Important Amazon Weekly News #3

Amazon has reminded sellers to gear up for the biggest sales events of the year: Prime Big Deal Days (October) and Black Friday / Cyber Monday Week (November). Applications are already open for Best Deals, Lightning Deals, Prime Exclusive Discounts (PED), and Coupons. These promotions can significantly boost visibility and sales — but this year, the requirements are tougher.

Key Deal Terms for 2025  

• Best Deals: Minimum 15% discount; $1,000 flat fee. Extra promotion at 30%+ discount.

• Lightning Deals: Minimum 20% discount; $500 fee; featured on event landing pages.

• Prime Exclusive Discounts (PED): Minimum 15% discount; $100 fee (Prime Big Deal Days) or $245 (Black Friday / Cyber Monday).

• Coupons: Minimum 5% discount; $5 per coupon plus 2.5% of sales.

Application Deadlines  

• Prime Big Deal Days: September 12

• Black Friday / Cyber Monday Week: October 28 (PED opens September 10)

Shipping Deadlines for Prime Eligibility  

Prime Big Deal Days

• AWD: August 29

• FBA (minimal splits): September 10

• FBA (optimized splits): September 19

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Week

• AWD: October 9

• FBA (minimal splits): October 20

• FBA (optimized splits): October 30

Additional Seller Updates  

• Holiday peak fees apply October 15, 2025 – January 14, 2026 (same rates as last year).

• All inbound shipments will be scheduled with a 7-day delivery window. On-time shipments get processing priority.

What This Means for Sellers in 2025  

Amazon is clearly raising the bar for seasonal promotions. Best Deals and Lightning Deals are now viable only for high-margin products with solid sales volume. For smaller sellers, participation may prove too costly, risking losses instead of growth.

Recommendations:

• Run the math carefully — only join if net profit after discounts and fees is above 18–20%.

• Use Coupons and PED for testing and boosting visibility — they’re cheaper but still provide badges and search presence.

• Enter Best Deals or Lightning Deals only with proven bestsellers or new launches with strong ad support.

In short, Amazon is turning seasonal promotions into an arena for stronger players, pushing sellers to plan budgets and strategies more carefully.

Amazon expert Vanessa Hung recently highlighted a major policy shift: sellers are now automatically enrolled in the new FBA Damaged Inventory Ownership program.

Previously  

• When Amazon damaged an item, it compensated the seller and took ownership of the product.

• Amazon would then decide whether to dispose of the item or resell it under its own account.

Now  

• Items damaged by Amazon are automatically transferred to the seller’s unsellable inventory.

• Sellers can remove, dispose, or resell them through the Grade & Resell program.

• No automatic reimbursement will be issued by Amazon.

What’s Behind the Change?  

Pros for sellers:

• Full control over damaged products.

• Protection from other resellers liquidating those items at discounted prices.

Cons for sellers:

• Loss of guaranteed reimbursement.

• Extra costs for removal, disposal, or processing.

What Sellers Should Do  

• Review the FBA Returns Evaluation & Ownership settings in Seller Central.

• Decide whether to:

• Stay enrolled (gain control but no compensation), or

• Opt out (return to the old system with reimbursement while Amazon handles the damaged goods).

Factor in your margins and logistics capacity. If you don’t have an efficient process for handling defective inventory, sticking with the old policy may be more profitable.

Amazon has broadened its Vine program, allowing not just standard items but also large and heavy FBA products to be included.

Why the Change?  

Bigger-ticket, bulky items often suffered from the “cold start problem.” Shoppers were reluctant to buy without reviews, making it difficult for sellers to build momentum on new listings. By opening Vine to these categories, brands can now generate early, credible reviews for products that previously struggled to gain traction.

How Vine Works  

• The seller (must be enrolled in Brand Registry) provides a set number of free units.

• These are distributed to trusted reviewers known as Vine Voices.

• Vine participants then post independent, honest reviews, which appear directly on the product detail page.

Why It Matters for Sellers  

Reviews remain one of the strongest trust signals on Amazon. For expensive or oversized items such as furniture, appliances, or sporting equipment, authentic reviews are even more critical. Vine can help sellers:

• Accelerate the launch of new SKUs,

• Provide social proof of product quality,

• Improve search visibility and conversions.

What Sellers Should Do  

• If you sell heavy or bulky products via FBA, evaluate joining Vine.

• Budget for the free units required for participation.

• Track how reviews impact conversion rates and sales velocity over time.

Amazon has announced its biggest push yet into online groceries: Prime members in more than 1,000 U.S. cities can now order fresh groceries with same-day delivery. By the end of 2025, the service will expand to over 2,300 cities nationwide.

How It Works  

• Shoppers can combine fresh groceries — milk, meat, produce, baked goods, frozen items — with everyday products from Amazon.com in a single order.

• Delivery arrives within a few hours.

• Prime members: free delivery on orders over $25, or $2.99 for smaller baskets.

• Non-Prime shoppers: $12.99 per delivery.

Why Amazon Is Doing This  

Amazon’s goal is to be a one-stop shop for everything — from laptops and books to milk and bread. Same-day grocery delivery strengthens its position against Walmart, Instacart, and regional supermarkets, while solidifying its presence in FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods).

What This Means for Sellers  

• Groceries become a traffic driver. Customers may log in for milk but leave with electronics or household goods.

• Prime membership gains more value, encouraging frequent shopping and higher spend.

• For FMCG and food brands, competition expands beyond price into speed and delivery convenience.

• Amazon is effectively turning its storefront into a “supermarket next door,” reinforcing shopper loyalty within its ecosystem.

Up to 45-min duration video-call