We can’t promise peace of mind, but we can deliver this week’s juiciest seller updates.
- Zero fees, big opportunity on Walmart 💰
- TikTok reset has begun ⚡
- The great seller slowdown hits Amazon 🛒
- Cost pressure hits Amazon hard 💸
SOCIAL PULSE
After years of will-they-won’t-they drama, TikTok finally caught a break.
ByteDance has signed a majority U.S.-owned joint venture that keeps the app live for more than 200M U.S. users, and, for now, off the chopping block.
🍪 Quick bits
- Ownership reset: U.S. and global investors hold 80.1%, ByteDance retains 19.9%
- Lead investors: Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX at 15% each
- Security shift:
- U.S. user data and algorithms retained domestically
- Recommendation system trained and tested on U.S. data
- Algorithm housed in Oracle’s U.S. cloud
- Control split:
- The venture oversees tech, data, and security
- ByteDance keeps ad sales and ecommerce revenue
- Political backing: Deal approved with public support from Trump and Chinese leadership
💬 SellerBites’ take
This deal doesn’t “save” TikTok, it buys it time.
For marketers, it’s a signal that TikTok is entering its “regulated growth” era. When algorithms come under domestic oversight, volatility usually drops… and so does free, chaotic reach.
Stress-test paid performance before the algorithm fully matures.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- QuickBooks in Seller Central: Amazon sellers can now track finances, sales, and inventory directly in Seller Central using QuickBooks Online.
- Saks Bankruptcy Impact: Saks Global bankruptcy prioritizes large brands, leaving smaller vendors’ payments uncertain amid restructuring efforts.
- Smarter Dash Carts: Amazon’s updated Dash Cart adds payment options, larger capacity, and interactive features for easier grocery shopping.
- Content with Love: Brands across industries can boost Valentine’s 2026 sales with authentic, creator-led campaigns that resonate emotionally.
BLACK MARKET
Amazon adds fewest new sellers in a decade
In 2025, Amazon added just 165,000 new sellers, the lowest in a decade and down 44% YoY, signaling a clear shift away from beginners and toward serious operators.
Starting on Amazon isn’t getting easier. It’s getting filtered.
🍪 Quick bits
- Why sellers are pulling back:
- Rising fees as Amazon pushes paid services
- Ads shifting from optional to mandatory
- Tariffs squeezing U.S. sellers
- AI raising execution standards
- Margins getting crushed
- Active seller count declined from 2.4M in 2021 to 1.65M in 2025.
- Marketplace growth continues:
- $305B U.S. third-party GMV and $575B globally
- Traffic per active seller up 31% since 2021
- Over 100K sellers now earn more than $1M annually, and 235 surpass $100M
💬 SellerBites’ take
Amazon isn’t shrinking, it’s intentionally concentrating power. Fewer sellers, more traffic, higher expectations.
For operators who can manage ads, pricing, and supply chains, this is a tailwind. For everyone else, Amazon is quietly raising the bar until they drop out.
AMAZON NEWS
Tariffs start hitting Amazon prices
Amazon sellers are feeling it: some products are already creeping up in price. After months of stocking up to ride out tariffs, that safety net is fading, and costs are hitting in real time.
🍪 Quick bits
- Why only now: Sellers stocked up ahead of last spring’s rollout; cushion ran out by fall
- Seller choices: Pass costs to shoppers, absorb margin hits, or split the difference
- Possible impacts:
- Higher landed costs means tighter margins
- Price increases or reduced ad spend
- Wider pricing gaps between U.S. and overseas sellers
- Amazon stance: Overall prices “within normal fluctuations,” but some ASINs affected
- Not just Amazon: Walmart, Target, and Home Depot are also warning of price hikes
💬 SellerBites’ take
Tariffs aren’t a temporary shock, they’re the new baseline for pricing. Sellers should stress-test margins, update pricing strategies, and plan for 2026 volatility.
Split inventory between domestic and international fulfillment, monitor competitors’ pricing, and clearly explain any price increases to customers.
