VSS-M

VSS-M is part of Amazon’s move to give vendors more autonomy in managing their catalogue visibility and promotions. Instead of depending on Vendor Managers to secure placements or run campaigns, vendors can use self-service tools to activate merchandising levers.

How It Works:

• Vendors access the VSS-M dashboard inside Vendor Central.
• Available tools typically include:
  • Setting up promotions (e.g., Buy One Get One, % off, free shipping).
  • Creating and funding deals (e.g., Lightning Deals, Best Deals).
  • Applying merchandising placements on product pages or category pages.
  • Managing A+ Content and brand stores visibility.
• Campaigns are funded by the vendor, and Amazon provides reporting on performance (clicks, conversions, ROI).

Benefits for Vendors:

• Autonomy: Control over promotions and merchandising without waiting for Amazon retail teams.
• Speed: Ability to set up campaigns quickly, especially for seasonal pushes.
• Flexibility: Vendors can test multiple promotional formats and optimise spend.
• Visibility: Improves product discoverability and sales velocity.

Benefits for Amazon:

• Scalability: Reduces workload for Vendor Managers by decentralising merchandising tasks.
• More promotions: Expands the volume of deals and discounts available to customers.
• Improved customer experience: Ensures customers see fresh offers and engaging product pages.

Challenges:

• Vendors bear the full funding responsibility for all VSS-M activities.
• Effectiveness depends on vendor expertise - poor campaign setup can waste budget.
• Limited merchandising options compared to placements negotiated via Vendor Managers.

Why It Matters:
VSS-M shifts merchandising control closer to vendors, enabling faster decision-making and more competitive offers. For Amazon, it increases the scale of promotions while maintaining a self-service infrastructure.

Example:
A personal care brand uses VSS-M to run a 20% off Lightning Deal on their top-selling shampoo during Prime Day. The vendor sets up the promotion, funds the discount, and tracks the performance directly in Vendor Central.

In short:
VSS-M (Vendor Self-Service Merchandising) is a self-service tool in Vendor Central that allows vendors to set up and manage their own promotions, deals, and merchandising activities, giving them more control and speed while Amazon scales promotional offerings.