Amazon rolls out AI workflows in Seller Central, speeds up China-to-FBA shipping, brings ad formats under AI, while Shopify introduces Canvas for design
News #1. Amazon Adds an AI Workflow Builder to Seller Central
Seller Assistant Workflows is now appearing in Seller Central, allowing sellers to describe a task and have AI build a workflow that can run on demand or on a schedule. The feature is currently available in the Amazon US store.
What happened
In our previous issue, we covered Amazon’s announcement of persistent Seller Assistant workflows. Sellers can now access an interface in Seller Central to create them.
A workflow can analyze orders, returns, pricing, and account health, prepare actions, and execute certain operations after seller approval. Sending a buyer message or issuing a refund, for example, requires approval. Amazon also provides pre-built workflows for Account Health monitoring, orders and returns, pricing, and product opportunity discovery.
Sellers can also connect a Knowledge Base with their own documents, such as return policies or SKU guidelines. Seller Assistant uses these documents as business context when analyzing information and preparing actions.
Why it matters
Seller Assistant is expanding beyond an AI advisor into an operational automation tool inside Seller Central. Sellers remain in control: certain actions require approval, and when a task falls outside predefined rules, the workflow stops and asks for a decision. Seller Assistant had already gained the ability to take selected actions with seller approval.
What it means for e-commerce sellers
Seller Assistant Workflows is worth testing on repetitive tasks with clear rules, including Account Health monitoring, returns, pricing, and buyer messages. It could be particularly useful for sellers managing large catalogs and high operational volumes.
Adding internal policies and instructions to the Knowledge Base can help the AI account for business-specific requirements. A sensible starting point is monitoring and action preparation, with more automation added after the workflow’s output has been validated.Source: Amazon
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News #2. Amazon Launches China-to-FBA Air Shipping With No Placement Fees
Amazon Global Logistics has added two air freight options from China to the US. Air SMP offers an estimated 7–10 day delivery window to FBA with no FBA inbound placement service fee
What happened
Air SMP (Air Shipment Multi-destination Placement) splits inventory in China and sends it directly to assigned fulfillment centers across five US regions. Daily flights operate from Shanghai and Hong Kong, with an estimated transit time of 7–10 calendar days from pickup.
Amazon does not charge an FBA inbound placement service fee for Air SMP. Apparel, electronics, and products containing lithium batteries also carry no additional surcharges.
The second option, Economy Air, ships from Shanghai or Shenzhen to Los Angeles in 11–15 days. Amazon says its rates are lower than standard AGL Air. The zero placement fee applies specifically to Air SMP.
Why it matters
Fast replenishment becomes particularly valuable during stock shortages, product launches, and peak-demand periods when ocean freight is too slow. Air SMP shortens replenishment times, distributes inventory directly across five US regions, and eliminates the placement fee.
What it means for e-commerce sellers
Sellers sourcing from China should compare the cost and transit times of Air SMP, Economy Air, and other FBA inbound options. Air SMP could be a practical choice for urgent replenishment when the cost of going out of stock is likely to exceed the premium for air freight.
Source: Amazon
News #3. Amazon Ads Brings Multiple Ad Formats Into One AI-Powered Campaign
Amazon has launched Full-Funnel Campaigns in open beta in the US. Advertisers can now use one budget across sponsoredads, display, video, and streaming TV, while Amazon AI manages formats and optimizes spend in real time.
What happened
Advertisers select their products and budget and can optionally set a target ROAS. Amazon AI then chooses ad formats, allocates spend across the funnel, and optimizes the campaign for sales.
Full-Funnel Campaigns can run alongside existing campaigns, so advertisers do not need to rebuild their current advertising setup. The open beta is currently available in the US to sellers and brands using Amazon Ads.
In Amazon’s June–August 2026 beta test, these campaigns delivered 67% higher Long-Term ROAS and a 29% lower cost of acquiring a new-to-brand customer compared with the same formats managed independently. Amazon notes that these are early internal results and individual advertiser performance may vary.
Why it matters
Full-Funnel Campaigns brings multiple advertising formats under one campaign. Instead of managing each format separately, advertisers can let AI allocate a shared budget and adjust spending based on performance.
What it means for e-commerce sellers
The tool is worth testing for brands already running several Amazon Ads formats and spending significant time managing them separately. A new Full-Funnel Campaign can initially run alongside existing campaigns, with performance compared not only on ROAS but also on the cost of acquiring new customers.
Source: Amazon Ads
News #4. Shopify Launches Canvas for AI-Powered Store Design and Redesign
Shopify has introduced Canvas, a new workspace where merchants can work with its Sidekick AI agent to create and redesign an entire online store. The feature is gradually rolling out to Shopify merchants.
What happened
Canvas brings store pages into a single visual workspace where merchants can view them together, edit them manually, or give Sidekick instructions through chat. The AI works directly with theme files and can modify individual sections or redesign an entire store.
Before handing the result back to the merchant, Sidekick checks the code and analyzes screenshots of the changes.
According to Shopify, Sidekick made more than 25 million theme changes during the first half of 2026. The company also stresses that Canvas is still an early product with limitations and does not replace Shopify’s existing theme editor.
Why it matters
Custom store design typically requires coding, help from a web developer, or manual theme configuration. Canvas allows merchants to hand part of that work to AI, making it faster to create and test changes across multiple store pages.
What it means for e-commerce sellers
Shopify brands should consider testing Canvas for tasks that require frequent design changes, including new landing pages, seasonal campaigns, and page-layout experiments. AI could reduce the time and cost of this work, but changes should still be reviewed manually before publishing.
Source: Shopify
Other E-commerce News
TikTok Shop Adds Box-Free, Label-Free Returns Through UPS
TikTok Shop has integrated UPS’s Happy Returns network in the US. Shoppers can return eligible products without a box or printed label at roughly 10,000 locations, including The UPS Store, Staples, and Ulta Beauty. The service covers both seller-fulfilled orders and TikTok Shop fulfillment.
Amazon FBA Export Expands to 175+ New Destinations
Amazon is adding more than 175 destinations to FBA Export. Sellers can receive international orders using their existing US FBA inventory without stocking products in local FBA networks abroad. Customers pay international shipping and import duties, while Amazon charges sellers no additional FBA Export fee.
Amazon Updates Dangerous Goods Requirements for Four Product Groups
Starting October 26, Amazon will require additional dangerous goods questions when sellers create or edit listings for refrigeration equipment, shocks and lift supports, markers and writing instruments, and pool and spa chemicals. Sellers in these categories should review product composition and hazardous-material information in advance.Book a call now…
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