Here Comes Fall…

Written By Oscar Barbarin

From the Big House to Your Business: Q4 Strategy Time

Just got back from an incredible Michigan Football game with the family (Go Blue!), and there's something electric about fall in Ann Arbor — the energy, the anticipation, the sense that big things are about to happen. That same energy should be driving your Amazon strategy right now.

From meltables to mega-sales, Amazon's latest changes signal one thing: Q4 is no longer coming — it's here. While other sellers are still thinking "soon," the smart money is already moving. Vine's expansion, variation theme cleanups, and BFCM inventory deadlines aren't gentle reminders — they're starting guns.

What's inside this month:

  • 🚀 Geo-expansion opportunities are finally live

  • 🛠️ Major catalog cleanups underway

  • 🎁 Meltables and inventory deadlines — holiday prep starts now

The brands that treat September like preparation season instead of planning season will dominate Q4. The question isn't whether you're ready for the holidays — it's whether you're ready to act while your competition is still deciding.

Time to get in the game.



The GEO Revolution is Here: Practical Steps to Get Ready Now

By Oscar Barbarin | September 2024

The landscape of search is transforming before our eyes. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) isn't just coming—it's here, and forward-thinking brands are already adapting their strategies to thrive in this new reality.

What's Really Happening Behind the Scenes

The AI agents powering today's search experiences have distinct preferences. They're actively crawling the web, seeking structured information that can be easily referenced and cross-referenced. These systems prioritize content that answers specific questions clearly and concisely, but there's more to the story.

Here's what we're seeing work consistently:

Resource Hubs Are Gold: Brands are creating dedicated "Resources" sections on their websites—and it's paying off. These centralized information hubs make it easier for AI crawling components to discover and catalog relevant content.


Structure Matters More Than Ever: The most successful content follows a simple formula: clear headings, dated information, and logical flow. Think black text on white backgrounds with obvious timestamps and authorship.

Author Authority is Everything: Every piece of content needs a clickable author byline that links to other work by the same person. AI systems use this to build credibility profiles and discover related expertise that might be relevant to user queries.

Recency Rules: Recent publication dates signal relevance to AI systems. They assume newer information is more accurate and valuable.

The Hidden Opportunity: Structured Research

Here's where most brands are missing a massive opportunity. You might not have access to laboratory equipment or cutting-edge research facilities, but you have something equally valuable: direct access to your customers.

The Survey Strategy: Start asking your customers the questions that matter—both about your products and about broader issues that impact their lives within your brand's sphere of influence. Then execute professional surveys, analyze the results, and publish comprehensive findings.

Why does this work? AI systems love structured research. They gravitate toward content with tables, analysis, references to other documents, and clear methodology. Original research positions your brand as an authoritative source in ways that repurposed content simply cannot.

The New Marketing Funnel Reality

The traditional marketing funnel has been disrupted. Consideration is no longer happening after the search—it's happening within the search itself, through conversational interactions with AI agents.

These agents have specific intentions and requirements. They want to find information that's:

  • Easily referenceable

  • Clearly authored

  • Recently published

  • Properly structured

Your job isn't just to create content anymore. It's to inform these agents so they can represent your brand accurately in their responses.

Your September Action Plan

  1. Audit Your Content Structure: Review your website's information architecture. Is it easy for an AI to understand and navigate?

  2. Create a Resources Hub: Launch a dedicated resources section with your best, most structured content.

  3. Plan Your Research Project: Identify 2-3 questions you could ask your customers that would generate valuable, publishable insights.

  4. Check Your Visibility: We're now using a tool called Gumshoe to help identify current GEO visibility. Understanding where you stand today is crucial for measuring progress.

The brands that adapt now will have a significant advantage as GEO becomes increasingly important. The question isn't whether this shift will happen—it's whether you'll be ready when it does.

Want to explore how GEO might impact your specific industry? Let's schedule a conversation to dive deeper into your opportunities.

Launch with Reviews: Vine Opens for Pre-Launch and Oversized

Imagine going live with 30 reviews on Day One — now you can.

Amazon's Vine program just expanded in a game-changing way. For the first time, sellers can invite Vine reviewers to test pre-launch ASINs and products in heavy/bulky categories that were previously excluded.

This is massive news for anyone launching furniture, fitness equipment, appliances, or other oversized products. These categories have always struggled with the chicken-and-egg problem: customers won't buy without reviews, but you can't get reviews without sales.

What's Changed:

  • Pre-launch ASINs are now Vine-eligible (get reviews before you go live)

  • Heavy/bulky categories finally have access to the program

  • Oversized products can now build credibility from launch day

Why This Matters for Q4: The timing couldn't be better. With Black Friday and holiday shopping around the corner, having social proof from day one gives you a critical advantage. While competitors struggle with zero reviews, you'll launch with credibility that drives conversions from the start.

Your Next Steps: Review your catalog now — especially new products or anything in furniture, fitness, home improvement, or other oversized categories. Amazon directs sellers to "go to Enroll a product in Vine" to get started, and you can find complete details in their Vine Seller Guide.

The sooner you submit eligible FBA products, the sooner Vine Voices can start testing and reviewing them. Don't let this opportunity pass — the brands that move fastest on this expansion will dominate their categories this Q4.

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Variation Shakeup: Amazon Sunsetting Redundant Themes

Starting now, Amazon's killing off certain variation themes — and your listings could split apart. Between September 2, 2025, and November 30, 2025, Amazon will remove variation themes from product templates that aren't relevant or frequently used Amazon Sellers Brace for Major Impact to Variations during Q4 - EcommerceBytes, but there's more to this story than meets the eye.

Amazon has revised their original plan to only remove variation themes that had no sales in the past 12 months Amazon Sellers Brace for Major Impact to Variations during Q4 - EcommerceBytes, responding to massive seller backlash. However, the risks remain real: child ASINs could lose traffic and rank, URLs might break, and conversion rates could plummet if your variation families split apart.

The biggest concern? If affected families aren't fixed, Amazon will split child ASINs into stand-alone listings Amazon Sellers Brace for Major Impact to Variations during Q4 - EcommerceBytes, potentially separating your reviews and product ranks just as Q4 ramps up. Smart sellers are auditing their high-traffic SKUs immediately to identify at-risk variation relationships before the September 2 deadline.

Ready to protect your catalog? Request a variation audit — we'll flag vulnerable listings before Amazon's changes impact your Q4 performance.

Sources:





3 Amazon Business Red Flags: Are You Making These Mistakes?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1Vsca4BJ6_0




Sweet Timing: Meltable FBA Reopens Sept 22

Chocolates, gummies, and heat-sensitive favorites can ship to FBA again. Amazon is lifting meltable inventory restrictions starting September 22, 2025, with customer orders resuming October 13—perfectly timed for the holiday gifting surge.

This reopening covers all heat-sensitive products that melt at 155°F, including chocolate, gummies, and select jelly- and wax-based items. For brands in snacks, supplements, and seasonal treats, this represents a crucial Q4 opportunity.

The timeline is tight but manageable: You have less than three weeks to prep and ship meltable inventory to hit those early October delivery windows. Smart sellers are already forecasting demand and preparing shipments to capitalize on the holiday season kickoff.

To get started, visit Send to Amazon to create your shipments. You can also download the complete list of meltable ASINs to verify your products qualify.

Don't let this window close on you—start planning your meltable inventory strategy now to maximize your Q4 revenue potential.

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Mark These Dates: Prime Eligibility Cutoffs for BFCM

Miss these inbound deadlines, and your products won't be Prime-eligible for the biggest sales week of the year.

Amazon's Black Friday/Cyber Monday inventory cutoffs are unforgiving. Your window to secure Prime eligibility runs from October 9-30, depending on your fulfillment method. Products arriving after these dates risk reduced visibility or missed sales entirely during peak shopping season.

Critical BFCM Inventory Deadlines:

Fulfillment Method

Arrival Deadline

Notes

AWD

October 9

Earliest cutoff - plan accordingly

FBA Minimal Splits

October 20

Standard FBA option

FBA Amazon-Optimized

October 30

Latest possible deadline

With all shipments now scheduled within 7-day delivery windows starting August 18, timing precision is critical.

The stakes couldn't be higher. Last year's Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday broke Amazon records for both sales volume and items sold. This year's holiday season is expected to be even bigger, making Prime eligibility essential for capturing maximum demand.

Your move: Pull forward your Q4 inventory plan immediately. Prioritize your top sellers and seasonal SKUs for early shipment. Use Capacity Manager to request additional FBA space if needed, and consider Amazon Warehousing and Distribution to hold overflow inventory at lower rates.

The clock is ticking—don't let missed deadlines cost you your biggest sales opportunity of the year.



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Amazon Ending Prep Services — What's Your Plan B?

Starting Jan 1, Amazon's FBA prep/labeling service goes away — and many sellers still don't have a backup.

Amazon is discontinuing its FBA prep service effective January 1, 2026, leaving thousands of U.S. sellers scrambling for alternatives. If you currently rely on Amazon for stickering, polybagging, bubble wrapping, or labeling, this change could seriously disrupt your replenishment flow.

What's Being Eliminated:

Prep Service

Impact

Alternative Needed

Product Labeling

FNSKU stickers applied by Amazon

In-house or 3PL labeling

Polybagging

Amazon bags individual items

Pre-bag before shipping

Bubble Wrapping

Amazon protects fragile items

Custom packaging solutions

Set Creation

Amazon bundles multi-item sets

Assembly before inbound

The clock is ticking faster than you think. Q4 is your testing ground—use these busy months to trial 3PL partners, invest in in-house prep capabilities, or implement automation tools. Don't wait until January to discover your backup plan doesn't work.

Your immediate action items: Audit what percentage of your SKUs currently use Amazon prep services, then start testing alternatives now. Whether it's partnering with a 3PL, building internal capabilities, or investing in prep automation, you need a solution locked in before January 1.

The sellers who act now will maintain smooth operations while competitors scramble in the new year.



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Events & Deadlines Tracker (Sidebar or Bottom Section)

  • Sept 2 – Variation Theme Removals Begin

  • Sept 22 – Meltable FBA Reopens

  • Oct 9–30 – BFCM Inbound Deadline

  • Jan 1, 2026 – FBA Prep Services End



Coming Next Month (Teaser for October Issue)

  • 🧾 2026 Planning: Budgeting for Retail Media

  • ⚖️ A/B Testing at Scale: What Works (and What Wastes Spend)

  • 🎄 Black Friday: Final Checklist Before the Storm


Oscar Barbarin
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The Reality of Agentic Search