Latest / Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast / Amazon Hijackings, Twitch Sponsorships, and WFS Upgrades
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: Amazon hijackings, Twitch sponsorships, and WFS upgrades.
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: June 2nd seller news rundown.
- 0:06SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Selling on Giants, e-commerce news and updates.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: Will, co-founder of Bellovics, and every week I break down what's happening across Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify so you don't have to scroll through forums or decode vague press releases.
- 0:23SPEAKER_00: This week, brand hijackings that won't die, Walmart decides to act like a grown-up 3PL, and Twitch is now your newest ad channel.
- 0:31SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
- 0:32SPEAKER_00: First up, Amazon support queues are full and sellers are losing control of their listings faster than Amazon can auto-reply.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: Sellers are still fighting listing hijackings and brand name swaps.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: The hijackers are still hijacking, and Amazon's still politely reviewing the case in five to seven business days.
- 0:51SPEAKER_00: Seller forums are lighting up again.
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: This time with frustrated posts from brands whose listings were hijacked or renamed months ago.
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: Some never recovered.
- 1:01SPEAKER_00: Worse, the more you escalate, the more likely you are to get flagged for policy violations.
- 1:07SPEAKER_00: In response, Amazon says the process has improved, which is a bit like saying you move the deck chairs to the other side of the Titanic.
- 1:15SPEAKER_00: Here's what they want you to do.
- 1:16SPEAKER_00: Use the report abuse tool.
- 1:18SPEAKER_00: Select product detail page was changed to represent a different product.
- 1:22SPEAKER_00: Then, if denied, start a thread in the manage your brand form with your complaint ID.
- 1:28SPEAKER_00: Translation, you now get to chase support tickets and start your own mini LinkedIn thread inside the forums.
- 1:34SPEAKER_00: If you're not in brand registry yet, that needs to change.
- 1:37SPEAKER_00: Amazon's brand defense tools are still reactive, and without registry, you're swinging a plastic sword in a knife fight.
- 1:44SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile, Walmart's not dealing with hijackers, it's quietly stacking wins in fulfillment.
- 1:49SPEAKER_00: Walmart adds nine new features to WFS, and they actually matter.
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: WFS dropped a nine item punch list of upgrades, and surprisingly, all nine make sense.
- 2:00SPEAKER_00: Walmart now handles prep, labeling, polybagging, your 3PL just lost a client, more capacity, better shipping options, real-time tracking, and actual human support.
- 2:10SPEAKER_00: And onboarding doesn't feel like assembling IKEA furniture blindfolded anymore.
- 2:14SPEAKER_00: WFS is quietly becoming FBA without the fee roulette and five-month storage limits.
- 2:20SPEAKER_00: And if you're trying to diversify, this just moved from maybe next year to maybe next quarter.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: But fulfillment isn't the only thing evolving.
- 2:28SPEAKER_00: Amazon's turning streamers into sales reps.
- 2:31SPEAKER_00: Amazon Ads launches Twitch Creator sponsorships.
- 2:34SPEAKER_00: Twitch Creator sponsorships are now live through Amazon Ads.
- 2:38SPEAKER_00: That means you can sponsor a streamer inside the Amazon Ads console without sliding into their DMs or hoping their agent checks email.
- 2:47SPEAKER_00: It's influencer marketing, but with attribution.
- 2:50SPEAKER_00: And unlike traditional display, this shows up mid-stream, mid-conversation, where buying intent actually lives.
- 2:58SPEAKER_00: If you're already running DSP or sponsored brands, this is your mid-funnel dream team.
- 3:02SPEAKER_00: Gen Z, captive audience, attribution, baked in.
- 3:06SPEAKER_00: Pick a Twitch creator in your niche.
- 3:08SPEAKER_00: Pair the sponsorship with DSP retargeting.
- 3:10SPEAKER_00: You'll look smarter than 90% of your competitors still boosting Instagram reels.
- 3:15SPEAKER_00: Now before we talk about surprise fees and shipping fines, quick sidebar, because if this all feels like a lot to track, that's literally our day job.
- 3:24SPEAKER_00: At Bellavics, we've helped brands sell over$500 million on Amazon.
- 3:30SPEAKER_00: We're a verified ad partner, and we specialize in hands-on growth strategies that turn complex marketplace challenges into clear plans of action.
- 3:40SPEAKER_00: Whether it's scaling ads, cleaning up your catalog, or prepping for a retail pitch, this is what we do all day.
- 3:47SPEAKER_00: Head to Bellivix.com if you want a team that actually knows what the inside of Seller Central looks like.
- 3:53SPEAKER_00: Alright, let's talk shipping fees, auto-measured boxes, and the policy update sellers are already groaning about.
- 3:59SPEAKER_00: Amazon adjusting FBA inbound fees for measurement discrepancies.
- 4:04SPEAKER_00: Starting June 3rd, Amazon's new motto is measure twice, charge once, based on their math, not yours.
- 4:10SPEAKER_00: If your box dimensions or weights are even slightly off, Amazon will now auto-correct and retroactively charge you the correct fees.
- 4:18SPEAKER_00: No appeals, no warnings, just a helpful surprise bill.
- 4:22SPEAKER_00: Sellers are already flagging Amazon's own measurements as inaccurate.
- 4:27SPEAKER_00: But until Bezos builds a robot that holds a tape measure straight, it's your word versus theirs and they own the calculator.
- 4:36SPEAKER_00: Document your shipments like you're building an alibi, photos, weights, the works.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: Use a prep center with digital verification if you're scaling multi-box or LTL.
- 4:45SPEAKER_00: And check your FBA shipping fee reports early, often, religiously.
- 4:50SPEAKER_00: From surprise fees to surprise lawsuits.
- 4:52SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about the influencer who was sued for being too beige.
- 4:56SPEAKER_00: Influencer lawsuit over beige clean girl, aesthetic dismissed.
- 5:00SPEAKER_00: An Amazon influencer was sued for copying the beige clean girl aesthetic.
- 5:05SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's a real phrase.
- 5:07SPEAKER_00: But the judge tossed it, saying you can't copyright an aesthetic, color scheme, or general vibe.
- 5:12SPEAKER_00: You're free to use popular trends as long as you're not duplicating logos, photography, or branded content.
- 5:19SPEAKER_00: So go ahead, embrace the beige, just don't steal the Lightroom preset.
- 5:23SPEAKER_00: While that case was dismissed, Amazon's AI team was busy turning your product listings into bedtime stories.
- 5:29SPEAKER_00: Amazon pilots AI-generated audio product summaries.
- 5:32SPEAKER_00: Amazon's testing AI-powered audio summaries that turn your bullets and titles into spoken blurbs.
- 5:39SPEAKER_00: Shoppers can ask for product details via Alexa or on mobile.
- 5:44SPEAKER_00: And the bot reads your listing out loud.
- 5:47SPEAKER_00: Sounds useful until your keyword-stuffed listing becomes a robot tongue twister.
- 5:51SPEAKER_00: Voice optimized content is no longer a theory.
- 5:54SPEAKER_00: It's here.
- 5:55SPEAKER_00: Clean up your bullets, write like a human.
- 5:57SPEAKER_00: Bonus points if your copy sounds good when spoken aloud.
- 6:00SPEAKER_00: And since we're talking Alexa, she's now doubling as your news anchor too.
- 6:05SPEAKER_00: Amazon's Alexa Now summarizes news with generative AI.
- 6:08SPEAKER_00: Alexa can now summarize the day's top headlines using generative AI.
- 6:12SPEAKER_00: Users say, What's the news?
- 6:15SPEAKER_00: Alexa pulls from the New York Times, Reuters, and the Washington Post.
- 6:19SPEAKER_00: Voice isn't going away.
- 6:21SPEAKER_00: In fact, it's moving from cute gimmick to how people browse, search, and discover.
- 6:25SPEAKER_00: If product discovery shifts to voice, your listings need to answer clearly, quickly, and conversationally.
- 6:32SPEAKER_00: You're not writing poetry, you're writing for the world's most impatient listener.
- 6:36SPEAKER_00: But what happens when your content doesn't just explain your product, it sells it?
- 6:41SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about where e-commerce is really headed.
- 6:44SPEAKER_00: The future of e-commerce, immersive, social, and creator-led.
- 6:48SPEAKER_00: Karina Kogan says we're heading toward immersive brand experiences, creator co-founders, and TikTok style shopping that doesn't feel like shopping.
- 6:57SPEAKER_00: Shoppable live streams, virtual storefronts, product demos that feel like entertainment.
- 7:02SPEAKER_00: If your product content doesn't make someone stop scrolling, it doesn't matter.
- 7:07SPEAKER_00: Static images won't cut it.
- 7:09SPEAKER_00: Brands that treat content like a conversion lever, not a checkbox, will win.
- 7:15SPEAKER_00: And with everyone glued to their phones, the numbers are in, it's not just your screen time that's up.
- 7:20SPEAKER_00: Americans may spend 7% of their lives on social media.
- 7:24SPEAKER_00: The average American could now spend 5.5 years of their life on social media.
- 7:29SPEAKER_00: Gen Z, closer to 8.
- 7:31SPEAKER_00: That's not time wasted, it's time deciding what to buy.
- 7:34SPEAKER_00: If your brand isn't showing up on social with video, in feed, and creator collabs, you're invisible to the next generation of buyers.
- 7:43SPEAKER_00: And discoverability is the new shelf space.
- 7:46SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile, the courts are still playing ping-pong with your landed costs.
- 7:50SPEAKER_00: Let's talk tariffs.
- 7:52SPEAKER_00: Court ruling on Trump-era tariffs sends mixed signals.
- 7:55SPEAKER_00: A federal court struck down the tariffs, only to have them temporarily reinstated during appeal.
- 8:01SPEAKER_00: So they're gone, but also still here.
- 8:04SPEAKER_00: Classic.
- 8:05SPEAKER_00: This means more uncertainty.
- 8:07SPEAKER_00: Lock in supplier pricing where you can, have backup sourcing options, and maybe don't plan your Q4 POs on vibes alone.
- 8:15SPEAKER_00: And finally, while we're untangling regulations, Alibaba's busy fulfilling 40 million orders a day.
- 8:23SPEAKER_00: Let's end on that.
- 8:24SPEAKER_00: Alibaba's Instant Commerce model hits 40m plus daily orders.
- 8:28SPEAKER_00: Alibaba's new Instant Commerce model thinks sub-two-hour delivery at scale is expanding beyond groceries into beauty, fashion, and electronics.
- 8:39SPEAKER_00: This isn't a side project, it's the blueprint.
- 8:41SPEAKER_00: And if you're not thinking about local inventory, mobile first discovery, and delivery within hours, you're already behind.
- 8:48SPEAKER_00: That's your selling on Giants news and updates for the week.
- 8:51SPEAKER_00: We covered hijackings, Twitch sponsorships, FBA fee changes, voice powered commerce, beige aesthetics, and why Alibaba might lap us all.
- 8:59SPEAKER_00: If this saved you hours of forum scrolls and internal Slack debates, do us a solid, leave a review wherever you're tuning in.
- 9:07SPEAKER_00: It helps us keep the lights on and gets us better guests for interviews down the road.
- 9:11SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
- 9:11SPEAKER_00: Will from Belavic.
- 9:12SPEAKER_00: See you next week.