Pathfinder 2E Release Day Second Edition Amazon Sales Rank

[BryonD]

Yes, I do think it is the cause. And you heard it right here from a guy working at Amazon who said 1) that's how it works, and 2) that he thinks that is the reason. I mean, why are you doubting him?

Because it doesn't track.
"Working for Amazon" and having inside knowledge on the sales delay of PF2 Core book are two different things.
On the one hand it is possible that people are simply buying a lot less gaming books due to the pandemic.
On the other hand the sales could be right where they were but hundreds (?) of orders are backlogged while they get other things out the door.
In the meantime I ordered a pair of headphones and got them in 4 days instead of 2, then I ordered a hanger for them and got that in three days. I'm still ordering things and nothing has taken more than 5 days to arrive.

I'll buy that books sold are being delayed a few days. But this has been ongoing for more than a month.
The claim that the sales ranking has dropped over a timeframe of weeks because sales are maybe being sat on for a couple days doesn't match any available evidence.

 

[teitan]

FYI, in the post you original quoted and dismissed @teitan informed us that he/she works for Amazon and was explain how indeed the items are tracked. Prehaps he/she doesn't really know this, but he/she superficially has more authority on the subject than you or I.

He. And yes I work for Amazon, the best evidence that the sale doesn’t occur is to keep an eye on your statement and when the charge actually hits compared to the notification it has shipped. When the “SLAM” label (shipping label) is applied, the system charges the method of payment. Between the initial order and the shipment occurring doesn’t count because the order can be canceled.

 

[BryonD]

He. And yes I work for Amazon, the best evidence that the sale doesn’t occur is to keep an eye on your statement and when the charge actually hits compared to the notification it has shipped. When the “SLAM” label (shipping label) is applied, the system charges the method of payment. Between the initial order and the shipment occurring doesn’t count because the order can be canceled.

As the insider, do you have any actual data regarding the number of unfulfilled PF2E orders in the past month?

 

[teitan]

That wasn’t my point And if you took that from my comment I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t being definitive but explaining how Amazon tallies sales. Pretty basic.

 

[darjr]

It’s late so I’m not sure these numbers are any good except maybe as a current comparison for this time in the day. Maybe.

PHB5e is at 199 which is kinda higher than I historically remember it but I think it’s been hovering here during this whole pandemic thing.

PF2e is at 9thousand, it’s been better during the pandemic but I don’t think it’s been a lot worse.

Interesting the PF1 paper back is at 34thousand and the hard back is at 30thousand, but at those numbers it probably means less and less.

I DO think that something about the pandemic has pushed the sales rank of both the PHB and the PF2 books to a worse number, but I think it may not mean the sales are worse. Just that other books are selling much more. Or it could be both, that the sales are depressed some and other books have risen in sales rank.

 

[teitan]

It’s late so I’m not sure these numbers are any good except maybe as a current comparison for this time in the day. Maybe.

PHB5e is at 199 which is kinda higher than I historically remember it but I think it’s been hovering here during this whole pandemic thing.

PF2e is at 9thousand, it’s been better during the pandemic but I don’t think it’s been a lot worse.

Interesting the PF1 paper back is at 34thousand and the hard back is at 30thousand, but at those numbers it probably means less and less.

I DO think that something about the pandemic has pushed the sales rank of both the PHB and the PF2 books to a worse number, but I think it may not mean the sales are worse. Just that other books are selling much more. Or it could be both, that the sales are depressed some and other books have risen in sales rank.

Exactly. Earlier the P2 book was around 5000 I think? I ordered it and my expected date is next Thursday.

 

[darjr]

@teitan you’ll have to let us know how your campaign goes!

 

[BryonD]

That wasn’t my point And if you took that from my comment I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t being definitive but explaining how Amazon tallies sales. I speculated that explains the dips in sales. Pretty basic.

Fair enough and no offense intended toward you. But others are saying I should accept the rankings issue to be settled based on your input.

Again, the drop in rankings goes back weeks now. Even if the books were delayed two full weeks, there would be a lag and then a rebound to normal pace, just with a two week lag between the "buy now" click and the shipment. So we would be back to "normal". Just slightly out of phase and presumably there would be a future uptick when that backlogged slug goes through. Then that goes away and we are back to the world as we used to know it.

Or people are just flat out buying the book a lot less right now. And the pandemic is a perfectly valid reason for a short term drop there.

Unless Amazon is completely refusing to ship the book at all (and your post while I type suggests otherwise) then the delay theory doesn't track with reality.

 

[teitan]

@teitan you’ll have to let us know how your campaign goes!

I will once the pandemic is over. I was tossed between 1e and 2e. I still have a 1e pocket guide coming but that’s because I accidentally ordered it and it was too late to cancel. Which is weird because it’s not expected until May 8. I’ll just return it when it arrives.

 

[darjr]

@BryonD yea, people losing their jobs and an uncertain economy looming. But also I think sales of OTHER books spiked. And continue to sell better than they normally would outside of the pandemic. That alone ‘could’ explain the suppression of the sales rank.

But I do think some slack in sales is part of the answer.

To get a better idea someone needs to look at ‘those’ other books and dig up some historical sales rank on them and compare it to now. I think someone in this thread started to or at least already mentioned noticing something about other books spiking.