"Economic blackout" data reveals a surge in Amazon sales

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YouTube just threw down the gauntlet—and it's coming for Amazon, too. The platform is gearing up for a massive redesign, blending paid content with creator videos. The goal? Keep you watching—and subscribing.

But while YouTube rewrites streaming, Amazon is putting out fires. Here’s what’s stirring up ecommerce today:

• Amazon sales spike despite economic blackout calls 📉
• Amazon hit with first-ever health data lawsuit ⚖️
• USPS label chaos—what sellers need to know 📦
• Amazon’s £5M seller loan program 💰

AMAZON NEWS

Forbes reported that despite calls for an Amazon boycott on February 28, the ecommerce giant barely felt a scratch. The protest, aimed at pressuring Amazon over fees and worker conditions, had little impact on revenue.

🛒 Shoppers didn't log off

Market data shows that Amazon’s daily traffic stayed steady, with no noticeable dip. If anything, the numbers reinforced what we already know—Amazon’s convenience keeps customers coming back. 

Fast shipping, endless selection, and Prime perks still win over activism for most buyers.

📊 Short-term protests, long-term patterns

This isn’t the first time a boycott has tried (and failed) to dent Amazon’s bottom line. Even past movements like #BoycottAmazon barely moved the needle. Unlike major sales events like Prime Day or Q4, quick protests don’t disrupt revenue in a meaningful way.

💬Amazon’s resilience is clear. If short-term protests don’t work, what does? That’s the real question.

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BITES OF THE WEEK

• Amazon’s Return Prevention: New features to the Voice of the Customer dashboard should help with product return prevention.
• Seller Alert: The new FBA inventory reimbursement policy will go into effect on March 31 instead of 10.
• Trump Tariffs Again: Trump raises China tariffs to 10% while Mexico and Canada will go into effect.
• Seller Scam Alert: Poshmark and Mercari sellers may receive messages asking to verify seller accounts.

HOT TOPIC

Amazon faces FIRST lawsuit under WA's Health Data Privacy law

Amazon is facing a potential class-action lawsuit for allegedly violating Washington’s My Health My Data Act. 

Filed by Cassaundra Maxwell, FOX26 reported that the lawsuit accuses Amazon’s advertising network of gathering sensitive data—such as location and health-related information—through apps like OfferUp and the Weather Channel.

⚕️ What’s the issue?

The complaint accuses Amazon of:

• Harvesting sensitive health data—including biometric and location data—without user consent.
• Using ad tracking software (SDKs) embedded in mobile apps to collect information.
• Violating multiple laws, including:
  • Washington’s My Health My Data Act
  • The Consumer Protection Act
  • The Federal Wiretap Act
  • The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

🏛️ Amazon’s response 

Amazon has denied the allegations, stating:

• Its agreements prohibit publishers from sharing consumer health data.
• If any such data is received, it is immediately discarded and not used.

This case marks the first legal test of Washington’s new privacy law—and its outcome could have major implications for data privacy nationwide. 

BLACK MARKET

What's next after Amazon's USPS label error?

A USPS shipping-label glitch recently left some Amazon sellers scratching their heads—and their wallets. According to EcommerceBytes, sellers were charged for USPS labels they didn’t generate.

Now, Amazon says it’s stepping in to fix the problem.

🛑 What happened?

• Between February 24 and 27, sellers who purchased labels through Amazon Buy Shipping and Veeqo noticed the tracking numbers were already used on previous shipments.
• That meant packages showed incorrect tracking info, leading to confusion, frustrated customers, and a potential hit to seller performance metrics.

🔧 Amazon's fix (and what sellers should watch for)

Amazon claims to have rolled out a fix on February 27 and is offering automatic refunds for impacted labels. Here’s what sellers can expect:

• Refunds for affected USPS labels—expect them by March 31.
• Account health protection—Amazon says these orders won’t hurt your metrics.
• A-to-z claim coverage—if you got a claim because of this glitch, Amazon will cover it.

😡 Sellers aren’t thrilled

Many are asking why Amazon didn’t notify buyers when the issue first occurred, leaving them to deal with confused (and sometimes angry) customers. Others wonder how this happened in the first place—and if it could happen again.

If you use Amazon’s Buy Shipping, now’s the time to double-check your account. Make sure you’re getting those refunds and keep an eye on your shipping fees—because every dollar counts.

CASH CORNER

Amazon launches £5M loan program to fuel seller growth

According to FinTech Magazine, Amazon has teamed up with TradeBridge to launch a term financing programme offering UK-based sellers access to loans of up to £5M ($6.3M). 

This initiative aims to provide much-needed capital for marketplace merchants looking to expand.

🤝 How it works

• Eligible sellers will be invited to apply through Amazon’s Seller Central, where TradeBridge will assess applications based on trading history and performance metrics. 
• Sellers can receive decisions within 2 hours, and funds can be used for inventory, marketing, technology, or infrastructure upgrades.

📋 Do you need this?

• Faster access to capital. No more waiting on traditional banks.
• Flexible repayment terms. Align payments with your cash flow.
• No hidden fees. Upfront costs mean no surprises.

Amazon and TradeBridge say this program is designed to remove financial barriers for sellers—but will it be enough to help SMEs scale? 💰