fbpx

When your biggest market becomes your biggest risk

Posted on by SellerBites

Amazon is now smiling a bit wider.

After 20 years, the retail giant is giving its iconic smile logo a fresh, thoughtful makeover. It has refreshed its brand identity with a warmer, more empathetic smile, a custom typeface, and a unified color palette—all crafted to better reflect its mission to delight customers around the globe.

Some aren’t smiling, though…

  • Sellers face major sales cuts
  • Save more, sell bigger with Walmart
  • Amazon’s top marketing strategies
  • New feature puts restock timing in your hands

TRENDING TOPIC

Tariffs are starting to hurt where it matters most: sales.

Canadian brand XXL Scrunchie & Co. took to TikTok to reveal what many sellers are silently grappling with: U.S. tariffs are tanking sales. Hard. 

With the bulk of their customers coming from the U.S.,  the pressure is on to pivot—or potentially shut down. And they’re not alone.

🧨 Here’s what’s happening:

  • The U.S. market is slipping away
    • In 2023, 47% of XXL Scrunchie & Co’s sales came from U.S. customers. For Cozy N’ Hungry, it was 57%. Losing that market isn’t just a setback—it’s a threat to survival
    • Sol Kyst Sunglasses is already down a jaw-dropping 72%.
  • Advent calendar dreams, derailed

🪫 Decisions no one wants to make

The team’s weighing some tough options:

  1. Email every U.S. customer about tariff-related products.
  2. Limit U.S. sales to tariff-free items (a route other brands are starting to take).
  3. Add a clear tariff warning at checkout and hope for the best.

The community is stepping up with creative fixes:

  • Tariff workaround. Reclassify products as “unfinished” and complete them in the U.S.
  • Evergreen strategy. Remove the year from seasonal products so they stay evergreen.
  • Local branding. Shift focus to local markets and lean into the “Made in Canada” story.

Bottom line: sellers are navigating this storm together. If you’re facing the same squeeze, know you’re not alone—and there are ways forward.

Watch the full clip here:

@xxl.scrunchie

Posting this feels scary, but I’ve always promised to be honest about both the wins and the challenges. This is one of the hardest challenges — because for the first time, the future of XXL feels uncertain and at risk. Right now, I’m navigating something I never thought I’d have to deal with: U.S. tariffs.
⁠
I’ve been avoiding talking about it—hoping it would pass, that our packages wouldn’t get flagged, and that we’d somehow slip under the radar. But it’s here, and it’s affecting us.⁠
⁠
Our shipments going to our U.S. customers are being opened, inspected, and some have held because our hair claws are manufactured in China. And because of that, it would require customers to pay 125% of their order total. That’s not a typo—if you paid $20 for a clip, you would get charged over $25 in tariffs just to receive it if you’re from the U.S.
⁠ 🚨Important note for our U.S. customers: We will be reaching out to you before shipping if your order includes an item that could trigger a tariff. We will never ship anything that could result in unexpected fees without first getting your clear consent and approval!! 
Now for the honest part:⁠
• I’ve been living in denial because it felt too overwhelming⁠
• 47% of our orders last year came from the U.S.⁠ so this is a big deal 
• I’m scared we’ll lose our U.S. customer base⁠
• I don’t know if we’ll be able to ship hair claws to the U.S. anymore⁠ (who would want to pay the 125%!!)
• I’m stressed because I have plans for the future of XXL
• We’ve spent months prepping for our biggest holiday season yet, and I’m scared it’ll flop⁠
⁠
This is new territory for me and XXL, and we want to be as transparent and respectful as possible.⁠ Right now I have no clue how to navigate, what to do, and I don’t see it being a positive if tariffs continue.
⁠
⁠If you have any questions about the tariffs please email us at:📩 [email protected]⁠ (DMs can get super chaotic for us, and we want to make sure you’re taken care of properly.)⁠ ⁠ ⁠Thank you for your continued support, for being kind in the unknown, and for sticking with us as we figure this out. 🖤⁠ – Tina, Founder XXL & CO⁠ ⁠ #smallbusinesscanada #smallbusinessowner #SmallBusinessLife #reality #BehindTheScenes #smallbusiness #smallbusinesslife #tariffs #canadiansmallbusiness #ustariffs #transparency #honestbusiness #realtalk #entrepreneurjourney

♬ Piano Emotional – Raw Vibrations

TOGETHER WITH WALMART MARKETPLACE

Walmart now lets you save big and sell bigger

NexGrill, an outdoor cooking and heating brand that joined Walmart Marketplace in 2022. With access to millions of customers, zero monthly fees, and powerful eCommerce tools, they grew from a small startup to a global brand in just two years. Today, they’re a Pro Seller with nearly triple the SKUs and a 200% YOY revenue increase. 

Now’s your chance to follow their lead, and as a new seller you’re eligible to save up to $75,000 in New-Seller Savings, Walmart’s incentive program going on now.  

It’s their biggest offer ever and includes: 

  • Up to 75% off base referral fees*  
  • Up to 50% off storage fees and 25% off fulfillment fees** (a $2K value)  
  • $1K in advertising credits with Walmart Connect*** 

Don’t wait—New Seller Savings runs through January 31, 2026, but the sooner you start, the more you can save. List your products now and make this your biggest summer yet. 

*Conditions apply.

Join Walmart Marketplace today

BITES OF THE WEEK

BIG IDEA

Amazon’s top 5 marketing moves you need to try today

Every brand is fighting for clicks, carts, and customer loyalty. So, how do you cut through the chaos and actually move the needle?

Amazon listed 5 marketing strategies that are working right now—and how you can make them work for your business.

  • Content marketing. No one wants another “top 10 reasons to love our product” blog post. What do customers want? Real answers to real problems.
    • Write content that solves customer pain points (think: FAQs turned into blogs).
    • Make product pages more than just specs, optimize for search and for humans.
    • Tip: Don’t skip technical SEO. If your website loads like it’s 2008, Google won’t be your friend.
  • Social media marketing. If your Instagram looks like a stock photo graveyard, it’s time for a glow-up.
    • Feature real customers and UGC, it builds trust and feels relatable.
    • Shoppable posts = fewer clicks between “like” and “buy.”
    • Tip: Paid social still works, just get hyper-targeted and test creative like crazy.
  • Influencer marketing. No need to drop five figures on an A-lister. Micro-influencers often bring better engagement and real influence.
    • Find creators who actually use your type of product.
    • Skip the scripts, authenticity converts.
    • Tip: Try co-hosting a live shopping event—it’s fun, fast, and converts surprisingly well.
  • Video marketing. Attention spans are short, but video holds it together.
    • Demos, unboxings, and before/afters sell better than static images.
    • Behind-the-scenes content builds brand connection.
    • Tip: Short-form (Reels, TikToks, Shorts) = big reach, low budget.
  • AI & personalization. You’ve got data. AI knows how to use it. Don’t sleep on this.
    • Product recommendations powered by AI = more upsells, fewer cart abandonment.
    • Chatbots? Yes, if they’re smart.
    • Tip: Use predictive analytics to stock smarter and market sharper.

In 2025, it’s all about showing up where your customers are—with value, personality, and smart tools behind the scenes. Market like a human, scale like a machine.

Just remember: algorithms change, trends fade, but great marketing? That sticks.

ACTIONABLE ADVICE

Amazon now lets you call the shots on restocks

Amazon just gave sellers more say in how inventory moves from AWD to FBA. You can now set minimum and maximum thresholds for each SKU—so restocking happens on your terms, not just Amazon’s forecast.

⚠️ Here’s how it works:

🛠 How to turn it on:

  1. Go to Inventory > Warehousing and Distribution (AWD)
  2. Click View inventory or Move inventory
  3. Select your SKUs
  4. In the FBA replenishment column, choose Auto-replenishment
  5. Set your min/max thresholds
  6. Monitor and adjust as needed

❗ Heads-up for sellers

If you set a minimum threshold, your SKUs won’t qualify for storage utilization surcharge or long-term storage fee waivers for 90 days. 

You’ve got full control—and full responsibility—for inventory levels and costs.