Top 5 this week

1. Changes to Review Sharing Across Product Variations Starting Feb 12

“Expect visible shifts in star ratings and review counts on many parent/child ASINs, especially where variations differ significantly. Brands that proactively strengthen variation-specific Product Detail Page content and Q&A will be better positioned as shoppers see more granular feedback. This changes how new variants launch: plan for PPC traffic, sampling, and review acquisition per child ASIN where differences are meaningful.” ~Shelby Owens

2. Amazon’s AI Shopping Tool Sparks Backlash from Online Retailers That Didn’t Want Websites Scraped

“Amazon isn’t just “promoting” products — it’s effectively enrolling brands into its marketplace without consent, including those that have deliberately chosen not to sell there. In doing so, it also risks setting Amazon-level expectations around delivery speed, returns, and service that don’t apply, creating friction the brand never agreed to own. And, when the AI misattributes products or surfaces out-of-stock items, the resulting negative experiences are tied back to the brand, not the system that caused them. That kind of reputational damage is hard to undo. Making this opt-out rather than opt-in is particularly troubling. Reminds me of another permissions violation in 2024 when Amazon allowed their drivers access to buyers’ garages with their opt-out Amazon Key service.” ~Chelsea Cohen

3. Walmart Opens Up Ads in Gen AI Shopping Agent Sparky

“Walmart continues to copy Amazon’s Playbook. Rufus? I raise you Sparky. Then AI agent Marty was introduced in July. I’d be interested to see the recommendations Marty is giving advertisers and suppliers. I can see a world where, in a year’s time, Marty and similar recommendations on Amazon cut into the core business of ad agencies. I think all PPC agencies should familiarize themselves with AI-generated suggestions for ads. And even if the recs are not great now, you can bet that they will get better. The next 12 months should be interesting for advertising agencies. ” ~Clayton Atchison

4. Retail News: NRF 2026 and What Recent Tech Advancements Mean for Operations

“As Amazon and Walmart lean more and more into warehouse automation, strengthening forecast accuracy, investing in retail-ready packaging, and partnering with fulfillment providers that support high-velocity automation will help protect service levels and margin as fulfillment expectations tighten. It should be a central theme in your 2026 planning: how you model labor, storage, and advertising ROI should assume a more automated, AI-augmented retail environment.” ~Mak Bidikar

5. Walmart Rolls Out Agentic Advertiser Assistant

“Walmart is touting high engagement with their seller agent. The fact that almost every query is unique is particularly interesting, potentially signalling that sellers are digging for answers they can’t find in the standard reports. It’s a smart leverage of their physical/digital data moat, but I think the real test will be if Marty actually gives useful answers or just hallucinates polite ones. I’m curious to see which specific “unique” workflows actually stick and most importantly if they help sellers effectively advertise their products.” ~Nikko Patten

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🔍 4 Data-Driven Supply Chain Trends That Will Define 2026

We analyzed over 5,200 industry data points, so you can quickly see the insights that matter. Here are 4 key trends driving change:

• AI orchestration: AI-powered supply chain coordination is becoming the baseline
• Omnichannel precision: every channel must deliver with the same accuracy and speed
• Trade rewiring: tariffs and geopolitics are forcing multi-region supply networks
• Adaptive commerce: real-time sensing and response replace static planning everywhere

Explore the data behind each trend to help you stay ahead.

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🎙 Amazon Inventory Forecasting, Profit Planning & Stock Management Explained

Managing Amazon inventory without clear forecasting often leads to the same problems: stockouts, overstocking, rising storage fees, aged inventory charges, and profit erosion that sellers only notice after the damage is done. That’s exactly the problem SoStocked was built to solve. Chelsea Cohen recently joined a discussion on how SoStocked’s Amazon inventory forecasting and management solution helps sellers plan inventory smarter, avoid costly mistakes, and understand the true impact of inventory decisions on profitability.

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