Don’t Let Amazon Anger Imperil Your Merch Business

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Every day, I do plenty of blabbing about niches, designs, and Merch opportunities. But if there's only ONE message from me you really pay attention to today, please let it be this one.

There is not a single top seller in Merch on Demand or the broader print-on-demand world who got there with a scattered, distracted, or complaint-oriented mindset.

Success demands focus, clarity, and grit—not the toxic sludge flooding Facebook groups lately. Complaints about price caps, slashed royalties, stalled tier-ups, and whatever else have sellers spiraling into a tizzy over things they can’t control and don’t even fully grasp.

Where’s the talk about market opportunities? Recession-proof niches? Organic social media strategies? The powerhouse sellers that tumblers are this spring? Leveraging AI to turbocharge research and design?

Crickets.

Instead, it’s just noise—distraction that’ll tank your business if you let it.

Amazon isn’t some evil giant plotting to crush your dreams or drain your bank account. It’s a data-driven machine obsessed with what’s best for customers—which, if we are being raw and real here, is what’s also best for YOU and your sales.

Take the recent price cap drop for t-shirts and hoodies in select European markets. Some sellers lost their minds (even those who currently sell NOTHING in Europe), but Amazon didn’t pull that move to spite you. They crunched the numbers: lower prices mean higher volume. You’ll sell more.

Sure, royalties dip slightly, but more sales at a lower cut still fattens your wallet.

Tier-ups not coming fast enough? Amazon’s got a reason—cleaning up the platform, curbing the flood of garbage designs, etc. Less junk means less competition for you, plus it forces you to tighten up your own catalog. Be honest: do you need that tier-up, or do you just want it? Most don’t need it—they want it. Don't worry, tier ups will happen again. So just chill until then.

PLEASE don't waste time raging at Amazon like it’s your personal punching bag. Let them do their job while you do yours. Those who stop sulking and start hustling will benefit enormously as the year progresses. The time is NOW to grow your catalog responsibly, take marketing seriously, and run your POD gig like a real business instead of a half-baked side hustle.

Misplaced anger is a distraction; it’s the quicksand that’ll drown your potential. Meanwhile, the winners are out there researching, designing, and selling, not whining in some echo chamber.

Amazon’s decisions—price tweaks, tier pacing—aren’t random stabs in the dark. They’re calculated to make the platform cleaner, more appealing to buyers, and ultimately more profitable for sellers who get it. Higher volume in Europe? That’s opportunity. Less garbage clogging the marketplace? That’s your chance to shine. But you’ve got to show up with the right mindset.

Hunker down and hustle—dig into niches, master your craft, push your designs where buyers are scrolling. Stop cringing over what you can’t change and start owning what you can. Amazon’s doing its part to keep shoppers happy, which keeps your business alive. Trust that, and focus. If your head’s in the game, your sales will soar.

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