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Newsletter 12/25

Black Week on Amazon

Black Week started as usual at the end of November—this year from November 20 to December 1. It included both Black Friday and Cyber Monday and spanned a total of 12 days of intense sales.

For retailers, this week traditionally means enormous sales potential compared to regular days. This makes the comparison with last year's Black Week particularly exciting. Overall, sales are up by almost 45% compared to last year's promotional week.

In the dietary supplement industry, retailers were able to double their sales on average. As was already the case on Prime Day, this category once again performed particularly well on promotional days and benefited above average from the increase in demand.

Pre-Christmas sales in the toy sector, on the other hand, rose only slightly, with growth of 26%. Nevertheless, sales are expected to remain stable at a high level in the coming weeks, as Christmas sales traditionally peak in the second half of December.

Everyday products such as cleaning agents also recorded a remarkable increase in sales of almost 25% compared to the previous year. Drugstore and hygiene products also recorded high growth.

Overall, all sectors recorded growth compared to Black Week 2024. Despite—or perhaps because of—the tense economic situation, consumers are increasingly turning their attention to attractive offers and discount campaigns.

At the same time, increased competition for visibility has had a clear impact: advertising costs in November 2025 are 150% higher than in November 2024. At the same time, advertising revenues also showed growth of +245% compared to November 2024. The average ACoS rose by 3 percentage points compared to the previous year.  The average TACoS shows only a slight increase of just under 1% compared to the previous year.

The battle for attention and purchasing power was more intense than ever this year, clearly demonstrating how important efficient campaign management and strategic offer planning have become.

Image: Rufus AI shopping assistant: Amazon (https://www.aboutamazon.de/news/amazon-prime-und-shopping/rufus-ki-shopping-assistent)

101%

Sales growth (supplements)

26%

Sales growth (toys)

24%

Sales growth (cleaning products)

150%

Increase in advertising costs

3%

Increase in ACoS

Rufus as a key driver of AI growth

Amazon's AI chatbot Rufus is becoming a key growth driver: on Black Friday, Rufus-assisted purchases rose by 100% compared to the previous 30 days, while sessions without Rufus only increased by 20%.

So it's clear: Amazon is focusing on AI because it significantly increases conversion rates, and for retailers, optimizing their product data and offers for Rufus is becoming increasingly important.

ICONIC Outlook

In the new year, we will continue to focus on what sets us apart: experience, market knowledge, and a deep understanding of Amazon.
At the same time, we are consistently expanding our working methods through the use of artificial intelligence.
In addition to established tools such as ChatGPT, we now rely on AI-supported video productions that allow us to create high-quality advertising videos in a very short time.
Above all, we have been working for over a year on a solution that will change everything: ICONIC AI.
This specially developed AI will have a lasting impact on the Amazon environment in the coming years and set new standards in performance, efficiency, and decision-making quality.

More on this very soon.

Amazon to reduce fees in 2026 – one of the biggest relief measures ever

2026 kicks off with a strong message to all sellers: Amazon is rolling out one of the most extensive fee reductions in its history. On average, the cost per unit sold in Europe will decrease by €0.17 —a clear step toward further strengthening independent retailers.

At the same time, Amazon is making targeted structural changes—for example, to storage, return, and liquidation fees, as well as FBA fees in smaller EU stores. Overall, this will result in a minimal average increase of €0.02 per unit.

Conclusion: 2026 will bring significant financial relief for most retailers and strengthen their competitiveness on the European Amazon marketplace—an ideal time to drive forward product range and growth.

Starting December 15, 2025, sellers in Europe will benefit from significant relief:

  • FBA shipping fees are decreasing by an average of €0.32 in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain .
  • The Percentage sales fees in the clothing category are significantly reduced:
    • up to €15: from 8% → 5%
    • 15–20: from 15% → 10%

The second wave of reductions will follow on February 1, 2026:

  • Significant fee reductions in key categories:
    • Household goods: 15% → 8% (up to €20)
    • Pet clothing & food: 15% → 5% (up to €10)
    • Food & delicatessen products and vitamins/dietary supplements: 8% → 5% (up to €10)
  • Low-price offensive at FBA:
    For products up to €20, FBA fees will be adjusted and reduced by an average of €0.45 per unit.

Amazon unBoxed 2025

At Amazon unBoxed 2025 ( November 11–12), Amazon presented a series of important developments that will realign the entire advertising ecosystem. The platform will be more cross-channel connected, gain more AI-powered features, offer better insights into decision-making processes —and, in particular, video will gain ground.

The 7 most important topics

  • Short videos (16:9) can be booked for any ASIN – no longer just for brands (previously only available in the US).
  • Multiple feature thumbnails possible per product.
  • Early tests: +9% CTR, significantly higher watch rates.
    → Video becomes standard in search feed.
  • Advertising console and DSP are being merged into a single platform.
  • Search, display, streaming, and audio campaigns in one workflow for the first time.
    → Greater clarity, better full-funnel control.
  • Ads Agent and Creative Agent provide support for campaign planning, target group analysis, and automatic creative creation (including video).
    → AI becomes a daily assistant in campaign setup.
  • Over 315 million ad-supported users worldwide every month.
  • New interactive video ads with regional variants.
    → More relevant for brands targeting local audiences.
  • Revised advertising solutions (Performance+, Brand+).
  • AI improves target group predictions.
  • Streaming data from Prime Video will be integrated into Amazon Marketing Cloud.
    → More precise planning and better measurability.
  • New premium formats with various share-of-voice packages.
    → Greater visibility directly in the store.
  • Amazon will explain more clearly in future why the system makes certain advertising decisions.
    → Less black box, more controllability.

Conclusion:

Amazon Ads is evolving into a fully integrated, AI-based advertising ecosystem. Video is becoming indispensable, AI is taking over operational steps, and transparency and cross-channel control are continuing to gain in importance. Those who align their processes and creatives with this early on will gain a clear advantage for 2026.

Sponsored Products & Sponsored Brands Prompts

At unBoxed 2025, Amazon Ads introduced AI-powered prompts for Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands. The new dialogue-oriented variants automatically expand existing campaigns and provide shoppers with relevant product information throughout their customer journey. They are free of charge during the beta phase.

What was introduced?

The prompts use Amazon content—including detail pages, brand stores, and campaign data—and display important information at precisely the right moment during the purchasing process.

Why is this important?

Since buyers often cannot find the details they need right away, the prompts act as virtual product experts, automatically providing relevant information.

Experience & Reporting

Existing Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns are automatically included. The generated prompts and performance metrics such as impressions, clicks, and orders are available in the advertising console.

availability

The open beta will launch in November 2025 in the US and is aimed at all advertisers with Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands campaigns, except authors and publishers.

AI: "Improve offer"

Amazon has released a new AI-powered feature called "Improve My Offer." This makes it easier to update existing product pages and optimize their content.

The tool analyzes existing content and suggests improvements for titles, descriptions, and missing details. These suggestions can be reviewed, adjusted, and published with a single click.

Important note:
The technology is not yet fully developed and may contain errors. Never publish AI suggestions without checking them first. Always review all content carefully before accepting it.

Shoppable Collection

The Shoppable Collection is a new A+ module on Amazon that replaces the brand story and presents products interactively directly on the detail page. Customers see the collection in the "From the Brand" section .

The most important information at a glance

  • Interactive, visual presentation with tagged images and videos.
  • Up to ten cards from six module types (e.g., bestsellers, single ASIN, video).
  • Ideal for product sets, bundles, collections, or new products.
  • Direct purchase options including price, rating, and availability.
  • Already live in Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and the US.

When is it useful?

  • For visually striking or complementary products.
  • For upselling, cross-selling, and faster conversion.
  • When inspiration is desired instead of lots of text.
 

Shoppable Collection vs. Brand Story

  • Shoppable Collection = sales-oriented, structured, and interactive.
  • Brand story = image-oriented, useful for new brands or products that require explanation.

You can download the complete document here:

Click here
Click here

cardboard length

Amazon has significantly reduced the maximum length allowed for standard boxes containing multiple items in FBA shipments. For new shipments in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, boxes may now be a maximum of 63.5 cm long.

Overview of new cardboard specifications:

  • Maximum length: 63.5 cm (previously 91.4 cm)
  • Maximum width: 63.5 cm (unchanged)
  • Maximum height: 63.5 cm (unchanged)

Boxes that exceed these specifications may be rejected or incur additional charges for unplanned services.

ICONIC Webinar

Join our concise webinar to learn how Amazon DSP can help your brand grow in a targeted way.

When? Tuesday , April 29 – 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where? Online via Zoom

Who? Oliver Hahn, Head of Advertising

ICONIC AI

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Logo of Duravit – customer of ICONIC Sales

Premium brand, premium performance

Duravit stands for design, quality and innovation in the bathroom. As a leading international premium brand in the sanitary sector, Duravit is present on Amazon throughout Europe - and relies on the expertise of ICONIC SALES to manage its performance.

Our mandate: the entire EU-wide advertising strategy (PPC & DSP) for Duravit. Nothing simple - but pure performance. The goal: strengthen brand relevance, maximize visibility and scale sales via data-driven campaign strategies.

With a clearly defined funnel strategy, we manage the entire customer journey - from awareness to consideration to conversion. We combine precise keyword targeting, programmatic DSP campaigns and continuous optimization of bidding strategies to achieve maximum efficiency.

Through intelligent campaign structuring and cross-market data analysis, we were able to significantly advance Duravit in the most important European markets. The result: significantly increased visibility, higher relevance in search results and substantial sales growth with improved advertising efficiency.

Duravit proves it: If you want to be successful on Amazon, you need more than just a budget - you need a strategy that perfectly combines brand, data and performance.

Science in Sport logo – ICONIC Sales customer

Successful Amazon expansion in Europe

With Science in Sport (SiS) and PhD Nutrition, we support two leading British brands in the sports nutrition sector. They have been full-service customers of ICONIC SALES for over two years - with the aim of successfully transferring their strong market position from the UK to the European Amazon marketplaces.

Recommended by Amazon itself, SiS and PhD chose ICONIC to strategically and profitably implement the complex EU expansion on Amazon. Our mission: to finally develop and scale sales positively as a vendor in Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

After a comprehensive analysis, we optimized the product structures, introduced a consistent parent-child logic, localized content linguistically and culturally and developed a market-specific Amazon advertising strategy. Through adapted content, optimized listings and data-driven performance marketing, we measurably increased visibility, conversion and profitability.

The result: +23 % sales growth (YoY), 25 % lower advertising costs and a significantly increased brand presence in all target markets. Science in Sport and PhD are now established on Amazon as premium players in the sports nutrition sector across Europe.

This case shows how ICONIC, as an Amazon full-service agency, successfully scales international brands with strategy, local expertise and measurable performance - and turns challenges into real growth stories.

Logo of moloko – customer of ICONIC Sales

Visual brand power on Amazon

MOLOKO is more than just a drink - it's a lifestyle. As an Amazon agency, we at ICONIC SALES were able to redesign MOLOKO's entire brand presence on Amazon - from strategy and content design to performance optimization.

Our challenge: to stage MOLOKO's strong, social media-driven brand identity in such a way that it can also be felt on Amazon. To achieve this, we developed a holistic concept that perfectly combines brand aesthetics, target group understanding and platform logic.

The result is a distinctive Amazon Brand Store that brings MOLOKO to life emotionally and visually. High-quality product photography, bold colors and dynamic layout meet precise Amazon content creation - from A+ content to sales-boosting copy. Each touchpoint was designed to strengthen the brand and product in equal measure.

Supplemented by data-based performance marketing and continuous SEO optimization, we sustainably increased reach, visibility and conversion rates.

Today, MOLOKO presents itself on Amazon as a real lifestyle brand - modern, aesthetic and performance-oriented.

For ICONIC SALES, the project is a prime example of how strong brands can grow on Amazon through creative staging and a data-driven strategy - and show that a successful presence goes far beyond product photos and listings.

Logo of JAKO – customer of ICONIC Sales

Teamwear champion

JAKO stands for genuine teamwear from Germany - a traditional sports brand that has been shaping team sports for decades. We have been supporting JAKO as an Amazon full-service agency for over two and a half years and have taken the brand presence on Amazon to a new level strategically, visually and commercially.

As a medium-sized family business with a strong network of brick-and-mortar retailers, JAKO was looking for a partner agency that does not view Amazon in isolation, but sees it as an integral part of a holistic brand and sales strategy. This is exactly where ICONIC SALES comes in.

With JAKO Amazon, we manage everything from content creation and brand store design to advertising (PPC & DSP), account & business development and customized retailer integration strategies. Our goal: maximum brand presence, efficient advertising costs and consistent brand management across all channels.

Through data-driven analysis, brand-appropriate content optimization and precise performance marketing, we were able to sustainably increase visibility and sales - while creating a stable, profitable setup that benefits retailers and brand alike.

The result: JAKO is now one of the leading German sports brands on Amazon - with a professional appearance, strong conversion rate and clear brand identity.

The case shows how ICONIC SALES helps medium-sized brands to realize their full potential on Amazon - with strategy, creativity and measurable performance.

Paramount logo - ICONIC Sales customer

PAW PATROL ON
AMAZON

Paramount, one of the world's largest and most influential entertainment companies - known for its outstanding contributions to the film and television industry, has chosen ICONIC to manage its Amazon business. With the license rights to the Paw Patrol brand, the content and strategy will be implemented on Amazon across the EU. 

Stefan Gutheil, founder and CEO of ICONIC, proudly comments on the new client win: "The collaboration with Paramount marks an important milestone for ICONIC. It not only confirms our expertise in digital commerce, but also strengthens our commitment to successfully present world-renowned brands on the largest online platforms. We are thrilled to be working with such a prestigious partner as Paramount and look forward to writing new success stories together." ICONIC continues to be at the forefront of digital commerce in the Amazon agency space, providing tailored solutions and strategic advice to major brands to maximize their online presence and sales success.