Important Amazon Weekly News #28

This is not only about the growth of two companies, but about the structure of the market itself. Large platforms continue to absorb a growing share of transactional volume, while commerce outside major ecosystems becomes increasingly fragmented.

Amazon reinforces its role as the primary destination for consumers seeking selection and speed. Shopify, in turn, enables brands to build proprietary sales channels and work directly with their audiences.

For most sellers, Amazon remains the primary source of volume and a proven growth engine, supported by the marketplace’s traffic scale.

At the same time, Shopify’s expansion shows that brands are gradually diversifying risk and investing in additional channels — primarily their own online stores. This provides greater margin control, stronger repeat purchase mechanics, and direct customer data ownership.

Effective March 4, 2026, updates to the Business Solutions Agreement (BSA) will come into force. Amazon is introducing a new Agent Policy regulating AI agents and any automated software accessing platform services.

Such systems must now clearly identify themselves as automated, comply with the updated policy requirements, and terminate access upon Amazon’s request. The platform is also strengthening restrictions on the use of its materials and services for AI development, including explicit safeguards against reverse engineering — meaning the replication of Amazon technologies within third-party AI systems.

The updates directly impact developers of automated solutions, who will need to ensure their tools comply with the new policy.

Following the fourth quarter of its fiscal year ending January 31, 2026, Walmart reported growth in total revenue and comparable U.S. store sales. The company separately highlighted an increase in customers with annual incomes above $100,000 — a segment that continues to contribute to growth.

Online sales, including both first-party and third-party marketplace activity, remain among key performance drivers. The company emphasizes ongoing technology investments, including AI-based tools for assortment management, personalization, and logistics, aimed at improving operational efficiency and conversion.

Walmart is gradually reinforcing its position not only as an offline retailer, but as a technology-driven e-commerce platform. Growth in higher-income shoppers reshapes demand patterns, while investment in AI and advertising infrastructure strengthens the competitiveness of the ecosystem.

Walmart is increasingly competing for mid- to premium-segment brands. The growth of higher-income audiences and expanded advertising tools make Walmart Marketplace a more predictable and scalable channel.

Starting February 27, 2026, Amazon will discontinue support for Shoppable Collections Beta — a module within A+ Content that allowed interactive product groupings directly on product detail pages (PDP). This format will be removed from both PDPs and the A+ Content Manager. Instead, Brand Story will appear on product pages where configured.

Part of the Shoppable Collections functionality is being integrated into Brand Story, reinforcing it as the primary branding tool on the product page.

Amazon is reducing parallel brand content formats and clarifying its architecture:

• Brand Story becomes the core branding module on the product detail page (PDP).

• Brand Store functions as the full in-platform brand storefront.

• Brand Stores API enables automation and scalable management of that storefront.

For sellers and brands, the changes imply:

• Shoppable Collections are no longer available — it is advisable to ensure Brand Story is properly configured to maintain branded visibility on product pages.

• Brand Story becomes the central tool for cross-selling and showcasing product lines on PDPs.

• Brand Store combined with API capabilities opens automation opportunities: assortment synchronization, content scaling, and faster updates of promotions and collections.