Amazon pulled its billions out of Google’s ad machine

Jeff Bezos had a big month—personally and financially. 

Not only did he tie the knot with Lauren Sanchez, but he also cashed out over $5.7 billion in Amazon stock… including a cool $735 million on his wedding day. 💍💰 

Now that’s what you call multitasking.

• Amazon exits Google Shopping ads 🛑
• Prime Day 2025 hints at what’s coming this holidays 🎁
• 4 ways to prep for the holiday chaos (and win) 💡
• Sign up for Walmart Insiders to get one growth hack every week. 🛒

HOT TOPIC

Amazon quietly dipped out of Google Shopping ads—no Product Listing Ads, no Merchant Center data, no trace. 

Search Engine Land reported that this wasn’t just a U.S. move, it hit 20 Amazon domains around the globe. No press release, no warning. Just... poof.

🔥 A “colossal” exit

Mike Ryan of Smarter Ecommerce called the move “colossal,” with ripple effects across the digital ad ecosystem. 

• Google loses a top spender. 
• Retailers lose auction competition. 
• The rest of us might finally get a little breathing room.

Here’s what Amazon’s sudden exit really means:

• No more Amazon bidding up CPCs
• No more Amazon dominating Shopping placements
• No more free ride into the Amazon funnel for third-party brands

🎯 Fewer bidders = More wins 

Amazon was a top-tier ad bidder, inflating costs and soaking up clicks. Now that they’re gone:

• CPCs might drop (finally)
• Impression share could increase
• You can test new campaigns without Amazon hogging the spotlight

It’s like the biggest player rage-quit mid-match. Bad news if you relied on Amazon’s ads to do the heavy lifting. 

😮 Advertisers are still in shock

Some think this is just a post–Prime Day cooldown. Others suspect it’s part of a larger strategy shift—maybe involving AI, cost-cutting, or redirecting spend to Amazon’s own ad stack. 

Truth is, Amazon isn’t saying much. 🤐

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BIG IDEA

What Prime Day 2025 stats say about Holiday 2025

According to Forbes, the drama kicked off when Momentum Commerce reported a 41% drop in Day 1 sales vs. last year. Amazon clapped back, calling the report “highly inaccurate.” 

Still, the story stuck—and Amazon’s vague, stat-free recap didn’t help.

👀 The real stats behind the spin

Here’s what the data actually shows:

• Web traffic was down: Amazon’s daily site visits dropped 15%, and app usage fell 9% compared to 2024.
• Sales rose modestly: Final tally shows just 4.9% growth year-over-year—far below their 9.1% forecast.
• Shoppers showed up ready to spend: 43% of shoppers spent more than last year, and nearly half made a purchase.
• $24.1B in U.S. online sales: Adobe says the overall four-day event crushed projections by 30% YoY.

🔮 What this says about Holiday 2025

Prime Day is increasingly a crystal ball for Q4. So what’s it showing us?

• Likely outcome: +2.5% to 3% retail growth
• Best-case scenario: +3.5% if inflation chills
• Worst-case: –2.5% if tariffs spike and sentiment tanks

Right now, retail’s still holding strong, up 3.6% through June and outpacing inflation. 

But with prices creeping up (2.7% in June) and supply chains acting “lumpy,”  retailers may be flying into Q4 with some turbulence.

SELLER REFRESHER

4 strategies to survive the holiday rush

The DTC boom is real, and the holidays won’t cut it any slack. According to Retail Dive, nearly 75% of retail leaders reported a spike in DTC sales this year, expecting 10–25% YoY growth.

Here’s how to gear up for the upcoming seasonal rush:

• Real-time inventory or real trouble. 60% of retail leaders are investing in smarter inventory systems to avoid stockouts and chaos during the busiest time of year. 📦
• Delivery options are a must, not a bonus. Today’s shopper expects control. Think BOPIS, same-day, or scheduled drop-offs, and 42% of brands are adapting accordingly. 🚚
• Green shipping is a competitive edge. One in three shoppers will pay more for sustainable delivery. So if your packaging still screams “landfill,” you might be losing eco-minded customers. ♻️
• Let AI do the heavy lifting. 46% of retail leaders are betting on AI to optimize orders, manage demand, and keep fulfillment lean. It’s not about hype, it’s about handling scale without face-planting. 🤖

DTC is growing fast, and Q4 won’t wait for your systems to catch up. The brands that win will track inventory in real time, ship smarter, offer flexible delivery—and let AI steer the ship. 

Everyone else? Good luck out there.