News from February 19 – February 26, 2026 · Generated Thursday, February 26
California's AG alleges Amazon engages in illegal price fixing that drives up costs for American consumers.
Major legal action by California AG alleging Amazon's price fixing practices could lead to significant policy changes, pricing restrictions, and operational impacts for all US sellers.
Amazon allegedly inflates prices by requiring sellers to use its warehousing services to become Prime eligible and win the Buy Box.
Critical regulatory and legal development that directly impacts Buy Box algorithm requirements and Prime eligibility strategies for all US sellers.
Amazon secured court order to control over 75 domains used for marketing fake reviews and fraudulent seller accounts in mid-2025.
Critical enforcement news about Amazon's aggressive legal action against fake review networks directly impacts seller competitive landscape and highlights platform's escalating review manipulation crackdowns.
Amazon overtook Walmart as the world's biggest company by sales, with its profitable cloud-computing business serving as the decisive factor.
Major competitive landscape shift as Amazon becomes world's largest company by sales, signaling increased market dominance and potential policy/investment changes that will directly impact sellers.
California's Attorney General alleges Amazon orchestrated a price-fixing scheme with online retailers to inflate prices economy-wide and demands immediate cessation.
Major legal action by California AG alleging price-fixing directly impacts Amazon sellers' pricing strategies, competitive dynamics, and potential policy changes.
Federal antitrust litigation focuses on Amazon's pricing control mechanisms affecting seller operations.
Major antitrust case directly targeting Amazon's pricing control mechanisms is urgent must-know for sellers as it could fundamentally alter marketplace pricing policies and seller agreements.
Amazon changed On-Time Delivery Rate enforcement to only deactivate the worst performing listings instead of broader penalties.
Critical policy change affecting OTDR enforcement that directly impacts seller operations, with Amazon shifting from broader penalties to targeted listing-level deactivations.
Amazon implements changes to how on-time delivery rates are calculated, affecting seller performance metrics.
Direct policy change affecting seller performance metrics that could impact account health and Buy Box eligibility for all marketplace sellers.
Amazon's Multi-Channel Fulfillment service now available across additional major e-commerce platforms for sellers.
Major expansion of Amazon MCF to competing marketplaces directly impacts seller operations and multi-channel fulfillment strategies.
Amazon Marketplace updates its on-time delivery rate calculation system affecting seller performance metrics.
Critical operational update as on-time delivery rate directly impacts seller performance metrics, account health, and potential suspensions.
Amazon modified Wish List shipping policies, raising concerns among sellers about operational impacts.
Direct policy change affecting third-party seller operations on Amazon Wish Lists, which could impact gift-giving season sales and require immediate operational adjustments.
Investigation reveals Amazon allegedly used systematic pricing schemes affecting marketplace competition.
Major investigation revealing alleged Amazon pricing schemes that could significantly impact marketplace competition dynamics and potentially lead to regulatory changes affecting seller operations.
Legal challenge to Amazon's pricing policies could impact seller pricing flexibility and marketplace operations.
Major legal challenge to Amazon's fair pricing policy could fundamentally change how sellers price products across channels, directly impacting pricing strategies and competitive positioning for all US sellers.
Amazon made changes to the On-Time Delivery Rate system affecting seller account health and performance metrics.
Critical update about changes to Amazon's On-Time Delivery Rate system directly impacts seller account health metrics and operational requirements for all marketplace sellers.
California's Attorney General filed legal challenge against Amazon's Fair Pricing Policy potentially affecting seller pricing regulations.
Legal challenge to Amazon's Fair Pricing Policy by California AG could significantly impact seller pricing strategies and competitive pricing rules across the platform.
Amazon sellers and online brands report they will not reduce prices following the Supreme Court's decision to eliminate Trump-era tariffs.
Supreme Court tariff ruling directly impacts Amazon sellers' cost structure and pricing strategies, with sellers indicating they'll maintain margins rather than pass savings to consumers.
Bath & Body Works began selling on Amazon to meet customers where they shop and utilize Amazon's fast, free shipping capabilities.
Major brand entering Amazon marketplace signals competitive landscape shift and validates Amazon as essential channel for established retailers, directly impacting brand positioning strategies for existing sellers.
UK Court of Appeals ruled that two lawsuits alleging Amazon abused its dominant market position can proceed to trial.
Major legal development with UK court allowing 200,000 sellers to proceed with antitrust lawsuits against Amazon, which could set important precedents for marketplace practices and seller rights globally.
Amazon is removing restrictions on third-party seller purchases from public wishlists, potentially exposing users' delivery addresses.
Critical privacy policy change that directly impacts how third-party sellers can access customer delivery addresses through wishlist purchases, affecting seller operations and potentially increasing liability concerns.
Amazon's updated Business Solutions Agreement requires AI agents to identify themselves and follow new compliance rules starting March 4, 2026.
New compliance requirements for AI agents directly impact how sellers can use automation tools, requiring operational changes by March 2026.
Amazon allegedly violated duty of care by selling sodium nitrite without warnings while linking it to suicide-related products and providing immediate delivery.
Critical legal development that could establish new precedent for seller liability when products are algorithmically linked to harmful uses, potentially impacting product bundling strategies and compliance requirements.
Amazon will no longer allow users to block third-party sellers from wishlists, potentially exposing buyer addresses through delivery tracking information.
Critical privacy change that directly impacts how third-party sellers interact with customer wishlists and could affect seller reputation management strategies.
Amazon will eliminate the ability for users to prevent third-party sellers from fulfilling Wish List items starting March 25.
Major marketplace policy change directly impacting third-party sellers' access to customer wish list purchases, representing a significant expansion of seller opportunities and competitive dynamics.
Amazon's updated wishlist policy now shares buyers' complete home addresses with third-party sellers, expanding from previously sharing only city and state information.
Critical privacy policy change that directly impacts how third-party sellers receive customer information, affecting data handling procedures and potentially customer trust in the marketplace.
Consumer Reports identified safety policy gaps for baby products on digital marketplaces, prompting immediate changes from some companies.
Critical safety compliance issue that could lead to immediate product removals, policy enforcement actions, and potential liability for sellers in the baby products category.
A test examines whether Amazon displays consistent pricing across different users or personalizes prices based on individual factors.
Critical investigation into potential dynamic pricing practices that could significantly impact seller pricing strategies and competitive positioning.
Amazon's new MCP Server uses AI to automate advertising campaign execution while changing how humans oversee Amazon advertising operations.
Major new AI automation tool for Amazon advertising campaigns directly impacts how sellers and brand managers will manage PPC operations, representing a significant operational shift for advertising workflows.
Amazon's new Creative Agent AI tool reduces ad creation costs and gives smaller brands access to professional advertising capabilities.
New Amazon Ads AI tool directly impacts seller operations by potentially reducing advertising costs and leveling the playing field for smaller brands competing with larger advertisers.
TikTok Shop is actively pursuing brands that heavily advertise on Amazon while evolving its seller policies and fulfillment requirements.
TikTok Shop's aggressive recruitment of Amazon advertisers and evolving fulfillment policies represents a significant competitive threat and potential diversification opportunity for Amazon sellers.
TikTok Shop's rapid merchant onboarding has reached 15 million sellers globally, positioning it to potentially become a top-three global retailer by 2030.
TikTok Shop's explosive growth to 15 million sellers and trajectory toward top-three global retailer status represents a major competitive threat that Amazon sellers must monitor for market share shifts and consumer behavior changes.
California's Attorney General presents new evidence that Amazon prevents merchants from offering lower prices on competing sites like Walmart.
Major legal action against Amazon's pricing policies could fundamentally change how sellers manage prices across multiple marketplaces, directly impacting pricing strategies and competitive positioning.
Amazon's revenue milestone highlights intensifying competition as both retailers expand advertising and marketplace businesses while pursuing AI-driven growth strategies.
Major competitive landscape shift as Amazon overtaking Walmart in revenue signals marketplace dominance and likely increased investment in seller tools and advertising platform expansion.
Amazon and Shopify together account for approximately 50% of US e-commerce, with other players competing in the remaining space.
Critical competitive landscape data from a trusted seller news source showing Amazon's market position alongside Shopify, directly impacting seller strategy decisions about marketplace diversification and competitive positioning.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's previous comments about tariffs suggest many sellers are approaching a critical breaking point.
CEO's tariff predictions directly impact Amazon sellers' sourcing costs, pricing strategies, and profit margins - critical for operational planning and inventory decisions.
Amazon's Seller Central offers guidance on maintaining account health when operating multiple selling accounts on the platform.
Critical compliance guidance directly from Amazon about managing multiple selling accounts, which affects account health metrics and suspension risks for sellers operating multiple brands or businesses.
Seller Labs reports on AI capabilities for Amazon data analysis and seller priorities.
Important update on AI tools for Amazon seller data analysis from a reputable seller community source, offering practical insights into how sellers can leverage AI for operational improvements.
Seller Labs reports on what Amazon sellers ask AI first when analyzing their marketplace data.
Important update on AI adoption patterns among Amazon sellers, providing insights into how competitors are leveraging AI for data analysis, which could inform operational strategy improvements.
New FBA barcode requirements will affect UK resellers starting March 2026.
Important operational update about FBA barcode requirement changes affecting UK marketplace sellers, with 16-month advance notice allowing time for preparation.
Policy modification could reveal customer delivery addresses, impacting seller privacy and logistics.
Important privacy and operational update that could affect how sellers handle gift orders and customer data, with potential implications for fulfillment processes and privacy compliance.
UCLA research demonstrates how fraudulent customer reviews impact marketplace dynamics and seller competition.
Academic research from UCLA providing data-driven insights into how fake reviews impact marketplace competition is valuable for brand managers understanding competitive dynamics and review integrity challenges.
Amazon sellers are inflating Windows laptop storage specifications by bundling OneDrive cloud storage, misleading buyers who miss the fine print.
Important update about deceptive listing practices that could impact seller compliance standards and marketplace trust, potentially leading to stricter enforcement of product specification accuracy.
Amazon's upcoming policy change will allow third-party sellers access to public wishlists, potentially exposing users' addresses through delivery tracking.
This policy change directly impacts how third-party sellers can interact with customer wishlists, potentially affecting gift-giving seasons and creating new customer privacy concerns that sellers need to navigate.
Amazon removed privacy restrictions from its Lists feature, potentially exposing creators' personal addresses to third-party sellers and buyers.
Important privacy policy change affecting Amazon Lists that sellers need to understand as it impacts customer data handling and third-party seller interactions with customer information.
Wayflyer has integrated its funding services into Jungle Scout's Catalyst platform to provide financing options for Amazon sellers.
Partnership between major seller tools (Wayflyer financing and Jungle Scout) directly impacts funding options for sellers, though implementation details are limited.
Amazon exceeded Walmart's annual revenue through diversified business units including retail, cloud computing, advertising, and seller services.
Major competitive landscape shift showing Amazon's market dominance could signal increased investment in seller tools and potential policy changes as Amazon leverages its leading position.
Amazon failed in its latest attempt to throw out two mass lawsuits from UK retailers and consumers worth up to £4 billion.
Major UK marketplace legal development that could impact seller fees and platform policies if Amazon loses, with potential ripple effects for sellers in other markets.
Amazon's new feature letting gift senders choose third-party sellers may expose wishlist recipients' addresses to additional merchants.
Important privacy policy change that directly affects how third-party sellers may access customer address data through wishlists, potentially impacting seller operations and customer trust.
Amazon's Wishlist feature change has raised privacy concerns as it may inadvertently expose users' delivery addresses on shared lists.
Important update about a platform feature change that could impact customer trust and gift/wishlist-based sales strategies for sellers, though not directly affecting core seller operations.
A seller is changing their e-commerce strategy after Amazon storage fees proved too costly during their first year.
Important cautionary case study about Amazon storage fee impacts that provides valuable operational insights for sellers managing inventory and FBA costs.
Washington's highest court ruled families can pursue lawsuits against Amazon regarding sodium nitrite sales linked to suicides.
Legal liability ruling creates potential regulatory changes and restrictions for sellers of chemical/health products on Amazon's marketplace.
TikTok Shop canceled its plan to eliminate independent shipping for US sellers, reversing previously announced deadlines.
TikTok Shop's reversal on shipping policy is important for Amazon sellers to monitor as it shows a major competitor adjusting their marketplace strategy and maintaining a seller-friendly approach that could impact competitive dynamics.
Amazon has overtaken Walmart to become the world's largest company by sales, ending Walmart's 13-year reign at the top.
Major competitive landscape shift showing Amazon's continued growth dominance, which impacts seller competition levels and marketplace dynamics, though doesn't directly change seller operations.
Walmart's marketplace services grew over 40% in Q4 2026, with fulfillment services now serving 52% of sellers on the platform.
Walmart's 40% marketplace growth and expanding fulfillment services represent a significant competitive landscape shift that Amazon sellers should monitor for potential market share impact and strategic planning.
Walmart's advertising revenue surged as the retailer expands its third-party marketplace, benefiting from higher-margin general merchandise over grocery advertising.
Walmart's explosive ad revenue growth signals a maturing competitor marketplace that Amazon sellers should monitor for potential multi-channel expansion opportunities and competitive intelligence.
US ecommerce sales grew 30% over three years while brick-and-mortar retail sales increased only 5%, both inflation-adjusted.
Macro ecommerce growth data showing 30% growth vs 5% brick-and-mortar provides important market context for Amazon sellers to understand their competitive positioning and growth opportunities.
EMARKETER forecasts TikTok Shop will achieve $23.41 billion in US ecommerce sales by 2026, surpassing major retailers like Target and Costco.
TikTok Shop's explosive growth to $23.41B by 2026 represents a major competitive threat to Amazon third-party sellers, as it's rapidly capturing market share in social commerce and could significantly impact where consumers shop online.
Amazon lost two UK lawsuit appeals regarding market dominance, facing potential liabilities of £4 billion from retailer and consumer claims.
UK market dominance lawsuits could lead to significant regulatory changes affecting how Amazon operates its marketplace and treats third-party sellers in the UK, a major market for US-based sellers.
Amazon failed to block two mass lawsuits from UK retailers and consumers alleging abuse of dominant market position.
UK marketplace legal developments directly impact sellers' relationship with Amazon, potentially affecting commission structures, Buy Box algorithms, and marketplace policies for thousands of US sellers who also operate in the UK market.
Amazon has enhanced its image upload functionality for sellers with improved speed and additional flexibility options.
Direct platform improvement affecting daily seller operations - faster image uploads and enhanced flexibility will streamline listing creation and updates for all sellers.
Amazon offers seven practical tips to help sellers properly file SAFE-T claims through their system.
Direct guidance from Amazon on SAFE-T claim filing is an important operational update that helps sellers protect themselves from fraudulent returns and recover losses.
Analysis compares returns processing capabilities and costs between Amazon's FBA service and third-party fulfillment providers for sellers.
Direct operational comparison of returns handling between FBA and 3PL options provides important cost-benefit analysis for sellers evaluating fulfillment strategies.
MyAmazonGuy compares FBA selling versus affiliate marketing business models for sellers.
While from a trusted seller community source (myamazonguy.com), this comparison of business models is more strategic/educational than operationally urgent for established sellers already committed to FBA.
Google and Microsoft representatives predict that dynamic ad surfaces, distinct creative assets, and enhanced AI will shape the future of paid advertising.
While not Amazon-specific, major changes to Google and Microsoft PPC platforms directly impact Amazon sellers who use these channels for external traffic and brand awareness campaigns.
Walmart Connect's $6.4 billion advertising business expands AI capabilities through sponsored search assistant and Sparky AI shopping agent integration.
While this is primarily about Walmart's advertising platform rather than Amazon, it represents a significant competitive development in retail media that Amazon sellers should monitor as Walmart continues to challenge Amazon's dominance.
eBay is laying off 800 employees while investing in AI tools, facing increased competition from Amazon, Walmart, and other online marketplaces.
eBay's restructuring and AI investments signal important competitive landscape shifts that Amazon sellers should monitor, though the direct operational impact is moderate.
TikTok Shop allows small businesses to sell products directly within the app, but sellers must meet specific platform requirements.
TikTok Shop's growth as a social commerce platform represents an emerging sales channel that Amazon sellers should monitor for diversification opportunities and competitive landscape shifts.
Walmart grows through Walmart+ membership offering delivery and discounts, plus fulfillment services for marketplace sellers using its physical stores.
Walmart's expansion of fulfillment services and membership model represents a competitive marketplace development that Amazon sellers should monitor for strategic insights.
Walmart maintains strong business growth through ecommerce expansion and new ventures in advertising, marketplace, and third-party fulfillment services.
Walmart's expansion in marketplace and fulfillment services represents important competitive landscape shifts that Amazon sellers should monitor, though not urgently actionable.
Half of Walmart's app users have engaged with AI agent Sparky, which generates higher average order values than regular users.
Walmart's AI adoption success provides competitive intelligence on how major retailers are leveraging AI to increase AOV, which Amazon sellers should monitor for marketplace trends and consumer behavior shifts.
Walmart is seeing more success with e-commerce development than Amazon is achieving with physical retail expansion despite acquiring Whole Foods.
While Walmart's e-commerce growth relative to Amazon's physical retail expansion provides useful competitive landscape context for sellers, the focus on physical retail and lack of specific marketplace implications makes this nice-to-know rather than critical information.
Walmart's first earnings report under new CEO John Furner showed solid holiday performance but failed to meet earnings expectations.
Major competitor's performance and strategic shifts under new leadership provide important competitive landscape context for Amazon sellers planning market positioning.
Online retail participation increased 13% year over year as consumers seek lower prices and better budget control.
Industry-wide e-commerce growth data provides useful market context for Amazon sellers to understand broader consumer behavior shifts and competitive landscape trends.
eBay is laying off 6% of its employees as the e-commerce company restructures its operations.
eBay workforce reduction signals potential shifts in competitive marketplace dynamics that Amazon sellers should monitor for strategic positioning opportunities.
Retailers are integrating creator marketing as essential infrastructure to drive commerce media growth and influence sales across channels.
While not Amazon-specific, this covers an important trend in retail media that Amazon sellers should understand as creator partnerships and influencer marketing become increasingly critical for driving sales on marketplaces.
Spain's competition regulator may impose new fines on Apple and Amazon for allegedly taking too long to comply with antitrust orders.
Spanish antitrust enforcement against Amazon's marketplace practices could signal regulatory trends and potential policy changes that may affect seller operations in EU markets.
Amazon is implementing changes to Wishlist settings that may eliminate existing privacy safeguards protecting users' personal addresses.
While wishlist privacy changes could impact gift-giving dynamics and customer behavior patterns that sellers monitor, this is primarily a consumer privacy issue with indirect operational implications for sellers.
TikTok Shop introduces AI chatbot, automated approvals, live stream posting, and creator matching tools to help sellers manage their businesses more efficiently.
TikTok Shop's new AI tools represent competitive landscape developments that Amazon sellers should monitor as many operate across multiple platforms, though not directly impacting Amazon operations.
California's legal action targeting Amazon's alleged price practices could change seller pricing requirements.
Reddit post about California's legal action against Amazon's pricing practices has moderate relevance as it could impact seller pricing strategies, but lacks clear social proof indicators like upvote counts or comment engagement metrics to justify a higher score.
Bipartisan legislation in Congress would mandate social media platforms verify company business credentials before allowing advertisements.
While this potential legislation could impact Amazon sellers' ability to advertise on social media platforms and add compliance requirements, it's still proposed legislation without clear timeline or certainty of passage.
Amazon has invested over $1.8 trillion in the US economy since 2010, supporting 2 million jobs including direct employees and indirect positions.
While Amazon's economic impact report provides useful context about the platform's scale and growth trajectory, it's primarily a corporate PR piece with limited actionable insights for day-to-day seller operations or strategic decisions.
TikTok Shop sellers must configure pickup and return warehouse addresses in Seller Center, which are then verified by USPS for validity.
While TikTok Shop's warehouse verification requirement is relevant for multichannel sellers who may also operate on Amazon, this is a competitor platform update with indirect impact on Amazon operations.
eBay announced workforce reductions of 6% as part of cost-cutting measures amid competitive pressure from Amazon and other e-commerce platforms.
eBay's workforce reduction signals competitive pressure in e-commerce that Amazon sellers should monitor, but has no direct operational impact on their businesses.
TikTok Shop's viral growth must overcome operational stability, seller economics, and trust issues to compete with established retail giants.
TikTok Shop's emergence as a competitor to Amazon is relevant for brand managers monitoring multichannel opportunities and competitive landscape shifts, though the operational challenges described limit immediate actionability.
Walmart delivered impressive sales results for the quarter but provided a conservative forecast for upcoming periods.
Walmart's performance provides important competitive landscape context for Amazon sellers, as Walmart Marketplace is a growing alternative channel, though this high-level earnings report lacks specific marketplace strategy details.
Walmart is significantly outperforming other major retail stocks, raising questions about the sustainability of this strong performance trend.
Walmart's strong performance signals competitive pressure for Amazon sellers as Walmart Marketplace continues to grow and attract more brands, making this a nice-to-know competitive landscape update.
Despite growing online spending, physical stores will continue to dominate with over 70% of retail sales through 2030.
Industry forecast showing e-commerce growth trajectory provides useful market context for Amazon sellers' long-term planning, though lacks specific marketplace operational insights.
Amazon quietly ended its Blue Jay multi-armed ceiling-mounted robot program just months after launching it to accelerate same-day deliveries.
While warehouse robotics changes could eventually impact FBA fulfillment speeds and costs for sellers, this early-stage program discontinuation has no immediate operational impact on current seller operations.