Millions of Amazon users just got hit with a warning—and no, it’s not about late packages.
A new wave of scam texts has surged 5000%, targeting refunds, orders, and your login info. If it looks like Amazon and smells like urgency, delete it.
- Target ends price matching with Amazon and Walmart 🛑
- Score big with Walmart’s new-seller perks 📦
- Amazon pricing stalls Temu’s US comeback 🚧
- Fix your leaky budget with 3 smart moves 💡
- Get Looped In and take the chaos out of ecommerce accounting. ✉️
TRENDING TOPIC
After 12 years of letting shoppers score Amazon and Walmart deals at checkout, Target has officially axed its price match policy.
According to ABC News, the “Price Match Guarantee” no longer covers other retailers as of this week—and yeah, the timing’s a little sus.
🆕 So, what does the new policy cover?
Target will now only honor price matches within its own ecosystem. That means:
- The product must be the exact same Target SKU (model, size, color—you get it)
- The item must’ve been purchased within the past 14 days
- The lower price has to come from Target.com or a local Target store—not Amazon, not Walmart, not even Best Buy
So... it’s less a perk now, more a technicality.
💲 Why ditch price matching?
Target’s official line: “Guests overwhelmingly price match Target and not other retailers.”
Which sounds nice, until you check the Q1 books.
Here’s the tale of two retailers:
- Target: Revenue dipped to $23.8B, down from $24.5B in Q1 last year 🔻
- Walmart: Cruising with +4.5% U.S. sales growth and a +21% spike in e-commerce
Analysts point to a storm of pressure building behind the scenes, including shoppers pulling back on non-essentials and backlash over Target scaling back its DEI efforts.
So, let’s just say Target’s in belt-tightening mode, and goodwill policies are the first to go. 👋
TOGETHER WITH WALMART MARKETPLACE
Walmart’s New-Seller Savings helped Senville grow their bottom line
One of the goals for top-performing HVAC company Senville was to boost trust in their brand, and since Walmart is one of the world’s most trusted brands, their next step was clear. “You have to be on Walmart Marketplace if you want to be considered an eCommerce brand that’s successful,” said Fawzi Karout, a digital marketing consultant at Senville.
This year’s New-Seller Savings is happening now and bigger than ever. New sellers can get up to $75K in incentives, including up to 75% off on base referral fees*.
*Offer subject to eligibility criteria, promotional savings will vary by seller. See full terms and conditions for offer details.
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Updated Policies: ICYMI, updates on Seller Fulfilled Prime and Premium Shipping program policies, effective June 29, 2025.
- Going Up, Up, UP: Even China-founded online retailer Shein, known for its affordability, is raising prices.
- Bags Over Boxes: USPS offers free "Return Bags" to return items without additional packaging, fees, or consolidation.
- Reddit Rates: DYK you can measure organic engagement on Reddit and analyze its business value?
BLACK MARKET
Amazon's price power blocks Temu's US comeback
Temu’s plan to rebuild its US business just hit a wall shaped like Amazon’s pricing dominance.
According to the Financial Times, U.S. suppliers are flat-out refusing to offer the China-based platform cheaper prices than what they already give Amazon.
🪤 Stuck in the Buy Box trap
Temu’s big idea: rebuild its U.S. business using local suppliers, especially after losing its duty-free import advantage. But sellers aren’t biting, and here’s why:
- Listing products cheaper on Temu could trigger Amazon’s auto-matching
- That risks losing the Buy Box, which powers the bulk of Amazon sales
- If prices drop, Amazon might force sellers to eat the difference—ouch
⚖️ Fair competition… in theory
Temu insists it supports “fair and open competition.”
Sure, its lower fees and seller perks sound nice—but the real dealbreaker is control: Temu sets the final price.
And let’s not forget—Amazon controls both the pricing floor and ceiling, penalizing anyone who strays. Most brands won’t risk cannibalizing their Amazon sales just to test a new channel.
CASH CORNER
3 strategies to fix your leaky marketing spend
If your marketing budget feels more like a money pit than a growth engine, MarTech has some sharp strategies to fix the leaks and start spending where it counts.
⌛ Relying on old data
Still basing your spend on last year’s budget or some made-up percentage of revenue? That’s how zombie channels stay alive and high-potential ones never get a shot.
How to spend smarter:
- Review and adjust budgets quarterly, not yearly
- Create multiple budget scenarios to prep for market shifts
💸 Overspending on untested trends
New doesn’t mean better. If you’re dumping dollars into hot new platforms without proof they work for your audience, expect disappointment.
How to spend smarter:
- Start with a pilot budget and clear KPIs
- Use multi-touch attribution to understand impact
⚒️ Neglecting your marketing tech
You can’t build performance on a broken backend. If your CRM is clunky or your analytics are 10 dashboards deep with no insight, you’re setting your team up to fail.
How to spend smarter:
- Invest in tools that improve efficiency and personalization
- Tie every tech expense to real ROI—not buzzwords
🧠 Work smarter, not harder
Your budget isn’t broken—it’s just stuck in bad habits. Use smarter data, better tools, and strategic testing to make every dollar count.
