To ensure a seamless shopper experience and minimize disruption to performance metrics like search rank, subscription, and sales, it's essential to carefully plan and execute the transition from old to new SKUs. This article outlines best practices across key digital shelf properties, traffic drivers, and merchandising levers.

Digital Shelf Properties to Monitor and Adjust

Properties	Assets	Adjustments
Product Detail Pages	Ratings and Reviews Asset kits Removal of old product variations Removal of enhanced content	Transfer Ratings and Reviews from the old SKU to the new SKU if possible. Update Asset Kit to reflect product changes (pack shots, bullet points, & product description.) Removal of old SKU from product variations Request removal of ATF imagery, minus pack shot, from “old SKU”
Retailer Traffic Drivers	VPCs Merchant Placements Paid Search Campaigns DSP Campaigns	Point all retailer traffic drivers towards new SKUs at launch. Launch incremental traffic drivers to accelerate ramp up of new SKU
External Traffic Drivers	Brand sites Social properties Pricespider or any other 3rd party channel advisors	Ensure Merch and Media Links to point towards the updated SKU Redirect social posts to the intended SKU

Forecasting and Transition Timing

Prior to Launch

Secure retailer/vendor support to convert Subscribe & Save (SnS) or Autoship plans
Forecast the old SKU’s sell-out date and build your new SKU traffic plan around it
Complete the new SKU PDP with updated pack shots, claims, and variations

Week of Launch

Confirm POs align with demand; place manual orders if necessary
Redirect all traffic and promotions to the new SKU
Begin SnS / Auto-ship conversion

Post-Launch

Monitor new SKU's POS performance and search relevancy
Once ramped:
- Remove old SKU from variations
- Update links from brand.com and other external platforms
- Consider removing PDP imagery from the old SKU and replacing it with a "Newer Version Available" widget

Defraying Rollover Impact Across DPSM

To ease the shopper transition and mitigate any disruption, consider the following across Distribution, Price, Shelf, and Merchandising:

Distribution

Keep top-selling SKUs in limited distribution beyond the conversion date
Introduce new products gradually to offset sales history loss

Price

Use Subscription-Only Coupons (SOC) to encourage switching to the new SKU

Shelf

Map new SKUs to old SKUs and request a “Newer Version Available” widget
Ensure all content is refreshed on new SKUs; remove A+ content and outdated imagery from the old

Merchandising

Collaborate with Amazon Retail on campaigns that boost PDP glance views
Use AMS to drive search visibility for the new SKU
Notify SnS users about the transition to the new SKU before, during, and after the change

Summary

Successfully transitioning SKUs requires cross-functional coordination, detailed planning, and active monitoring across digital shelf elements and traffic drivers. Following these steps will help preserve performance continuity and support shopper retention throughout the changeover.

Transitioning SKUs: Best practices for a smooth rollout