Alpha Spikes

Amazon is now creating video ads for your products automatically.

You didn't ask for them.
You didn't approve them.
But they might already be running.

Amazon has started auto-assembling AI videos for Sponsored Products, even for sellers who never created any video content.

Sometimes these videos look fine.
Sometimes they show your product in a way you would never approve.

Here is what to do today:
→ Open your ad settings in Seller Central
→ Look for automated creative and video toggles
→ Turn off anything you didn't set up yourself
→ If you want video ads, make your own. Control the message.

Automation is helpful when YOU choose it.
It's dangerous when Amazon chooses it for you.

Check your account this week. Most sellers have no idea this is turned on.

Unpopular opinion: getting a Vendor Central invitation is not a promotion.

Brands treat the VC invite like a trophy. Amazon wants to buy from you directly! You've made it!

Here's what actually changes:

You lose pricing control. Amazon sets retail price, and if they discount, your DTC and retail partners feel it.

You trade margin certainty for PO unpredictability. POs can shrink or stop without warning.

Chargebacks and deductions become a part-time job. Shortage claims, routing violations, co-op fees.

What you gain is real too: no FBA fee stack, bigger volume potential,
access to programs like Born to Run and premium merchandising.
Our actual take after managing both sides: the strongest position in 2026 is hybrid.

Keep your hero ASINs and new launches on Seller Central, where you control price, promos, and data.

Move heavy, bulky, low-margin-after-FBA items to Vendor, where
Amazon's logistics absorb the cost.

The question isn't "SC or VC." It's "which SKUs belong where."

Brands running hybrid the right way get the leverage of both and the dependence of neither.

Are you 1P, 3P or hybrid and would you switch?

Amazon's New "Item Highlights" Field Is the Most Important Listing Real Estate You're Not Using

With the 75-character title limit rolling out July 27, 2026, Amazon introduced a new listing field called Item Highlights — and most sellers have no idea it exists yet.

Here's what it is: a 125-character field that appears directly under your title in search results and on your product detail page. It's searchable by Amazon's algorithm and visible to customers before they even click on your listing.

Think of it as a second headline.

Why it matters now:

The old approach was to pack every keyword into your title because that's where algorithm weight was concentrated. With titles shrinking to 75 characters, the keywords that no longer fit in the title need to go somewhere. Item Highlights is that somewhere.

Best practices for using it:

Lead with your most compelling differentiator — not a generic feature
Include 1-2 high-intent secondary keywords your title can no longer carry
Write it for the customer first, algorithm second — it's visible at the search result level, so it needs to drive clicks, not just index

This is a new field. Most of your competitors haven't optimized it yet. That gap is a real advantage — but only for the next few weeks.

Have you added Item Highlights to your listings before the July 27 deadline?

Vendor Central vs Seller Central: How to Decide in 2026 (And Why the Answer Is Probably "Both")

This is the question we get from large brands more than almost any other.

Here's the honest framework:

Choose Seller Central (3P) if:
You want full control over retail pricing
You need real-time, SKU-level data to make decisions
Your margins can't absorb Amazon's wholesale markdown risk
You're still building brand equity and need listing control

Choose Vendor Central (1P) if:
You're a large manufacturer with reliable, high-volume production
You want Amazon to handle all logistics and customer service
Your brand benefits from the "Sold by Amazon" trust signal
You can maintain a 98–99% fill rate on purchase orders

Why the best brands in 2026 are running both:
Amazon's 1P purchase orders are unpredictable. POs can stall for weeks. The brands using Vendor Central as their primary channel are now running a Seller Central account as a financial hedge — keeping top ASINs in stock on 3P when 1P goes quiet.

The hybrid model isn't a workaround. It's the dominant strategy for enterprise brands right now.

Are you running a hybrid 1P/3P strategy, or fully committed to one channel?