Amazon's Strategic Account Services Program Benchmarks

Benchmarking data and insights were provided by Cleveland Research Company. 

Amazon introduced their Strategic Account Services program, previously known as Strategic Vendor Services (SVS) and Amazon Vendor Services (AVS), of which is a resource providing brands with a dedicated account manager that works on behalf of the brand. This account manager may assist with anything from new item set up, to implementing promotions, and even providing unique program prospects to help drive growth, and more.

Amazon SAS Program Value

While this program sounds promising for those who have struggled with Amazon solutions and support, the service is expensive and can be quite an investment for some brands.

Our partners at Cleveland Research Company benchmarked manufacturers and companies currently using the program to understand its value, ROI, and how this resource is being utilized. We hope this information will help other brands currently considering the program to determine if the SAS program is worth the investment.

With Amazon making the adoption of its SAS program a concentrated effort, it has become a focal point throughout annual vendor negotiations (AVNs) with their brands. Based on benchmarking research done by CRC, as of January 2021, 44% of respondents currently were enrolled in the SAS program.

Benefits and Potential Drawbacks of the SAS Program

With SAS, one advantage is the access to a designated Amazon Account Manager, an advisor who can provide advice in various areas (think: inventory, branding, conversion, and profitability), connect brands with other Amazon teams as needed, troubleshoot support to assist with pain points, listing and new item setup, and consultation for evolution and growth of your business.

In CRC’s benchmarking research, it was noted that promotional execution and coordination & execution with vendor manager provided the most useful areas of the SAS resource. However, paid ad campaign support, A+ content optimization and enhanced customer insights showed as least valuable pieces of the SAS program.

Leveraging SAS for Success

To ensure positive results when investing in this program, incorporating these best practices has shown to increase the value of the overall program.

• Set Clear and Realistic Expectations: Discuss realistic expectations for this program in advance, so any insufficient results can be communicated directly, and a solution can be proposed.
• Identify and Measure KPIs: Creating a scorecard to assess the ongoing unique values that the SAS program is bringing to the brand is an opportunity for communicating objectives and measuring results.
• Consistent Communication & Relationship Building: Think of the SAS resource and Account Manager as an extension of your own team. Providing onboarding and maintaining consistent communication is key in the success of the SAS resource.

If you are looking for assistance with your Amazon account, or would like to discuss this topic in more detail, schedule a consultation with our team if to learn how Retail Bloom can help you achieve your marketplace goals.

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