The Retail Round-Up - “You Complete Me” - Episode 386

Welcome to The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast, brought to you by Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplace Services, and Jordan Ripley, Director of Retail Operations.

It’s time for another episode of the Retail Round-Up, March edition!

From a new fee structure on promotions to a longer Prime Day event and expanded advertising capabilities, these updates could reshape how brands approach pricing, marketing, and overall strategy.

Joining us today are resident experts Ross Walker, Director of Retail Media at Acadia, and Armin Alipahic, Operations Team Lead.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, Ross, and Armin discuss:

• Amazon’s New Fee Structure for Deals & Coupons – Amazon is introducing performance-based fees for Lightning Deals, Best Deals, Coupons, and Prime Exclusive Discounts starting June 2nd. These changes could significantly impact brands’ profitability, particularly ahead of Prime Day.

• Prime Day Extended to Four Days – Amazon quietly announced that Prime Day 2025 will be a four-day event, giving brands more time to compete but also raising concerns about increased promotional spending.

• Amazon’s Push Into TV Advertising – The launch of Complete TV aims to streamline TV ad buying, including both linear and streaming placements. This move aligns with Amazon’s broader strategy to dominate the traditional TV advertising space.

• Search Query Performance (SQP) API Launch – Amazon is making SQP reports available via API, allowing brands and tech providers to automate and integrate search data more efficiently. This could be a game-changer for search optimization and ad performance tracking.

• Steeper Discounts for Better Visibility – Amazon is incentivizing brands to offer discounts of 40% or more by promising additional deal placements, though the specifics remain unclear. However, higher promotional costs may make deep discounting unsustainable for many brands.