Interview with Josh Brown of Pricecanopy
Pricecanopy is a Hamilton-based startup by Josh Brown. Niche vertical SaaS startups don’t seem to have the sex appeal of ‘trying to be the next WhatsApp’, but they sure seem to work in Canada (and Hamilton too). That’s why I was really curious to interview Josh about what he’s doing with Pricecanopy, check it out below:
Tell me about yourself.
I’m a new grad from Queen’s University and I have been building web applications for about 5 years now. I’m interested in all kinds of software but especially eCommerce applications, ERP/financial software for retail companies and weather forecasting systems.
What is Pricecanopy?
Pricecanopy is an automated repricing service for businesses that sell goods on amazon.com, amazon.ca or amazon.co.uk. It helps retailers maximize their sales on Amazon through keeping their listing prices competitive.
What is the ‘buy box’, and how does Pricecanopy help users win them?
The buy box is a highlighted rectangle on each Amazon product detail page where most buyers make their purchase. It’s common for multiple Amazon sellers to offer the same product for sale. When that happens, one seller occupies the buy box and the other sellers are buried under the “More buying choices” link or the offer listings page. (There are a few exceptions to this, which I won’t get into here.)
The seller that holds the buy box is chosen automatically by Amazon. That decision has many inputs — including a seller’s feedback score and fulfillment process — but one of the biggest factors that Amazon takes into consideration is price. Typically a seller that’s eligible for the buy box can win it when their price is slightly lower than the nearest buy box-eligible merchant.
This means that prices on Amazon can change very quickly as sellers compete with one another for the buy box spot. Third party merchants use Pricecanopy as a tool to automate their repricing and maximize their exposure to the buy box when it makes sense to do so.
What sorts of competitive intelligence data does Pricecanopy allow users to gather?
Pricecanopy users can keep track of their competitors’ feedback ratings, their competitors’ eligibility for the buy box, their competitors’ ship-from locations, and whether or not the competitor uses Fulfillment by Amazon. They can also see approximately which Amazon sellers compete against them the most.
What other features does Princecanopy give users?
There are no other features yet – that’s about it 🙂
SaaS seems to be a tech startup business model that works in Hamilton, and in Canada more broadly speaking. How have you found running a SaaS business so far?
I like SaaS because I think it reduces vendor lock-in and encourages startups to focus on customer experience. Clients can try it, use it for as long as they like or cancel if they don’t see the benefits. No long-term commitment is required and I think a lot of buyers expect that now.
How are you finding your customers?
Most of our clients find us through referrals and organic search. As far as I know, Pricecanopy is the only Canadian repricing service out there, so we are sort of specializing in serving retailers on amazon.ca. We are also active on various major and obscure social networks and we run the JungleBlog.
What’s next for Pricecanopy?
Well we have a new product for Amazon sellers in the works. I hope it will be out in the next month or two — keep an eye on our site for details!
How can the community help you make Pricecanopy a bigger success?
If you are interested in getting involved or just want to say hello, feel free to send us a message. You can email me at josh@pricecanopy.com or we’re on Twitter @pricecanopy.
Amazon sellers are welcome to sign up for a free trial on our website, pricecanopy.com — we’d love to hear any feedback or comments you may have.
