#175 - The Amazon Aggregator Autopsy, Fulfillment Fees 2026, and more
Hot News
Death by Valuation: The Amazon Aggregator Autopsy
Thrasio’s collapse doesn’t prove that consolidating Amazon brands was a bad idea; it demonstrates that executing the strategy during an unprecedented capital bubble made success nearly impossible. In a new interview, Thrasio co-founder John Hefter offered the first insider account of what went wrong. His revelations confirm what Marketplace Pulse analysis has shown since 2020: the aggregator model itself was sound, but the extreme conditions of 2021 destroyed the economics that made it viable.
marketplacepulse.com
Amazon hiking fulfillment fees in 2026
Amazon will increase its fulfillment fees for third-party sellers by an average of $0.08 per unit sold starting Jan. 15, 2026, the e-commerce giant announced Wednesday as part of a slate of pricing changes. Increases for fees tied to the e-commerce giant’s Fulfillment by Amazon service vary by product price and size. For example, a small item priced above $50 would see a $0.51 per unit fulfillment fee increase, while a large product below $10 would see no change to its current fee rate.
supplychaindive.com
Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish?
It’s not just you. The internet is getting worse, fast. The services we rely on, that we once loved? They’re all turning into piles of shit, all at once. Ask any Facebook user who has to scroll past 10 screens of engagement-bait, AI slop and surveillance ads just to get to one post by the people they are on the service to communicate with. This is infuriating. Frustrating. And, depending on how important those services are to you, terrifying.
theguardian.com
Good to Know
Amazon introduces seller challenge feature for enforcement appeals
Amazon introduced Seller Challenge functionality for Account Health Assurance participants, enabling enhanced reviews of enforcement decisions after standard appeal attempts fail. According to documentation from Amazon Seller Central, the feature became available to qualified sellers with a 48-hour review commitment. The platform granted three challenges per six-month period, with automatic replenishment after each challenge concludes.
ppc.land
Each year, Amazon Accelerate serves as the marquee event where Amazon outlines its vision for the future of e-commerce. The 2025 edition made one thing unmistakably clear: the AI revolution isn’t coming, it’s here, it’s accelerating, and it’s reshaping how brands sell, advertise, and fulfill on the world’s largest marketplace.
jumpfly.com
Amazon’s Fall Prime Day was better than expected for some merchants
Amazon’s recently concluded Fall Prime Day was a surprise hit for sellers. According to Adobe data, October’s preseason discounts lured shoppers into holiday mode ahead of schedule. During Amazon’s second Prime Day, Oct. 7–8, consumers spent $9.1 billion across US retailers, a jump of 7.3% YoY, and discounts hit 18% off listed prices.
retailbrew.com
Amazon Gives Trading Card Sellers A Holiday Boost With New Final Sale No-Returns FBA Policy
Collectible trading card sellers are getting an early Christmas present from Amazon this year with new Final Sale Policy blocking returns and refunds for Trading Card Games and Collectibles sold via Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). The new policy went into effect October 1, 2025 and was met with a positive response in the Amazon seller forums and across social media - though it does still allow the caveat that buyers can still report if the items were received damaged.
valueaddedresource.net
Amazon Brand Growth: Why Brands Love Amazon Agencies
In 2025, the road to Amazon brand growth is far more challenging than it was a few years ago. Increased competition, rising ad costs, and stricter compliance rules have changed the way brands approach selling on the platform, making innovative product development essential. Simply listing products and hoping for organic sales is no longer enough.
riverjournalonline.com
Amazon begins quarterly tax reporting to Chinese authorities for cross-border sellers
Amazon announced on October 13, 2025, that it will begin quarterly tax reporting to Chinese authorities for the first time. The marketplace will submit seller identity information, transaction volumes, revenue data, and platform commissions to China's tax authorities starting October 31, 2025, according to a notice posted in Amazon Seller Central.
ppc.land
Amazon Extended Holiday Returns Begin November 1, 2025: What Sellers Need To Know
Amazon’s extended holiday return policy begins November 1, 2025, lengthening the return window for eligible purchases through the end of January. While the change is welcomed by consumers eager for more flexibility, some marketplace sellers are bracing for a potential profit hit from post-holiday return surge.
valueaddedresource.net
Tips and Tricks
Dave Dama and his co-founder bootstrapped their e-commerce company in 2010. Dama, an 8-figure seller, believes Amazon is the best place to start a brand on a shoestring budget. His formula for success involves launching as many products as you can sustainably. "The competition and saturation weren't there," Dama told Business Insider. "You could really launch products in any category and see some success if you had an understanding of the platform, without ads, because the secret wasn't out yet."
businessinsider.com
Podcasts
Rufus, AI Search, and the New Playbook for Amazon Growth with Noah Wickham
Scott and Noah unpacks agency growth that actually moves the needle for Amazon sellers. They tackle conference takeaways, real playbooks for managing hundreds of brands, and how “unreasonable hospitality” builds sticky B2B relationships. You will hear how top teams stay resilient, communicate proactively, and keep speed and flexibility at the center of every client touchpoint.
podcasts.apple.com