Send us Fan Mail Amazon’s marketplace keeps growing, but advertising is growing even faster. This week on Selling on Giants, Will Haire breaks down what Amazon’s latest earnings reveal about the rising cost of visibility and how agentic shopping is changing product discovery. You’ll also learn: Why Amazon’s August 24 Business Solutions Agreement update deserves immediate review What the Nike and Lululemon lawsuits mean for strikethrough and reference pricing How Walmart Connect’s new negative keywords can reduce wasted ad spend How Walmart Virtual Packs create multipacks without separate physical inventory Why Walmart sellers need to check Late Shipment Rate and lag-time settings What the Federal Reserve’s divided rate decision means for Q4 inventory and financing The common thread is simple: marketplace growth now depends on connecting advertising, pricing, inventory, financing, and compliance before peak season exposes the gaps. Follow Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level breakdowns on Amazon, Walmart, retail media, AI commerce, marketplace strategy, and what platform updates actually mean for sellers. Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly insights that go beyond headlines and focus on what actually impacts your business.

Amazon’s Ad Tax, Seller Financing & Walmart Ad Controls

Selling on Giants: The eCommerce Marketplace Podcast

Amazon Sales grew 20% last quarter. Amazon Advertising grew 26%. That six-point gap may be the most important number in Marketplace Commerce this week because it tells us exactly where Amazon continues to find its growth. Sellers are moving more products, but paying for visibility is becoming an even larger part of the system. And that is only the beginning.

Amazon is also tightening language that may affect how sellers finance inventory or structure a business sale. Two major apparel brands are facing lawsuits over allegedly fake discounts. Walmart finally gave advertisers a tool Amazon sellers have used for years. And the Federal Reserve just sent a warning that Q4 money may stay expensive.

Welcome to Selling on Giants, the podcast for Marketplace operators trying to stay ahead of Amazon, Walmart, Target, and the forces changing eCommerce. I'm Will Hare, co-founder of Bellavix, and this is your weekly eCommerce news update for the week of August 4th, 2026. Let's get into it.

Amazon reported $200.6 billion in second quarter sales up 20% year over year. Third-party seller services reached roughly $46.8 billion up 16%. Advertising reached $19.8 billion up 26%. That means advertising is growing 10 percentage points faster than the seller services revenue it sits on top of. Amazon is increasingly growing 10 percentage points faster than the seller services revenue it sits on top of.

It's growing its marketplace revenue through what brands pay to be seen, not only through what they sell. This is not a temporary holiday bidding spike that disappears when everyone calms down in January. It is part of the business model. If your 2027 plan assumes your tacos stays flat while Amazon's advertising business keeps compounding faster than marketplace services, the spreadsheet is doing motivational speaking.

Amazon’s Ad Tax, Seller Financing & Walmart Ad Controls

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Amazon’s Ad Tax, Seller Financing & Walmart Ad Controls

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.