Hey Fellow Amazon Sellers,
I’m back with another edition of your go-to seller update, filled with hot news and actionable insights to keep your business on the front foot. From Prime Day prep to the latest on Amazon’s stolen goods policy and crypto rumors shaking up the space—here’s what you need to know this week:
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News
Amazon Prime Day Expands to 4 Days with New Features and Celebrity Deals
Prime Day 2025 will run from July 8–11, offering Prime members 96 hours of exclusive discounts on everything from household essentials to luxury brands. This year includes a new “Today’s Big Deals” feature with themed daily drops from major brands like Samsung and Levi’s.
Amazon is also leveraging AI shopping tools and celebrity campaigns—like LeBron James—to enhance discovery and personalization. For Amazon sellers, this longer window and deeper platform engagement mean bigger demand spikes and more chances to move inventory fast.
Amazon Shuts Down Posts Program After Failing to Gain Traction with Shoppers
Amazon will officially shut down its Posts program by July 31, following low engagement and a broader redesign of its site. Posts allowed brands to share lifestyle content in a social media-style feed, but failed to align with the shopping behavior of Amazon customers, who come with purchase intent—not to browse like on Instagram or TikTok.
Experts say the tool never delivered meaningful ROI, and its removal allows advertisers to focus on proven ad formats like Sponsored Brands. For Amazon sellers, this means less distraction and more emphasis on ad strategies that actually convert.
Walmart Marketplace Hits 200,000 Sellers and Surges Toward Amazon-Like Scale
Walmart’s marketplace just surpassed 200,000 active sellers, with 44,000 new sellers added in the first five months of 2025 alone—a 30% increase that signals record-breaking growth. Over half of all new sellers this year are from China, now making up 34% of the total seller base.
For Amazon sellers, this highlights Walmart’s rapid evolution into a serious e-commerce player and an expanding sales channel worth considering—especially with its growing inventory volume and reach. But with international growth accelerating, quality control and competition will likely become more complex, much like Amazon’s marketplace dynamics.
Amazon and Walmart Exploring Stablecoins to Cut Credit Card Fees
Amazon and Walmart are reportedly considering launching their own stablecoins, a move that could eliminate billions in credit card processing fees by bypassing Visa and Mastercard. These stablecoins would offer a more cost-efficient payment method pegged to the U.S. dollar, avoiding crypto volatility.
For Amazon sellers, this could signal future shifts in buyer payment preferences, potentially lowering fees or changing how payouts work on the platform. A proposed Senate bill—the Genius Act—would provide the legal framework for companies to issue their own stablecoins, which could accelerate adoption if passed.
Amazon Goes Rogue: Holding Seller Funds and Destroying Inventory Without Just Cause
Amazon is increasingly seizing seller funds and destroying inventory—sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars—often without solid proof or due process. Cases include sellers having $100K+ in funds permanently held after suspension, and $600K in Nest thermostats marked as “unsuitable” and destroyed despite valid invoices.
For Amazon sellers, this highlights the urgent need to maintain strong supplier documentation and avoid even minor policy violations. With Amazon tightening enforcement and pushing beyond its own Business Solutions Agreement, sellers must take proactive steps to protect their assets and accounts.
Amazon’s New Stolen-Goods Policy Raises Concerns for Arbitrage Sellers
Amazon will enforce a new stolen-goods policy starting June 30, 2025, aligning with new government regulations but reinforcing its existing stance. Sellers must now provide traceable supply chain documentation—raising concerns that retail and online arbitrage may no longer be acceptable, despite Amazon’s ongoing ambiguity.
Many sellers expressed frustration over the unclear rules and Amazon’s inconsistent enforcement. Some also called out buyer fraud and abuse, urging Amazon to hold buyers to the same standards.
Resellers Can Now Use Amazon Vine to Get Reviews
Amazon has expanded the Vine program to authorized resellers in multiple countries, including the U.S., the UK, Canada, and others. If you’re a reseller working with a brand enrolled in Brand Registry, you can now enroll ASINs into Vine to drive early reviews.
This is a major win for resellers launching cold-start listings or trying to revive slow-moving SKUs. By offering free product units, you can generate credible reviews from Amazon’s trusted Vine Voices.
Etsy Now Allows Tailoring and Repair Services, But Sellers Urged to Wait
Etsy has officially moved tailoring, repairs, and other item modification services from the prohibited to the allowed category, marking a major shift in its long-standing policies. This change lets sellers offer services like garment alterations, jewelry adjustments, and photo retouching.
However, Etsy hasn’t yet built the infrastructure to support these service listings, and experts advise sellers to wait for formal announcements before jumping in. The update also shifts risk to the buyer during shipping and repair, with Etsy only covering the transaction amount—not the original item’s value.
Seller Tips & Tricks
Prime Day 2025 Checklist: What Sellers Should Be Doing Right Now
Helium 10 released its Prime Day 2025 checklist to help sellers prepare for Amazon’s biggest shopping event of the year. It outlines critical tasks like inventory planning, listing optimization, advertising setup, and post-Prime Day follow-up.
Sellers are reminded to confirm FBA shipments are inbound by June 20, update listing images and A+ Content, and launch campaigns by July 5 to capture early traffic. With Prime Day running July 8–11, sellers who plan early and follow the checklist can gain a major edge.
13 Steps to Launch a Product on Amazon
Steven Pope of My Amazon Guy outlines 13 key steps to successfully launch a product on Amazon, starting with essentials like buying a UPC code and trademark, then registering for Brand Registry. The process includes building a high-quality listing, inputting backend SEO keywords, optimizing copy, and setting up PPC campaigns.
Visuals matter—so the guide emphasizes professional images, A/B testing the main image, and creating A+ content. Sellers should send inventory to Amazon, set a launch date, and then go live—ensuring every critical component is in place for maximum impact.
Top Emerging Amazon Markets to Watch in 2025
Amazon sellers looking to expand globally in 2025 should pay attention to fast-growing markets like Brazil, India, the UAE, Mexico, and Southeast Asia. These regions are seeing explosive e-commerce growth driven by rising internet access, mobile shopping, and a growing middle class hungry for quality international products.
Each market presents unique challenges—from Brazil’s complex logistics to India’s regional compliance—but with the right Amazon Account Management and Store Optimization, sellers can enter early and dominate. For Amazon brands aiming to scale, these markets offer new customer bases, less saturated competition, and the chance to establish strong footholds before rivals catch up.
Amazon Releases 2025 Prime Day Readiness Guide
Amazon has launched its 2025 Prime Day Readiness Guide to help sellers maximize results during the year’s biggest sales event. The guide includes actionable tips on using Brand Analytics to identify growth opportunities, optimizing listings with A+ content and videos, and driving traffic through strategic ad campaigns and referral bonuses.
Sellers are encouraged to boost conversion with brand-tailored promotions and shoppable media, while also building loyalty through reviews and enhanced brand pages. The guide also covers how to participate in Prime Exclusive Discounts and track performance effectively.
Video of the Week
Amazon’s New Return Badges: Conversion Killer or Trust Builder for Sellers?
Strong Opinions
Fewer Prime Day Deals in 2025 as Sellers Guard Pre-Tariff Inventory
Amazon sellers are submitting fewer deals for Prime Day 2025, choosing to protect pre-tariff inventory instead of offering steep discounts. With rising costs from recent tariffs and uncertainty about future supply, many brands are being cautious, raising prices 15–20% and avoiding aggressive promotions.
Agency leaders report fewer submissions for marquee placements like Lightning Deals, as sellers shift toward more flexible strategies that don’t erode margins. Amazon is still emphasizing low prices and wide selection for customers, but this year’s extended four-day Prime event may have fewer flashy deals than previous years.
3 Common Mistakes Amazon Sellers Should Avoid
Amazon expert Chris Turton highlights three things sellers should not focus on: review count obsession, day-to-day decision-making, and preserving the launch honeymoon period. Review volume doesn’t guarantee high conversions or rankings—sales velocity matters more, and trying to manipulate reviews can get your account suspended.
Making decisions on daily sales data is misleading, as Amazon’s data isn’t fully accurate for 72 hours; using a 30-day window yields better results. Finally, every product naturally drops in rank after launch—don’t obsess over keeping it at the top; instead, focus on sustainable growth.
🔥 Todd’s Top Tip: Turn Your Amazon FBA Inventory into a Walmart Sales Machine—Without Lifting a Finger
If you’ve already got inventory at Amazon FBA, put it to work in more places. Walmart now officially allows fulfillment through Amazon’s Multi‑Channel Fulfillment (MCF)—and Amazon just waived the 5% surcharge for using blank boxes and non-Amazon carriers through January 14, 2026. That means no more penalty for fulfilling Walmart orders the right way. No excuses—this is low-effort, high-reward.
Here’s exactly what I do: I use Listing Mirror to sync my Amazon listings to Walmart, set up MCF with blank-box delivery, and let Amazon handle the shipping. Orders come in from Walmart, Listing Mirror passes them along, and Amazon ships them—done. No extra warehouse. No extra team. Just more sales.
Only catch? You’ll need to reply to the occasional Walmart support email. I get maybe one or two a week—not a big deal, and worth it for the extra revenue. Bottom line: this is a no-brainer move if you’re already selling on Amazon. Get it set up, take the win, and keep scaling.
Top Upcoming Amazon Events
- DSP SUMMIT 2025 – June 26, 2025, Frankfurt, Germany
- BILLION DOLLAR SELLER SUMMIT ONLINE 2025 – August 19-21, 2025, Online Event
- AMAZON ACCELERATE 2025 – September 16-18, 2025, Seattle, WA, USA
Let me know which update stood out to you most, and don’t forget to prepare for Prime Day—just a few weeks away!
God Bless,
Todd Welch
Amazon Seller School
