Today's tip · Advertising
Your Brand Store is still dressed for July. Put the gifts in the window.
Amazon saw Brand Stores updated within the past 90 days pick up 11% more repeat visitors and 13% higher attributed sales per visitor. Versioning and scheduling lets you hang a Black Friday window without tearing down the rest of the store.
A Brand Store is the storefront shoppers land on when they tap your byline, follow a Sponsored Brands ad, or type your short URL. Building one is free for brands in Brand Registry, and you do not need to run ads to keep it. The shopping math is blunt. Shoppers who visit a Brand Store during their journey purchase 53.9% more frequently, add to cart 52.1% more often, pay a 42.4% higher average selling price, and place orders with a 71.3% higher average order value than shoppers who never stop by.
What matters this week is whether that storefront still looks like the version you published last summer. Amazon's own guidance is to update a Brand Store for major holidays and shopping events, and to put the most relevant, giftable products front and center. Stores updated within the past 90 days had 11% more repeat visitors and 13% higher attributed sales per visitor. Brand Stores Versioning and scheduling lets you spin up a Black Friday or Cyber Monday version, or a Christmas window, without rebuilding the whole store the night before.
Moderation review can take up to 24 hours, so a Sunday edit is live well before the week gets loud. While you wait, open the Brand Store quality tab. The rating is now High, Medium, or Low based on sales attributed to the storefront, not how long people linger. High quality Brand Stores can see up to 97% more sales than low quality ones and up to 39% more than medium quality ones, from Amazon's worldwide look at July 5 to September 6, 2025. Take the recommendations that show a sales impact, then submit.
Amazon Ads: shoppers who visit a Brand Store during their shopping journey compared with those who do not. Amazon internal data, worldwide, 2024.
Source: Amazon Ads, Brand Stores
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceThe weekend plan
- 01Open Stores
Sign in to the advertising console, go to Brand Content, then Stores. If you already have a store, open that one instead of starting over.
- 02Create a holiday version
Use Versioning and scheduling to build a Black Friday and Cyber Monday version, or a Christmas-themed store, so the live storefront can change when the event starts.
- 03Put gifts and deal ASINs up front
Reorder homepage tiles and add a seasonal or holiday-themed subpage. Amazon recommends putting your most relevant, giftable products front and center for major shopping events.
- 04Preview both devices and submit
Check the mobile and desktop views for typos and crop issues, then submit. Moderation review can take up to 24 hours.
- 05Read the quality rating
In Brand Store insights, open the Brand Store quality tab. The High, Medium, or Low rating now tracks sales attributed to your storefront. Compare yourself with similar brands in your category and apply the recommendations that show a sales impact.
Section 02
This week's checklist
7 jobs pulled from this issue, in the order the deadlines bite. Tick them off as you go. Your browser remembers the ticks, nobody else sees them, and a fresh list comes with each issue.
0 of 7 done
Section 03
The seller calendar
Every date Amazon has put in writing for the season, plus the two everyone knows. October is zoomed in on the chart because that's where the trouble is.
Peak fulfillment fees run Oct 15 to Jan 14. Plus $0.32 per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge on top.
| Date | What happens | Type | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 6 to 7) | Shopping event | Done | About Amazon | |
| AWD arrival deadline for Black Friday Week | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees begin | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Original Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal deadline (Amazon has since extended it to Nov 13) | Deals | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, minimal shipment splits | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, Amazon-optimized splits (most sellers) | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Business Hour Delivery Rate review: seller-fulfilled offers under 90% may be deactivated for Amazon Business customers | Offer | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Last day of off-peak storage for AWD with auto-replenishment | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Confirm New Selection Program (2026) enrollment to keep launch fee credits | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Extended holiday returns begin: items bought Nov 1 to Dec 31 can come back until Jan 31 | Returns | Done | Seller Central News | |
| New commercial liability insurance requirements take effect: a $1 million policy for products in categories with enhanced safety listing requirements, with no sales threshold | Policy | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Virtual multipacks from the latest pilot wave become available to customers | Offer | In 3 days | Seller Central Help | |
| Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal sourcing closes (extended from Oct 20) | Deals | In 5 days | Seller Central News | |
| Amazon finishes rolling out lithium battery TIC compliance notifications in Account Health for US smart home and consumer electronics | Policy | In 8 days | Seller Forums | |
| Ask Amazon: Seller Assistant live Q&A in the Seller Forums, 8 AM to 5 PM PT (questions open now) | Shopping event | In 10 days | Seller Forums | |
| Black Friday | Shopping event | In 19 days | Calendar | |
| Cyber Monday | Shopping event | In 22 days | Calendar | |
| Last day to create an international FBA shipment plan covered by Amazon's 45-day related-shipment and 90-day closure extensions | Inventory | In 22 days | Seller Central News | |
| Prepaid return labels required for most US seller-fulfilled returns (heavy and bulky items excepted for now) | Returns | In 40 days | Seller Forums | |
| Last day to sign up for the free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription | Offer | In 53 days | About Amazon | |
| Last purchase date covered by the extended holiday return window | Returns | In 53 days | Seller Central News | |
| Updated product bundling policy takes effect: most single-ASIN bundles must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand | Policy | In 64 days | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees end | Fees | In 67 days | Seller Central News | |
| Most 2027 US referral and FBA fulfillment fee changes take effect | Fees | In 68 days | Amazon | |
| Last day to return holiday purchases under the extended window | Returns | In 84 days | Seller Central News | |
| Storage utilization surcharge ends; age-based storage rates and the rewritten low-inventory-level fee begin | Fees | In 85 days | Amazon | |
| Last day to enroll in FBA New Selection Program 2026 (window extended) | Fees | In 143 days | Seller Central News |
Add every date to your calendar (.ics)Works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. Re-download after big announcements.
Sources: Seller Forums, Ask Amazon: Seller Assistant, Canvas and Workflows, About Amazon, Seller Assistant, Seller Central News, Business hour delivery requirement for seller-fulfilled shipments, Seller Central News, New requirements for product bundles starting January 11, Seller Central News, Black Friday Cyber Monday deals deadline extended, Amazon, 2027 US referral and FBA fee update, Seller Central News, Holiday 2026, Seller Central News, New commercial liability insurance requirements, Seller Forums, New lithium battery requirements (US), Seller Forums, Amazon's prepaid return label notice and moderator clarification, Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy, Seller Central Help, Virtual multipacks
Fee watch
The changes that cost money this year, newest last. If Amazon hasn't announced it, it isn't here.
Since Jan 15, 2026
2026 US fee update
FBA fees rose by an average of $0.08 per unit. Amazon added no new fee types for 2026.
Amazon, 2026 US referral and FBA fee updateSince Apr 17, 2026
Fuel and logistics surcharge
3.5% on FBA fulfillment fees, about $0.17 per unit on average in the US. Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime followed on May 2.
Seller Central News, Fuel and logistics surchargeSince Sep 2026
MCF Preferred Pricing Program
Discounted Multi-Channel Fulfillment fees plus FBA credits per unit shipped. Amazon says sellers save 15% to 25% on fulfillment fees for the first six months, with no contract and one-click enrollment in Seller Central.
About Amazon, Prime delivery for MCF merchants' websitesOct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027
Holiday peak fulfillment fees
About $0.32 more per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge calculated on top.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Holiday deal events
Deal fees
$100 upfront per promotion plus 1.5% of promotional sales, capped at $5,000, for Best Deals, Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Price Discounts.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Nov 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Extended holiday returns
Orders placed Nov 1 to Dec 31 can be returned until Jan 31, 2027, for FBA and seller-fulfilled orders alike. Budget for a slower, larger return wave.
Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policyAnnounced Nov 5, 2026; most changes Jan 15, 2027
2027 US referral and FBA fee update
On average, FBA fulfillment fees rise by $0.19 per unit sold (about 0.8% of the average item's selling price). Some products go up, some go down. The FBA fuel and logistics surcharge stays unchanged. Effective Feb 1, 2027, Amazon eliminates the storage utilization surcharge, folds the aged inventory surcharge into a single age-based monthly storage rate, and rewrites the low-inventory-level fee around 28 days of supply.
Amazon, 2027 US referral and FBA fee update
Section 04
By the numbers
Four figures worth knowing this week. Each one is Amazon's own, linked to where they said it.
higher purchase frequency among shoppers who visit a Brand Store versus those who do not
Amazon Ads, Brand Storeshigher attributed sales per visitor for Brand Stores updated within the past 90 days
Amazon Ads, A comprehensive guide to successful Brand Storesleft to submit Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals before sourcing closes Nov 13
Seller Central News, Black Friday Cyber Monday deals deadline extendedfor Amazon to review a Brand Store submission before it can go live
Amazon Ads, A comprehensive guide to successful Brand StoresSection 05
The playbook
3 moves for this week, then a few quick ones for the train.
Advertising
Creative Agent will draft the holiday ads. You keep the red pen.
Creative Agent is Amazon Ads' agentic creative partner, now inside the unified advertising console as well as Creative Studio. It uses conversational prompts to research products and audiences, sketch concepts, and produce multiple variations of display, video, and audio ads that match your brand. It can also create streaming TV ads, and Amazon says the tool produces that work at no cost.
The performance claim is specific. Advertisers saw a 10.3% higher return on ad spend on Sponsored Brands campaigns that used AI-generated images, compared with Sponsored Brands campaigns that did not. Brands using the Amazon Ads AI-powered creative suite achieved up to 15% sales growth. Registered sellers and vendors in the United States can use it, whether they run ads themselves or through managed service.
Do this: In the advertising console or Creative Studio, open Creative Agent, brief it on your Black Friday ASINs, and generate display and video variations you can attach this week.
Sources: Amazon Ads, Creative Agent, Amazon Ads, AI creative solutions
From Amazon Ads' Creative Agent announcement and AI creative solutions page. Advertisers keep control of the final asset.
Source: Amazon Ads, Creative Agent
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceDeals
Not every shopper needs the same 20 percent off
Black Friday badges are not the only discount you can run. Brand Tailored Promotions let Brand Registry representatives in the United States, and in the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan, send a 10% to 50% offer to a chosen audience: new shoppers who clicked or added to cart in the last 90 days but never bought, loyal customers whose sales are slipping, lapsed buyers, or people ready for a cross-sell. Each eligible customer can redeem the promotion on a single purchase. Amazon's own tip is to deploy these during key shopping events like Prime Day or Black Friday.
The audience has to be at least 1,000 people, the start date must sit at least 48 hours out and within 60 days of creation, and the end date must fall within 90 days of the start. You can keep up to 20 active or scheduled promotions at once. Eligible shoppers see the offer on search pages, the promotion shopping page, and your Brand Store, with a green badge. They can stack it on top of a coupon, so check what else is already live before you pile on another cut.
Do this: In Seller Central, open Advertising, then Brand Tailored Promotions, and schedule a Black Friday campaign for an audience of at least 1,000, with a start date at least 48 hours from now.
- Brand Representative on a Brand Registry brand
- Audience of 1,000 or more shoppers
- Discount between 10% and 50%
- Start date at least 48 hours out, within 60 days
- End date within 90 days of the start
- No more than 20 active or scheduled promotions
Requirements and timing from Amazon's Brand Tailored Promotions guide. Available in the US, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan.
Source: Sell on Amazon, Brand Tailored Promotions
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceMarket
The search terms your shoppers already typed are sitting in Brand Analytics
Before you spend the rest of the month bidding on words you hope people type, open Brand Analytics. It is included for Brand Registry brands on a Professional selling plan. Under Search Analytics you get three dashboards that answer different questions: Search Catalog Performance (impressions, clicks, median prices, cart adds, purchases, and conversion for your catalog), Search Query Performance (the top queries that led customers to your products, plus your brand's share versus the rest of the store), and Top Search Terms (search frequency rank, top-clicked brands and categories, and the three top-clicked products for each term).
Search Query Performance is the one to read this week. It shows search query score and search query volume for individual keywords, in a Brand View or an ASIN View, and it even notes how same-day shipping might be contributing to sales. Use those queries to tighten titles, bullets, and the keyword list on the campaigns that will run through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Data in Brand Analytics usually goes back three years and is generally available within three days.
Do this: In Seller Central, go to Brands, then Brand Analytics, open Search Query Performance, and export the top queries for your Black Friday ASINs.
Source: Sell on Amazon, Brand Analytics
From Amazon's Brand Analytics guide. Available to Brand Registry brands on a Professional selling plan.
Source: Sell on Amazon, Brand Analytics
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceQuick hits
04Operations
The free year of Quick Plus expires on December 31
Every primary account holder worldwide can still claim a free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription through December 31, 2026, and designate two coworkers to get a year at no extra cost. Quick is Amazon's AI companion for work. It writes documents and spreadsheets, runs deep research, and connects to the email, calendar, and files you already use, on phone, web, and desktop. A selling partner plugin, now in Quick and in beta with Anthropic's Claude for US stores, can pull in listing data, performance metrics, inventory, and sales analytics so the assistant sees the Amazon side of the business next to everything else.
Source: About Amazon, Seller Assistant
05Advertising
Point Sponsored Brands at the storefront, not just one ASIN
Once the holiday Brand Store is approved, send the ads there. Advertisers who linked a Sponsored Brands campaign to a Store saw shoppers spend twice as long on the Store, with product detail page views up 55% and sales up 15%. Sponsored Brands video campaigns that landed on a Brand Store had a 23% higher average conversion rate than campaigns that sent shoppers to a detail page. If older Sponsored Brands campaigns still terminate on a single ASIN, duplicate them in Campaign Manager and point the destination at the most relevant Store page.
Sources: Amazon Ads, A comprehensive guide to successful Brand Stores, Amazon Ads, How to optimize your Brand Store
Section 06
The wire
What changed lately, straight from Amazon. We read the announcement so you can read the summary.
- Brand Stores
Refresh the Brand Store before Black Friday shoppers walk in
Stores updated within 90 days had 11% more repeat visitors and 13% higher attributed sales per visitor. Versioning and scheduling can hang a BFCM or Christmas window.
via Amazon Ads, How to optimize your Brand Store - Advertising
Creative Agent now lives in the ads console and can make streaming TV ads
Amazon's agentic creative partner drafts display, video, audio, and streaming TV ads at no cost. Sponsored Brands campaigns with AI-generated images saw 10.3% higher ROAS.
via Amazon Ads, Creative Agent - Deals
Black Friday Cyber Monday deal sourcing closes Nov 13
Five days left to submit promotions in Seller Central. Pair remaining deals with a refreshed Brand Store and a Brand Tailored Promotion if the audience is at least 1,000.
via Seller Central News, Black Friday Cyber Monday deals deadline extended
Follow for more
Tomorrow's tip, in your inbox before your coffee cools
One short email when a new issue lands. Amazon's news without the press-release voice, and one move worth making that week. No upsells, no "ultimate guides."
Section 07
Straight answers
The questions sellers are typing into search bars and chatbots this week, answered in under a minute each. Every answer is grounded in Amazon's own announcement, linked below it.
How often should I update my Amazon Brand Store?
Amazon recommends refreshing a Brand Store any time you launch products, run a campaign or promotion, or approach a major holiday or shopping event, and putting your most relevant, giftable products front and center. On average, Brand Stores updated within the past 90 days had 11% more repeat visitors and 13% higher attributed sales per visitor.
Source: Amazon Ads, A comprehensive guide to successful Brand Stores
What results do shoppers who visit an Amazon Brand Store show?
On average, shoppers who visit a Brand Store during their shopping journey purchase 53.9% more frequently, have a 52.1% higher add-to-cart rate, a 42.4% higher average selling price, and a 71.3% higher average order value compared with shoppers who do not visit a Store. Amazon Ads cites worldwide internal data for 2024.
Source: Amazon Ads, Brand Stores
What is Amazon Brand Store versioning and scheduling?
Versioning and scheduling lets brands create different versions of a Brand Store for upcoming seasonal events, including promotions around Black Friday and Cyber Monday or a Christmas-themed storefront. You build the holiday version ahead of time so the live store can change for the event. Submit early, because moderation review can take up to 24 hours.
How does the Amazon Brand Store quality rating work now?
Your Brand Store quality rating is now High, Medium, or Low based on sales attributed to your storefront, not dwell time. You can compare sales with similar brands in your category. High quality stores can see up to 97% more sales than low quality ones and up to 39% more than medium quality ones, per Amazon's July 5 to September 6, 2025 data.
Source: Amazon Ads, Brand Store quality rating now reflects sales performance
What is Amazon Ads Creative Agent?
Creative Agent is an agentic AI creative partner available in the Amazon Ads console and Creative Studio. Using conversational prompts, advertisers can research products and audiences, develop concepts, and generate display, video, audio, and streaming TV ads at no cost. It is available to registered sellers and vendors in the United States, including self-service and managed-service advertisers.
Source: Amazon Ads, Creative Agent
What is an Amazon Brand Tailored Promotion?
Brand Tailored Promotions let Brand Registry representatives send a 10% to 50% discount to a chosen audience of at least 1,000 shoppers. Audiences include new customers who clicked or added to cart in the last 90 days without buying, plus retention and re-engagement groups. Start dates must be at least 48 hours out, and you can run up to 20 promotions at once.
When does the free Amazon Quick Plus year for sellers end?
Every primary selling account holder worldwide can sign up for a free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription through December 31, 2026, and designate two coworkers to receive a free year as well. Amazon Quick creates documents and spreadsheets, runs deep research, and connects to email, calendar, and files on phone, web, and desktop.
Source: About Amazon, Seller Assistant
What is Amazon Brand Analytics Search Query Performance?
Search Query Performance is a Brand Analytics dashboard for Professional-plan sellers in Brand Registry. It lists the top queries that led customers to your products and shows impressions, clicks, cart adds, and your brand's share versus the rest of the store. View search query score and volume by brand or ASIN. Data usually goes back three years and arrives within about three days.
Source: Sell on Amazon, Brand Analytics