Marketplace Compass

Not long ago, I worked with an established Amazon seller in the home & kitchen space. They had a strong product—a wooden cutting board with a great review profile, professional images, and a well-structured listing. Everything looked right on paper.

But sales were tanking.

Revenue had dropped sharply—this wasn’t a slow decline—it was a cliff. Both unit sales and conversion rates were down. The ads were still running, the listing hadn’t changed, and nothing obvious had shifted. So we dug deeper.

The Hidden Problem

I started with a focused market and competitor analysis. Specifically, I looked at:

• Search volume for key terms like “wooden cutting board”
• Number of ASINs competing per keyword
• Estimated sales of those competitors
• Listing quality across the segment
• And crucially, price positioning—especially versus plastic alternatives

The pattern became clear. At their current price point, my client was positioned in the most crowded, competitive part of the market. They were up against hundreds of other wooden boards plus cheaper plastic ones—many of which were converting better simply because they cost less.

It wasn’t just crowded—it was chaotic.

The Opportunity: A Smarter Segment

Here’s where things got interesting.

I shifted the analysis to a slightly higher price tier—just €5 more. At that level:

• Search volume was still strong
• The number of competing ASINs per keyword dropped dramatically
• The plastic boards were gone—the competition here was all wood
• And most importantly, my client’s listing quality was on par or better than the others in that range

In short: we weren’t priced too high—we were priced in the wrong neighborhood.

That lower price point placed us next to bulk items and bargain finds. But just a €5 bump pushed the product into a new competitive tier—one with less noise, better margins, and more premium perception.

The Recommendation

I presented the research and showed my client the data. I didn’t push a specific number since I didn’t have their full margin structure, but I highlighted a target range just above the average for that premium tier.

The only change? The price.
No listing edits. No rebranding. No new imagery.

The Results

The impact was almost instant.

• 📈 Revenue increased by ~70% month-over-month
• 🧾 Units sold also increased, defying the usual “higher price = lower volume” logic
• 🧠 Shoppers now perceived the product as higher quality, simply because of its price position
• ⚡ Results began to show within days of the adjustment

This wasn’t just a bounce back. It was a repositioning win—and a perfect example of how price can be more than a number. It can be a signal.

Why It Worked

In crowded categories, especially where low-cost materials (like plastic) skew conversion data, your price doesn’t just define your margin—it shapes your brand identity.

At a lower price, this cutting board was competing with mass-market, cost-driven products. But the moment we stepped into a higher tier—with fewer listings, better-aligned expectations, and no plastic alternatives—it became a “premium” item.

That perception change drove both higher AOV and more sales.

The Takeaway

Don’t assume the only way to compete is to go lower.
If your product quality supports it, a higher price—backed by solid data—can carve out space in a less crowded, more profitable lane.

A €5 change brought 70% revenue growth and improved buyer perception.

That’s the kind of shift that doesn’t just fix a dip—it builds momentum.

Want to find your own pricing sweet spot?

I help e-commerce sellers like you understand the real story behind your numbers—so you can stop guessing, start optimizing, and actually grow.

Whether you’re launching a new product or trying to recover from a drop in sales, let’s work together to uncover insights that drive real results.