Amazon Just Changed Search: AI Now Shows Products That Don't Exist

Welcome to our weekly newsletter, Hunter's Insights!

In this special edition, we bring you essential Amazon updates and industry insights to keep you ahead in the fast-paced world of e-commerce:

📸 Amazon Adds Photo Proof of Delivery for MCF Orders

📆 Amazon Opens Deal Scheduling for Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday Week

🤖 Amazon Launches New AI-Powered Visual Shopping Features

🆕 Amazon Launches Virtual Multipack Pilot in Seller Central

🚫 Amazon Removes Featured Offer Eligibility Screening

❌ Amazon Removes the Variation Wizard From Seller Central

📈 Amazon Gives Renewed Sellers a New Way to Boost Visibility

📸 Amazon Adds Photo Proof of Delivery for MCF Orders

Amazon has introduced photo proof of delivery for eligible Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) orders delivered by Amazon Logistics across North America and the EU. The feature is enabled automatically for eligible unattended deliveries, with no additional setup required.

Key Updates:

• Eligible MCF orders now include a photo showing where the package was left. - Photos are available through Seller Central, Swiship, and the MCF API.

• The update helps sellers resolve "package not received" claims more quickly.

• The feature is available across eligible Amazon Logistics deliveries in North America and Europe.

Photo proof of delivery can make a significant difference when handling delivery disputes. For brands using MCF to fulfill off-Amazon orders, it provides an additional layer of protection and can help reduce the time and cost associated with lost package claims.

📆 Amazon Opens Deal Scheduling for Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday Week

Amazon has opened Best Deal scheduling for both Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday Week, giving sellers an early opportunity to secure promotional placements for two of the year's biggest shopping events.

Key Updates:

• Black Friday Week is currently scheduled to run from November 19 through November 30.

• Deal scheduling has opened earlier than in previous years, giving brands more time to prepare.

• Early submissions may improve the chances of securing preferred promotional placement before available slots fill up.

If you're planning to run promotions during the holiday season, now is the time to start. Submitting deals early can help secure placement well before the busiest shopping period begins, rather than competing for the remaining availability later in the year.

🤖 Amazon Launches New AI-Powered Visual Shopping Features

Amazon has launched innovative visual shopping tools for U.S. app users that use advanced AI to enhance product discovery through image searching and live camera functionality for real-time identification and purchasing.

Key Updates:

• AI-generated visual search creates sample product images based on text prompts, helping shoppers refine what they're looking for before viewing real products.

• Shop by Style introduces curated collections that group complementary products into themed, shoppable looks.

• Amazon Lens now supports live camera search, image-plus-text queries, and Alexa integration for a more interactive shopping experience.

Amazon is investing in visual and AI-driven shopping. Tools like Amazon Lens and Style collections aim to enhance product discovery, while the response to AI-generated product concepts—images of non-existent items—will be closely monitored.

🆕 Amazon Launches Virtual Multipack Pilot in Seller Central

Amazon is notifying sellers about its new Virtual Multipack (VMP) pilot, which will automatically create eligible multipack offers for existing variation families. The rollout will finish by July 27, and VMPs will be visible to customers starting August 10.

Key Updates:

• Eligible ASINs will automatically receive a Virtual Multipack within their existing variation family.

• All VMPs are expected to be created by July 27 and go live on August 10.

• Adding a new child ASIN may influence traffic distribution, Buy Box dynamics, and performance across the entire variation family.

VMPs can expand buying options but may impact existing listings in the same variation family. Sellers should review eligible ASINs before the rollout to ensure alignment with their pricing and catalog strategy.

 🚫 Amazon Removes Featured Offer Eligibility Screening

Amazon has announced changes to how Featured Offer (Buy Box) eligibility works, removing the initial screening step that previously determined which sellers could compete for the Buy Box.

Key Updates:

• All offers will now be considered for the Featured Offer instead of first passing an eligibility screen.

• New sellers and recently launched brands may have a better chance of winning the Buy Box, provided their offers are competitive.

• Shared ASINs could become more competitive as more sellers are eligible to participate.

• Amazon's existing Buy Box selection criteria—including pricing, inventory, and account performance—remain unchanged.

The biggest impact will likely be felt by new brands, which have historically struggled to win the Buy Box despite having competitive offers. While Amazon has removed the initial eligibility gate, sellers will still need strong pricing, inventory, and account health to earn and retain the Featured Offer.

❌ Amazon Removes the Variation Wizard From Seller Central

Amazon has officially removed the Variation Wizard from Seller Central, changing how sellers create and manage parent-child relationships. The update means sellers will now rely on alternative methods for building and editing variation families.

Key Updates:

• Sellers must now use Search, flat file templates, or blank forms to create and manage variations.

• Managing parent-child listings may become more time-consuming, especially for sellers unfamiliar with flat files.

• Learning flat file uploads is likely to become increasingly important for efficient catalog management.

For sellers who relied on the Variation Wizard, this marks a significant workflow change. While Amazon continues to simplify some catalog tools, variation management is now shifting toward methods that may require more manual work.

📈 Amazon Gives Renewed Sellers a New Way to Boost Visibility

Amazon has introduced a new program for Amazon Renewed sellers, giving refurbished and open-box products access to additional promotional opportunities. 

Key Updates:

• Eligible Amazon Renewed products can now participate in deal promotions.

• The added exposure may help improve visibility, conversion rates, and inventory turnover.

• Categories such as electronics, appliances, tools, and home goods could benefit the most.

• Sellers should closely monitor margins, as Renewed products already require competitive pricing against new-condition offers.

For Renewed sellers, this is a welcome expansion of the program. While deals can help boost traffic and sales, success will depend on balancing increased visibility with healthy profitability.

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