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In this episode of Selling on Giants, we sit down with Marina Mushlovina and Nila Cook, founders of Neo Naturelle, to unpack how they turned a personal skincare need into an award-winning brand.

Neo Naturelle focuses on women experiencing hormonal changes like perimenopause and menopause—an often overlooked market. Built on their backgrounds in chemistry and food science, the founders created products rooted in real needs, validated through direct customer feedback.

The conversation dives into:

- Building a brand from scratch — starting online, then pivoting into retail post-COVID
- Finding and owning a niche — serving women 40+ with hormone-focused skincare
- Changing the narrative around aging — positioning it as something to embrace, not fight
- Retail expansion lessons — from consignment strategies to navigating large retailer risks
- Bootstrapping growth — using customer interaction and grassroots efforts to refine products and messaging
- What actually drives retail success — strong margins, storytelling, and ongoing in-store support

They also open up about the realities of entrepreneurship—self-doubt, financial risk, and the importance of resilience—while sharing how awards and customer testimonials helped validate their journey.

If you're building a brand or considering retail expansion, this episode is packed with practical insights on how to grow sustainably while staying true to your mission.

Learn More: https://neonaturelle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neonaturelle/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neonaturellecosmetics/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neonaturelle/

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In this week’s Selling on Giants News & Updates, we break down what is actually happening across Amazon, Walmart, and the broader eCommerce landscape and what it means for brands, operators, and even consumers.

Here’s what we’re covering:

Amazon Compliance Is Getting Stricter
Restricted product violations are rising across categories, and enforcement is becoming more automated. Listings are getting flagged unexpectedly, appeals are being denied quickly, and even legacy products are triggering account health issues.
Takeaway: Compliance is no longer reactive. It needs to be treated as a core part of operations.

Prime Day Is Moving Earlier
Amazon continues to push deadlines forward. Deals, pricing, and inventory decisions now need to be locked in weeks ahead of the event.
Takeaway: Prime Day is no longer a last-minute push. It is a planned campaign that requires early commitment.

Amazon Expands Beyond Its Marketplace
Multi-Channel Fulfillment is now expanding globally, allowing brands to use Amazon as their fulfillment layer across channels.
Takeaway: Operations become simpler, but dependency on Amazon increases.

Walmart Is Building a Controlled Ecosystem
Walmart is integrating stores, fulfillment, AI, and eCommerce into a single system designed for speed and efficiency.
Takeaway: Inventory placement, delivery speed, and execution now determine performance.

Retail Media Is Moving Up the Funnel
Walmart Connect is simplifying connected TV ads, and Amazon is expanding DSP placements like Kindle lockscreen ads.
Takeaway: Brands are now competing before the customer even starts searching.

Search Is Shifting from Rankings to AI Answers
With GenAI, visibility is no longer just about ranking. It is about being cited and referenced in AI-generated responses.
Takeaway: Content needs to be structured for clarity, authority, and trust, not just keywords.

Operational Risks Are Increasing
USPS is tightening enforcement on underpaid postage, leading to shipment delays and rejections.
Takeaway: Small operational errors now have larger consequences.

Platform Economics Are Changing
BigCommerce is introducing new fees tied to payment providers, pushing brands toward native systems.
Takeaway: Platform decisions now directly impact margins.

AI Is Automating Advertising Execution
Meta is expanding AI tools that simplify campaign setup and optimization.
Takeaway: Execution becomes easier, but strategy and creative become the differentiators.

The Bigger Picture

Automation is increasing.
Control is tightening.
The systems are getting better, but they are less forgiving.

Brands that focus on clean data, clear strategy, and strong execution will adapt faster and capture more value.

If you are running an eCommerce brand or managing marketplace growth, this is one of those moments where understanding how the system works matters more than ever.

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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down a major shift happening across Amazon, Walmart, and the broader marketplace landscape. The headlines may look unrelated, but they all point in the same direction.

Platforms are moving beyond transactions and into infrastructure, while operators face increasing pressure across fulfillment, compliance, and discovery.

Top stories this week:

• Amazon expands Multi Channel Fulfillment for Shopify globally
  Amazon extends its MCF Shopify integration into Europe, Japan, and Canada, positioning itself as the fulfillment layer for direct-to-consumer brands. Efficiency increases, but so does dependency.
• eigh to Z claims continue to create friction
  Even with Buy Shipping and proper documentation, sellers report inconsistent outcomes. The process is clear, but enforcement remains unpredictable, shifting risk toward the seller.
• VAT complexity increases for EU expansion
  Global growth introduces operational overhead, including registration, reporting, and tax compliance across multiple countries. Expansion is no longer plug and play.

Operational pressure is building:

• Supply chain diversification becomes more complex
  New restrictions in China slow down efforts to shift manufacturing, increasing friction in sourcing and planning.
• Distribution expectations continue to rise
  Speed, reliability, and automation are now baseline requirements, not differentiators. Fulfillment performance directly impacts conversion.
• Amazon tightens advertiser payment structures
  Less flexibility in billing ties ad spend more closely to cash flow, requiring tighter control and faster optimization.

Discovery and behavior shifts:

• AI-driven shopping adoption increases
  Millennials and Gen Z are using AI tools to guide purchasing decisions, shifting discovery from search to assisted selection.
• AI traffic grows, but remains inconsistent
  Traffic from AI sources is increasing, but conversion and intent vary widely, making it an additive rather than foundational channel.
• Conversational and voice-based advertising emerges
  New formats like Alexa-based ads signal a move beyond screens into interactive discovery environments.

Retail and marketplace evolution:

• Walmart pilots store-based fulfillment
  Physical stores become logistics nodes, improving delivery speed and raising expectations across ecommerce.
• Sam’s Club connects in-store experience with data
  Offline interactions become measurable, giving retailers more control over customer insights and performance tracking.
• Marketplace expansion accelerates
  Brands continue to diversify across platforms to reduce dependency, increasing operational complexity but improving stability.

The bigger picture:

• Platforms are expanding into infrastructure
• Costs and complexity are increasing
• Discovery is becoming fragmented and AI-driven
• Risk is shifting toward the operator
• Execution is becoming the primary differentiator

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are operating on Amazon, Walmart, or scaling across marketplaces, this episode provides a clear operator-level perspective on what is changing and how to respond.

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In this episode of Selling on Giants, Will sits down with Milton and Gisela, founders of Not Bad Snacks, to explore what happens when a digital-first brand takes its first steps into retail.

Not Bad Snacks is a Vancouver-based better-for-you snack brand built around the idea that healthy snacks shouldn’t be boring. Known for their clean ingredients and bold flavors, the brand has been growing through direct-to-consumer channels, local events, and a strong community presence.

Learn more: https://notbadsnacks.ca
Follow them: https://instagram.com/notbadsnacks

This conversation breaks down that transition from online to retail, and what founders often underestimate along the way.

You’ll learn:

- How real customer demand (not just strategy) pushed the brand toward retail
- Why local events became a key proving ground for product-market fit
- What actually needs to change before approaching retail buyers (pricing, packaging, case packs, shelf presence)
- How retail buyers evaluate products—velocity, margins, and category fit
- Early signals that indicate retail success, including reorders and in-store feedback
- Why retail is still a relationship-driven business—and how that impacts growth

Milton and Gisela also share honest insights into the learning curve of entering the CPG space for the first time, from operational challenges to pitching buyers and navigating new stakeholders beyond DTC.

If you’re building an eCommerce brand and considering retail expansion, this episode offers practical, real-world perspective on what it actually takes to make that leap—and what to pressure test before you do.

Follow Selling on Giants for more conversations with founders and operators scaling across Amazon, Walmart, and retail.

Follow BellaVix:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellavix/
Website: https://www.bellavix.com/

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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down a clear shift happening across Amazon, Walmart, and the broader marketplace landscape. It is not one major update. It is a series of smaller changes that all point in the same direction.

More platform control. More operational pressure. Less room for error.

If you are responsible for performance, this is the environment you are operating in.

Top stories this week:

• Amazon launches “Unmet Demand” insights
  A new feature inside Product Opportunity Explorer highlights high search, low conversion opportunities. Strong in theory, but still too broad for direct execution. Useful for validation, not decision-making.
• eigh-to-Z claims remain inconsistent despite clear process
  Sellers follow the rules, provide documentation, and still absorb losses. The issue is no longer understanding the process. It is trusting the outcome.
• Amazon doubles down on AI infrastructure
  AI is not a feature. It is becoming the system that drives search, ads, and visibility across the platform.
• Google search shifts toward AI-generated answers
  Ranking matters less. Selection matters more. Fewer links, more synthesized results, and tighter competition for visibility.

Operational pressure building across the board:

• Supply chain complexity impacts scalability
  Categories like fragrance highlight how sourcing, compliance, and production variability affect margins and inventory.
• Packaging costs becoming volatile
  Material costs, sustainability requirements, and supply disruptions turn packaging into a variable cost center.
• Variation enforcement tightens on Amazon
  Review consolidation strategies are being phased out. Each Skew must now build its own credibility, increasing launch cost and time.

Retail and demand signals:

• Walmart leans into cultural product drops
  Limited-time collaborations show a shift toward event-driven commerce and demand creation.
• Easter spending hits record levels
  Demand remains strong, but consumers are more price-sensitive and value-driven.

Discovery and advertising shifts:

• Conversational ads expand with Alexa+
  Voice-based interaction introduces new discovery surfaces beyond search and scrolling.
• Community and AI reshape visibility
  Reddit, AI-generated results, and conversational interfaces influence perception before customers reach listings.

Macro trends shaping the market:

• Potential tariffs on digital goods
  WTO developments introduce uncertainty around costs tied to software, tools, and services.
• Shift toward profitability and efficiency
  Growth-at-all-costs is fading. Operators are focusing on margin, retention, and disciplined execution.

The bigger picture:

• Platforms are taking more control
• Costs are increasing across the board
• Discovery is becoming fragmented
• Consumers are more selective
• Operations are more complex

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are operating on Amazon, Walmart, or scaling across marketplaces, this episode gives you a clear operator-level breakdown of what matters right now and how to respond.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly insights that go beyond headlines and focus on what actually impacts your business.

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This week’s Selling on Giants goes deep on one of the most important updates sellers have seen this year, Amazon’s so-called “temporary” three point five percent fulfillment surcharge and what it actually means for your business.

This is not just another fee update. This is a continuation of a pattern.

If you are operating on Amazon, this episode breaks down what is really happening behind the scenes and how to respond like an operator, not a spectator.

Main focus this week:

• Amazon introduces a 3.5% fulfillment surcharge
  Positioned as temporary, but sellers know how this plays out. Costs increase, margins compress, and the burden shifts downstream.
• Margin pressure compounds across the board
  Rising ad costs, tighter competition, and pricing sensitivity are already limiting flexibility. This adds another layer of pressure.
• Seller control vs platform control
  Amazon continues to centralize decision-making across fulfillment, data, and expansion tools, while sellers absorb more variability.

What serious operators should be doing now:

• Reduce fulfillment costs at the unit level
  Packaging optimization, dimensional adjustments, and SIPP qualification all directly impact fee exposure.
• Reevaluate fulfillment strategy
  Fulfilled by Merchant becomes more relevant for specific SKUs where FBA economics no longer make sense.
• Control participation in promotions
  Prime Day and other events require discipline. More volume does not always equal more profit.
• Test pricing, don’t guess
  Incremental price adjustments paired with conversion monitoring become critical in a constrained environment.
• Diversify beyond Amazon
  Walmart continues to expand reach, TikTok offers lower acquisition costs, and DTC provides control. Dependency is now a risk.

Additional shifts shaping the market:

• Amazon tightens ecosystem control
  From fulfillment standardization to guided expansion tools and closed data environments, control continues to consolidate.
• Discovery moves beyond search
  Reddit, AI-driven answers, and community-driven content are influencing visibility before customers reach product pages.
• AI moves from reporting to decision-making
  Systems are starting to execute on pricing, inventory, and campaign decisions, shifting the role of the operator.
• Product data becomes infrastructure
  PIM systems and structured listings are now required to scale across Amazon, Walmart, and emerging channels.
• AI-driven advertising emerges
  Early signals show product feeds and shopping placements entering AI environments, creating new acquisition channels.
• Regulatory complexity increases
  State-level regulations introduce more fragmentation, adding operational overhead and compliance challenges.

The bigger picture:

• Costs are rising
• Control is consolidating
• Discovery is shifting
• Complexity is increasing

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are an eCommerce brand selling on Amazon, Walmart, or scaling across channels, this episode gives you a clear, operator-level breakdown of what matters right now and how to respond with confidence.

Follow Selling on Giants for weekly insights that go beyond headlines and focus on what actually impacts your business.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level insights built for serious marketplace brands navigati

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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down the real shifts happening across Amazon, Walmart, retail media, and AI-driven commerce. This is not a surface-level recap. This is an operator’s view of what actually changes when you are responsible for the P and L.

The pressure is building across multiple fronts at the same time, and the brands that adapt fastest will hold their position.

Top stories this week:

• Amazon linked account enforcement tightens
  Amazon is now treating seller accounts as a single entity. One violation can take down multiple accounts, and recovery depends on resolving the root account first. This is a structural risk, not an isolated issue.
• DD+7 reserve policy creates cash flow pressure
  Sellers are now waiting longer to access funds, creating real constraints on inventory, ad spend, and daily operations. This is not just a policy change, it is a financial shift.
• Retention marketing faces new regulation
  Pennsylvania’s proposed bill introduces stricter rules around email and SMS marketing. More consent, less flexibility, and reduced ability to re-engage customers.
• Ulta expands store fulfillment capabilities
  Speed is becoming the baseline. Inventory positioning now directly impacts visibility and conversion, not just delivery time.

Platform and discovery shifts:

• AI reshapes product discovery (Sephora + Gen AI search)
  Discovery is moving from keyword search to guided interaction and AI-generated answers. Visibility now depends on structured, clear, and complete product data.
• Meta and TikTok push AI and creator-led commerce
  Discovery is shifting from intent-based search to algorithm-driven exposure. Creators and AI are becoming primary drivers of product visibility.
• Walmart expands into connected TV commerce
  Product discovery is moving into content environments, reducing reliance on traditional ecommerce entry points.

Operational and marketplace signals:

• Etsy reinforces listing quality as a ranking factor
  Complete, accurate, and structured listings are now required for visibility. Keywords alone are no longer enough.
• NRF highlights growing regulatory pressure
  Labor, supply chain, data, and compliance are all tightening at the same time, increasing operational complexity.
• Brands experiment with alternative acquisition channels
  Rising costs are pushing brands to test lower-cost tactics like offline marketing to maintain efficiency.

The bigger picture:

• Compliance is tightening
• Cash flow is getting tighter
• Discovery is shifting toward AI and content
• Platforms are consolidating control
• Customer acquisition is getting more expensive

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are an eCommerce brand operating on Amazon, Walmart, or beyond, this episode gives you a clear operator lens on what matters right now and how to respond with confidence.

Follow the show for weekly breakdowns of what is actually changing in eCommerce, and how serious operators are adapting in real time.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for weekly operator-level insights built for serious marketplace brands navigating complexity with discipline.

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This week’s Selling on Giants breaks down the biggest shifts impacting Amazon, Walmart, and the broader eCommerce landscape, with a focus on compliance risk, customer behavior, and tightening margins.

These are not surface-level updates. This is how operators are responding in real time.

Top stories this week:

• “Made in USA” enforcement is tightening
  A new executive order increases scrutiny on product claims. If your listings are not fully compliant, you are exposed to suppression, penalties, and account risk.
• Amazon buyer abuse and feedback threats
  Customers are leveraging negative feedback to push refunds and concessions. Learn how to protect your rating without sacrificing margin.
• NRF forecasts 4.4% retail growth
  Demand is steady, but competition is tightening. Growth comes from execution, not market lift.
• Walmart UPC and GTIN exemption friction
  More visibility into denials, but the process remains inconsistent. Listing velocity now depends on structured, precise submissions.

Additional insights covered:

• Shipping pressure from USPS losses
  Rising costs and service variability are forcing brands to rethink carrier strategy.
• Amazon returns and recovery data expansion
  New visibility into return reasons and costs creates opportunities to improve contribution margin.
• Target’s $915M retail media growth
  Paid visibility is becoming a baseline requirement across retail platforms.
• Sam’s Club and the participation era
  Membership, retention, and customer ownership are becoming central to growth.
• Shift away from third-party tools
  Amazon continues to pull sellers into its native ecosystem, changing how brands operate.

The bigger picture:

• Compliance is tightening
• Customer behavior is more aggressive
• Growth is steady, not explosive
• Margins are under pressure
• Platforms are taking more control

The edge is not in hacks. It is in execution. Clean data. Clear systems. Fast decisions.

If you are an eCommerce brand operating on Amazon, Walmart, or beyond, this episode gives you a clear operator lens on what matters right now and how to respond.

Like, follow, and subscribe to stay ahead of what is actually changing in eCommerce.

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