Roses are red, violets are blue… love isn’t cheap when it’s worth $29B. 💘
So, how much of that is coming your way?
- Walmart makes it easy to scale 🚀
- Charging you one unit at a time 🧾
- $29B up for grabs this Valentine's 💝
- Ignore AI at your own risk 👀
AMAZON NEWS
Amazon is changing when it charges FBA removal and disposal fees, and sellers aren’t quite sure how to feel about it.
Starting February 15, 2026, Amazon will charge removal and disposal fees per unit, at the moment each unit is removed, instead of billing everything at once after the full order is completed.
Quick reassurance upfront: fee rates stay the same.
⏱️ This is a timing shift
Here’s how it’ll work:
- Fees are charged per unit as each item is removed or disposed of
- Charges will appear gradually, not as one lump sum
- Applies to removal or disposal orders created on or after Feb 15, 2026
- No seller action required
Transaction details show up in Payments → Transaction View
💭 Sellers sound off
In theory, this adds visibility into removal activity. In practice? Sellers see tradeoffs.
Reactions so far are mixed, and skeptical:
- Some sellers wonder if per-unit charges could make disputes easier
- Others see more noise, not more clarity
- One seller pointed out that a 100-unit removal order could now mean 100 separate charges to track
Visibility is nice, until your notifications start piling up.
⚠️ What to watch out for
Amazon says this improves transparency, but it may also bring:
- More transaction line items to reconcile
- Messier bookkeeping for high-volume removals
- Extra monitoring to catch small errors early
If you run frequent FBA removals, expect more activity in Payments and consider tightening your tracking workflows now.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- Smart SKU Tagging: Learn how structured product tags help Amazon sellers manage 500+ SKUs and track profit by segment.
- Savings Across Channels: US sellers can save up to $50K annually using Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment preferred pricing program.
- Saks Amazon Split: Bankrupt Saks ends its Amazon partnership, shifting focus to Saks.com amid brand and bankruptcy concerns.
- Profit-First KPIs: 2026 ecommerce success relies on tracking profitability, customer value, and channel efficiency, not just revenue growth.
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Valentine's Day spending hits record $29B
Turns out Cupid isn’t cheap this year.
Consumers are expected to shell out a record $29.1B on Valentine’s Day, up from $27.5B last year. That works out to about $200 per person, beating the previous high set back in 2020.
💝 Who's spending big?
Fewer people are celebrating, but those who are? They’re going big.
- Romantic partners: $14.5B
- Family gifts (kids + relatives): $4.5B
- Friends: $2.4B
- Pets (yes, pets!): $2.5B
- Middle- and high-income households are driving most of the growth
Retailers are vying for a slice of the Valentine’s pie:
- Online channels lead at 38%
- Amazon is running a Valentine’s sale since mid-Jan + a dedicated gift storefront
- Department stores follow at 35%, hoping for a seasonal bump
- JCPenney is leaning into promos with a jewelry trade-in event
😍 Hearts in perspective
Valentine’s spending highlights a trend seen all through 2025:
- Growth comes from higher-income shoppers
- Value-focused consumers remain selective
For brands and sellers, indulgence still sells, but to a narrower, more affluent audience. That means premium pricing, positioning, and early promos matter more than ever.
TACTIC TALKS
AI is becoming a top product discovery tool
Believe it or not, ChatGPT isn’t just a chatbot anymore, it’s quietly driving shoppers straight to Amazon listings.
FBA sellers who optimize for AI can lower PPC costs and capture higher-intent traffic, basically getting more bang for every ad dollar.
💡 Why ChatGPT ads matter
AI now links directly to Amazon products, often bypassing traditional search. Optimizing for AI can reduce PPC waste by capturing conversational, high-intent traffic.
How to make it work:
- Use problem-solution phrasing in product titles and descriptions
- Highlight real-world use cases and technical specs in copy and reviews
- Make sure off-Amazon brand mentions and structured data support AI recognition
👀 AI sees all... almost
Being recommended by AI builds brand trust beyond “Sponsored” tags.
Ignore AI-driven discovery at your peril: shoppers may never even make it to Amazon search results.
Investing in AI optimization acts as a long-term asset, compounding ROI over time. A proper AI strategy can improve traffic diversity, conversion, and net profit.
