Santevia Slashes Amazon, Skyrockets Profits

How Santevia Took Back Control from Amazon And 5x’d Their Profits

Imagine spending years building a brand only to realize that Amazon was calling the shots. 

Your prices? Amazon undercuts them. 

Your product listings? A mess, with bad descriptions you can’t fix. 

Your brand identity? Controlled by third-party retailers selling your products however they please.

That’s exactly what happened to Matthew Gohl, CEO of Santevia, a family-run water filtration brand. They had two choices: stay at Amazon’s mercy or take back control.

They took control and it changed everything.

In our latest DTC Daily podcast, Matthew shares how Santevia went from being just another product on Amazon to a thriving DTC brand. If you’re looking to scale without losing control, this episode is a must-watch.

For years, Santevia sold through Amazon Vendor Central, where Amazon buys inventory and resells it. It seemed like a good deal until things got out of hand.

• Amazon slashed their prices. Their flagship $200 water filter? Amazon sometimes listed it for $179, even $159—without warning.

• Retailers were running wild. Dozens of third-party sellers had Santevia’s products listed at random prices, using old photos and inaccurate descriptions (some even claimed their non-electric filter needed 120 volts to work! 🤦‍♂️).

• No way to fix it. Amazon’s response? “It’s the algorithm.” No way to override pricing, no customer service rep who could actually help.

It was chaos. And it wasn’t just hurting Amazon sales—it was killing their relationships with retail partners and confusing customers.

The Painful but Necessary Breakup

So, they made the tough call: leave Vendor Central and switch to Seller Central—which meant:

✅ Setting their own prices
✅ Managing their own inventory
✅ Controlling their own listings

But here’s the catch: this transition took nearly a year. They had to let Amazon sell through all their remaining inventory while simultaneously setting up their own Seller Central presence without losing customers in the process.

It was painful. Revenue dropped. But the long-term payoff was massive.

The Takeaway: Amazon Is a Tool, Not a Crutch

Today, Santevia still sells on Amazon—but on their own terms. Their DTC store now drives more revenue than Amazon, proving that when you control the brand experience, you win.

Matthew’s advice?

If you’re on Amazon, OWN your listings. No random retailers messing with your brand.

If you’re selling online, this episode is a must-watch.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → Click to Watch

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