Party Trust program that targets “friendly fraud”.

Friendly Fraud is when customers dispute legitimate transactions, sometimes as a way to get refunds or avoid paying for goods they received

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Why it matters:

Return abuse and friendly fraud cost sellers billions each year.

Amazon is especially customer-centric, making sellers even more vulnerable on the platform.

There aren't any easy answers on how to protect sellers without making the purchase process a hassle. This is a positive step seeing a company as big as Mastercard try to help spot buyers gaming the system.

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🎧 What's the Latest on the Clear The Shelf with Chris & Chris Podcast?

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We have a new episode out and it's specifically geared towards an underserved crowd.

So much Amazon-related content seems to be made with an extrovert default setting. If you're an introvert that cringes at statements like "Just pick up the phone and start calling", we got you.

Check it out below. (Note: there was an issue with publishing on iTunes. I'm not sure if it will be resolved by the time you read this.)

And remember, we're testing a new time slot for the Sunday show. Both shows are at 5:30 pm est.

• Wednesdays at 5:30 pm est
• Sunday at 5:30 pm est

Be sure to stop by with any questions or just hang out and talk shop with us.

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​ Listen to Clear the Shelf with Chris & Chris on your favorite podcast player: ​YouTube​ ​Apple​ ​Spotify​

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💰 Alpha Weekend Lead List

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📚 The Most Successful People I Know Are Readers

I've only recently had Rory Sutherland pop onto my radar and the more I dig in, the more that statement embarrasses me.

Known as a marketing legend, he's worked on campaigns for AmEx & Microsoft, and his TED Talks have been viewed more than 7 million times.

In his book Alchemy, Sutherland takes scientific research, irrational consumer behavior, and decades of work in the field and gives us an entertaining walk through marketing magic.

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Over 18 years ago, long before "work from home" and The Great Resignation became household phrases, The 4-Hour Workweek was quietly shifting mindsets about productivity, outsourcing, and lifestyle design.

So much of the hustle culture and FIRE-style content rejecting the old concept of working 40 or 50 years and enjoying life in retirement that we consume today originated from Tim Ferriss and this book.

It spends most its time in the $10-$15 range, so this is a great time to add it to your collection for a few dollars.

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🤣 Sometimes I Think I'm Funny

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Have a great week! Talk to you soon.

Chris

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