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We’re back! After a little holiday break, the inbox is open and the updates are hot.

To kick off the year right, we’ve got a little something to make 2026 your biggest year yet.

• Add to your calendar 📅

• Is your Amazon sales growth on pause? ⏸️

• Sales beat design from now on 💰

• TikTok is officially in American hands 🇺🇸

WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST SELLER NEWS?

Meet the SellerBites Calendar, your live, always-updated guide to all the important ecommerce dates and events.

Our team updates it the moment we hear about something that matters, so you’re never out of the loop.

AMAZON NEWS

Amazon no longer cares if your store looks good

Amazon made a quiet Brand Stores change over the holidays, and you shouldn’t sleep on it.

As of December 12, 2025, Amazon stopped judging Brand Store quality mainly by engagement metrics and made sales performance the primary driver of Store quality.

💸 Stores must actually sell

Amazon wants Brand Stores to work like conversion engines, not digital lookbooks. Their internal data makes it clear:

• High-quality Brand Stores can generate up to 97% more sales than low-quality ones

• They can also drive up to 39% more sales than medium-quality Stores

What carries the most weight now:

• Sales attributed directly to your Brand Store

• Performance versus similar brands in your category

In other words, a Store that looks great but doesn’t convert is no longer “high quality” in Amazon’s eyes.

🎯 Earn your stripes

Your Brand Store now gets a high, medium, or low quality rating based mostly on how well it sells. This update forces a mindset shift:

• Storytelling alone won’t cut it

• Traffic without conversions can hurt your rating

• Catalog-style layouts without guidance are losing impact

Brand Stores are officially being treated like a sales funnel. Your job is to move shoppers smoothly from entry to product to purchase.

TOGETHER WITH SELLER INTERACTIVE

What’s really holding your Amazon growth back?

You’ve optimized listings. You’re running PPC. You’ve read all the blogs. So… why isn’t it translating into real growth?

That’s where Seller Interactive comes in.

We’re not here to sell you a magic hack. We’re here to show you exactly what your current strategy is missing.

From underperforming keywords to untapped ad opportunities, our team of Amazon experts will walk you through what’s actually going on inside your account—and where your next wins are hiding.

Our full-service team manages over $2M in monthly ad spend across categories like health & wellness, home & kitchen, supplements, and more. And we don’t just launch ideas—we back them with data, test them, and scale what works.

Think of us as the partner who brings clarity and execution to your Amazon strategy.

BITES OF THE WEEK

• Robots Take Over: Amazon hits 1M robots, boosting fulfillment speed, safety, sustainability, and same-day delivery efficiency worldwide.

• Amazon 2026 Plans: Amazon is shaking things up with groceries, Zoox robotaxis, and sellers handling their own FBA packaging.

• Etsy Shipping Pressure: Etsy tells sellers to lower shipping under $6, despite rising costs, to boost search visibility.

• Sellers Summit 2026: Learn advanced ecommerce strategies in two days, with lifetime access to all sessions for ongoing growth. Buy your ticket before January 7!

HOT TOPIC

ByteDance officially loses control of TikTok U.S.

After four years of political drama, legal battles, and ban threats, TikTok’s fate in the U.S. is no longer up in the air.

ByteDance has officially signed a deal to divest part of TikTok’s U.S. operations to U.S. investors, ending months of uncertainty for the platform’s over 170M users.

🆕 Introducing…

A new entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, will oversee U.S. operations. 

• Investors: Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX

  • Oracle will serve as TikTok’s security partner, managing data protection, algorithm audits, U.S. compliance, a secured U.S. algorithm, and keeping ByteDance out of U.S. user data.

• Collective stake: 45% of TikTok U.S.

• ByteDance keeps just under 20%, with no access to U.S. user data or algorithm control

• TikTok U.S. is valued at roughly $14 billion

The deal is scheduled to close on January 22, 2026.

🛍 What sellers should expect

For U.S. TikTok sellers, the deal may bring major shifts:

• The current app could be replaced by a U.S.-controlled version

• Features and ad tools may change

Staying informed and ready to pivot your campaigns will be key to maintaining reach and revenue.

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