Total Score: 100 points | Passing Score: 70 points
Please read the questions carefully and answer in the designated areas. Click the "Print / Save as PDF" button at the bottom when finished.
Note: Some questions require downloading data files. Ensure you have access to vc_sales.csv and inventory_daily.csv.
Dataset Description (Please download and use the following CSV file)
Click here to download vc_sales.csv data file
Date SKU Category Units_Sold Ad_Spend Ending_Inv Dataset contains 30 days x 5 SKUs of sales, ad spend, and inventory records from Seller Central (simulated).
1. Calculate the Average Daily Units Sold for each SKU over the past 30 days.
2. Calculate the DOH (Days-on-Hand) for each SKU as of May 1st, 2025. Use the `Ending_Inv` for May 1st from the `vc_sales.csv` file and the Average Daily Units Sold calculated in Question 1. Round the DOH to one decimal place. (DOH = Ending Inventory / Average Daily Units Sold)
3. Using a Pivot Table: Analyze the total `Units_Sold` and average `Ad_Spend` per `Category`. Arrange the results with the highest total `Units_Sold` at the top.
4. Estimate a Suggested Replenishment Quantity for each SKU to cover the next 30 days, plus a 15% safety stock buffer. Use the Average Daily Units Sold (from Q1) and the May 1st `Ending_Inv`.
Formula: Suggested Replenishment = (Avg Daily Units Sold * 30 - Ending_Inv) * 1.15
Note: If the result is negative (meaning current inventory is sufficient), the suggested replenishment should be 0.
Scenario: A product (SKU: CAM-X4) sold via Seller Central has the following cost structure:
- Selling Price = $89.99
- Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) = $25.00
- Amazon Referral Fee = 15% of Selling Price
- FBA Fulfillment Fee (per unit) = $8.50
- Average Daily Ad Spend for this SKU = $150.00
- Average Daily Units Sold for this SKU = 20 units
1. Calculate the Net Profit Margin (%) for this SKU (CAM-X4) *after* accounting for COGS, Referral Fee, FBA Fee, and the Average Daily Ad Spend. Round to one decimal place.
Hint: First calculate profit per unit before ads, then factor in ad cost per unit. Margin = (Net Profit Per Unit / Selling Price) * 100%.
2. Calculate the Break-Even ACoS (%) for this SKU. This is the maximum ACoS you can have where the profit before ad cost exactly covers the ad cost (i.e., net profit is zero). Round to one decimal place.
Hint: Break-Even ACoS = (Profit Per Unit Before Ad Cost / Selling Price) * 100%
Dataset/Table: `inventory_daily` (Simulated using the CSV file below)
Columns:
Click here to download inventory_daily.csv data file
sku(Product identifier)snapshot_date(Date of the data snapshot)ending_inv(Inventory count at the end of the day)avg_daily_sell(Rolling average daily sales calculated as of that day)
Task: Write an SQL query (or Python Pandas code) to identify SKUs that had a low inventory level (DOH < 3) on any day within the *most recent 7 days available in the data*.
Output should include the `sku`, the `snapshot_date` when DOH was < 3, and the calculated `DOH` value (rounded to one decimal place). Order the results by `sku` and then by `snapshot_date`.
Formula: DOH = `ending_inv` / `avg_daily_sell`
Handle potential division by zero if `avg_daily_sell` is 0 (e.g., exclude these rows or treat DOH as infinity/null). Only show rows where DOH < 3.
1. One of your top-selling SKUs on Amazon Seller Central (SC) has just gone Out of Stock (OOS). You estimate it will take 5 days for new inventory to arrive and become available at FBA. What immediate actions (at least 4) would you take within Seller Central and your advertising campaigns to minimize negative impact?
2. The ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale) for one of your important product campaigns (Sponsored Products) has increased significantly over the past two weeks, now exceeding your target ACoS and hurting profitability. What steps (at least 3) would you take to diagnose the cause and optimize the campaign?
Please read the following paragraph about optimizing Amazon Sponsored Products campaigns:
“Optimizing Sponsored Products campaigns requires ongoing attention. Regularly review your Search Term Report to identify high-performing customer search terms to add as keywords and irrelevant terms to add as negative keywords. Adjust bids based on performance, increasing bids on profitable keywords and decreasing them on those with high ACoS exceeding your target. Ensure your product detail page is retail-ready with clear titles, compelling bullet points, high-quality images, and sufficient inventory, as strong conversion rates positively impact ad performance and overall profitability.”
Task: Please summarize the two most critical pieces of advice provided in the paragraph above for optimizing Sponsored Products campaigns. (Answer in English or Chinese, based on interviewer preference if known, otherwise use your primary language).