UPS is destroying packages over tariff chaos

Who knew your next delivery driver might be wearing smart glasses?

Amazon’s rolling out Amelia, an AI-driven prototype built to help delivery drivers snap proof-of-delivery shots and streamline routes. 👓

• Profit clarity finally comes to Walmart 👀
• UPS is trashing packages over tariffs 💥
• Time’s up on the discount detox 💸
• Amazon is killing your two-day buffer 🏃‍♂️
• Join our Facebook group for FREE ✨

BLACK MARKET

’Tis the season for giving… unless your package’s final destination is a UPS dumpster. 🗑️

EcommerceBytes reported that new import rules and tariffs have turned UPS hubs into graveyards for seized packages. One Michigan woman’s heirloom wedding sari, passed down from her mother, was even marked for disposal. Wild. 😬

🎢 No more $800 free ride

The culprit? The end of the de minimis exemption, the rule that once let imports under $800 slip into the U.S. duty-free. Now, every package gets the full bag-check treatment.

• Millions at risk. Over 4 million packages a day now need full documentation.
• New rules, new headaches. Sellers must verify every component’s origin, even down to the screws and steel.
• Costs climbing. Tariffs are hiking prices, and guess who’s footing the bill? Yep, U.S. shoppers.

💸 Tariff trouble meets UPS reality

Even UPS admits it’s struggling to keep up. 90% of shipments clear on day one, but missing data is grinding the rest to a halt.

When packages get stuck, UPS gives two options:

• Return to sender, on the shipper’s dime.
• Or abandon it,  and watch it get legally trashed.

U.S. consumers will absorb 55% of tariff costs this year, while businesses eat 22%.

🔍 Read between the tariffs

This holiday season, customs isn’t stealing Christmas, it’s guarding the gates. Nail your paperwork and tariff codes, or your shipment might skip the chimney and head straight for the incinerator. 🔥

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BITES OF THE WEEK

• Smarter, Not Steeper: Klaviyo’s 2025 forecast shows loyalty, AI, and value driving holiday sales.
• Prime in 15: Amazon debuts 15-minute delivery in the UAE for everyday essentials.
• Expanded Packaging Partnership: Sitma and Ricoh strengthen collaboration to deliver automated, end-to-end packaging solutions.
• Reddit Spooky Surge: Reddit engagement soars ahead of Halloween, marketers can tap rising seasonal buzz.

SOCIAL PULSE

The discount detox is officially over

Ecommerce brands have spent years treating discounts like forbidden fruit, but according to Retail Brew, it’s time to take another bite.

True enough, 77% of companies with loyalty programs see them as critical to leadership strategy.

🧩 The loyalty equation

That whole “discount = loss” idea doesn’t really hold up once you look at the numbers.

• Retention wins: 5x cheaper to keep customers than find new ones.
• Engagement pays: Digital perks drive 20% more shopping.
• Personalization works: 62% of brands saw higher sales, 47% stronger loyalty.

A $20 coupon isn’t a sunk cost, it’s data, retention, and goodwill rolled into one. When done right, incentive programs do more than drive sales:

• Feed data pipelines. Every transaction sharpens personalization.
• Drive repeat orders. Rewards turn one-time buyers into regulars.
• Unite teams. Finance, tech, and marketing finally align around measurable ROI.

🎯 Gamify or die trying

When competitors skip incentives, your brand stands out. Rewards act like digital breadcrumbs, every click, review, or reorder brings customers closer to the next purchase.

And the more they engage, the more data you gain, and in today’s market, data beats discounts every time.

SELLER REFRESHER

No more two-day buffer for Amazon sellers

Amazon just pulled one of its boldest fulfillment moves of the year, and FBM sellers are fuming. 

According to Ecommerce News Europe, the platform removed the default two-day handling time on September 30, automatically switching many sellers to one-day or even same-day processing.

👁️ Blink and you’ll miss it

The update dropped without warning, forcing sellers to either ramp up operations or manually reset every SKU in Seller Central.

• Amazon scrapped the 2-day default for 1-day or same-day handling.
• Some sellers say they’re getting auto-upgraded from 1-day to 0-day by October 27.
• A Seller Forum rep says it’s all about “making offers more appealing through faster delivery.”

😖 Handling time, mishandled

Forums flooded as sellers were blindsided by the change.

• Many only learned about the update after it went live, risking late shipment penalties and account health hits.
• Smaller FBM teams say same-day fulfillment could spike labor and warehouse costs just to stay afloat.
• In key markets like Germany and the U.K., sellers see this as part of a bigger trend, Amazon tightening its grip on partner performance.

Sure, shoppers love speed. But for sellers, this move blurs the line between Prime perks and real-world logistics. Amazon’s message is clear: faster fulfillment isn’t just for FBA anymore, it’s the new baseline. 💨