Amazon tells sellers to clear meltable FBA inventory before April 20 or risk disposal fees
Amazon is enforcing its seasonal meltable inventory policy again ahead of the summer months. Sellers with heat-sensitive products must remove inventory from FBA before the restriction window begins. Inventory left in fulfillment centers after the deadline may be marked unfulfillable and disposed of.
What Changed
Amazon will not accept meltable inventory at fulfillment centers from April 20, 2026, through September 28, 2026.
Inventory remaining in FBA after April 20 may be marked unfulfillable.
Starting May 1, Amazon may dispose of those units and charge a disposal fee.
Meltable products include items that can melt when exposed to temperatures of 155°F. Examples include chocolate, gummies, and certain jelly or wax-based products.
Why It Matters
This affects brands selling candy, supplements, and other heat-sensitive products that rely on FBA for Prime delivery.
Inventory that remains in FBA during the restriction window can become stranded capital and may be disposed of by Amazon with associated fees.
Brands that want to keep selling during the restricted period will need to rely on FBM or carefully plan seasonal inventory levels.
What Is Not Changing
This is a recurring seasonal policy.
The meltable inventory definition and temperature threshold remain the same.
Sellers can still sell meltable products during the restricted period using FBM.
What to Do Now
Immediate operational check.
Review inventory levels for any ASINs that fall into Amazon’s meltable category and submit removal orders before April 20 if needed.
Bigger Picture Signal
Amazon continues tightening operational standards inside the fulfillment network as it scales. Policies like this are part of a broader push to reduce product damage, maintain customer experience standards, and improve warehouse efficiency during high-temperature months.
Amazon adds “Saved Opportunities” to Product Opportunity Explorer so sellers can track product research across marketplaces
Amazon has expanded Product Opportunity Explorer with a new feature that allows sellers to save and organize potential product ideas directly inside Seller Central. The update helps sellers track niches and ASIN-level opportunities without restarting research sessions.
What Changed
Product Opportunity Explorer now allows sellers to save product niches and ASIN opportunities with a single click.
Saved research appears inside a new Your Saved & Recent Views tab within the tool.
Sellers can track historical demand trends and download data for saved opportunities.
Saved opportunities are accessible across Amazon’s global marketplaces.
The feature is available to Professional sellers using Product Opportunity Explorer.
Why It Matters
Product Opportunity Explorer has quietly become one of Amazon’s most powerful first-party research tools. This update makes it behave more like a lightweight product research workspace instead of a one-time analytics tool.
For brands and operators evaluating catalog expansion, the ability to save niches means teams can build a pipeline of potential launches and revisit them as demand changes. That reduces the friction of product discovery and allows teams to track emerging demand signals over time.
It also puts Amazon’s own demand data closer to tools like Helium 10, Data Dive, and Jungle Scout, but with the advantage of first-party marketplace insights.
What Is Not Changing
The underlying demand data and niche analytics inside Product Opportunity Explorer remain the same.
The tool still focuses on search demand, competition levels, pricing, and product feature insights.
Access to the tool remains limited to Professional seller accounts inside Seller Central.
What to Do Now
Light prep recommended.
If your team is actively evaluating new SKUs or product extensions, begin saving niches inside Product Opportunity Explorer to build a research backlog.
This can serve as a running shortlist of product opportunities tied directly to Amazon’s internal demand signals.
Bigger Picture Signal
Amazon continues expanding its internal analytics tools for sellers. The platform is steadily moving toward giving brands more first-party demand intelligence directly inside Seller Central.
The long-term signal is clear. Amazon wants product discovery, demand validation, and catalog expansion decisions to happen inside its ecosystem rather than through external research tools.
Best advice to new Amazon sellers from the Seller Forums
A recent Seller Forum thread asked a simple question: What is the best advice for new sellers?
A few answers cut through the noise fast.
The big theme is this: Amazon rewards sellers who treat it like a real business, not a side experiment.
Here are a few of the strongest takeaways.
- Learn how Amazon works before you blame Amazon
CaptVita said it well: “Amazon IS hard. Amazon IS worth it if you figure out how to speak THEIR language.”
That is the game.
New sellers often expect Amazon to adapt to them. It does not. The sellers who win learn the platform, the rules, the economics, and the workflows.
- Selling on Amazon is a profession, not a hobby
Brigitte made one of the strongest points in the thread: “Selling on Amazon is a profession and not a hobby.”
That means understanding product requirements, listing rules, supplier standards, labeling obligations, and category restrictions before inventory goes live.
- Study before you launch
One of the most repeated themes was to spend time in Seller University before doing anything else.
That advice is not glamorous, but it is real. Many new seller problems start with preventable setup mistakes.
- Inspect inventory before you trust the supply chain
NEVERLAST gave practical advice that more new brands need to hear: do not blindly send your first order straight into FBA.
Check the product. Check the labeling. Check the packaging. Check whether it can survive Amazon handling and outbound shipping.
That alone can save a new seller from an expensive mess.
- Brand building matters more than ever
CaptVita also made a sharp point here: “Amazon is a place for BRANDS.”
That may sound blunt, but the platform increasingly rewards sellers who build real brand assets, not sellers who treat Amazon like a quick flip channel.
That means Brand Registry, strong creative, clear positioning, and actual investment in traffic and conversion.
- New sellers need to understand incentives and eligibility
From the New Seller Incentives thread, one important reminder stood out: some benefits only apply when sellers complete Brand Registry and meet the eligibility windows correctly.
A lot of sellers assume the incentives apply automatically. They do not.
What BellaVix would add
If I were giving a new seller the short version, I’d add this:
Optimize for search from day one
Your listing needs to be built for discoverability and conversion. Titles, bullets, images, backend terms, and category relevance all matter.
Use New Seller Incentives fully
Do not leave money and credits on the table. Review the eligibility windows, use your Vine credits, and confirm ad and promotion milestones are completed correctly.
Create shipment plans carefully
A bad shipment plan can create delays, receiving issues, prep problems, and unnecessary costs before you even get momentum.
Leverage Creator Connections
This is one of the more overlooked tools for new brands that need content, traffic, and early conversion support inside Amazon’s ecosystem.
Work with affiliates and influencers
New products need trust signals. Influencers, affiliates, and creator-led content can help bridge the gap before reviews and purchase history build up.
Do not expect ads to fix a weak listing
PPC can drive traffic, but it does not rescue poor positioning, weak imagery, or bad conversion.
Bottom line
The best advice to new sellers is not a hack.
Treat Amazon like a serious operating channel. Learn the rules. Build a brand. Inspect the details. Use the tools Amazon gives you. Then execute with patience.
That is less exciting than the guru stuff, but a lot more useful in the real world.
Target’s ad business keeps growing even as store sales stay soft, showing how retail media is becoming its own profit engine
Target generated $915 million in advertising revenue in 2025, even while its core retail business continued to struggle with declining sales. The story here is less about Target’s retail performance and more about how profitable the advertising layer on top of retail has become.
What Changed
Target reported $915 million in advertising revenue for 2025 through its Roundel media network.
The company also logged its 13th consecutive quarter of flat or declining sales.
In Q4 2025, Target posted $30.5 billion in net sales, down 1.5 percent year over year, with comparable sales declining 3.9 percent.
Leadership signaled that the company expects to return to growth across every quarter of 2026.
Why It Matters
Retail media is becoming one of the most profitable parts of the modern retail model. Even when retail sales soften, advertising revenue can continue to grow because brands still need visibility inside the retailer’s ecosystem.
For brands and sellers, this reinforces a broader shift happening across Amazon, Walmart, and now Target. Shelf space is increasingly bought through advertising rather than earned purely through organic placement.
It also signals that Target will likely continue expanding Roundel. More ad placements, more measurement tools, and more sponsored opportunities should be expected as the retailer leans further into advertising as a revenue driver.
What Is Not Changing
Target’s core retail business is still dealing with sluggish demand and soft comparable sales.
Amazon and Walmart remain the largest retail media platforms by scale and ad spend.
Retail media still works best when it is part of a broader commerce strategy that includes strong listings, pricing, and brand positioning.
What to Do Now
Light prep recommended.
Brands selling at Target should expect continued expansion of Roundel and plan media budgets accordingly. Teams should also evaluate whether retail media spending is driving incremental growth or simply becoming the cost of maintaining visibility.
Bigger Picture Signal
Retailers are steadily evolving into media companies with stores attached. As margins tighten in traditional retail, advertising becomes a powerful profit center. That shift is reshaping how brands compete for visibility across every major marketplace.
Costco moves early to soften tariff impact as retailers brace for higher import costs
Costco is proactively adjusting sourcing and pricing strategies to deal with new tariff pressures emerging in early 2026. The retailer is focusing on supplier negotiations, diversification of manufacturing locations, and selective price adjustments to maintain value perception for members.
What Changed
Costco executives confirmed that the company is actively working with suppliers to offset new tariff costs.
The retailer is shifting some sourcing to alternative countries to reduce exposure to tariff-affected imports.
Leadership signaled that Costco may selectively increase prices on certain items if tariffs significantly raise import costs.
The company continues emphasizing its limited SKU model to maintain stronger negotiating power with suppliers.
Why It Matters
Tariffs are starting to ripple through global retail supply chains again, forcing retailers to rethink sourcing and pricing strategies. Costco’s approach reflects how large retailers are using scale and supplier leverage to absorb or delay price increases.
For brands and manufacturers, this means renewed pressure on margins. Retail partners will likely push suppliers to absorb some of the cost increases before passing them on to consumers.
It also reinforces the importance of diversified supply chains. Brands relying heavily on a single manufacturing region may face higher risk if tariff policies shift suddenly.
What Is Not Changing
Retailers remain extremely sensitive to price perception, particularly in membership-driven models like Costco, where value is central to customer loyalty.
Most retailers will attempt to absorb or offset tariff impacts first through supplier negotiations and sourcing adjustments before raising retail prices.
What to Do Now
Monitor closely.
Brands selling through large retail partners should expect cost discussions to intensify if tariffs increase manufacturing or import expenses. Reviewing supply chain diversification and margin structure now can help prepare for retailer negotiations.
Bigger Picture Signal
Trade policy continues to shape retail economics in subtle but powerful ways. The companies that adapt fastest on sourcing, logistics, and supplier relationships will have the most flexibility when tariffs shift.
Amazon brings generative AI deeper into Seller Central analytics
Amazon is embedding generative AI into Seller Central to help merchants analyze performance data and uncover insights without needing advanced analytics skills. The new capabilities allow sellers to ask questions in natural language and receive explanations, recommendations, and summaries of their account data.
What Changed
Amazon is introducing AI-powered analytics tools directly inside Seller Central.
Sellers can ask natural language questions about performance metrics such as sales trends, advertising performance, and inventory movement.
The AI generates summaries, explanations, and suggested actions based on account data.
The goal is to make data analysis accessible to sellers who do not have dedicated analytics teams.
Why It Matters
Seller Central contains massive amounts of operational data, but many sellers struggle to interpret it or identify what actions to take. Generative AI lowers the barrier by translating complex dashboards into plain language insights.
For smaller sellers, this can function like having a built-in analyst. For larger operators, it speeds up analysis and helps teams surface patterns faster.
The real impact will depend on how accurate and actionable the AI recommendations are. Sellers who treat the tool as a starting point rather than a final decision maker will get the most value.
What Is Not Changing
Data itself still drives the decisions. Sellers still need to validate insights, monitor performance metrics, and apply strategic judgment.
AI may help surface insights faster, but it does not replace the need for experienced operators managing catalog, advertising, and inventory strategy.
Agentic commerce is moving from recommendation to execution
AI shopping agents are beginning to move beyond product discovery and recommendation. According to new research from McKinsey, the next phase of commerce will involve AI agents not only helping consumers decide what to buy but also completing transactions on their behalf.
What Changed
McKinsey describes the rise of “agentic commerce,” where AI assistants act as autonomous shopping agents.
These systems can compare products, analyze pricing, evaluate reviews, and ultimately execute purchases for consumers.
Large technology companies and retailers are rapidly building infrastructure that allows AI agents to interact with commerce platforms.
Early versions focus on decision influence, but the next phase will involve automated purchasing and fulfillment actions.
Why It Matters
This shift could fundamentally change how products are discovered and purchased online. Instead of browsing listings or ads, consumers may increasingly rely on AI agents to handle research and purchasing decisions.
For brands and retailers, that means optimization strategies may shift away from traditional search ranking toward machine-readable product data, structured information, and trusted brand signals that AI systems can interpret.
In a world where AI agents shop on behalf of consumers, the competition moves from appealing to human shoppers to appealing to algorithmic decision makers.
What Is Not Changing
Fundamentals still matter. Competitive pricing, reliable fulfillment, strong reviews, and clear product information remain critical.
Even if an AI agent executes the purchase, it still relies on signals created by real customers and brand reputation to determine what products it recommends and buys.
Kim Kardashian enters energy drink market with paraxanthine-based brand Update
The energy drink category continues to evolve as new brands focus on wellness-driven positioning and female consumers. Update, a startup energy drink brand, recently brought on Kim Kardashian as a co-founder and is expanding its retail footprint with a major launch at Walmart.
What Changed
Update has added Kim Kardashian as a co-founder to help shape branding, product development, and national retail expansion.
The brand uses paraxanthine rather than caffeine as its core ingredient. Paraxanthine is the compound the body naturally produces after metabolizing caffeine.
Update launched an exclusive variety pack at Walmart in more than 4,000 stores, marking its largest retail rollout so far.
The brand relaunched with new flavors, including berry, grape, peach, mandarin, and pineapple, all formulated with zero sugar and zero calories.
Packaging and branding have shifted toward a minimalist, wellness-oriented aesthetic designed to appeal to younger consumers.
Why It Matters
The energy drink category is undergoing a noticeable shift from high-intensity, performance-driven branding toward wellness and lifestyle positioning.
New brands are targeting consumers who want energy without the traditional tradeoffs, such as jitters, crashes, or sleep disruption. Functional ingredients and cleaner formulations are becoming central to this positioning.
Gen Z consumers are also accelerating demand for energy beverages positioned closer to supplements or wellness products rather than traditional sports drinks or stimulants.
Celebrity-backed brands continue to play a major role in accelerating category awareness and retail distribution. Kardashian’s involvement gives Update significant marketing power as it enters national retail channels.
What Is Not Changing
Energy drinks remain a highly competitive category dominated by major players such as Monster and Red Bull.
While new wellness-focused brands are emerging, long-term success will still depend on product performance, distribution, and sustained consumer demand rather than celebrity backing alone.
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This week, we explore how AI is reshaping eCommerce: Amazon Seller Central AI, Retail Media Boom, and AI Shopping Agents
If you sell online, these shifts will impact how products are discovered, advertised, and purchased.
Stay informed and stay ahead of the curve.
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