Operator notes
Notes from inside the work. Amazon, Shopify, the marketplace mechanics that drive UK ecommerce — written by the operators who ship the work.
- 6 min read
The other half of 12 August: France's registration numbers and the three PFAS limits on your packaging
Germany got the attention. France has its own representative rule, a number Amazon validates, and a label requirement — and PPWR put three cumulative PFAS limits on food-contact packaging the same day.
Read post - 6 min read
The German packaging law you're complying with no longer exists
On 12 August, VerpackG was replaced. If you sell into Amazon.de from the UK without a German authorised representative, your fulfilment provider is now legally barred from handling your stock.
Read post - 10 min read
Listing suppressed in Germany or France? The operator's GPSR compliance checklist for UK Amazon sellers
Amazon EU is suppressing UK-listed products at scale under GPSR enforcement. If your German, French, Italian, or Spanish listings just went dark — here's the operator's checklist to fix it and stay compliant.
Read post - 9 min read
Amazon EU's 2026 fee overhaul: where you're actually saving money (and where it's quietly costing you more)
Amazon announced its largest-ever EU fee cuts for 2026. Some categories genuinely win. Others quietly lose more than they save. Here's the operator's forensic breakdown by category and product tier.
Read post - 10 min read
The Brexit tax on Amazon EU inventory: why UK sellers are quietly losing money to fee structures nobody explained
Post-Brexit, UK Amazon sellers pay a hidden tax on every unit crossing the Channel. Here's the honest EFN vs Pan-EU framework — which SKUs belong where, and what nobody explains about country-level velocity.
Read post - 10 min read
TikTok Shop UK vs. Amazon FBA: should you split your stock or run Multi-Channel Fulfilment?
UK sellers on TikTok Shop and Amazon face a real choice: duplicate inventory across FBT and FBA, or run Amazon MCF? Here's the honest operator framework — with the actual numbers per SKU.
Read post - 9 min read
The Amazon FBA squeeze: how the 2026 fee changes are quietly killing your margins
Amazon's 2026 FBA fees now trap sellers on both ends. Send too little stock, get penalised. Send too much, get penalised. Here's the operator's guide to calculating your true reorder point without eating fees on both sides.
Read post - 10 min read
Google AI Overviews are rewriting how ecommerce SEO works. Here's how to get cited instead of skipped.
Google AI Overviews now appear on 25% of searches, redirecting organic traffic from your collection pages. Here's the operator playbook for Generative Engine Optimisation — how D2C brands get cited instead of skipped.
Read post - 9 min read
Amazon Rufus is answering your customers' questions. Here's why it's killing your conversion.
Rufus doesn't read your listing the way a customer does. It scans 500 reviews, picks out your three biggest flaws, and tells buyers why not to buy your product. Here's how to structure your catalogue so the AI sells for you instead of against you.
Read post - 10 min read
Your Shopify app stack is quietly torching your ad performance. Here's how to audit the bloat.
Every Shopify app you install adds JavaScript that slows mobile page load. That drop in speed is silently raising your CAC on Meta and Google. Here's the operator's audit to find and fix the bloat. Plus a free audit template Excel to run the analysis on your own store.
Read post - 8 min read
Amazon's AI is rewriting your listings. Here's how to stop it.
Amazon now rewrites your product listings whether you asked or not. You have 14 days to disagree before AI changes go live automatically. Here's the operator workflow to find the dashboard, push back on the wrong suggestions, and keep your catalogue under your own control. Plus a free 2-page response playbook PDF.
Read post - 10 min read
The EU Withdrawal Button deadline passed on June 19th. If your Shopify store isn't compliant, your customers can now cancel any order for up to 12 months and 14 days.
The EU Withdrawal Button became mandatory on June 19, 2026. If your Shopify store isn't compliant, customers can cancel any order for 12 months and 14 days. Here's what to do — plus a free 1-page compliance checklist PDF.
Read post - 12 min read
I took returns from 52% to 5.9% on one product range and 1.71% on another. Almost none of the fixes were product changes.
Most founders treat returns as unavoidable customer service costs. In one UK ecommerce operation, I cut return rates from 52.1% to 5.93% on one product range and 1.71% on another — mostly without changing the products. Full playbook + free downloadable toolkit (framework PDF + tracking Excel).
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Twenty-five productised services, fixed prices.
The blog is the thinking. The catalogue is the work. Both published, both honest.