We’re sorry the calm of your weekend didn’t last long. Mondays have a way of pulling us right back into the hustle, don’t they?
Grab your coffee, and let’s get into it.
- Small businesses absorb a $71B tariff storm 🌪️
- Want the hacks agencies don’t usually share? 👀
- Shopper clicks from generative AI spike 4,700% 🔗
- Tiny influencers, giant results 🎯
- Get Looped In and take the chaos out of ecommerce accounting ✉️
- We’ll link your newsletter for FREE. Send your applications here. 🤝
TRENDING TOPIC
According to CNBC, the U.S. officially scrapped the de minimis exemption, the rule that let goods under $800 sneak into the U.S. duty-free.
Tariffs now hit everything, big or small. This could cost small and mid-sized businesses over $71 billion. Yikes.
💸 No more free rides
As of midnight, 92% of U.S. cargo shipments—around 4 million packages a day—are now subject to duties.
- Every low-value import is now taxed.
- Postal carriers (like USPS or Royal Mail) must collect duties and send them to U.S. Customs.
- Swiss Post, Japan Post, Australia Post, and even DHL Germany have already suspended U.S.-bound shipments.
- Two options:
- Ad valorem tariffs: The tariff rate depends on the total value of the goods.
- Flat per-package fees: $80, $160, or $200 depending on the country’s tariff rate.
Note: The flat fee will stop after 6 months (transition period).
📦 Big players vs. small hustlers
Many small businesses don’t even know what’s coming, and they’ll be caught off guard. Large companies can reroute and absorb costs—but small sellers can’t.
Thin margins mean higher prices, slower delivery, or, worst case, businesses folding.
TOGETHER WITH SELLER ALLIANCE
The Amazon Resources Agencies Use—Now Available to You
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From listing optimization to ad strategy to operations—no fluff, no recycled content, and no wasted time trying to piece it together yourself.
It’s not a course. It’s not a community full of noise.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- Costco Also: Costco is finally on board the AI train, using it to streamline warehouse operations.
- Furniture Fees: Even furniture isn't safe from Trump's tariffs, with potential levies in the next 50 days.
- Prime Review: Before the upcoming Prime Big Deal Days arrive, here's a throwback to Prime Day history.
- Accelerate Your Network: Expand your ecommerce connections at the upcoming Amazon Accelerate, happening September 16-18, 2025.
TECH MARKETING
Gen-AI drives 4,700% surge in retail traffic
Generative AI isn’t just writing poems, it’s sending shoppers straight to checkout pages. Retail Brew reported that traffic from AI-powered links to U.S. retail sites spiked 4,700% in July.
🔑 What the numbers say
The growth isn’t just big, it’s reshaping how people shop online. Here’s the snapshot:
- Massive growth: Gen AI traffic surged +1,300% YoY during the 2024 holidays, +1,100% in January 2025, +3,100% in April, and hit +4,700% in July.
- Consumer trust: Over 90% of users say they trust AI-generated shopping links.
- Engagement boost: Visitors from AI spend 32% more time, view 10% more pages, and bounce 27% less.
- Conversion gap: AI-driven shoppers were 49% less likely to convert in January, but that gap has narrowed to 23% in July.
🖼 The bigger picture
For sellers, this isn’t just about clicks—it’s about a new shopping funnel.
AI isn’t replacing search; it’s reshaping it. With trust rising and conversions improving, optimizing your listings for AI discoverability may soon matter as much as SEO.
SOCIAL PULSE
Why micro influencers drive bigger results
Not every influencer needs millions of followers to move the needle.
According to SproutSocial, micro-influencers (10,000–100,000 followers) aren’t household names like MrBeast, but they’ve built tight-knit, highly engaged niche communities.
🌟 Small and mighty
Here’s why these creators punch above their weight for sellers:
- Cost-effective reach. More budget-friendly than big-name influencers, averaging $10–$20 per 1,000 followers.
- Higher engagement. Instagram micro-influencers average 0.99% engagement—the highest of any tier.
- Tip: Smaller audiences mean more meaningful likes, comments, and shares. 😉
- Niche targeting. Micro-influencers dominate niche communities, putting your product in front of the right people.
- Trust and authenticity. Their relatable content builds credibility, and consumers rank authenticity and shared values as the top qualities they want—even in sponsored posts.
At the end of the day, micro-influencers prove you don’t need millions of followers to make millions of impressions.
For sellers, they’re the sweet spot between affordability, authenticity, and actual results—small and mighty in all the right ways.
