Amazon begins charging for Rufus AI responses and expands its returns network, Walmart scales TV-driven commerce, Shopify launches sales via ChatGP
News #1. Amazon starts charging for traffic from Rufus
Since March 25, Amazon has integrated AI interactions into its advertising model, turning some AI-driven visits into paid clicks.
What happened
From November 2025 until recently, product visits coming from Rufus AI suggestions were not billed separately. This has now changed. If a shopper reaches a product through an AI-generated response, it may be counted as a paid click under the standard cost-per-click model.
The key shift is automatic enrollment. All Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns in the U.S. were included by default. Before March 25, such traffic did not affect ad spend; now it participates in the Amazon Ads auction and is charged accordingly.
Why it matters
Search behavior is gradually moving into AI conversations. As a result, paid traffic is now being generated inside these interfaces. This expands retail media (on-platform advertising) and introduces a new source of clicks that is not always clearly visible in reports, increasing overall ad spend and reducing transparency.
What it means for Amazon sellers
The feature is enabled by default, but individual AI prompts can be paused via Ads Console (Campaign → Ad Group → Ads → Prompts). Only prompts that have received clicks appear in this section, so it may look empty without activity.
In practice, sellers need to rely more on bid management and search term analysis, filtering out inefficient queries and adapting campaigns to Rufus traffic.
News #2. Amazon expands its no-box returns network
Amazon expands its no-box returns network
Amazon scales its existing return model by significantly increasing the number of drop-off locations.
What happened
Amazon expanded its program that allows customers to return items without packaging or printed labels — they simply bring the product and show a QR code. The model itself is not new, but the network has grown to over 10,000 locations.
A major update is the addition of FedEx Office locations across the U.S. Returns are also accepted through partners such as Whole Foods Market, The UPS Store, Kohl’s, and Staples, as well as regional chains like Winn-Dixie, Save Mart, and Goodwill. Packaging and shipping are handled by Amazon.
A major update is the addition of FedEx Office locations across the U.S. Returns are also accepted through partners such as Whole Foods Market, The UPS Store, Kohl’s, and Staples, as well as regional chains like Winn-Dixie, Save Mart, and Goodwill. Packaging and shipping are handled by Amazon.
Why it matters
Making returns easier lowers friction for buyers and supports conversion rates. At the same time, it increases return volumes and strengthens Amazon’s control over reverse logistics through its partner network.
What it means for Amazon sellers
Return rates are likely to increase further, especially in categories like apparel and footwear. The process is fully standardized by Amazon, including partner drop-off handling.
Sellers should factor higher return rates into unit economics, adjust margins, and improve listing clarity. It’s also worth considering Partial Refunds, where issuing a partial refund can be more cost-effective than processing a full return and disposal.
Sellers should factor higher return rates into unit economics, adjust margins, and improve listing clarity. It’s also worth considering Partial Refunds, where issuing a partial refund can be more cost-effective than processing a full return and disposal.
News #3. Walmart showcases new TV-driven commerce formats
Walmart presents updates to its content-to-commerce model through Smart TV at the 2026 IAB NewFronts.
What happened
Together with Vizio, Walmart introduced new integrations, ad formats, and results from connected TV (CTV) campaigns. The model allows users to discover products within streaming content and move directly toward purchase.
The focus is on a closed-loop system where ad exposure on TV can be linked to actual purchases on Walmart Marketplace. Updates include expanded ad placements, stronger branded content formats, and performance data for advertisers.
The focus is on a closed-loop system where ad exposure on TV can be linked to actual purchases on Walmart Marketplace. Updates include expanded ad placements, stronger branded content formats, and performance data for advertisers.
Why it matters
Walmart demonstrates how retail media extends beyond search and product pages. Purchases can begin during content consumption rather than from direct intent. This increases the importance of external traffic and shifts budgets toward video and CTV.
What it means for Amazon sellers
Walmart highlights that TV and video are already functioning as real traffic and sales channels. These formats are actively generating demand and should not be ignored.
In practice, sellers can benefit from testing external traffic sources — especially video — to support demand that ultimately converts on Amazon.
News #4. Shopify enables direct sales through ChatGPT and AI channels
What happened
Starting this week, Shopify is rolling out Agentic Storefronts — a tool that connects merchants to AI platforms without separate integrations. This includes ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Mode, and Gemini.
Merchants manage everything from Shopify Admin, effectively opening a new sales channel where products can be discovered and purchased through AI conversations. This is a live feature available to millions of stores, not a test phase.
Why it matters
Shopify moves transactions beyond traditional websites and marketplaces. The entry point for покупки shifts to AI interfaces, where users describe what they need and receive product recommendations instantly. This changes how traffic is generated, with some orders originating entirely within AI environments.
What it means for Amazon sellers
Shopify shows that AI is becoming a standalone sales channel, not just a source of traffic. Some purchases may happen outside marketplaces entirely.
For Amazon sellers, this is a signal to monitor emerging channels and evaluate them as additional revenue sources, while Amazon remains the primary platform for scaling due to its demand and infrastructure.
Other Amazon News
Returns analytics update
Amazon upgraded the Returns & Recovery dashboard with trend insights, FBA return cost visibility, and product-level recommendations to help identify and reduce losses.
Related account policy clarification
Amazon clarified that violations in one account can lead to automatic deactivation of all linked accounts. Recovery requires resolving issues in the primary account first.
Amazon Web Services reported service disruptions in the Bahrain region amid ongoing tensions, which may have affected availability for some customers.
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