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This week’s Selling on Giants goes deep on one of the most important updates sellers have seen this year, Amazon’s so-called “temporary” three point five percent fulfillment surcharge and what it actually means for your business.

This is not just another fee update. This is a continuation of a pattern.

If you are operating on Amazon, this episode breaks down what is really happening behind the scenes and how to respond like an operator, not a spectator.

Main focus this week:

• Amazon introduces a 3.5% fulfillment surcharge
  Positioned as temporary, but sellers know how this plays out. Costs increase, margins compress, and the burden shifts downstream.
• Margin pressure compounds across the board
  Rising ad costs, tighter competition, and pricing sensitivity are already limiting flexibility. This adds another layer of pressure.
• Seller control vs platform control
  Amazon continues to centralize decision-making across fulfillment, data, and expansion tools, while sellers absorb more variability.

What serious operators should be doing now:

• Reduce fulfillment costs at the unit level
  Packaging optimization, dimensional adjustments, and SIPP qualification all directly impact fee exposure.
• Reevaluate fulfillment strategy
  Fulfilled by Merchant becomes more relevant for specific SKUs where FBA economics no longer make sense.
• Control participation in promotions
  Prime Day and other events require discipline. More volume does not always equal more profit.
• Test pricing, don’t guess
  Incremental price adjustments paired with conversion monitoring become critical in a constrained environment.
• Diversify beyond Amazon
  Walmart continues to expand reach, TikTok offers lower acquisition costs, and DTC provides control. Dependency is now a risk.

Additional shifts shaping the market:

• Amazon tightens ecosystem control
  From fulfillment standardization to guided expansion tools and closed data environments, control continues to consolidate.
• Discovery moves beyond search
  Reddit, AI-driven answers, and community-driven content are influencing visibility before customers reach product pages.
• AI moves from reporting to decision-making
  Systems are starting to execute on pricing, inventory, and campaign decisions, shifting the role of the operator.
• Product data becomes infrastructure
  PIM systems and structured listings are now required to scale across Amazon, Walmart, and emerging channels.
• AI-driven advertising emerges
  Early signals show product feeds and shopping placements entering AI environments, creating new acquisition channels.
• Regulatory complexity increases
  State-level regulations introduce more fragmentation, adding operational overhead and compliance challenges.

The bigger picture:

• Costs are rising
• Control is consolidating
• Discovery is shifting
• Complexity is increasing

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are an eCommerce brand selling on Amazon, Walmart, or scaling across channels, this episode gives you a clear, operator-level breakdown of what matters right now and how to respond with confidence.

Follow Selling on Giants for weekly insights that go beyond headlines and focus on what actually impacts your business.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level insights built for serious marketplace brands navigati

Send us Fan Mail

This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down the real shifts happening across Amazon, Walmart, retail media, and AI-driven commerce. This is not a surface-level recap. This is an operator’s view of what actually changes when you are responsible for the P and L.

The pressure is building across multiple fronts at the same time, and the brands that adapt fastest will hold their position.

Top stories this week:

• Amazon linked account enforcement tightens
  Amazon is now treating seller accounts as a single entity. One violation can take down multiple accounts, and recovery depends on resolving the root account first. This is a structural risk, not an isolated issue.
• DD+7 reserve policy creates cash flow pressure
  Sellers are now waiting longer to access funds, creating real constraints on inventory, ad spend, and daily operations. This is not just a policy change, it is a financial shift.
• Retention marketing faces new regulation
  Pennsylvania’s proposed bill introduces stricter rules around email and SMS marketing. More consent, less flexibility, and reduced ability to re-engage customers.
• Ulta expands store fulfillment capabilities
  Speed is becoming the baseline. Inventory positioning now directly impacts visibility and conversion, not just delivery time.

Platform and discovery shifts:

• AI reshapes product discovery (Sephora + Gen AI search)
  Discovery is moving from keyword search to guided interaction and AI-generated answers. Visibility now depends on structured, clear, and complete product data.
• Meta and TikTok push AI and creator-led commerce
  Discovery is shifting from intent-based search to algorithm-driven exposure. Creators and AI are becoming primary drivers of product visibility.
• Walmart expands into connected TV commerce
  Product discovery is moving into content environments, reducing reliance on traditional ecommerce entry points.

Operational and marketplace signals:

• Etsy reinforces listing quality as a ranking factor
  Complete, accurate, and structured listings are now required for visibility. Keywords alone are no longer enough.
• NRF highlights growing regulatory pressure
  Labor, supply chain, data, and compliance are all tightening at the same time, increasing operational complexity.
• Brands experiment with alternative acquisition channels
  Rising costs are pushing brands to test lower-cost tactics like offline marketing to maintain efficiency.

The bigger picture:

• Compliance is tightening
• Cash flow is getting tighter
• Discovery is shifting toward AI and content
• Platforms are consolidating control
• Customer acquisition is getting more expensive

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are an eCommerce brand operating on Amazon, Walmart, or beyond, this episode gives you a clear operator lens on what matters right now and how to respond with confidence.

Follow the show for weekly breakdowns of what is actually changing in eCommerce, and how serious operators are adapting in real time.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level insights built for serious marketplace brands navigating complexity with discipline.

Send us Fan Mail

This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down the biggest shifts impacting Amazon, Walmart, and the broader eCommerce landscape, with a focus on compliance risk, customer behavior, and tightening margins.

These are not surface-level updates. This is how operators are responding in real time.

Top stories this week:

• “Made in USA” enforcement is tightening
  A new executive order increases scrutiny on product claims. If your listings are not fully compliant, you are exposed to suppression, penalties, and account risk.
• Amazon buyer abuse and feedback threats
  Customers are leveraging negative feedback to push refunds and concessions. Learn how to protect your rating without sacrificing margin.
• NRF forecasts 4.4% retail growth
  Demand is steady, but competition is tightening. Growth comes from execution, not market lift.
• Walmart UPC and GTIN exemption friction
  More visibility into denials, but the process remains inconsistent. Listing velocity now depends on structured, precise submissions.

Additional insights covered:

• Shipping pressure from USPS losses
  Rising costs and service variability are forcing brands to rethink carrier strategy.
• Amazon returns and recovery data expansion
  New visibility into return reasons and costs creates opportunities to improve contribution margin.
• Target’s $915M retail media growth
  Paid visibility is becoming a baseline requirement across retail platforms.
• Sam’s Club and the participation era
  Membership, retention, and customer ownership are becoming central to growth.
• Shift away from third-party tools
  Amazon continues to pull sellers into its native ecosystem, changing how brands operate.

The bigger picture:

• Compliance is tightening
• Customer behavior is more aggressive
• Growth is steady, not explosive
• Margins are under pressure
• Platforms are taking more control

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are an eCommerce brand operating on Amazon, Walmart, or beyond, this episode gives you a clear operator lens on what matters right now and how to respond.

Like, follow, and subscribe to stay ahead of what is actually changing in eCommerce.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level insights built for serious marketplace brands navigating complexity with discipline.