Thrive Services Used
Amazon Marketing
Walmart Advertising
Project Overview
A legacy brand offering specialized alert and amplification systems, such as high-decibel alarm clocks, partnered with Thrive Internet Marketing Agency to address two core challenges: declining profitability on Amazon and stagnant growth on Walmart’s marketplace. Despite strong product-market fit and a clear audience, the brand struggled to scale profitably and lacked a cohesive advertising strategy.
Thrive stepped in to streamline advertising efforts and optimize spend efficiency across both marketplaces. The team launched full-funnel advertising on both platforms, which created immediate impact and long-term stability in performance. The campaign led to a 48% drop in Amazon total advertising cost of sale (TACoS) (from 17.2% to 9.0%) and a 45% year-over-year sales increase on Walmart.
The Results
+45%
Walmart Sales Growth (YoY)
-47.7%
Total Advertising Cost of Sale (TACoS)
+102%
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
+1,450
Units Sold (YoY)
Thrive’s precise campaign restructuring significantly improved efficiency and revenue across both Amazon and Walmart platforms. Advertising costs dropped significantly, and ROAS increased without compromising total sales, demonstrating the effectiveness of Thrive’s profitability-first approach.
Here’s a performance breakdown for Amazon in 7 months:
| Months | Ad Spend | Ad Sales | Total Sales | TACoS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34142 | 138403 | 198253 | 17.2 |
| 2 | 34858 | 142561 | 253963 | 13.7 |
| 3 | 30676 | 149905 | 249400 | 12.3 |
| 4 | 31291 | 183380 | 306763 | 10.2 |
| 5 | 26571 | 146944 | 238984 | 11.1 |
| 6 | 16842 | 129038 | 190011 | 8.9 |
| 7 | 20526 | 167494 | 210188 | 9.8 |
Between September and March, TACoS dropped from 17.2% to 9.8%, reflecting a 47.7% reduction in advertising costs relative to total sales. Ad spend was reduced strategically while preserving or improving monthly sales volumes. December delivered peak seasonal performance, reaching over $183K in ad-attributed sales and over $306K in total sales.
| Months | ROAS | Months | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.05 | 5 | 5.53 |
| 2 | 4.09 | 6 | 7.66 |
| 3 | 4.89 | 7 | 8.16 |
| 4 | 5.86 |
ROAS showed equally strong gains, rising from 4.05 in month one to 8.16 by month 7, a 102% increase. This trajectory confirms the success of funnel refinements and spend reallocation efforts introduced mid-campaign.
From October 2024 to March 2025, the brand’s Walmart performance also surged.
- Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) reached $58,187.47, a 44.7% increase compared to the same period the prior year.
- Units Sold rose by 41%, while orders climbed by 39%.
- The average unit retail (AUR) held steady with a slight lift to $40.13, up 2.7% from the previous $39.07.
These results illustrate not only volume growth but also stability in price point and product value — a testament to Thrive’s full-funnel ad strategy and brand positioning enhancements across both marketplaces.
The Execution
The client approached Thrive with two clear issues: poor profitability on Amazon and a complete lack of sales traction on Walmart. Despite selling a high-quality product, the brand’s pricing, which is nearly double that of its competitors, made it challenging to compete without a more efficient strategy.
Thrive conducted a cost analysis to improve Amazon profitability and identified two significant areas for immediate impact, namely advertising spend and logistics.
The client’s TACoS sat at 17%, far above optimal levels. Thrive recommended cutting back on overspending in branded keyword campaigns, which offered limited incremental value due to strong organic rankings. Instead, the focus shifted toward performance-driven mid- and bottom-funnel campaigns. Thrive also launched Sponsored Display and retargeting efforts to support a complete full-funnel advertising strategy.
On the operations side, Thrive advised leveraging Amazon programs such as Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) as well as Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) to reduce storage and fulfillment costs. These logistics improvements were rolled out in 2025 and supported long-term profitability without affecting sales velocity.
For Walmart, Thrive implemented a full-funnel ad strategy from the ground up. The client had minimal prior presence on the platform, so Thrive built out structured campaigns and helped the client obtain Pro Seller status. These foundational changes were critical in boosting the brand’s visibility and credibility on the marketplace.
The results validated the strategy. Amazon TACoS dropped from 17.2% to 9.0% in just six months, while ROAS more than doubled. Walmart sales increased 45% year-over-year, marking the brand’s first real breakthrough on that channel.
Next Steps
With profitability stabilized, the next phase will focus on driving sales growth while maintaining a TACoS below 10%. The strategy will emphasize creative development, including refreshed visuals and targeted video content to connect with key customer segments. These assets are scheduled for deployment in Q3 and Q4 to support continued marketplace momentum.
