The holiday boycott that could break Amazon’s cheer

[INTRO]

HOT TOPIC

Holiday cheer? Not so fast. Groups, including Black Voters Matter, Indivisible, and Until Freedom, are calling for shoppers to boycott Amazon, Target, and Home Depot this season after what they call a “retreat” from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments.

As USA Today reported, the campaign, fittingly named “We Ain’t Buying It”, aims to show that walking back social pledges has a price tag.

💸 The season of spending… or not

While major retailers are counting on early Black Friday doorbusters to boost slowing sales, activists are urging consumers to skip big-box stores altogether and shop with conscience instead.

Here’s the tension:

• Retailer risk. The push comes just as PwC forecasts a 5% drop in holiday spending, the first decline since 2020.
• Culture war fatigue. Brands like Target and Bud Light have already felt the sting of public boycotts from both sides of the aisle. 
• Mixed loyalty: Many shoppers say they’re torn; eager for deals but wary of where their dollars go. 💸

⚖️ Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

From Target’s scaled-back Pride displays to Cracker Barrel’s “unwoke” logo redesign, retailers are finding that trying to please everyone pleases no one.

Amazon has mostly stayed quiet amid the DEI storm, but silence can be its own statement.

• Monitor brand perception. Consumer activism can sway marketplace performance overnight.
• Diversify channels. Don’t let one retailer’s PR battle drag down your Q4 revenue. 🤑
• Stay authentic. Shoppers are savvy, and performative gestures won’t cut it anymore.

🧨 The boycott heard around the mall

Retailers are playing tug-of-war with America’s conscience, and sellers are caught in the middle. Whether or not this boycott dents Amazon’s bottom line, it’s another reminder that values now share the same shelf space as value.

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BITES OF THE WEEK

• Filter for Fair Trade: India to mandate 'country of origin' filters on e-commerce platforms, promoting transparency and local manufacturing visibility.
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• Paying with Agents: Visa readies for AI-driven “agentic commerce” with tools to secure and streamline autonomous shopping payments.
• Budget at a Glance: Google Ads now summarizes your bidding and budget settings for quick, at-a-glance optimization insights.

AMAZON NEWS

Temu’s worst nightmare just went global

Amazon just took its discount game international. According to Reuters, the retail giant is rolling out Amazon Bazaar, its low-cost e-commerce platform, to 14 new markets. This signals a full-on price war with Shein and Temu. 🛡️

The expansion includes major regions like Hong Kong, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Taiwan, all now able to snag $2 to $10 items shipped straight from Amazon’s global fulfillment network.

💸 What’s in the cart

• Global reach, bargain focus. Originally launched as Amazon Haul in the U.S. and Mexico, Bazaar sells ultra-cheap goods. From $5 accessories to $10 dresses, targeting price-sensitive shoppers worldwide.
• Timing is everything. The move lands just as Trump’s tariff hikes have made low-cost imports harder to find, driving U.S. consumers (and Amazon) to seek affordable options elsewhere. 🔍
• Competitors beware. Temu currently ships to 70 countries and Shein to 160, but Amazon’s infrastructure and trust factor could give Bazaar a serious edge. 🌍
• Long game play. Amazon admits profitability in new regions takes time, but international sales still hit $40.9B last quarter, up 10% year over year.

🛍️ A “haul” lot of strategy

Amazon isn’t just chasing cheap sales; it’s building a global funnel for first-time online shoppers. By launching Bazaar as a standalone app, Amazon can attract younger, price-sensitive consumers without diluting its main marketplace brand.

And let’s be honest, if anyone can make “ultra-budget” feel legit, it’s the company that turned two-day shipping into an expectation.

SELLER REFRESHER

Don’t let Amazon pull the plug on your holiday sales

Amazon’s Seller Forums recently reminded sellers that your Account Health Rating (AHR) might be the difference between a record-breaking Q4 and a sudden account deactivation. 

With holiday traffic ramping up, Amazon wants you to watch your metrics as closely as your inventory levels.

📊 Understanding your AHR score

Your AHR is a color-coded score from 0 to 1,000 that reflects your compliance with Amazon’s selling policies. It factors in the number and severity of your account issues, and how they affect the customer experience.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Score range. 0 to 1,000, showing your account’s overall health status.
• High-risk threshold. Falling below 100 points puts your account at risk of deactivation.
• Losing points. Each new violation detected by Amazon reduces your score. 🪫
• Recovering points. Successfully resolving issues restores lost points within a few hours.
• Performance bonus. Earn +4 points for every 200 orders fulfilled; a reward for consistent, compliant selling.

🎯 Keeping your AHR merry and bright

• Stay on top of it. Check your AHR regularly in your Account Health Dashboard and address notifications immediately.
• Triage by severity. Critical and high-level violations can tank your score fastest, so deal with those first.
• Keep listings clean. Make sure your product detail pages are accurate and compliant; misleading info is a fast track to policy hits.
• Ship quality, not headaches. Defective or incorrect products don’t just hurt reviews; they hurt your account score, too.

🧩 Compliance + consistency = sales

In short, a strong AHR isn’t just a compliance metric, it’s your license to sell during the busiest quarter of the year. Keep it green, keep it clean, and you’ll stay off Santa’s (and Amazon’s) naughty list. 🎅