Hannah Blackburn

Hannah Blackburn is the Co-founder and Director of The Hawkers Club, a company that helps vendors and sellers solve their most pressing challenges and navigate eCommerce marketplaces, including Amazon and Target. In her role, Hannah advises online sellers and vendors on how to directly position their brands and value offerings as Amazon partners to increase profitability and revenue. 

Before co-founding The Hawkers Club, she joined Amazon as a brand specialist with an initial focus on vendor excellence and marketing before transitioning to stock management and profitability. Since she’s written the business logic powering some of the algorithms that run Amazon, Hannah knows how you can systematically make profitable decisions that Amazon’s algorithms reward.

 

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Recent sweeping changes to how Amazon Vendor Central calculates and processes chargebacks, shortages, and overbilling have left many brands scrambling to adjust their internal processes and preserve cash flow. What do these updates entail, and how can vendors stay ahead of the curve?

Former Amazon insider Hannah Blackburn explains that overbilling calculations have shifted from “distributor shipment” to “Amazon payables,” potentially reducing double billing and improving predictability if brands adapt quickly. Brands must now track and forecast co-op charges based on expected payments rather than shipments. Additionally, Amazon no longer accepts bulk aged shortages, so brands should track aging internally and file disputes for shortages immediately. Hannah maintains that staying proactive prevents long-term revenue loss under Amazon’s new conditions. 

In this episode of the Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant welcomes Hannah Blackburn, the Co-founder and Director of The Hawkers Club, back to the show to discuss Amazon’s evolving Vendor Central policies. Hannah talks about rising packaging chargebacks, updated dispute workflows, and how to protect future chargeback recoveries.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Update co-op forecasting models to reflect Amazon payables: Shifting from shipment to payment-based co-op calculations means your forecasts must now align with when Amazon pays you, not when they receive goods. Adjusting for this improves cash flow planning and prevents surprise deductions.
  2. Dispute current shortages immediately: Amazon’s new process requires initial disputes to be filed when the shortage is still considered current. Failing to do so can permanently eliminate your ability to recover those funds once the shortage becomes aged.
  3. Submit shortage claims one PO at a time: Although Amazon allows multiple POs per dispute, one error often causes all to be rejected. Submitting claims individually increases your chances of successful resolution and reduces wasted effort.
  4. Monitor and track Amazon ticket responses closely: Amazon frequently auto-closes open disputes within a few days, even if unresolved. Keeping tickets open requires ongoing attention but prevents your claims from being dismissed.
  5. Watch for rising packaging chargebacks under new SHIP rules: Amazon’s January 2025 shift from SIOC to SHIP includes tiered penalty increases based on weight class. Brands must reevaluate margins and compliance strategies to avoid unexpected cost spikes.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Charlie Cole

Charlie Cole is the President of XGEN AI, a composable AI platform for eCommerce. As a seasoned eCommerce executive, he has over two decades of experience leading digital transformations for global brands. Before XGEN AI, Charlie served as the CEO at Tribute Technology and FTD and held leadership positions at Samsonite and TUMI, where he drove significant digital growth.

 

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Online commerce search has long frustrated both brands and consumers. Whether it's typing in a detailed query and getting zero results or sifting through hundreds of irrelevant products, traditional search engines can’t keep up with consumers’ evolving shopping habits. As search behavior evolves and expectations rise, how can brands deliver a shopping experience that feels intuitive, personal, and helpful?

According to digital executive and eCommerce operator Charlie Cole, generative AI presents unique opportunities for search personalization. These tools can understand natural language, learn from user behavior, and surface relevant results — even for complex, descriptive queries. Charlie urges companies to invest in technologies that apply AI image recognition, contextual search, and predictive merchandising. By focusing on genuine customer needs and creating frictionless, conversational experiences, brands can drive loyalty and revenue.

In the latest episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant speaks with Charlie Cole, the President of XGEN AI, about revolutionizing eCommerce search with generative AI. Charlie discusses the future of search marketing, how to capitalize on industry events like Shoptalk, and how XGEN AI’s platform powers innovative search solutions.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Invest in AI-powered search and recommendation tools: Upgrading your eCommerce stack with generative AI can drastically improve the customer experience and conversion rates. Traditional search engines miss nuanced queries, while AI tools understand intent and deliver relevant results.
  2. Encourage natural, descriptive customer search behavior: Prompting users to search the way they speak unlocks deeper buying intent and higher engagement. Generative AI thrives on longer, more specific queries that signal stronger purchase readiness.
  3. Evaluate tech through an operator’s lens: Choose software that solves real-world problems you’ve experienced as a user or operator. This practical approach ensures your investment delivers measurable outcomes instead of empty promises.
  4. Use data to guide predictive merchandising: Combine customer history with contextual and image-based AI to surface fresh, relevant products. This expands cart size and deepens brand relationships without relying solely on past behavior.
  5. Stay open to emerging vendors and tech solutions: Exploring new tools, even from lesser-known companies, helps you stay ahead of innovation curves. Many transformative technologies begin at the edges of industry events and grow through early adoption.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Eric Sheinkop

Eric Sheinkop is the CEO of The Desire Company, a platform that connects brands with industry experts to create high-quality, conversion-focused video content. With a background in entertainment marketing, Eric co-founded Music Dealers, a pioneering music licensing platform that partnered with global brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Disney. He is also an author, speaker, and thought leader in content strategy, recognized in Billboard’s 30 Under 30 and Crain’s Tech 50 list.

 

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In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, brands face the challenge of creating high-quality, scalable content that converts. While influencer marketing and UGC once seemed like the answer, new FTC regulations and diminishing returns have left brands searching for a more effective approach. How can businesses generate content that builds trust and drives sales — without constantly reinventing the wheel?

According to brand partnerships and content strategy thought leader Eric Sheinkop, expert-driven content — featuring real professionals who use the brand’s product in their field — builds consumer trust and confidence at the point of sale. By investing in evergreen, professionally produced videos optimized for various digital platforms, brands can increase conversion rates, reduce returns, and enhance the customer experience. Eric also emphasizes the importance of aligning content strategy with new FTC regulations to ensure compliance and credibility while maximizing digital marketing efforts.

Tune in to this week’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant chats with Eric Sheinkop, CEO of The Desire Company, about the next evolution of digital content. Eric shares how AI-driven shopping assistants can reshape brand loyalty, how to create cohesive, story-driven content, and the new FTC regulations on influencer and UGC content. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Reevaluate your content strategy: Ensure your brand’s content is designed for conversion, not just awareness. Influencer and UGC content can drive traffic, but expert-driven content increases sales.
  2. Stay compliant with FTC regulations: The new laws around influencer marketing require transparency. Review your brand’s content to avoid costly violations.
  3. Invest in evergreen content: Unlike influencer content that quickly disappears, high-quality video assets can be repurposed across platforms for long-term ROI.
  4. Optimize video for different platforms: Create variations of content tailored for Amazon, direct-to-consumer websites, social media, and retail media networks.
  5. Prepare for AI-driven shopping experiences: As AI shopping assistants become more common, brands must focus on creating content that builds consumer trust and stands out in algorithm-driven searches.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Andrea Leigh

Andrea Leigh is the Founder and CEO of Allume Group, an eCommerce knowledge-sharing network. She is also the co-host of The CPG Guys podcast. With over 20 years of eCommerce experience working with thousands of brands, she is an educator, speaker, and writer involved with various organizations, including The Digital Shelf Institute and Path to Purchase Institute. Andrea spent 10 years as a Senior Executive at Amazon, where she led over 15 categories, helped launch Amazon’s automated pricing system and other programs, and managed Amazon Prime in Canada.

 

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Amazon vendor negotiations differ from standard, relationship-based retailer negotiations. With Amazon prioritizing data, algorithms, and automation, brands often feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to approach the process. How can you leverage your strengths to arrange favorable trade terms?

As an early Amazon adopter, Andrea Leigh has developed the FIRM framework — find your data, isolate your leverage, relax and go slow, and make requests — to help brands take a strategic, data-driven approach. After discovering and harnessing your data sources, you should identify the unique value you bring to Amazon, leverage delaying tactics to strategize further, and request concessions in areas that benefit the retailer. Andrea also recommends aligning trade terms with retail media planning to communicate your investments. 

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant sits down with Andrea Leigh, the Founder and CEO of Allume Group, to talk about navigating Amazon vendor negotiations. Andrea shares common mistakes brands make in the process, what to expect from Amazon’s evolving negotiation process, and how to mitigate tariff-related cost increases.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Prepare your data early: Gathering insights on trade terms, profitability, and operational efficiencies before negotiations begin will give you a stronger position and reduce stress. Keeping a well-organized record of past negotiations ensures continuity, especially if team members change.
  2. Identify your leverage points: Understanding what value you bring to Amazon — whether it’s growth potential, retail media investment, or supply chain efficiency — can help you push back on unfavorable terms. Using competitive benchmarking can strengthen your case further by showing how your brand stacks up in the marketplace.
  3. Slow down the negotiation process: Avoid agreeing to terms too quickly. Take time to assess Amazon’s requests, ask for clarification, and propose counter-offers. If needed, use strategic delays like requesting additional data or breaking negotiations into smaller steps to stay in control.
  4. Make strategic asks: Negotiation is a two-way street; brands should push for operational improvements, additional data access, or co-op relief alongside financial discussions. Finding "easy gifts" that Amazon values but cost you little can help build goodwill without major concessions.
  5. Align trade terms with broader business goals: Don’t view Amazon negotiations in isolation. Consider how they fit into your overall strategy, including media spend, supply chain investments, and long-term profitability. Ensuring alignment across internal teams like finance and marketing will create a unified approach to negotiations.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Tim Wilson

Tim Wilson is the Chief Revenue Officer at ProductWind, which offers influencer-as-a-service products to help brands win online. He’s an experienced sales and business development professional focused on helping the world’s largest advertisers understand how eCommerce and digital marketing impact their brands. Before ProductWind, Tim was an Affiliate Partner at Pattern, guiding partnerships and driving global eCommerce sales for brands.

 

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Navigating eCommerce conferences can be a frustrating experience. While networking opportunities are abundant, many presentations fail to provide authentic, actionable insights, leaving attendees wondering if these events are worth the investment. How can professionals maximize their time at these gatherings and extract real value beyond surface-level discussions?

Digital commerce expert Tim Wilson believes in building strong relationships and strategically leveraging AI-driven tools. He suggests that professionals should focus on unstructured networking opportunities, such as impromptu meetups and informal discussions, rather than relying on scripted presentations. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of training retail algorithms well in advance of major sales events to ensure optimal product visibility. 

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Tim Wilson, the Chief Revenue Officer at ProductWind, joins Aaron Conant to discuss maximizing networking opportunities in the eCommerce space. Tim shares product launch strategies, the importance of data security in AI, and how the financial landscape will impact eCommerce brands in the future.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Maximize networking at conferences: Prioritize informal conversations and spontaneous meetups over scripted presentations to gain deeper industry insights. Building relationships with peers can provide long-term value and open doors to unexpected opportunities.
  2. Train retail algorithms ahead of key sales events: Increasing engagement on product listings before Prime Day or Black Friday helps establish momentum with the algorithm. This ensures stronger organic rankings and higher visibility when competition peaks.
  3. Be cautious with AI tools and data privacy: Avoid inputting proprietary company information into AI models that may use or share the data externally. Understanding AI’s limitations can help prevent security risks and unintended data exposure.
  4. Adapt to evolving product launch strategies: Economic uncertainty and tariff fluctuations require brands to be flexible with their go-to-market plans. Monitoring cost structures and market conditions closely can help mitigate risks and optimize timing.
  5. Position yourself as an educator in leadership discussions: Senior executives may not fully grasp the intricacies of digital commerce, making it crucial to explain concepts clearly. Framing insights as opportunities rather than challenges can make decision-making more effective.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Solar Panel

Data centers provide solutions for organizations to store, process, and disseminate their IT operations and equipment. But, according to Brendan Walsh of World Wide Technology (WWT), the carbon “emissions from data centers are now very close to those from the airline industry,” making them the fifth largest electricity consumer worldwide. From a business standpoint, David Locke, EMEA Chief Technology Advisor at WWT, says that data centers comprise 20-25%, sometimes up to 40%, of a company’s total energy consumption.

So, what are some strategies you can establish to reduce your carbon footprint and reach net zero emissions?

Developing a Data Analytics Strategy To Assess Your Energy

Companies are often unaware of how much energy their data centers use. In today’s fast-paced business environments, day-to-day practices exacerbate consumption and emissions. It’s common for organizations to run multiple servers at a time, leave them running after hours, and overlook idle appliances.

How can you offset your operations to advance toward a carbon-neutral data center?

As a start, companies can analyze their datasets to determine how they’re expending energy. With a data analytics strategy, you can evaluate your servers for energy efficiency and power usage. This method also allows you to identify the location of your workloads and the use cases for each one to regulate carbon emissions. By taking a pragmatic approach to sustainability and disseminating your business functions, you can make informed decisions to develop efficient practices.

Utilizing Software Efficiently

One seemingly apparent practice would be to use renewable energy sources to balance consumption and carbon emissions. Yet, these sources make up only 20% of electricity generation in the US and, as a result, are not sufficient enough to sustain power for each function in an organization.

Instead, businesses should optimize their software to minimize excessive usage. David asserts that “the average utilization of a server inside an enterprise organization is around 30-40%.” Transferring your workload to the cloud allows you to manage your overhead and increase energy efficiency by 85-90% in your overall business environment.

Alternatively, companies can employ other procedures to consolidate, update, and modernize their technologies to reduce electricity.

Adopting VMware

VMware provides a viable option for organizations to consolidate their workloads and maximize data center efficiencies. This technology implements virtualization services to operate multiple workloads simultaneously. Additionally, it provides the opportunity to monitor each user’s energy consumption, so businesses can actively measure power and usage.

By applying VMware to your environment, you can develop practical goals to reduce consumption and emissions and attain net zero. 

Headless commerce Headless commerce is not a fad. In fact, it’s becoming the new normal. But how can you tell if headless is right for your company?

For many B2B and B2C companies, headless commerce is the future. However, before you go headless, there are a few things you should know.

What is Headless Commerce?

Michael Harvey of Corra says, “Headless is not a religion — it’s a spectrum.” Ultimately, headless means that your website’s back end is separated from the front end. But there are different stages to headless commerce.

First, there’s the decoupling stage. In this stage, you can detach the front and back ends and have the marketing and business working on the front end without constraint from the slow pace of the back end.

The next step in the journey is making the head agnostic. The head can communicate programmatically with the back end but doesn’t actually rely on what’s there.

Companies today are often at this stage: they’re thinking of the back end as a set of composable services. These companies are looking at the various functions the back end provides — such as checkout, product account, and product information — and thinking of them as discrete services to be consumed by the front end.

 

The Story of Salt Life and PWAs

Earlier this year, the clothing and beachwear brand, Salt Life, launched its PWA (Progressive Web App). This PWA means that the company’s application is able to take more progressive advantage of the browser it’s running on and can obtain app-like behaviors, such as working offline.

But why did Salt Life take a PWA headless commerce approach?

According to Salt Life’s Vice President of eCommerce, Larry Laska, using a PWA on the front end can tremendously improve site speed, which was an issue for their website. Larry realized that “all of these back end pieces that are loading inventory and loading proxies and loading all of this data…that's really where the memory load sits. If we just disconnect the back end piece from the front end, [then] the front end can focus on all the pretty, fun pieces that people see.”

After implementing the PWA into Salt Life’s headless commerce approach, they got their site speed down to under two seconds on every type of device.

 

The Benefits and Challenges of Going Headless

There are many advantages of headless commerce. Headless creates an opportunity to optimize a team around the front-end experience without all the historical constraints, allowing your sites to operate faster with more flexibility and autonomy.

However, headless commerce has its complexities. If you’ve decoupled or detached the head, you’re able to scale, but you still have many things happening in the back end that have to be orchestrated. Once you decouple the back and front end, you’re dealing with two tech stacks, and you’re often dealing with two disparate technical abilities.

So what can you do to deal with the complexities?

Adobe’s Head of Commerce Solutions Consulting, David Augustine, has some advice. He says, “It's really important that you work with [a partner] that really has put in the time. At Adobe, we have a reference architecture for PWA. We have a starting point, and you can take it and be up and running very quickly. But to build a really good, customized, industry-specific website — like what Salt Life has — you really do need to be focused on a really strong partner.”


Cloud computing services are a viable option for businesses to compile and streamline their resources. Yet, transitioning to the cloud requires careful consideration of factors such as budget, sustainability, and efficiency. Many companies struggle to comprehend these implications fully and, as a result, overspend when relocating their processes to the cloud.

So, what are some strategies you can employ to leverage and enhance cloud capabilities for your business?

Optimize Your Infrastructure

Optimize your infrastructure
Before transferring your workloads to the cloud, it’s crucial to think critically about configuring your infrastructure for your business goals so you can capitalize on the software’s full potential.

To accomplish this, you must first determine which aspects of your business will benefit from the cloud. Next, invest time in understanding your designated cloud environment so you can establish the best method for streamlining your business processes. Jenny Haladik, Cloud Expense Management Practice Lead at World Wide Technology, advises companies to view the cloud as a business tool to ensure their infrastructures can develop and scale along with their businesses.

Another aspect to keep in mind when optimizing your environment is cloud usage. By placing limits on your servers and managing resource consumption, you can maximize efficiency. As Jenny says, you don’t want to be running your applications after hours.

Develop a Financial Operations (FinOps) Strategy

Develop a Financial Operations (FinOps) Strategy

One high-priority concern surrounding cloud usage is cost. To mitigate expenditures, devise a chargeback or showback model to allocate costs to each department for their usage. These methods help you organize your finances so you can determine the source of your expenses and make the appropriate adjustments to promote operational effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Through these measures, Brendan Walsh affirms that businesses will be able “to reduce expenses by 25 to 30%.” 

By taking the necessary steps to ensure proper cloud utilization, you can keep your business functioning smoothly.

Improve Cloud Sustainability

Assembling company information into a cloud environment will reduce carbon emissions as businesses expend less power and energy and utilize fewer servers. However, corporations must employ the appropriate measures to enhance sustainability. 

When shifting to the cloud, it’s vital to assess your industry’s standards for sustainability. For instance, many technology industries require companies to comply with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. With these regulations, businesses must maintain transparency regarding sustainable practices. 

How can you develop such procedures to comply with industry specifications?

Invest in renewable energy credits to acquire natural energy sources for carbon-neutral data centers. Traditional data centers use continuous power supplies and necessitate complex cooling systems, consequently increasing business expenses. These credits reduce your carbon footprint, minimize electricity, and decrease costs. 

Improve Cloud Sustainability

Additionally, when choosing a cloud service provider (CSP), it’s helpful to examine the initiatives each provider is taking to drive sustainability. According to Jenny, “Microsoft is looking at how they can build out data centers…on ocean floors” to limit the release of energy from heating and cooling systems. Yet, the corporation still consumes some degree of fossil fuels. Similarly, Google is ranked as one of the highest in sustainability measures through its use of renewable energy sources. Still, experts claim the platform continues to invest in the oil and gas industries. 

That’s why it’s essential to prioritize your sustainability practices and align each provider’s approach with industry guidelines to make informed decisions.

Over 40% of a data center’s energy is spent on cooling. That’s why BWG’s Sustainable Enterprise Technology Council is on a mission alongside World Wide Technology to target cooling practices in the tech space.

So what are the most sustainable and cost-efficient cooling technologies? Should your enterprise change its cooling methods?

What Are the Different Cooling Methods?

One common cooling method is immersion cooling. This is where you take all of the fans out of the computer and put them into a tank of nonconductive fluid — what Don Molaro describes as “essentially baby oil” and other chemicals. This method is improving over time, but there are still some drawbacks.

Another method is direct-to-chip liquid cooling. In this practice, you replace the heat sinks on various components of the system, typically the CPUs, GPUs, and other auxiliary units that produce a lot of the heat. Then, you use a fluid to draw the heat out directly from those components. From there, you radiate the heat out to other parts of the data center.

Why Liquid Cooling May Be More Beneficial Than Air Cooling

How does air cooling compare to liquid cooling?

As CPUs and GPUs become more power-intensive, air cooling is going to become less efficient. Don explains, “it's going to be hard to blow that amount of air efficiently — or at all — to cool those components.” So, as technology advances, companies may want to shift gears toward liquid cooling instead.

Don also notes that there’s a lot of research to be done in this space yet, but many innovative companies are now taking a hybrid immersion cooling approach, where they’re only using a tank suitable for a single system. And as more companies employ high-density computing, many are turning toward liquid cooling methods upon realizing that fans are no longer efficient.

The Future of Cooling and Sustainability

The future of cooling and sustainability really comes down to companies optimizing their systems and understanding how much their infrastructure costs.

To aid enterprises in their sustainability journey, World Wide Technology is offering consulting spanning three practice areas: sustainable technology, ESG consulting, and ESG data and AI. Brendan Walsh says that these practice areas, “[were] launched following quite a considerable amount of research and strategy development, looking at customer needs, what was out there, [and] looking at [World Wide Technology’s] assets.”

Because cooling and sustainability are such significant targets and opportunities, the team at World Wide Technology is building out unique resources and labs to help each enterprise reach a net-zero target.

When the pandemic hit, Amazon brands across categories saw a huge drop in sales. The following year, sales skyrocketed as the world adjusted and people rapidly embraced online shopping. Now, brands in the fashion and apparel categories are seeing conversion rates go up by 29% compared to the previous year. However, there are still common challenges restricting apparel brands from reaching their full potential.

So, what are the best ways fashion and apparel brands can improve their Amazon strategy and drive growth?

Content Optimization Best Practices

The first step to optimizing content is planning out your strategy. You need to think about what will make the biggest difference in sales conversions. Nicole Reich of Retail Bloom suggests starting with product availability and profitability: segment your evergreen, seasonal, and discontinued products, and arrange them from highest to lowest margins. From there, you can focus your strategy on products with high retail value, which will most likely be your evergreen products.

Next, ensure you’re in the right category. Execute a competitor analysis to see which top-level category you should be in. Why is this step important? Sometimes, Amazon will place you in a category that doesn’t make sense, which could significantly impact your ranking on Amazon

Once these steps are complete, you can begin implementing your content optimizations. Take those high-profit products and optimize for SEO, back-end attributions and subcategories, imagery and video, and product merges.

Leverage Product Merges

According to Nicole, product merges may be the most useful hack. “You don't want it to be overwhelming, where you just merge everything,” Nicole says, “but there is a lot of opportunity to look at your catalog as a whole and start to decide how you want to merge like products.”

NYDJ, one of Retail Bloom’s clients, is a large brand in the women’s denim category. In their Amazon listings, they have a specific style of pants called the “Sherry.” Within this style, they have slim, cropped, and flare jeans, among other variations. NYDJ had different product detail pages for each style variation, which led to fewer ratings and challenges with new styles and colors getting buried.

So, Retail Bloom took all of these evergreen variations and merged them together, placing them on one product page with different thumbnails so that consumers can easily browse other style variations. This product merge boosted views overnight for all of the Sherry products and improved product rankings overall.

Making the Most of Your Advertisements

Brands should make it a priority to refresh advertisements and creative assets consistently. Look at SEO and keyword trends to help you set up ad groups and campaigns. Additionally, you should update campaigns by season and use branded terms to promote new product launches.

If you want to increase ROI, sponsor display campaigns are the way to go. DSP has specific KPIs and can be expensive, but sponsor display campaigns give you the ability to target on or off Amazon, get creative with lifestyle imagery, and work with products that have many variations.

Retail Bloom’s New Local Selling and BOPIS Tools

Fulfillment options can be tough with various SKUs and outliers. What do you do with products that don’t make sense for FBA?

Retail Bloom’s local selling and buy online and pick up in store (BOPIS) tools can help. The BOPIS tool is great for brands who don’t want to be on Amazon for fear that they’ll drive traffic away from their brick-and-mortar store. With this tool, brands can generate traffic on Amazon but still direct consumers to physical stores.

Available for both 1P and 3P brands, the local selling option gives brands the ability to set up one-day or two-day delivery options by region. Sellers can leverage their own delivery trucks or 3P carriers. This is a great solution for getting your entire catalog live without putting all products in FBA.

Taking on these tasks alone is a lot of work. That’s why Retail Bloom is providing tools like these to help brands plan, scale, and improve the customer experience.

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