The biggest markdown this Prime Day... was demand [MDSR #50]

Hot Off The Presses 📰

Fizzle, meet flash sale. Despite Amazon rolling out its longest Prime Day ever, early reports show sales plunged 41% on Day 1. 

The extended event may have been designed to blunt the impact of Trump’s looming tariffs — a chance to coax shoppers into stocking up before import costs spike — but so far, consumers seem more skeptical than spendy.

Which is to say, the trade war drums are beating again. The 90-day tariff truce is ending, and the U.S. is preparing to slap import duties as high as 70% on certain countries. In boardrooms, that news landed like a lead balloon.

Nike, for one, is already sharpening its scalpel for “surgical” price hikes to cut through a projected $1 billion tariff hit. Meanwhile, H&M’s CEO is scrambling to diversify sourcing and hold prices steady to poach customers while rivals jack up theirs. 

And if simple price hikes or nearshoring won’t cut it, there’s always tariff engineering — tweaking a product’s design (swap a zipper, change a material) to slip into a lower-duty category. Once a fringe maneuver, that tactic is quickly going mainstream.

Not to be outdone, Amazon’s big-box rivals have their own tricks. Walmart isn’t just running a parallel summer sale to rival Prime Day — it’s also testing “dark stores,” mini-warehouses closed to shoppers and packed with top-selling goods to turbocharge local deliveries. 

Target, however, is channeling its inner Temu with a factory-to-consumer shipping pilot for low-cost items. By sending products straight from overseas factories to shoppers’ doorsteps, Target hopes to shave costs — though with the de minimis duty exemption now history, that Temu-esque strategy comes with a tariff asterisk.

Back at Amazon HQ, the future is looking equal parts exciting and dystopian. The company has over one million robots roaming its warehouses — nearly one bot per human worker — and is on track for the droids to overtake the humans any day now. 

In the background, Amazon’s pricing police are tightening the screws on sellers. Try to run a “deal” that isn’t truly a deal — say, a Prime Day discount that doesn’t beat your lowest price of the last 30 days — and Amazon will simply suppress your offer. 

The message is clear: play fair on pricing or don’t play at all.

Million Dollar Advice 💸 

If you want to own your niche on Amazon in 2025, stop thinking like a seller — and start thinking like a strategist. 

The top FBA players aren’t just winning on price or PPC. They’re winning with systems: smart SKU expansion, AI-assisted inventory planning, and tight operational flywheels that turn every conversion into a compounding advantage.

Whether you’re trying to outpace a sea of competitors or finally break into that next revenue tier, the difference-maker is execution. These 10 growth strategies are what the top 1% are already doing — read up, level up: 👉 Top FBA Growth Strategies for 2025

How to return-proof your listings 🔁

With Prime Day almost in the rearview, sellers are shifting from fulfillment mode to damage control. If you’re already seeing the first wave of returns roll in, you’re not alone — but not all returns are created equal. Many stem from issues you can fix: mismatched expectations, sloppy prep, or unclear product details.

Use this post-Prime window to analyze what’s coming back and why — and start return-proofing your listings before the next sales spike.

Here are 5 ways to reduce returns after major sales events:

1. Look closely at your listings: Returns often begin with your product detail page. Inaccurate descriptions, unclear specs, or over-stylized photos can lead to disappointed customers. Make sure what they see is what they get.

2. Evaluate your packaging and prep partners: If items are arriving broken, incomplete, or poorly packed, it’s time to audit your 3PL or in-house prep. Many returns aren’t about product quality — they’re about what happened after it left your hands.

3. Don’t oversell with A+ content: Lifestyle imagery and enhanced content are great for conversion — but if they stretch the truth, you’re setting yourself up for higher returns and lower reviews. Be aspirational, but accurate.

4. Support can save the sale: Quick, helpful post-purchase support can prevent a return altogether. Whether it’s an install question or “this wasn’t what I expected,” a responsive CX touchpoint can turn frustration into loyalty.

5. Watch for packaging that creates friction: Too much waste, hard-to-open boxes, or non-intuitive setups can frustrate customers and lead to returns — especially in categories like electronics, beauty, or home goods. Never forget: Friction = churn.

Want to go deeper? Pull a returns report from the past 30 days and look for patterns by ASIN. The fastest wins often come from the smallest changes.

Think this comparison is helpful? Feel free to pass it along 🙂 

Your competitive edge might be community 🌐

There’s a reason high-level sellers don’t go it alone. Whether you’re troubleshooting fulfillment headaches, adapting to new Amazon policies, or just trying to stay sane in Q4 — the right community can be a serious growth lever. 

This roundup from MobiLoud highlights some of the top eCommerce communities worth tapping into, including MDS (👋), and reminds us why curated spaces filled with serious sellers can save you time, money, and rookie mistakes.

If you’re not already leaning on a network of sellers who get it, now’s the time to plug in.

eCom Stock Watch 📊

Click on the table below or view the full size data here. 

Where sellers meet and ideas multiply 🤯

Big seller energy. Small group vibes. Strong drinks optional. 🍸

We’re taking the MDS community into the real world — with a lineup of free, in-person events built for serious eCommerce operators.

Whether you’re scaling on Amazon, Shopify, TikTok, or beyond, these casual meetups are your chance to trade ideas, strategies, and war stories with people who actually get it. No fluff. No pitches. Just real conversations with fellow founders who’ve been in the trenches.

🤝 Ecompreneur Socials

Come as you are. Leave with fresh ideas and future collaborators.

• July 17 – Miami EcomLunch 

• July 23 – Chicago EcomFounder Social & Pickleball EcomLunch 

• August 19 – Miami EcomFounder Social

🤝 MDS Connects 

More than just networking — curated connections, always aligned with major eCommerce events.

• August 13 – Super Zoo 2025, Las Vegas 

• September 15 – Amazon Accelerate, Seattle

• October 19 – Innovate Day 1, New York City

• October 20 – Innovate Day 2, New York City

🌍 Our Biggest Member Event

Where community meets strategy at the highest level. 

• MDS Summit Milan – August 24–27, 2025

💥 Space is limited — if you're thinking about coming, RSVP now to claim your spot:  👉 All Event Links

Did you see that post 📲

Prime Day used to move mountains of inventory. Now it’s just moving Amazon’s stock price.

Until Next Time ✌️

As always, thanks for sticking with us until the end. 

If you’d care to share your thoughts on this newsletter, we’re all ears. Just hit reply to sound off. 

See you next time with more of the latest and greatest content you need to succeed this year 🔥

Sincerely, 

Looking for a mastermind community?

Million Dollar Sellers (MDS) is an exclusive community of 700+ like-minded Amazon and DTC sellers from all over the world. Collectively, our members generate more than 8 billion in annual sales and dominate some of the biggest categories on Amazon. MDS offers world-class events, chapters, industry discounts, resource libraries full of SOPs, templates, and video recordings of private trainings, workshops, events and so much more.

If you are looking for a business professional community made for ecom entrepreneurs, then consider applying today. 

*To qualify, you must be a full-time seller or brand owner and do at least 1 million in verified annual revenue. Will Amazon’s Returnless Resolutions solve the returns debacle? [MDSR #30]