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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down the May nineteenth eCommerce updates shaping Amazon sellers, marketplace operators, retail media teams, and brands trying to protect margin in a more complex operating environment.

The theme is clear: the brands that win from here are not necessarily doing the most. They are operating the cleanest.

Amazon is tightening expectations around inventory, customer service, intellectual property, and operational discipline. Retail media is becoming a required cost of visibility. AI is changing how products are discovered. Marketplaces are competing through infrastructure, payments, data, and seller workflows.

In this episode, we cover:

Amazon pushes FBA Liquidations as inventory pressure rises

Amazon is promoting FBA Liquidations as a way for sellers to recover some value from excess, idle, unfulfillable, or customer-returned inventory. The hard truth is that recovery rates are usually low, often around five to ten percent of average selling price before fees. The real value is stopping storage fees, aged inventory surcharges, and the financial bleed tied to inventory that should no longer be sitting in FBA.

Buyer satisfaction scoring gets more detailed for FBM sellers

Amazon replaced the old yes or no survey with a one-to-five satisfaction rating for self-fulfilled sellers. This gives sellers more nuanced feedback, but it also raises the bar on measurable customer service quality. Buyer contact rate, response time, and dissatisfaction rate are no longer soft support metrics. They are operating standards.

Amazon reinforces intellectual property compliance

Amazon is increasing education around trademarks, copyrights, patents, counterfeit complaints, sourcing authorization, and Brand Registry. The operator takeaway is simple: sellers need clean documentation before there is a problem. Once an IP complaint hits, the seller is already playing defense.

Amazon cancels planned SP API fees

Amazon reversed planned SP API usage fees that were expected in May twenty twenty six. That matters because SP API powers reporting tools, inventory systems, advertising software, repricers, dashboards, and automation workflows. The reversal protects the economics of third-party tools for now, but sellers should continue watching how Amazon manages data access and ecosystem control.

Etsy launches a ChatGPT shopping experience

Etsy’s ChatGPT-powered shopping experience shows how product discovery is moving from exact keywords toward natural language intent. Instead of searching only by product terms, shoppers can describe style, use case, mood, and preference. That makes clear positioning, strong attributes, descriptive language, and visual storytelling more important.

Agentic marketplaces are coming

AI agents may soon compare products, evaluate reviews, analyze specs, and assist with purchases. That means listings must be understandable to machines as well as humans. Structured data, complete attributes, pricing clarity, review consistency, and trust signals will matter more.

Retail media becomes shelf space

Retailers are increasingly tying visibility, discovery, and merchandising to media spend. Advertising is no longer separate from retail performance. It is becoming part of distribution economics, which means sellers need to evaluate total contribution profit, not isolated ROAS.

Amazon expands self-service measurement studies

Amazon is giving advertisers more direct access to measurement tools. That creates opportunity for better allocation, incrementality analysis, and funnel strategy, but more data only helps when operators know how to interpret it.

The bigger takeaway:

Amazon is becoming less forgiving toward inventory and compliance weakness. Customer service is becoming more measurable. AI is changing how products are found. Marketplaces are competing through infrastructure. Retail media is becoming shelf placement.

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution, clean data, clear systems, and fast decisions.

Follow Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level breakdowns on Amazon, Walmart, retail media, AI commerce, marketplace strategy, and what actually changes for brands responsible for growth and profitability.

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In this episode of Selling on Giants, Will sits down with Dawn Chapman, founder and CEO of Lazy Daisy Café and Lazy Daisy Foods, to discuss how a beloved neighborhood café in Toronto evolved into a growing consumer packaged goods brand now carried in over 200 stores across Canada.

Dawn shares the story behind Lazy Daisy’s homemade, farm-inspired food philosophy and how customer demand for their famous buttermilk biscuits sparked the transition from cafe to retail. The conversation explores the challenges of entering the CPG world, the steep learning curve of scaling production, and how the pandemic became an unexpected catalyst for expansion into frozen baked goods.

They also dive into what it takes to maintain product quality while growing nationally, the realities of retail distribution, and why emotional connection and comfort food continue to resonate with consumers. From independent cafe owner to grocery shelves across Canada, Dawn offers an honest look at building a food brand rooted in community, authenticity, and persistence.

Website: https://www.lazydaisyfoods.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lazydaisysto
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3IbKe-XyPw5RKLncByETg
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCP3IbKe-XyPw5RKLncByETg
Pinterest: https://www.tiktok.com/@lazydaisyscafe

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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down how Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, Meta, and the broader retail ecosystem are moving toward a more structured, automated, and AI-mediated version of commerce.

The theme this week is clear: platforms are not just helping customers buy. They are shaping what customers see, how products are explained, how ads are sequenced, and how brands are measured.

In this episode, we cover:

Amazon Business pushes seller certifications

Amazon is encouraging sellers to upload certifications to improve visibility with B2B buyers. For procurement-driven categories, certifications can become a real advantage by helping sellers appear in searches tied to diversity, compliance, quality, and institutional purchasing requirements.

Lithium battery compliance tightens

Amazon is expanding documentation, testing, inspection, and listing attribute requirements for lithium batteries and battery-powered products. Sellers in electronics, toys, fitness, beauty devices, and rechargeable household products should audit compliance before suppressions happen.

Prime Video ads become sequential

Amazon is turning streaming into a more performance-oriented ad channel by allowing Prime Video ads to change based on what viewers have already seen. Creative strategy now needs to think in sequences, not isolated ads.

Amazon launches “Join the Chat” AI shopping assistance

Product pages are becoming source material for AI. Amazon’s AI can summarize listings and answer shopper questions, which means clear bullets, complete attributes, strong reviews, and consistent positioning matter more than ever.

Google adds more links to AI Overviews

AI search is becoming competitive real estate. Ranking alone is no longer enough. Brands need content that is clear, structured, authoritative, and easy for AI systems to cite.

AI investment is rising, but impact remains uneven

Companies are spending more on AI, but many are not seeing measurable ROI because tools are not the same as operational integration. The advantage still comes from execution, workflow design, and clean data.

Apparel spending softens

Discretionary demand is becoming more selective. Apparel brands and sellers should watch inventory depth, hero Skews, conversion trends, and promotional pressure closely.

Commerce moves into media and content

Sports Illustrated’s shoppable content shows how product discovery is moving beyond marketplaces and into editorial, creator, lifestyle, and entertainment environments.

Walmart expands its beauty strategy

Walmart is investing in premium, trend-driven beauty experiences, showing that retailers are competing on discovery, trust, and category perception, not just price.

Shopify, Meta, and AI agents reshape operations and shopping

Shopify’s ChatGPT and Claude connectors show how ecommerce operations are becoming conversational, while Meta’s AI shopping assistants point to a future where Instagram becomes an even stronger discovery and recommendation layer.

The bigger picture:

Commerce is becoming more AI-mediated, more measurable, more structured, and more controlled by the platforms that own the customer interface.

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution, clean data, clear systems, and fast decisions.

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Amazon has officially confirmed Prime Day for June 2026, and the timeline is tighter than most operators expect. This episode of Selling on Giants is a focused breakdown on how to prepare without overcommitting inventory, overspending on ads, or damaging margins.

This is not about hype. This is about execution.

Key dates you need to know:

• May 27th: Target for minimal shipment splits into FBA
• June 5th: Final window for optimized shipment placement
• Prime Day (June): Expected four-day event with major demand spikes on Day 1 and Day 4

If inventory is not moving now, you are already behind.

Inventory strategy that protects your business:

• Plan for 2.5x your average daily sales velocity across the four-day window
• Push to 3x only if your category supports demand spikes
• Avoid overcommitting inventory that leads to post-event liquidation

Not all products benefit equally from Prime Day. Categories driven by urgency or necessity will not see the same lift as impulse or lifestyle purchases.

Promotions that actually convert:

• Every brand should run something: Lightning Deals, Best Deals, or coupons
• Use coupons if you do not qualify for deals or need margin flexibility
• Test $ off vs % off — higher perceived value often wins

Prime Day is one of the few times where increased traffic can carry promotional performance.

Advertising approach by experience level:

For newer sellers:

• Start with automatic campaigns to build data
• Layer into manual targeting campaigns
• Use Sponsored Products, then expand into Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display

For advanced operators:

• Build audiences 2–3 weeks ahead of Prime Day
• Use contextual, intent-based, and demographic targeting
• Focus on converting existing audiences, not starting from zero

Where brands waste money (and how to avoid it):

• Over-investing in short bursts of full-funnel advertising
• Expecting immediate returns from mid and upper funnel campaigns
• Cutting spend immediately after the event and losing momentum

Prime Day rewards preparation and consistency, not last-minute spend spikes.

Real operator insight:

• Overstocking without demand leads to liquidation and margin loss
• Not all categories benefit equally from the event
• Advertising needs to align with long-term strategy, not short-term bursts

The bigger picture:

Prime Day is not a make-or-break event. It is a controlled opportunity to accelerate performance if executed correctly.

• Be ready, not reckless
• Anchor decisions to real data
• Protect margins while capturing demand
• Focus on execution over volume

The edge is not in doing more. It is in doing the right things at the right time.

If you are selling on Amazon and preparing for Prime Day, this episode gives you a clear, operator-level framework to execute with confidence.

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In this episode of Selling on Giants, we sit down with Marina Mushlovina and Nila Cook, founders of Neo Naturelle, to unpack how they turned a personal skincare need into an award-winning brand.

Neo Naturelle focuses on women experiencing hormonal changes like perimenopause and menopause—an often overlooked market. Built on their backgrounds in chemistry and food science, the founders created products rooted in real needs, validated through direct customer feedback.

The conversation dives into:

- Building a brand from scratch — starting online, then pivoting into retail post-COVID
- Finding and owning a niche — serving women 40+ with hormone-focused skincare
- Changing the narrative around aging — positioning it as something to embrace, not fight
- Retail expansion lessons — from consignment strategies to navigating large retailer risks
- Bootstrapping growth — using customer interaction and grassroots efforts to refine products and messaging
- What actually drives retail success — strong margins, storytelling, and ongoing in-store support

They also open up about the realities of entrepreneurship—self-doubt, financial risk, and the importance of resilience—while sharing how awards and customer testimonials helped validate their journey.

If you're building a brand or considering retail expansion, this episode is packed with practical insights on how to grow sustainably while staying true to your mission.

Learn More: https://neonaturelle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neonaturelle/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neonaturellecosmetics/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neonaturelle/

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In this week’s Selling on Giants News & Updates, we break down what is actually happening across Amazon, Walmart, and the broader eCommerce landscape and what it means for brands, operators, and even consumers.

Here’s what we’re covering:

Amazon Compliance Is Getting Stricter
Restricted product violations are rising across categories, and enforcement is becoming more automated. Listings are getting flagged unexpectedly, appeals are being denied quickly, and even legacy products are triggering account health issues.
Takeaway: Compliance is no longer reactive. It needs to be treated as a core part of operations.

Prime Day Is Moving Earlier
Amazon continues to push deadlines forward. Deals, pricing, and inventory decisions now need to be locked in weeks ahead of the event.
Takeaway: Prime Day is no longer a last-minute push. It is a planned campaign that requires early commitment.

Amazon Expands Beyond Its Marketplace
Multi-Channel Fulfillment is now expanding globally, allowing brands to use Amazon as their fulfillment layer across channels.
Takeaway: Operations become simpler, but dependency on Amazon increases.

Walmart Is Building a Controlled Ecosystem
Walmart is integrating stores, fulfillment, AI, and eCommerce into a single system designed for speed and efficiency.
Takeaway: Inventory placement, delivery speed, and execution now determine performance.

Retail Media Is Moving Up the Funnel
Walmart Connect is simplifying connected TV ads, and Amazon is expanding DSP placements like Kindle lockscreen ads.
Takeaway: Brands are now competing before the customer even starts searching.

Search Is Shifting from Rankings to AI Answers
With GenAI, visibility is no longer just about ranking. It is about being cited and referenced in AI-generated responses.
Takeaway: Content needs to be structured for clarity, authority, and trust, not just keywords.

Operational Risks Are Increasing
USPS is tightening enforcement on underpaid postage, leading to shipment delays and rejections.
Takeaway: Small operational errors now have larger consequences.

Platform Economics Are Changing
BigCommerce is introducing new fees tied to payment providers, pushing brands toward native systems.
Takeaway: Platform decisions now directly impact margins.

AI Is Automating Advertising Execution
Meta is expanding AI tools that simplify campaign setup and optimization.
Takeaway: Execution becomes easier, but strategy and creative become the differentiators.

The Bigger Picture

Automation is increasing.
Control is tightening.
The systems are getting better, but they are less forgiving.

Brands that focus on clean data, clear strategy, and strong execution will adapt faster and capture more value.

If you are running an eCommerce brand or managing marketplace growth, this is one of those moments where understanding how the system works matters more than ever.

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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down a major shift happening across Amazon, Walmart, and the broader marketplace landscape. The headlines may look unrelated, but they all point in the same direction.

Platforms are moving beyond transactions and into infrastructure, while operators face increasing pressure across fulfillment, compliance, and discovery.

Top stories this week:

• Amazon expands Multi Channel Fulfillment for Shopify globally
  Amazon extends its MCF Shopify integration into Europe, Japan, and Canada, positioning itself as the fulfillment layer for direct-to-consumer brands. Efficiency increases, but so does dependency.
• eigh to Z claims continue to create friction
  Even with Buy Shipping and proper documentation, sellers report inconsistent outcomes. The process is clear, but enforcement remains unpredictable, shifting risk toward the seller.
• VAT complexity increases for EU expansion
  Global growth introduces operational overhead, including registration, reporting, and tax compliance across multiple countries. Expansion is no longer plug and play.

Operational pressure is building:

• Supply chain diversification becomes more complex
  New restrictions in China slow down efforts to shift manufacturing, increasing friction in sourcing and planning.
• Distribution expectations continue to rise
  Speed, reliability, and automation are now baseline requirements, not differentiators. Fulfillment performance directly impacts conversion.
• Amazon tightens advertiser payment structures
  Less flexibility in billing ties ad spend more closely to cash flow, requiring tighter control and faster optimization.

Discovery and behavior shifts:

• AI-driven shopping adoption increases
  Millennials and Gen Z are using AI tools to guide purchasing decisions, shifting discovery from search to assisted selection.
• AI traffic grows, but remains inconsistent
  Traffic from AI sources is increasing, but conversion and intent vary widely, making it an additive rather than foundational channel.
• Conversational and voice-based advertising emerges
  New formats like Alexa-based ads signal a move beyond screens into interactive discovery environments.

Retail and marketplace evolution:

• Walmart pilots store-based fulfillment
  Physical stores become logistics nodes, improving delivery speed and raising expectations across ecommerce.
• Sam’s Club connects in-store experience with data
  Offline interactions become measurable, giving retailers more control over customer insights and performance tracking.
• Marketplace expansion accelerates
  Brands continue to diversify across platforms to reduce dependency, increasing operational complexity but improving stability.

The bigger picture:

• Platforms are expanding into infrastructure
• Costs and complexity are increasing
• Discovery is becoming fragmented and AI-driven
• Risk is shifting toward the operator
• Execution is becoming the primary differentiator

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

If you are operating on Amazon, Walmart, or scaling across marketplaces, this episode provides a clear operator-level perspective on what is changing and how to respond.

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In this episode of Selling on Giants, Will sits down with Milton and Gisela, founders of Not Bad Snacks, to explore what happens when a digital-first brand takes its first steps into retail.

Not Bad Snacks is a Vancouver-based better-for-you snack brand built around the idea that healthy snacks shouldn’t be boring. Known for their clean ingredients and bold flavors, the brand has been growing through direct-to-consumer channels, local events, and a strong community presence.

Learn more: https://notbadsnacks.ca
Follow them: https://instagram.com/notbadsnacks

This conversation breaks down that transition from online to retail, and what founders often underestimate along the way.

You’ll learn:

- How real customer demand (not just strategy) pushed the brand toward retail
- Why local events became a key proving ground for product-market fit
- What actually needs to change before approaching retail buyers (pricing, packaging, case packs, shelf presence)
- How retail buyers evaluate products—velocity, margins, and category fit
- Early signals that indicate retail success, including reorders and in-store feedback
- Why retail is still a relationship-driven business—and how that impacts growth

Milton and Gisela also share honest insights into the learning curve of entering the CPG space for the first time, from operational challenges to pitching buyers and navigating new stakeholders beyond DTC.

If you’re building an eCommerce brand and considering retail expansion, this episode offers practical, real-world perspective on what it actually takes to make that leap—and what to pressure test before you do.

Follow Selling on Giants for more conversations with founders and operators scaling across Amazon, Walmart, and retail.

Follow BellaVix:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellavix/
Website: https://www.bellavix.com/