Before learning how to merge listings on Amazon, we must first understand why should you merge your listings.
There may be some instances where you have duplicate listings. Duplicate listings occur due to various reasons.
The Amazon marketplace is tailored to match the needs of its customers. Part of this involves adhering to the catalog’s rules. You should avoid making duplicate listings if one already exists with the same item. However, this limitation is not subject to private-label products.
When the search results for the same item get swamped with duplicate listings, it may result in unique listings being relegated (i.e., their ranking decreases). This can either be done by a single brand owner or by wholesale buyers who build their own listing.
Instead of having to compete with 20 sellers, you might have your own 20 listings that all rank above yours, and each of them is classified as a separate brand with nearly identical brand names.
You will have to compete with the same brand numerous times, both in terms of ad budget and positioning. This will result in monopolization of the ad space for the desired keywords and also increase the cost of advertising.
Other stores may purposefully replicate the data and load their UPC codes to obtain 100% potential for the buy box. Obviously, this is against the conditions and rules set out by Amazon. Obviously, this is contrary to Amazon’s conditions and guidelines but this does not happen. Other times, sellers may offer their listings using different brands. Again, this is against the rules of service. Hence, you would need to merge multiple listings into one parent listing.
Merging Two or More Listings
In order to boost the sales of your inventory, you may use Amazon variation categories to separate and merge your product listings. You can successfully sell products with multiple versions but you need to be mindful and carefully test choices while also using intelligently worded product names.
Adding variation to an existing listing can also be regarded as a part of creating an Amazon listing itself. Follow the following steps to merge existing listings as variations:
The first step would be to create a new listing for your product and assign a variant to it. Since you are not required to add bullets, photographs, etc., Amazon will link your current inventory with these newly generated products.
The process will take around 15 minutes and Amazon will thank you for updating their information.
Carefully enter the SKU numbers and barcodes linked to each version. Your request will be completed and Amazon will notify you whether the IDs match or not.
The system will generate a variant based on the information provided on the existing products. Since the EANs are linked to the product ASINs, Amazon will preserve all the reviews given the items remain the same.
Once the information is submitted, Amazon will validate it and your product catalog will be updated.
You will notice that two individual items in your inventory will be merged into one in about 15 minutes.
Merging Duplicate Listings
You should thoroughly search every listing to eliminate any duplicate products. If asked, give a clear response that these listings/products are identical or similar in one way or the other. You should clearly mention that these products/listings should be merged into one if any of the products are from the same brand, have utilized the same photos, or are from the same manufacturer.
To curb the damage caused by duplicate listings, you should merge them into one. Amazon provides an easy method to sellers for suggesting product page mergers.
In the Help menu, select the “Merge Duplicate or Split Product Pages” option and then choose “Merge Duplicate” from the menu.
The following 3 questions will be asked of you:
- Which product ASINs should be kept?
- Which ASINs should be eliminated since they are duplicates?
- Why are these items being discarded?
Once you are done, continue to monitor your listings. Be vigilant about sellers who make their own listings as this can negatively impact the market over the period.
Be truthful yet practical when responding to Amazon. When selecting the ASIN to keep, choose the ASIN that has the lowest Best Seller Rank (BSR). Alternatively, you can select a listing that might be considered undesirable or one with a non-prime offer that won the Buy Box.
There is a probability that the catalog team of Amazon might have authority over one of the listings you wish to integrate. This means it takes precedence over others in some way and you will not be able to merge that Amazon listing with another ASIN in this case. In most cases, your merge request will be revised while the listing will be kept as the primary listing. Occasionally, your request may be denied altogether.
Merging or splitting the listings might be difficult but the results may not be permanent. You might have to experiment to find out whether this improves your sales or not. Additionally, variations will appear differently based on each category but you should remember the principles for certain general category displays.
Conclusion
The split and merge option is a powerful tool to mitigate your competition and boost sales. However, one should avoid its misuse otherwise this can lead to problems with Amazon Seller Support.
You should make good use of splitting and merging Amazon variation categories to boost your own products and increase revenues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have two listings of the same product on Amazon?
Having two or more similar listings is against Amazon policies and can lead to a penalty. However, you can have two similar listings if you have a self-fulfilled and one FBA listing.
Why are there multiple listings of the same item on Amazon?
Multiple listings occur when there are different SKUs for the same ASIN. Having multiple listings is prohibited unless you have one self-fulfilled and other FBA listing.
How do you create a bundle listing?
1. To create a bundle listing;
2. Pick the right product category for your bundle
3. Create a bundle
4. Complete the process
Can two sellers have the same ASIN?
Yes, ASINs are unique to the product and not the seller. So if two sellers sell the same product, they will have the same ASIN.
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