Vermont Teddy Bear's Success Selling On Amazon

In gearing up for our Resonate 2019 conference in May, we’re shining the spotlight on presenter and long-time Seller Labs client Liz LaVallee of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Liz is Director of Online Marketplace Development at VTB and she’ll be speaking at Resonate as well as the Resonate Women’s Mastermind special event.

If you don’t know about Vermont Teddy Bear, you’re missing out on an amazing success story (not to mention some incredibly cute stuffed animals). VTB uses Seller Labs’ Ignite as their Amazon Advertising solution and the company was recently featured as an Amazon Advertising video case study by Amazon itself.

We’re so excited to have Liz at Resonate that we couldn’t stand to wait until May 7-8 to get some of her insight. Liz was kind enough to spend some time with us and give us her thoughts on selling on Amazon, building the Vermont Teddy Bear brand, Resonate, and more. Hear more from Liz and many more Amazon brand leaders at Resonate. Grab your tickets today and use promo code TEDDY to save $150!

Q&A with Liz LaVallee, Director of Online Marketplace Development, Vermont Teddy Bear Company

Seller Labs: Hi, Liz, thanks for making time. Let’s get right to it . . . What is one thing you wish Amazon sellers knew or were clearer on?

Liz: That there is no one-size-fits all approach to selling on Amazon. One thing I love about the Amazon seller space is that it’s such an active community where people are so willing to share ideas and tactics. But I think that this can lead people to think that what works for one seller will work for them the same way.

Selling on Amazon is becoming much more complicated and what works for one category or product type might not work at all for another. Proceed with caution when following other people’s blueprints! We as sellers need to make sure we are taking into account the specifics of our business, our goals, and then TEST, TEST, TEST for your business before going too deep down the path of following another seller’s strategy.

SL: Vermont Teddy Bear is soaring as a business and a brand. You’re an in-demand presenter. What excites you about presenting at Resonate?

Liz: Seller Labs has a history of weeding through the hype, rumors, and misinformation that exists in the Amazon space and breaking it down to the truth (and often with Amazon, that means explaining that there is no true answer and it depends on your business!) There is so much misinformation out there. Seller Labs never gave into that and instead figured out how to empower Amazon sellers with the right information. Resonate is a conference born out of that mindset and I think it is unbelievably valuable for Amazon sellers today to have that type of a conference.

SL: If 2018 was the year of Amazon Advertising and Amazon in our homes (Alexa and Echo devices), what do you think 2019 is shaping up to be?

Liz: I’m most interested in what developments will take place within Amazon Fulfillment in 2019. Amazon is developing this area immensely from Amazon Air to Amazon Day to FBA Onsite. As Amazon further invests in fulfillment and logistics, it’s going to open up more fulfillment options for sellers and more ways to optimize your order fulfillment to maximize profitability.

SL: What is the one Amazon resource (software, tool, assistant, etc.) you cannot do without?

Liz: Honestly it’s Seller Labs’ Weekly ICYMI News Roundup on the blog!! Amazon is changing so much so fast; the news roundup makes it so easy for me to stay on top of all the new developments. It would take me so much longer to go seek out all those articles myself!

Many thanks to the insightful and inspiring Liz LaVallee of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company! Don’t miss Liz at Resonate 2019!