Latest / Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast / Walmart’s AI Power Play, Target’s Slow Climb, and Why Amazon’s Killing Free Tools

Transcript

Walmart’s AI Power Play, Target’s Slow Climb, and Why Amazon’s Killing Free Tools · Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Will, co-founder of Bellovics, and every week I break down what's happening across Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: So you don't have to scroll through forms or decode vague press releases.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart bets big on a genic AI to power the store of the future.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you thought AI was limited to chatbots and writing bad ad copy, Walmart's here to remind you it wants robots doing everything.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Inventory, demand forecasting, even telling store associates what to do next.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: They're piloting something called agentic AI, autonomous systems that don't just analyze data, they act on it.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Think.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: AI that reorders stock, optimizes shelf placement, and flags issues without waiting for human approval.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: And for sellers, that means the machine is now your merchandiser.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: As these systems hit the marketplace side, your listings, ads, and even inventory may be optimized or penalized by an algorithm that's smarter than your intern.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Bottom line, clean data wins, messy feeds get buried, so get your catalog in shape.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Target Plus adds more sellers, but it's still stuck in third gear.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: While Walmart's building a sci-fi retail future, Target's marketplace is still acting like it needs a landline to log in.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Target Plus is growing.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: What are 300 sellers now?
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: More SKUs in Beauty, Home and Apparel, but it's still invite only, no ad platform, no self-serve anything.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: If Amazon is a warehouse, Target Plus is a boutique.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that's not a bad thing.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a premium brand with solid DTC chops and fulfillment dialed in, this could be a great brand builder.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: But don't expect volume, you're playing for positioning, not velocity.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's vendor central gets a long overdue glow-up.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon just dropped a set of real-time chat tools for vendors, and for once it doesn't feel like they phoned it in.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: You can now troubleshoot buy box issues, check assin level inventory, validate titles, even get PO answers without opening a case.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: If Vendor Central has ever felt like yelling into a void, this is a small step towards sanity.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Take this for a spin, especially with Prime Day creeping up, faster support means faster fixes.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon Titans compliance with a new in-full delivery chargeback.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Starting July 21st, Amazon's rolling three separate PO chargebacks, not filled, overages, and down confirmed, into one clean penalty.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: In full delivery.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's the new rule.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Translation?
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: You've got until July 20 to clean up your workflow.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: After that, the fees kick in.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, before we move on, quick sidebar, because if you're trying to make sense of all this, that's literally what we do.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: At Bellavics, we've helped brands sell over$500 million on Amazon.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: We're a verified ad partner and we specialize in hands-on growth strategies that turn complex marketplace chaos into crystal clear execution.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it's scaling ads, cleaning up your catalog, or getting ready to pitch retail, this is what we do all day.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Head to Bellavix.com if you want a team that actually knows what the inside of Seller Central looks like.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now back to the news.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Tariffs are back and they're quietly reshaping how people shop online.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: According to a new survey, 44% of consumers say they've noticed price increases from tariffs or supply chain issues.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Almost a third are switching to cheaper brands or just buying less.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: What's that mean for you?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: If your products are sourced from tariff heavy zones, especially China, pricing just became your next headache.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Strategic move here: bundle smarter, highlight quality, use coupons and tailored promos to ease sticker shock.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: You're not just selling a product anymore, you're defending a price tag.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: New from Amazon, bulk upload up to 100 coupons at once.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: If you've been dreading promo season, good news.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon now lets you upload 100 coupons.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, 100 in a single spreadsheet.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Standard, subscribe and save, reorder coupons, it's all fair game.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Great for Prime Day?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Great for Q4?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Even better if your catalog runs deep.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Next step, download the new template.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Lock in your promos early.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: You'll thank yourself later.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Q1 2025 e-commerce earnings are in, and while growth slowed, leaders still lead.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's up 13.2% year over year.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Walmart?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Even stronger.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: 21% up, fueled by marketplace growth and groceries.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: Target slipped 3.1%, trying to balance digital and in-store.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: The message: e-commerce isn't collapsing, it's maturing.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the brands that are agile, data-driven, and multi-channel still thriving.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: So sharpen the strategy.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Invest in delivery speed, diversify your product mix, and double down on paid and organic marketplace plays.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon retires posts.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Free visibility is officially over.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: As of July 31st, the post program is done.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: June 16th is the last day to upload anything.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: It was never perfect, but it was free.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you relied on posts for top of funnel discovery, it's time to rethink your strategy.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: The free ride is over.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: New flat file title rules are here, and they're not messing around.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: Repeat a keyword more than twice, your listing gets rejected.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: So if your title reads organic, organic organic moisturizer, you're not uploading anything.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: This is Amazon's way of saying, stop trying to game the search bar.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Fix your flat files, clean, clear, compliant titles, or you'll stall your own launch.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, Amazon retires the mice tool, and honestly, good riddance.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Manage your customer engagement sounded great.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Email your followers, promote new products, but no targeting, no data, no ROI.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Just a black box with a logo.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: The better move?
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Amazon's trimming the fat.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Follow their lead and stick to tools that actually deliver.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's your selling on Giants News and Updates for the week.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: We covered Walmart's AI takeover, Target's cautious marketplace growth, Amazon's chargeback remix, coupon tools, tariff trends, and the end of two programs that never quite delivered.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: If this saved you hours of forum scrolls and internal slack debates, do us a favor and leave a review wherever you're listening.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: It helps us keep the lights on and gets us better guests down the line.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Mr.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Will from Belavic.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: See you next week.