Amazon Seller Updates: AI Shopping Tool, Prepaid Carrier Insights & Ireland Launch

Top Amazon FBA News This Week 

Amazon has announced several key updates this week, including changes to promotional fees, AI-powered shopping enhancements, and new tools for brand growth and inventory management.

• Prepaid Carrier List for FBA Shipments: A new resource provides weekly performance data on carriers delivering to Amazon fulfillment centers, helping sellers make informed logistics decisions.
• AI-Powered “Interests” Shopping Tool: Amazon is testing a new AI feature that refines product discovery by translating everyday language into relevant search queries and recommendations. Currently in beta for a subset of US shoppers.
• Amazon.ie Launch in Ireland: Irish customers now have access to over 100 million products, fast deliveries, and a new Prime membership option for €6.99 per month.

Let’s take a closer look at how these Amazon updates affect both sellers and shoppers.

Amazon Enhances FBA Shipping with New Prepaid Carrier List

Amazon has introduced a Prepaid Carrier List, a new resource aimed at helping sellers optimize their FBA shipments. This initiative is designed to provide transparency into carrier performance and ensure that shipments reach fulfillment centers efficiently.

Key Features of the Prepaid Carrier List

• Data-Driven Carrier Selection: Sellers can access weekly performance metrics for carriers delivering to Amazon fulfillment centers.
• Key Performance Metrics Tracked:
  • Scheduling accuracy: Measures whether carriers arrive on time as scheduled.
  • On-time arrival rate: Tracks deliveries made within 30 minutes of the appointment.
  • Late arrival rate: Highlights instances where carriers are over 30 minutes late.
  • No-show rate: Identifies carriers that fail to show up beyond 60 minutes past the scheduled time.
• Operational Standards Compliance: The list highlights carriers that consistently meet Amazon’s logistics standards.

How this Might Benefit Sellers

• Improved Logistics Planning
  • With access to real-time carrier data, sellers can make informed decisions about which Amazon delivery carriers to use, reducing shipping delays and fulfillment issues.
  • The list allows sellers to avoid unreliable carriers, leading to fewer inventory shortages and smoother restocking.
• Minimized Shipping Disruptions
  • By proactively selecting high-performing carriers, sellers can reduce the risk of missed or delayed deliveries, ensuring inventory reaches fulfillment centers on time. For instance, a seller shipping high-demand seasonal products can avoid stockouts by choosing a carrier with a high on-time arrival rate.
• Compliance with Amazon’s Delivery Requirements
  • Carriers must adhere to strict Amazon delivery appointment policies—missed appointments or repeated failures can result in shipment rejections and additional costs.
  • Sellers are responsible for ensuring their chosen carrier meets Amazon’s safety and operational standards.

Amazon’s ‘Interests’ AI: Personalized Shopping or Profit-Driven Push?

Amazon is doubling down on AI to personalize shopping with its new feature, Interests. But is it a game-changer or just another push to make people spend more? Let’s explore how it works and its impact on sellers and customers.

What Is Amazon Interests?

Amazon Interests is an AI-driven shopping tool that continuously scans Amazon’s store to surface new products that match a user’s passions, hobbies, and preferences. By leveraging large language models (LLMs), Interests translates natural language prompts into search queries that generate personalized recommendations.

The feature is currently in beta and available to a limited group of American customers via the Amazon Shopping app (iOS and Android) and the mobile site. Users can access it under the “Me” tab and create shopping prompts like:

• “The latest pickleball gear and accessories.”
• “Brewing tools and gadgets for coffee lovers.”
• “Modern wall art made of black metal, not canvas, with a geometric design.”

Once a prompt is set, Interests works behind the scenes, notifying users when new items that match their criteria become available.

Opportunities

• Better product visibility: Sellers whose products align well with customer prompts may enjoy increased organic exposure.
• More targeted sales: AI-powered discovery could lead to higher conversion rates if customers receive precisely what they’re looking for.
• Stronger niche marketing: Sellers with unique or specialized products may gain traction with customers who might not have found them otherwise.

Challenges

• Competition for visibility: If Interests prioritizes certain brands or product types, smaller sellers may struggle to get noticed.
• Potential ad dependency: Amazon could integrate Interests with its advertising platform, making it harder for organic listings to compete.
• Data and algorithm control: Sellers will need to adapt their listings to match how Interests processes search queries.

Shopping in the Age of AI

Amazon’s push into AI-driven personalization is just one part of a larger trend. Google has already introduced its AI shopping assistant, Vision Match tool, to help shoppers describe clothing styles, and other retailers are likely to follow suit. Whether Interests becomes a valuable shopping companion or just another algorithmic sales tool remains to be seen. 

Amazon’s Irish Storefront is Here—How Will It Shape the Market?

Amazon has officially launched Amazon.ie, a dedicated online store for Irish shoppers, marking a major milestone for ecommerce in the country. This move, which has been in the works since Amazon opened its first fulfillment center in Dublin in 2022, brings major changes for both customers and businesses in Ireland.

What’s Changing with Amazon.ie?

Irish consumers who previously relied on Amazon UK or other international versions of the site now have a localized platform tailored to their needs. Key benefits include:

• Faster Deliveries: With Amazon’s existing fulfillment center in Dublin, Irish customers can now enjoy One-Day Delivery on millions of products, including well-known local brands like Barry’s Tea, Bewley’s, and Ella & Jo.
• Easier Returns & No Customs Fees: Since purchases will no longer be shipped from the UK, customers avoid additional customs charges and complex return procedures.
• Localized Pricing: Clear, competitive pricing in euros, reducing confusion over currency conversion fees.
• Brands of Ireland Initiative: Amazon.ie features a dedicated section promoting Irish businesses in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, helping them reach more customers both domestically and abroad.

Growth Potential vs. Competitive Pressures

The launch of Amazon.ie presents a double-edged sword for Irish businesses.

Opportunities

• Increased Visibility: Over 1,000 Irish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) already sell on Amazon, generating more than €150 million in export sales in 2023. The localized site can boost their domestic sales while still giving them access to global markets.
• Seamless Expansion: Amazon’s support for Irish businesses includes fulfillment and logistics services, making it easier for them to scale up operations.
• Prime Membership Perks: Customers in Ireland can now subscribe to Prime for €6.99/month, offering not only fast shipping but also access to Prime Video. This could encourage higher conversion rates for Prime-eligible sellers.

Challenges

• Increased Competition: While Amazon.ie promotes local brands, it also brings more competition from international sellers. Irish businesses may need to refine their pricing and marketing strategies to stay competitive.
• Dependence on Amazon: Relying too heavily on Amazon for sales can be risky, as the platform controls visibility, fees, and policies that impact sellers.
• Fulfillment & Inventory Management: To maximize the benefits of Amazon’s logistics network, sellers must carefully manage stock levels and optimize for fast-moving products.

Amazon.ie is a game-changer for ecommerce in Ireland. It provides shoppers with a seamless experience and offers Irish businesses a powerful platform to grow their customer base. However, success on Amazon requires strategic planning, competitive pricing, and a keen focus on customer satisfaction.

Other Amazon Seller Updates This Week 

1. Promotions Fee Changes

Amazon is updating its promotions and deals fee structure starting June 2, 2025, shifting to a more performance-based model that aligns costs with results. Sellers will gain more flexibility in running promotions, with lower upfront costs but variable fees based on sales performance. While this update aims to boost product visibility and sales, some sellers remain concerned about the long-term impact of fluctuating fees. Try Carbon6’s interactive calculator to compare current and new fee structures.

2. Meltable FBA Inventory Removal Deadline

Sellers must sell through or remove heat-sensitive products (like chocolate and gummies) from fulfillment centers by April 15, 2025, to avoid products being disposed of – and incurring disposal fees.

3. Brand Protection Report 2024

Amazon highlights its use of AI to combat counterfeits, with tools like Project Zero and Transparency helping brands protect their products and hold bad actors accountable. Key highlights include:

Proactive Measures: Advanced AI technologies blocked over 99% of suspected infringing listings before brands needed to report them, leading to a 35% decrease in valid infringement notices since 2020.

Transparency Program Expansion: Launched an API for the Transparency program, automating enrollment and management for brands. Over 2.5 billion product units have been verified as genuine, with 88,000 brands enrolled globally.

Counterfeit Crimes Unit Actions: Since 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued over 24,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals. In 2024 alone, more than 15 million counterfeit products were seized and disposed of worldwide.

4. Amazon Brand Builder

A new tool that offers personalized recommendations to help sellers grow their brand, covering stages from launching a product to building customer loyalty.

5. Personalized Restock Recommendations

Using AI-powered demand forecasting, Amazon now provides Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) sellers with tailored restock suggestions based on sales trends and inventory levels. Full rollout expected by April 18, 2025.