Latest / Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast / Holiday Prep Power Play: Q4 Strategy, AWS Outages, and AI Shifts Sellers Can’t Ignore

Transcript

Holiday Prep Power Play: Q4 Strategy, AWS Outages, and AI Shifts Sellers Can’t Ignore · Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Selling on Giants, e-commerce news and updates.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Will, host of the Selling on Giants podcast, where every week I break down what's happening across Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify so you don't have to scroll forums or decode vague press releases.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: This week we're talking holiday readiness, because quarter four waits for no one, and the sellers who prepare now will own the checkout line later.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Holiday Prep 2025, your marketplace game plan.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you feel that subtle anxiety right now, that's not burnout.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's your operational gut warning you.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Quarter 4 is already here.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The sellers who treat October like their Super Bowl pregame will have the smoothest December of their careers.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Here's your playbook by platform.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: On Amazon, follow the Peak Readiness playbook like it's gospel.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Send inventory early through Amazon warehousing and distribution to avoid the capacity squeeze.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Watch your capacity monitor and capacity manager dashboards to secure storage.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: You send to Amazon for fewer routing errors and faster check-ins, then prep your listings and promotions.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Best deals need 15% off and a$1,000 fee.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Lightning deals need 20% off and cost$500.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Prime exclusive discounts cost$245 per ASIN.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Coupons cost$5 to set up plus 2.5% of coupon sales.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Bundle giftable SKUs, tighten keywords, and make sure your A content converts browsers into buyers.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: For Walmart Marketplace sellers, this year's play is efficiency.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart Fulfillment Services has waived storage fees through December 31st.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Use the assortment growth dashboard to grab referral fee discounts and expand into fast shipping categories.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Take advantage of the multi-channel fulfillment discount, 30% off if you're a first-time user, and ship in clean unbranded packaging for your direct-to-consumer channels.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Target Plus sellers treat Roundell like your quarter four megaphone.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Gift sets and bundles with premium creative get priority placement.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Inbound shipments need to arrive by early November, and promotions must be live by mid-month.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: For Shopify merchants, it's about conversion control.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Optimize site speed because every second of lag can cut conversions by 7%.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Bundle to lift your average order value, automate your discount campaigns, and get pre-approved for Shopify capital before you need it.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: The takeaway treat quarter four like a logistics problem with a revenue goal.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Lock your inventory, lock your ads, and stop hoping for holiday magic.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: When the cloud sneezes, Amazon sellers catch a cold.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: If your dashboards acted weird this week, that wasn't you.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: That was the internet falling off its chair.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Monday's AWS outage took down half the web.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Snapchat, Fortnite, airline systems, and yes, Amazon's own house.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Search broke, seller central glitched, and brand analytics froze.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: The system that was supposed to monitor stress actually caused it.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Billions in sales evaporated for a few hours, and the takeaway for sellers is simple.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Redundancy equals survival.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Download your reports weekly.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Have a manual plan for pricing and ad toggles.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: When the cloud sneezes, you need an umbrella.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Deadline is October 28th.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Outages you can't control.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Deadlines you can Amazon's window to submit deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday closes October 28th.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Miss it, and you'll miss the biggest traffic spike of the year.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Best deals require 15% off and a$1,000 fee.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Lightning deals need 20% off and cost$500.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Prime exclusive discounts get you the badge for$245 per ASIN.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Coupons remain the most flexible tool.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: $5 setup and 2.5% of coupon-driven sales.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Submit early and you'll get better placement, better click-through, and better return on ad spend.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be the brand uploading deals Friday night while competitors are already booked for homepage slots.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's new FBA list view speeds up inbound shipments.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon rolled out a simple but powerful change: a new inbound list view inside send to Amazon.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: You can now see all fulfillment options on one page, estimated costs, delivery windows, and congestion alerts before you click confirm.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: If a warehouse is at capacity, route around it.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you can hit a priority appointment, you get faster check-in times.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's visibility that saves velocity.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Everyday inventory sits, waiting to be received as a day of missed revenue.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Use this tool to ship smart.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Holiday returns extended to January 31st.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's making it easier for shoppers to buy early by extending the holiday return window.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Items bought between November 1st and December 31st can be returned through January 31st.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Apple products must be back by January 15th.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: This policy boosts buyer confidence in November and December, but it means a longer post-holiday return season for you.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Forecast cash flow with January returns in mind and prepare your support team for the flood.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Confidence drives sales.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Preparation protects margins.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: This episode is brought to you by Bellivix, the agency behind the numbers.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: If your ads feel scattered or you're tired of guessing what drives sales, we build full-funnel Amazon and Walmart strategies that turn clicks into cash flow.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: We're a verified Amazon advertising partner, and we've helped brands sell over half a billion dollars on Amazon alone.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Our team connects sponsored products, sponsored brands, sponsored display, and DSP, even streaming TV, to drive growth at every stage.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: You'll see exactly how your dollars perform with Amazon marketing cloud tracking, creative that matches shopper intent, and targeting that scales profitably.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you're ready to make your ads a growth engine instead of a cost center, head to Bellavics.com.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: We'll build the plan you can run on Monday.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, back to the news.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon 2026 fee update, small hike, big implications.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Starting January 15, 2026, average FBA fees rise about 8 cents per unit.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's less than half a percent of the average selling price.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Low inventory fees now apply at the FNSKU level.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Grocery gets an exemption.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Aged inventory storage goes up slightly after 12 months.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Removal fees for lightweight units drop 20 cents.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: The big takeaway Amazon is tightening efficiency.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Model your top sellers now and protect margin before it becomes a surprise.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart joins ChatGPT.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Agentic Commerce becomes real.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart is officially inside ChatGPT.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Shoppers can now browse and buy products directly through conversation.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is not science fiction.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's the start of agentic commerce, where AI handles search and shopping for you.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: For sellers, it means your product data needs to be clear, complete, and machine readable.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Optimize titles, fill every attribute, and make sure your listings explain themselves to an algorithm.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: The brands that prepare now will get discovered when the bots start shopping.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: McKinsey predicts AI agents could drive$5 trillion in sales by 2030.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: McKinse says the rise of Agentic Commerce could drive up to$5 trillion in global retail sales by the end of this decade.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: AI agents will handle the full shopping journey.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Search, compare, negotiate, and purchase using new communication protocols like model context, agent to agent, and agent payments.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: This transition will happen faster than mobile because the digital rails already exist.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: If your catalog and pricing data aren't structured for AI yet, start now.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: In a few years, algorithms will be your biggest customers.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: GS1 retires barcodes.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the QR supply chain.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: By 2027, GS1 will require all consumer products to carry two-dimensional barcodes like QR codes.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: These new labels link to live product data from origin and expiration to recycling and returns.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: One scan can tell a warehouse where to route a shipment or tell a shopper how to authenticate a purchase.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Start testing now with one product line and apply GS1's digital link framework.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't a labeling change, it's a data revolution that connects your packaging to the cloud.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Target bets on generative AI to speed its turnaround.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Target is leaning hard into AI.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Its new trend brain helps merchants spot trends faster while designers keep creative control.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: AI now assists Target Plus in vetting new sellers and predicting demand for the holidays.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: The company has issued over 10,000 AI licenses across its workforce and trains employees directly with OpenAI.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: For sellers, this means faster trend cycles and higher standards.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you sell on Target Plus, come prepared with data-driven creative and a strong product story.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Google expands virtual try-on to shoes.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Google's virtual try-on feature now includes shoes.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Upload a photo and see realistic depth and shadow on your own feet.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's rolling out across Australia, Canada, and Japan, and shoppers who use it spend more time browsing and are twice as likely to share product links.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: If you sell footwear or fashion, this is your cue to upgrade your visuals and metadata.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: High quality imagery is no longer optional.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's a sales lever.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's Holiday Beauty Haul returns.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Two weeks of glam and gift sets.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's Holiday Beauty Haul is back from October 21st through November 3rd.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's two full weeks of curated deals, coupons, and bundles across brands like Tatcha, Dyson, Clinique, and Sol de Janeiro.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: For beauty sellers, this is your moment.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: Run brand-tailored promotions, sponsored display, and coupons to capture traffic.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in adjacent categories, use conquesting and remarketing to ride the wave.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Beauty sells when the imagery looks premium and the offer feels like a discovery.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Make it count.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Etsy's Holiday Trend Report, Nostalgia, Sparkle, and Storytelling.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Etsy's Fall and Winter Report shows shoppers want gifts with heart.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: The top trends Nona Holiday, Supper Club, Playhouse, Gothmus, Shiver the Season, and Nutcracker Core.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Translation.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Cozy, nostalgic, personal, and a little weird in the best way.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: The lesson extends beyond Etsy.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: People buy stories, not SKUs, whether you sell candles or cookware, lead with emotion and craft listings that feel like they were made for someone specific.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's how you stand out in a world of algorithmic sameness.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's your selling on Giants News and Updates for the week.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: We covered holiday prep, the AWS outage, deal deadlines, FBA upgrades, extended returns, new fees, Walmart's AI move, McKinsey's trillion dollar forecast, GS1's Smart Barcodes, Target's Tech Reboot, Google's virtual try-on, Amazon's Beauty Hall, and Etsy's nostalgia-fueled trends.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: If this saved you hours of forum scrolls or internal Slack debates, do us a solid and leave a review wherever you're tuning in.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: It helps more operators find the show and helps us bring in better guests.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Will, host of the Selling on Giants podcast.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Go lock your quarter four plan, and I'll see you next week.