Protecting Amazon Growth: Bazillion Dreams + SellerPulse

Lou Menditto started selling textbooks online in 2006. From there, he’s built a thriving business over the past 18 years, selling on multiple platforms. As Chief Operations Officer at Bazillion Dreams, his main focus is on selling products via Amazon and his website.

Kristin Hutcherson of eComEngine recently caught up with Lou to learn more about his business and how eComEngine and our partners help him succeed.

How Bazillion Dreams Started

Lou was frustrated with how little money he received when selling his gently used textbooks back to the college bookstore, so he started selling his books online instead. His friends took notice and began paying him commissions to sell their books as well. From there he got into education and got to know book publishers. One approached him about selling their books.

“From there, I got into distributing toys and games, and then I got into apparel and shoes and kitchen items and other things,” noted Lou. He continued to diversify the business, stepping away from other marketplaces to focus primarily on his website and Amazon presence. Eventually, that diversification bloomed into a relationship with a major brand that resulted in Lou manufacturing exclusive licensed products.

“I love people, and I wanted to be able to create these products that make people feel joy. And they’re actually making a difference and creating a core moment in their life that they'll never forget,” said Lou. “I mean, it's good to make money and all those things but at the end of the day, it's like, what are you doing to make a difference?”

Amazon Growth and Challenges

Lou started selling with Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) in January 2006, so he’s seen a lot of changes over the years. He uses Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) along with FBA to fulfill orders. Due to seasonality, his order volume fluctuates from month to month. Competition is fierce, so he relies on listing content change alerts from SellerPulse by eComEngine and professional listing images created by the team at Dresma to maintain a competitive edge.

One of Lou’s biggest challenges occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was having issues with a port and was advised to move his products to a less congested port. After moving his products from California to Georgia, the company he was working with ended up taking his products and filing for bankruptcy shortly thereafter. This was an expensive lesson in learning who to trust.

“It’s taken a big hit from the company, but I know how to pivot. I know how to come back, but it’s been very difficult and challenging. And then my health deteriorated and I almost passed away last March,” he said. Although Dresma’s primary focus is on listing content, the company recognized that Lou and Bazillion Dreams needed additional support due to his health challenges. They connected him with experts to help manage business operations.

Creating a Better Customer Experience

Lou initially met Dresma at the Prosper Show in Las Vegas. He saw the need to optimize his images and content to create a better customer experience. “Customers can't see the things physically,” he said, “How can I give them an experience that looks right and they're gonna buy the product, even though they don't have it in their hands?”

“Premium content helps buyers connect with products and brands. A+ Content, contextual lifestyle images, and infographics provide information to help shoppers make quicker buying decisions. Our all-in-one AI platform helps online sellers create high engagement assets at scale at a fraction of the cost,” said Abhishek Kirti, COO of Dresma.

Keeping a Pulse on the Business

As a longtime FeedbackFive customer, Lou learned about SellerPulse from the eComEngine team. He often works with the Customer Success team, who encouraged him to check it out. Not all of the products sold through Bazillion Dreams are exclusive to the company. Changes to the listings can cause confusion and unhappy customers, so Lou appreciates that SellerPulse helps him know when things like titles, brand names, and images are changed.

He used to look at each product listing to determine what had been changed, so SellerPulse saves him a lot of time. “Things get fixed quicker because I know about them,” he said.

Lou provided a lot of valuable feedback and feature requests to the eComEngine team. One of his top requests was for a feed of the products that changed with a way to download it. That’s now available in the Alerts Log, which can be filtered by various alerts.

“You only have so much time in the day, and it saves me time,” Lou noted.

Thanks to Lou and Dresma for sharing their experiences! If you'd like to share your story in our next case study, contact us.

Lou is offering readers of this case study 30% off licensed blankets through June 30, 2025, with coupon code BDeCOM30.

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