eCommerce News Update: Amazon Buy Box Changes, Walmart AI Shopping, and Q4 Prep

This week’s Selling on Giants News and Updates focuses on what marketplace operators should do now that Prime Day is behind us and Q4 planning is already underway.

Amazon is opening holiday deal submissions, changing how sellers compete for the Featured Offer, expanding Seller Central passkeys, adding B2B pallet delivery, and pushing Amazon DSP deeper into full-funnel media. Walmart is doubling down on value, AI shopping, and marketplace maturity, while broader retail updates continue pointing toward one theme:

The second half of the year will reward operators with cleaner systems, better data, stronger inventory planning, and sharper execution.

In this episode, Mr. Will covers:

Amazon Featured Offer changes

Amazon is removing the separate Featured Offer eligibility requirement for more sellers. That does not mean every seller can win the Buy Box. It means more offers can compete, while price, delivery speed, account health, inventory, and customer experience remain the deciding factors.

Holiday deal submissions are already open

Amazon opened holiday deal submissions on July eighth, including Best Deals, Lightning Deals, and Prime Exclusive Discounts. Q4 planning is not a future project anymore. Brands need to identify hero ASINs, confirm inventory, model margins, and submit eligible deals early.

Amazon holiday fulfillment guidance

Amazon’s holiday fulfillment timelines and peak season fee guidance reinforce that Q4 is usually won before October. Sellers should work backward from inbound deadlines, manufacturing schedules, freight timelines, AWD utilization, and FBA replenishment plans.

Seller Central passkeys for secondary users

Amazon is expanding passkeys for secondary users, making account access more secure for employees, agencies, contractors, and partners. Sellers should audit user permissions, remove outdated access, and eliminate shared logins.

Amazon Business pallet delivery

Amazon Business introduced pallet delivery for eligible FBM orders, giving commercial buyers a better option for larger shipments. This matters for brands selling industrial, healthcare, foodservice, janitorial, office, or bulk products.

Amazon DSP expands into Spotify podcast ads

Amazon DSP now supports buying Spotify podcast inventory, showing that Amazon Advertising continues moving beyond marketplace search into a broader full-funnel media ecosystem.

Prime Day advertising lessons

Post-event analysis shows the best advertisers were not simply the biggest spenders. They adjusted budgets, watched pacing, protected inventory, and optimized during the event instead of waiting for next-day reports.

AI across eCommerce software

AI is becoming embedded into product content, merchandising, customer engagement, marketing automation, and workflow tools. The opportunity is not using AI for the sake of it. The opportunity is using AI to reduce repetitive work while protecting quality and operator judgment.

Walmart price cuts and consumer value pressure

Walmart and Sam’s Club are lowering prices across seasonal grocery and household staples, reinforcing that shoppers are still spending but remain highly value-conscious.

Walmart Sparky and AI shopping

Walmart’s Sparky AI assistant continues showing how AI shopping tools may influence discovery, comparison, and conversion. Sellers need complete product data, strong images, accurate attributes, reviews, and clear positioning so AI systems can understand and recommend their products.

USPS, trade policy, Google Merchant Center, and Costco

Shipping changes, trade policy hearings, Google product feed updates, and Costco’s June sales results all point to the same operating reality: costs, data quality, sourcing, and value communication matter more heading into the second half of the year.

The bigger takeaway:

The second half of 2026 is not about chasing every platform update.

It is about building a cleaner operating system.

Better inventory planning. Cleaner product data. Stronger access controls. Sharper promotional strategy. Smarter ad pacing. Better shipping math. More disciplined pricing. And a clear answer to the question every shopper is asking:

Why should I buy this product now, from this brand, instead of the alternative?

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