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Walmart bans unauthorized sellers from beauty category

Posted on by SellerBites

Amazon just dropped the speaker lineup for Accelerate 2025, and it’s packed with top execs ready to share what’s next for sellers.

Looks like this year’s conference is shaping up to be a must-attend. 

Oh, and that early bird discount? It’s ending soon. 👀

  • Walmart bans unauthorized sellers in beauty 🚫
  • Don’t miss Walmart’s massive New-Seller Savings 💰
  • Shein & Temu flood EU with unsafe products ⚠️
  • Amazon cuts single-use plastic by 28% 🌍
  • Sign up for Walmart Insiders to get one growth hack every week. 🛒

TRENDING TOPIC

Walmart’s not just dipping a toe into brand protection, it’s cannonballing in. 

According to PYMNTS, the retail giant just locked down its Beauty & Personal Care category, restricting listings to brand owners and authorized distributors only. 

🛒 Shaping a better marketplace

That’s what Walmart is calling this bold move. Here’s what the initiative includes:

  • Vetting sellers before onboarding, with identity and business verification
  • Category-level listing restrictions
  • Clear rules plus swift enforcement—like automatic takedowns of violators
  • Tools for brands to flag shady listings directly

🔍 Amazon déjà vu or wake-up call?

Sure, Amazon has its Brand Registry, seller verifications, and even lawsuits against counterfeiters.

But where Amazon polices listings after things go south, Walmart’s doing it before listings even go live. That’s a big shift in control.

“This is what Amazon should’ve done years ago,” said Brandon Fishman, CEO of Prime Team Agency.

💥Not just about Walmart vs. Amazon

It’s about trust. Walmart’s strategy could give brand owners a safer space to sell, without competing against a flood of dupes and price-slashers.

Right now, the policy only applies to Beauty & Personal Care. But if Walmart’s crackdown expands into high-risk categories, sellers on both platforms might feel the ripple effects.

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BITES OF THE WEEK

BLACK MARKET

Shein and Temu are pouring unsafe products into the EU

According to The Guardian, the EU’s top justice official is “shocked” after a secret shopper operation uncovered a slew of dangerous, illegal products being sold on Shein and Temu.

All legally sold—until now.

🚨 Dangerous goods, zero oversight

The investigation found products breaking EU safety laws left and right, including:

  • Kids’ clothing with tripping risks
  • Sunglasses without UV protection
  • Cosmetics laced with Lilial, a banned substance linked to reproductive harm.

Yet most of these items are slipping into the EU completely unchecked. Why? Because 12M low-value packagesflood into the EU daily, meaning no import taxes or detailed inspections.

💸 Big moves on the table

Commissioner Michael McGrath isn’t just worried about public health—he’s calling out unfair competition. European sellers are paying to follow the rules. Chinese platforms? Not so much.

Here’s what the EU is seriously considering:

  • Scrapping the €150 duty-free limit so all imports get taxed and checked
  • Adding a handling fee to every parcel to fund stronger enforcement
  • Building an EU-wide customs authority to deal with the sheer volume

Both platforms say they’re stepping up compliance (Shein claims $15M invested in testing), but with thousands of Safety Gate alerts pouring in—cosmetics, toys, apparel—the EU’s patience is wearing thin. ⚠️

AMAZON NEWS

Amazon has cut single-use plastic by 28%

Packaging Dive reported that Amazon’s single-use plastic use in North America dropped 28% last year, with only 37% of shipments now including plastic packaging—down from 65% in 2023.

Over half of Amazon’s fulfillment centers have fully ditched plastic.

But then… 

📦 Less plastic, same old boxes

Despite the dip in plastic, overall packaging formats haven’t changed much.

Cardboard is still the go-to, and the company’s “Ships in Product Packaging” (SIPP) initiative—the one that eliminates unnecessary boxes—has stalled at a measly 13% adoption rate.

Yes, Amazon says it’s encouraging sellers to join the SIPP program, especially now that it’s open to FBA sellers in North America and Europe. 

But so far, it’s more talk than traction.

♻️ Where Amazon is making moves

Some legit efforts worth noting:

  • A partnership with SC Johnson slashed packaging volume for Method body wash by 63%
  • Plastic pillows replaced with paper filler across U.S. operations
  • A recyclable bubble mailer developed with Mondi in Europe
    Collabs with Shorr Packaging and Pregis to clean up the supply chain

Still, cardboard’s the reigning champ, and real transformation across Amazon’s massive logistics network is crawling—not sprinting. 🐌