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In this August 26, 2025 edition of Selling on Giants News & Updates, Mr. Will breaks down the biggest stories shaping Amazon, Walmart, Target, and the wider world of eCommerce.

We start with Amazon’s growing return problem, the hidden costs, the rise of fraud, and why “Easy Returns” is putting small sellers at risk. This is a preview of our upcoming BellaVix blog feature The Dirty Secret Behind Amazon’s Return Policy: Small Sellers Are Paying the Price releasing on September 16.

Other major updates from the week include:

• Amazon Business surpassing 35 billion dollars in annual sales and becoming a major B2B growth channel for sellers
• Best Buy launching a third party marketplace, doubling its online assortment and creating a new opportunity for brands
• Target CEO Brian Cornell stepping down after continued sales declines, raising questions about the future of Roundel and Target Plus
• Macy’s retail media network now available directly through Amazon Ads, making retail media buying more centralized than ever
• Amazon expanding same day Fresh grocery delivery to more than 1,000 US cities, putting pressure on food and beverage brands
• Walmart reporting stronger sales but weaker earnings as tariffs squeeze margins, a warning sign for marketplace sellers heading into Q4
• Amazon removing outdated variation themes this fall, forcing sellers to rebuild their parent child listings
• New Amazon rules requiring a two unit minimum on percentage off promotions that don’t use claim codes

This episode connects the dots between retail media consolidation, new marketplace opportunities, and the policy changes sellers must prepare for before Q4. Whether you are managing an FBA catalog, selling on Walmart, or testing channels like Best Buy or Target Plus, these shifts will impact your strategy going into the busiest season of the year.

We also look at how retail media is moving from a side bet to the main stage, why more retailers are adopting marketplace models, and how tariffs and logistics costs continue to weigh on sellers. For operators and brand managers, these are not just headlines, they are signals that margins, visibility, and long term growth depend on adapting fast.

If you run an eCommerce brand or manage marketplace accounts, this breakdown helps you protect profits, plan promotions, and capitalize on the platforms that are winning shopper attention today.

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In this August 19, 2025 episode of Selling on Giants – eCommerce News & Updates, Mr. Will breaks down the headlines shaping how sellers prepare for Q4 across Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, eBay, and beyond.

Walmart is waiving Q4 storage fees to lure more inventory into their fulfillment network, while Amazon is doubling down on strict deadlines and peak fees for Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. eBay is bringing resale fashion back to the runway with live shopping events, and Shopify has refreshed its SEO guide with quick wins sellers can implement before peak season.

Amazon also expanded Vine to heavy and bulky items — a game-changer for categories like furniture, appliances, and fitness equipment. Meanwhile, consumer sentiment slipped for the first time in four months, signaling deal-hungry shoppers this holiday. Meta rolled out stronger brand protection tools on Facebook, and Poshmark founder Manish Chandra is stepping down as CEO after nearly fourteen years, signaling potential platform shifts ahead.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Walmart’s Q4 storage fee waiver levels the playing field against Amazon
• The critical Amazon deadlines and fees sellers need to hit for holiday 2025
• How eBay is doubling down on resale fashion and why sellers should care
• The overlooked Shopify SEO basics that drive compounding organic growth
• Why Vine expansion to bulky items matters for trust and conversions
• How slipping consumer sentiment changes holiday discount strategies
• What Meta’s counterfeit crackdown means for brand protection and compliance
• Why Poshmark’s leadership shake-up signals more change for sellers

If you’re running Amazon FBA, testing Walmart, building a Shopify store, or selling resale apparel, this episode gives you the insight and context you need to plan your next move.

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In this August 12, 2025 episode of Selling on Giants – eCommerce News & Updates, host Mr. Will delivers a deep dive into the biggest marketplace changes and retail trends shaping Q4 strategy for Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and eCommerce sellers.

Amazon has officially lifted the calendar restrictions on Prime Exclusive Deals, allowing sellers to run them year-round instead of only during events like Prime Day. These promotions are exclusive to Prime members and come with high-visibility placements on the Amazon homepage, the Deals page, and in Amazon’s targeted customer emails. We break down how sellers can leverage this new flexibility to align promotions with inventory cycles, seasonal spikes, and strategic sales pushes without waiting for Amazon-led events.

On top of that, Amazon has opened submissions for Prime Big Deal Days, a major pre-holiday event that works like a second Prime Day and can help brands capture early seasonal shoppers before Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You’ll get key deadlines, submission steps, and strategic reasons to participate.

We also unpack Amazon’s clarification on deferred transactions — sales proceeds that are held for 7–14 days after delivery or up to 45 days for invoiced Amazon Business orders. Understanding where these funds are and when they release can help sellers improve cash flow forecasting, especially in high-volume Q4 periods.

From there, we look at Amazon Science’s “Modern Productivity Paradox” and their push toward AI agents that work with sellers instead of replacing them. This vision focuses on collaboration, context-aware recommendations, and higher-quality decision-making — potentially changing how future Amazon tools plan campaigns, optimize listings, and respond to market shifts.

In retail media, Criteo is holding its ground despite losing parts of major accounts like Target’s Roundel. Competitors such as Kevel, Moloco, and Vantage are attracting retailers with advanced programmatic tools and AI-driven solutions. For sellers, the takeaway is clear — your choice of retail media tech partner directly impacts targeting precision, measurement quality, and ROAS.

We also cover how generative AI shopping tools from ChatGPT to Google AI Overviews could disrupt affiliate marketing this holiday season, potentially cutting referral traffic from sites like Wirecutter. Sellers will need to adapt by creating their own review-style content, experimenting with hybrid commission models, and finding ways to surface products directly inside AI shopping tools.

Tariffs are another hot topic, with new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports adding an estimated $12.2 billion in monthly costs for consumers — about $47 per person. Many shoppers are avoiding Temu and Shein, opening opportunities for domestic brands and those sourcing from tariff-free regions, at least until the de minimis rule expires globally on August 29.

Despite cost pressures, July retail sales rebounded strongly. Core retail sales rose 1.55% month over month, with big gains in sporting goods, general merchandise, and clothing. Digital product sales jumped 25% year over year, signaling continued strength in deal-driven, seasonal buying.

We close with updates on Amazon Handmade’s reclassification project, which is moving products into standard product types for better discoverability, and eBay’s new Boost icon that pushes sellers toward higher ad spend in Promoted Listings — raising questions about the future cost of organic visibility.

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