I went from selling 20L of products per day to watching my generational-wealth dream crumble under Amazon

Four years ago, I was living a dream I never thought possible. My humble brand of home organizers was dominating on Amazon and Flipkart - raking in nearly 20 lakhs (about $25,000) in daily revenue at its peak. Today, that business is practically gone, undone by Amazon’s move into private labels that mimicked my success, and I’m figuring out my next steps. I’m not broke or working a 9-5, but the potential for creating true generational wealth was ripped out from under me before it could fully materialize. This is my cautionary tale - how I turned a small initial investment into a booming enterprise, only to watch it crumble when the biggest player on the block decided to compete directly.

I’ll try to keep this as detailed as possible. Here’s how it all went down:

1. It all began in 2017

• I was on AliExpress looking for budget-friendly storage ideas for my own apartment - think suction-cup shelves, collapsible bins, drawer dividers - when I realized these products were selling at inflated prices on Amazon India.
• Initial procurement - I took a leap of faith and spent about INR 2.5 lakhs (~$3,000) to buy 300 units across 5 SKUs. My average landed cost per piece was around $4–$5 after factoring in shipping, customs, and fees, whereas I planned to sell them for $10–$12 worth of INR.
• To my shock, all 300 sold out in roughly 50 hours.
• Immediately, I reinvested to triple my inventory with about INR 7.5 lakhs (~$9,000). Same story - sold out fast.
• Within two months, I was moving nearly 20 lakhs (~$25,000) a day in revenue across Amazon and Flipkart. My margins hovered between 15%–25%, which meant I was netting anywhere between 3–5 lakhs (~$4,000–$6,000) profit a day. It felt surreal.

2. Grew faster than I ever imagined

• Connecting with Amazon - Not long after, Amazon took a keen interest in my operation. I got multiple calls, “top seller” perks, and even dedicated account managers offering marketing suggestions. It was like I had Amazon’s golden ticket.
• I expanded my SKUs into every corner of home organization - closet systems, shoe racks, office desk accessories, you name it. I’d go from ordering a few hundred units to shelling out upwards of INR 50 lakhs (~$60,000) a week for inventory. It was a huge gamble, but every new item I launched seemed to find a market.

3. My first ever trip to Yiwu - I headed to China to seal direct relationships with manufacturers. Before that, I’d mostly used middlemen and a couple of digital sourcing platforms. Now, I wanted to see the factories, negotiate better pricing, and discover more product lines.

• In Yiwu, I walked through trade centers with entire floors dedicated to just one category of plastic organizers.
• My mind was buzzing with possibilities. I spent about INR 3 lakhs on travel, accommodations, and sample procurement - an investment that felt tiny compared to the daily revenue I was bringing in.
• I struck deals that brought my average cost per item down by 20%. I planned to launch an entire suite of home essentials - everything from shelf liners to multi-purpose hooks. My logic was simple: if I inxroduce a new SKU for every room in the house, I’d lock in the ultimate one-stop-shop vibe.
• At the time, it felt like there was no ceiling to how big I could grow.

4. Amazon gave me a buyout offer

• Singapore Summit - Fresh off my China trip, I was invited to a seller summit in Singapore, where I met one of Amazon’s SVPs. They pitched a collaboration or potential acquisition, hinting that my brand complemented their private label push (Solimo was just starting off).
• The buyout offer, at least in rupees, was high nine figures - enough to set me up very comfortably. I called my wife immediately after and just asked her one question, “Why sell something that’s skyrocketing?”
• Why I Declined? I considered myself unstoppable. Monthly revenues were easily crossing into crores, so I believed holding out made more sense than selling. I figured if Amazon wanted me, it was a sign I was doing everything right, and I didn’t grasp the possibility they might just replicate me themselves.

5. Ended up getting a competitor I couldn’t outspend

• A few months later, I saw Amazon’s brand (Solimo) launching suspiciously similar items - same size, shape, and function, undercutting me by 10–20% in price. Almost overnight, my best SKUs lost their top spots in search. Where I once dominated page one, Solimo ads and listings took over.
• My daily revenue started a downhill slide. From 80 lakhs to 60 lakhs, then 25 lakhs, and on down. My ad spend shot up because I had to pay more just to stay visible. Meanwhile, Amazon’s private labels got prime real estate for free.
• Backup Plan? I tried leaning more into Flipkart and even building relationships with smaller Indian marketplaces. But let’s face it: Amazon was the lion’s share of my business, and once they moved in, I was scrambling to stay afloat.

6. Shit started going down - hit the lowest point of my life

• My inventory fucked me over. Because I had forecasted insane growth, I’d invested tens of lakhs in stock, expecting to sell them out within weeks. Suddenly, that inventory was sitting idle in Amazon FBA warehouses, racking up storage fees.
• I cut prices to move inventory. Solimo cut theirs even lower. Eventually, those listings were borderline invisible in searches.
• Where I once enjoyed 3–5 lakhs daily in profit, now I was facing negative returns. I had to juggle shipping costs, customs bills, marketing budgets, and supplier payments, all while trying to recoup whatever I could.
• Ultimately, I decided to liquidate a massive chunk of my inventory at near-cost (or below) to avoid more losses. Watching thousands of units get cleared out for a fraction of what I used to sell them for was devastating.

7. Not broke, but definitely set back

• I’m not destitute by any means - I still have personal savings and assets from the peak times. But the potential to scale this brand into a business that could have taken care of me and my family for decades disappeared.
• The brand is effectively overshadowed now, replaced by Amazon’s private labels and other knockoffs. I’ve got smaller side hustles, and I’m evaluating my options - maybe starting something fresh or even working with a new startup. The point is, I’m no longer on the cusp of building a long-lasting empire.
• When you’ve tasted that kind of success - flying to China, spending a lakh or two on just new samples, dealing in crores - it’s a massive adjustment to realize you’re back in “planning mode.” But it’s not over for me. I’m just recalibrating.

So, ya this is it. Did end up learning a few things - here we go:

1. Don’t put everything on one platform - If all your sales come from Amazon, one change in their policy or a competitor’s move can wipe you out. Always try to build your own website, email list, or community so you’re not at the mercy of someone else’s platform.
2. Take acquisition offers seriously - When a giant company like Amazon wants to buy you, it’s often because they see a big opportunity. If you say “no,” they can just copy your idea and outspend you. Always weigh your options carefully and think about the consequences before you turn them down.
3. Watch your money and growth - Making a lot of money quickly can make you think it’ll never end, but it can. Keep some cash for emergencies. Avoid tying up all your money in inventory unless you’re sure you can sell it. Plan for downturns while you’re still riding high.
4. Stay flexible and branch out - The minute you see a big player stepping into your space, change your game. Launch unique products they can’t easily copy or focus on building a strong brand away from that platform. Don’t wait around and hope for the best - do something to keep your edge.
5. Never get too comfortable - It’s easy to get caught up in your own success and stop paying attention. Keep an eye on what’s happening in your market because someone is always ready to come after your customers. Keep improving, stay curious, and never assume you’re untouchable.

In retrospect, it maybe wasn’t Amazon’s fault either - if I was in their place I probably would have also done something similar since my incentive was to grow my revenue. I was one of the luckier ones (maybe because of the scale) to get an offer from them - of what I know not everyone did.