Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast

Amazon’s Return Nightmare, Best Buy’s Marketplace Debut, and Retail Media Consolidation

Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Show Season 2 Episode 38

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In this August 26, 2025 edition of Selling on Giants News & Updates, Mr. Will breaks down the biggest stories shaping Amazon, Walmart, Target, and the wider world of eCommerce.

We start with Amazon’s growing return problem, the hidden costs, the rise of fraud, and why “Easy Returns” is putting small sellers at risk. This is a preview of our upcoming BellaVix blog feature The Dirty Secret Behind Amazon’s Return Policy: Small Sellers Are Paying the Price releasing on September 16.

Other major updates from the week include:

  • Amazon Business surpassing 35 billion dollars in annual sales and becoming a major B2B growth channel for sellers
  • Best Buy launching a third party marketplace, doubling its online assortment and creating a new opportunity for brands
  • Target CEO Brian Cornell stepping down after continued sales declines, raising questions about the future of Roundel and Target Plus
  • Macy’s retail media network now available directly through Amazon Ads, making retail media buying more centralized than ever
  • Amazon expanding same day Fresh grocery delivery to more than 1,000 US cities, putting pressure on food and beverage brands
  • Walmart reporting stronger sales but weaker earnings as tariffs squeeze margins, a warning sign for marketplace sellers heading into Q4
  • Amazon removing outdated variation themes this fall, forcing sellers to rebuild their parent child listings
  • New Amazon rules requiring a two unit minimum on percentage off promotions that don’t use claim codes

This episode connects the dots between retail media consolidation, new marketplace opportunities, and the policy changes sellers must prepare for before Q4. Whether you are managing an FBA catalog, selling on Walmart, or testing channels like Best Buy or Target Plus, these shifts will impact your strategy going into the busiest season of the year.

We also look at how retail media is moving from a side bet to the main stage, why more retailers are adopting marketplace models, and how tariffs and logistics costs continue to weigh on sellers. For operators and brand managers, these are not just headlines, they are signals that margins, visibility, and long term growth depend on adapting fast.

If you run an eCommerce brand or manage marketplace accounts, this breakdown helps you protect profits, plan promotions, and capitalize on the platforms that are winning shopper attention today.

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