Billion Dollar Sellers

The Shelf is Dead : Prime Day down 41%

July 10th, 2025Summary: Kevin King discusses Prime Day 2025's shocking 41% sales drop, AI's disruption of traditional commerce, the end of the de minimis exemption, TikTok's new M2 app for the US, and strategies for winning in the AI-driven discovery era.
Key Points Discussed:
Prime Day 2025 sales appear down 41% year-over-year according to Momentum Commerce
AI-driven shopping traffic up 3,200% as consumers shift to GenAI tools
Discovery has moved upstream - brands filtered out before shoppers reach Amazon
Strategies for AI optimization and off-Amazon touchpoints
De minimis exemption ending July 1, 2027 for all countries
TikTok's secret M2 app launching September 5th, 2025 for US users
CrossNet's retail expansion lessons and live session announcement
GPT-5 expected features and capabilities
The shelf is dead - demand is the new battlefield
SmartScout Amazon market intelligence tool
Links Mentioned:
Reserve Your Spot for CrossNet Live Session
SmartScout - Special Offer for BDSN Readers: Get 25% Off 6-Months with Coupon BDSSKK
AI Visibility Layer Analyzer
Everything We Know About GPT-5 So Far
AI for ECOM Toolbox Resource
Destaney Wishon LinkedIn Post
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Billion Dollar Sellers Media
Hot Picks:
OpenAI enables creation of Shopify AI agent assistants
Amazon prohibits frequently returned ASINs from being in deals
Over 120,000 fake Amazon websites emerged before Prime Day
The top skill in AI is not prompting, it's context engineering
Walmart releases 2025 seller playbook
Why high ACOS is not always your problem - how to fix
Stump Bezos Answer: U.S. social commerce will hit $114.70 billion in 2025.
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Amazon lets you get reviews before launching

Date: July 7th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses Prime Day strategy and prep, Amazon's traffic hijacking tactics, new Vine pre-launch reviews, AI's impact on SEO citations, Helium 10's affiliate changes, and Fakespot's shutdown.
 
Key Points Discussed:
Prime Day 2025 expanded to 4 days (July 8-11) with competitor events overlapping
Sponsored Products dominated 86% of Prime Day 2024 sales - focus there over DSP
Amazon bidding on competitor brand terms during Prime Day to hijack traffic
New Vine program allows up to 30 reviews before product launch
Google AI Overviews cite Reddit (21%), YouTube (19%), Quora (14%) - not brand sites
Helium 10 changing affiliate structure from lifetime commissions to upfront payments
Fakespot fake review detector shut down July 1st after Mozilla acquisition
Tariff deferment strategies and direct shipping solutions
Links Mentioned:
Live AI webinar registration (July 10th)
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Prime Day 2025 PPC Bootcamp | SSP #676
Helium 10's Prime Day checklist
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Portless tariff deferment solution
Stack Influence micro-influencer case study
#393 - Combating Fake Reviews in the World of E-Commerce with Ming Ooi
Hot Picks:
Despite tariffs, Amazon has not seen prices appreciably go up
TikTok's second round of massive layoffs reveals toxic culture in USA
Brands turn to tariff engineering to avoid higher import taxes
Stump Bezos Answer: Google AI Overviews cite Reddit most - 21% of the time
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com
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Will Amazon take away your PPC targeting control?

July 3, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses the shift toward AI-controlled advertising platforms, explores TikTok's removal of manual ad campaigns, Meta's plan for full automation by 2026, and analyzes whether Amazon will follow suit with PPC targeting control. Also covers Amazon's new reimbursement policy issues and rollout of two-part title structures.
Key Points Discussed:
TikTok's elimination of manual ad campaign types in favor of GMV Max only
Meta's roadmap to fully automate ad creation and targeting by 2026
Amazon's increasing reliance on AI across sponsored products and targeting
Industry speculation about Amazon's potential move to algorithmic control
Amazon's problematic FBA reimbursement policy reversals for found inventory
Amazon's continued rollout of two-part title structures across categories
Mike McClary's induction into the BDSS Dream 100
Launch of the Billion Dollar Sellers Content Library
Links Mentioned:
Billion Dollar Sellers Content Library
CrossNet Retail Expansion Session - July 17, 2025
Google Ads Expert Video - John Moran
Million Dollar Amazon PPC Launch Walkthrough
AM-PM Podcast Episode with Mike McClary
Apply for CMS Three - Cigars & Whiskey by the Sea
Mike McClary's Amazon Success Guide
Prem Gupta on Amazon's two-part titles
Amazon FBA reimbursement policy issues
Hot Picks:
US & Vietnam reach trade deal - 20% tariff on Vietnamese imports
Why you should NOT hire an Amazon PPC agency
Trump says he has group of wealthy individuals ready to buy TikTok
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Stump Bezos Answer: Japan is the 17th market for TikTok Shop
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com

Why 84% of social media brand videos fail

Date: June 30th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses why most social media brand videos are failing, Amazon's proactive reimbursement tactics, AI shopping agents threatening traditional retailers, and strategic approaches to social commerce. Plus insights on Amazon FAQ optimization and creator marketing strategies.
Key Points Discussed:
Why 84% of branded TikTok videos fail and how to fix them
Obvi's 7-step UGC flywheel for TikTok Shop success
ByteDance's leadership overhaul and China's influence on TikTok Shop
Amazon's proactive reimbursement program hidden costs
AI shopping agents as the next threat to Amazon and Walmart
How Amazon FAQs are "clicked into existence" by user behavior
Stack Influence platform for micro-influencer collaborations
Andrew Bell's insights on Rufus and conversion optimization
Links Mentioned:
Listen to podcast version of this newsletter
FastMoss Creator Agency Partner Rankings
Marketplace Mastery Newsletter by Jordi Ordonez
YouTube: How Obvi Finds Hidden TikTok Shop Influencers with SARAL
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Micro Influencer Case Study - DLB
TrueOps Reimbursement Services
Nick Penev's Amazon KPIs Cheat Sheet
Andrew Bell LinkedIn Profile
Just a Seller Newsletter
BDSN Mystery Link
Hot Picks:
Walmart launches new seller app
Top 10 Amazon return reasons and how sellers can avoid them
How to sell on Amazon from Pakistan
Stump Bezos Answer: 81% of influencers use AI in some manner to create content
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Time to take agentic commerce seriously

June 26th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses the agentic commerce revolution, AI shopping agents transforming e-commerce, tariff deferment strategies for DTC brands, overlooked Amazon reports for better targeting, and July sales events across major platforms.
Key Points Discussed:
Agentic commerce and autonomous AI shopping assistants
The 5 levels of AI shopping agent capability
How AI agents will change seller strategies and competition
Tariff deferment solutions for inventory management
July sales events across Amazon, TikTok Shop, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy
Amazon's Demographic Report and Market Basket Analysis combination
International Amazon marketplace revenue and traffic data
Jeff Bezos wedding controversy in Venice
Links Mentioned:
Cigars and Whiskey by the Sea CMS 3 Tampa Event
How AI Will Reshape Digital Marketing in the Next 24 Months | Jordan Hall
Introducing the 5 Levels of Agentic Commerce
Agentic Commerce Deep Dive
Portless Direct Shipping and Tariff Deferment
How to Solve Amazon 8541 & 8542 Catalog Errors in Minutes [2025 Hack]
GetReviews - Package Insert QR Codes for Reviews
Prem Gupta's LinkedIn post on Amazon Reports
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Hot Picks:
Amazon is building a huge AI data center on 1,200 acres in Indiana
Amazon plays nice in AI shopping while defending its turf
Amazon spending $4 billion to expand rural 1 and 2-day delivery
Best Chrome browser extensions for Amazon sellers
Stump Bezos Answer: Creator spend is expected to hit $13.7B by 2027
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Secret to Amazon Page 1 Domination

The Secret to Amazon Page 1 DominationDate: Monday June 23rd, 2025Summary: Kevin King discusses AI avatars outselling humans in e-commerce, AI highlights on Amazon, the disruption of commerce search with AI agents, TikTok Shop affiliate strategies, and introduces his new puppy Kona.
Key Points Discussed:
AI avatars generating $7.65M in 7 hours without human hosts going live
Chinese influencers using Baidu's AI to outperform traditional livestreams
Walmart Marketplace explosive growth reaching 200K new sellers monthly
Amazon AI highlights as powerful conversion tools beyond simple summaries
Jason Goldberg's insights on commerce search disruption and AI agents
TikTok Shop affiliate strategies and top tools for seller success
Kevin King introducing his new Miniature Dachshund puppy, Kona
Links Mentioned:
Webinar: AI Arsenal for Amazon Sellers
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Ancient Nutrition Prime Day Case Study - 14X ROI
The Jason & Scot Show
Publicis Commerce AI Paper
Revere.ai
BrandLight.ai
XFunnel.ai
GA4Hell.com
Adobe LLM Optimizer
ScrunchAI.com
TryProfound.com
Captions.ai
Arcada.ai
BDSN Mystery Link
BDSN Episode about Zoe
Hot Picks:
Top emerging e-commerce markets to watch on Amazon in 2025
Overview of the top Amazon inventory management tools for sellers
Social creators to overtake traditional media in ad spend in 2025
Easy returns are causing sellers to leave Amazon
Kevin King's story about his dog Zoe
Helium 10's TikTok Launch YouTube Video
Stump Bezos Answer: 1,000 new millionaires are minted daily in the USA
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Amazon CEO: future is AI Agents selling

Monday, June 19th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's internal message about the company's commitment to Generative AI, new review-based badges on mobile, funding pitfalls that can wreck Amazon businesses, AI-powered photo/video creation with Higgsfield, and Adobe's LLM Optimizer for AI search visibility.
Key Points Discussed:
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's June 17th internal message on Generative AI commitment
AI's impact on product listings, advertising, and shopping assistants
AI optimization in inventory placement, demand forecasting, and fulfillment
The future of AI agents for sellers: intent-based product research, code writing, customer service automation
How bad funding deals can destroy Amazon businesses: flat fees vs APR, fast repayments, hidden fees
Creating product photos and videos with Higgsfield AI
Amazon's new review-based badges on mobile PDPs (positive and negative)
Adobe's LLM Optimizer for AI-powered search engine visibility
Amazon's Product Lifecycle Support program to prevent "Frequently Returned" badges
Links Mentioned:
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Generative AI
Triple Whale's Ultimate AI Agents Playbook for Ecom
Higgsfield AI
Just A Seller newsletter
Amazon Product Lifecycle Support enrollment
BDSN Mystery Link of the Day
Adobe LLM Optimizer
Hot Picks:
TikTok Shop rolls out seller performance badges
Ad agencies are in trouble staring down barrel of AI
Amazon Ads and Roku announce new partnership
Walmart Marketplace experiences record growth
Stump Bezos Answer: 70 million adults bought something on TikTok Shop in 2024
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.comFollow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

How to find your competitor's traffic sources

June 16th, 2025Summary: Kevin King discusses tracking external traffic to competitor listings, TikTok Shop vs Amazon fee comparisons, Walmart's AI shopping assistant Sparky, Amazon's new "Customers Mention" ad placement, and critical UPC compliance issues affecting ASIN suppressions.
Key Points Discussed:
SmartScout's new Traffic Links feature for tracking competitor external traffic
TikTok Shop fee comparison with Amazon (4-9% vs 15% average)
Walmart's AI shopping assistant "Sparky" and conversational commerce trends
Amazon's "Customers Mention" sponsored ads placement for review-rich listings
UPC compliance issues causing silent ASIN suppressions via Amazon's "Bulldog" AI
Stack Influence platform for micro-influencer gifting campaigns
Critical GS1 barcode compliance and Brand Registry alignment
Links Mentioned:
Live Profitable PPC Challenge Registration
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
Ancient Nutrition Case Study - 14X ROI Prime Day Campaign
Helium 10 Platinum Plan - 35% off 6 months
Mystery Link of the Day
AccrueMe Private Capital Program
Anvil - SEO for AI LLMs
TrueOps Case Study Opportunity
Hot Picks:
11 ways to reduce Amazon shipping costs
Amazon and Walmart consider launching their own stable coin
Thrasio still has negative cash flow, will deplete $ by year end
Amazon Business hits 8 million global customers
Amazon's evolving review landscape - making sense of quiet changes
Stump Bezos Answer: A creator needs 5,000 followers to become a TikTok Shop affiliate.
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.comFollow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.
 
 

The 1-click that instantly drops ACOS

June 12th, 2025
Kevin King discusses Amazon's AI-driven changes to search bar suggestions, the Amazon Influencer Program myths, new PPC targeting strategies, and Amazon's AI video generation tool for sellers.
Key Points Discussed:
Amazon's AI revolution in search bar auto-complete suggestions using Large Language Models
How to optimize product listings for LLM-generated search suggestions
Amazon Influencer Program myths debunked - approval with under 300 followers possible
Why most brands waste 65%+ of ad spend on customers already planning to buy
Amazon's new PPC audience targeting that drops ACOS with one click
Amazon's free AI-powered video generation tool for product ads
Walmart's drone delivery expansion to 100 more stores across 5 cities
New Amazon Brand Metrics and Customer Journey Analytics reporting
Links Mentioned:
Growth Hacking Live Event - San Diego, September 2025
Amazon's Auto-Complete Ranking Research Paper
YouTube: An Amazon Aggregator Destroyed My Brand - Brand Rescue Mission Episode 1
Amazon Influencer Program Webinar
Amazon Influencer Program Myths Debunked
YouTube: Amazon's NEW Audience PPC Targeting Instantly Lowered our ACoS
BTR Media
Mystery Link of the Day
Amazon AI Video Generator Tool
Hot Picks:
Tariffs on Chinese imports to go to 55% under new trade deal
Chinese imports to USA down 34% in May, lowest in 5 years
Amazon has killed its Amazon Posts program that never worked
Stump Bezos Answer: Only 22.9% of Amazon searches are branded
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.
 

The new Amazon metric that affects your rank

June 9th, 2025
Summary: Kevin King discusses Amazon's new Customer Experience (CX) Score that impacts rankings and Buy Box placement, Amazon's beta business-only targeting feature, TikTok's shift away from organic traffic, and Amazon's massive ASIN purge initiative "Bend the Curve."
Key Points Discussed:
Amazon's new Customer Experience (CX) Score affecting rankings and Buy Box placement
Beta feature for targeting only Amazon Business accounts with 3X higher returns
TikTok phasing out organic traffic boosts for US merchants
Amazon's "Bend the Curve" initiative to cut ASINs from 74 billion to under 50 billion
Tactical wisdom from BDSS Dream 100: Destaney Wishon on Amazon & Beyond placements, Liran Hirschkorn on platform-to-product matching, Jon Derkits on larger font optimization
Stack Influence gifting strategy for Prime Day success
Answer engine tracking for AI search optimization
Links Mentioned:
Webinar registration for "Silent Massacre" affecting 73% of Amazon sellers
Stack Influence Platform (10% off code: BillionDollarSellers)
PickFu testing platform
Jon Derkits' weekly newsletter
Prime Day campaign case study - 14X ROI
How Jeff Bezos puts furniture in his penthouse
Hot Picks:
Amazon pulls back again from running Google Shopping ads
Behind the rapid decline of e-commerce search ads
Temu loses 58% of daily users in USA due to de minimus & tariffs
Amazon to ban fake reviewers and punish sellers
Stump Bezos Answer: YouTube commands 12.4% of all television viewing compared to Netflix's 7.5%
Mystery Link
Find us at BillionDollarSellers.com Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.