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January gets written off every year as a slowdown month. Sellers pull back spend, throttle inventory, and assume momentum won’t return until February.

That assumption is costly.

In this episode of Selling on Giants News and Updates, Mr. Will breaks down why January is not a dead zone. It’s a transition month driven by funded demand, elevated returns, and operational signals that quietly separate disciplined operators from reactive ones.

This episode is not about theory or motivation. It’s about how January actually behaves inside Amazon and across eCommerce, and how sellers should respond when the noise dies down but the signals get clearer.

Here’s what we cover:

Why gift cards make January one of the most misunderstood revenue windows of the year
• Gift cards represent already funded demand, not casual browsing
• Why January shoppers convert differently than Q4 shoppers
• Categories that consistently benefit when listings align with New Year intent
• How staying in stock while competitors slow down creates quiet share gains
• Why bundles, minimum spend offers, and AOV strategies outperform blunt discounting
• How January gift card traffic doubles as a customer acquisition moment, not just redemptions

Post holiday returns and why January is a returns season, not a cleanup week
• Why returns stay elevated well into mid January, even when December looks calm
• How refunds distort cash flow right as teams plan new spend and launches
• The hidden inventory lag caused by returned units stuck in inspection limbo

Amazon’s seller fulfilled refund update starting January 26, 2026
• The shift from two business days to four calendar days to process refunds
• Why more time does not mean less accountability
• How automated refunds impact SAFE T reimbursement eligibility
• Why Amazon is steering sellers toward the Guided Refund workflow

What to do when a customer pulls a switcheroo return
• Why this happens more often on high value FBM items
• How speed and documentation determine outcomes more than policy language
• Why photos and evidence matter more than explanations
• How to communicate with buyers without triggering escalation

Backend keyword myths and Amazon’s actual indexing rules
• Why only one Generic Keyword field matters, regardless of how many boxes appear
• The hard 250 character limit Amazon enforces
• What Amazon explicitly says to avoid including
• Why overstuffing backend keywords rarely moves rankings

Weather as a real time mindset signal for eCommerce performance
• How weather influences attention, emotion, and memory
• Why short term conversion swings are often mindset driven, not bid driven
• How creative performance shifts based on real world conditions
• Categories that are disproportionately affected by weather changes

When heavy, oversized products actually make sense for international expansion
• Why “domestic only” assumptions leave revenue on the table
• How international demand often shows up in analytics before sellers notice
• Why margin and scarcity matter more than product weight
• Categories where cross border freight consistently works

This episode is a behind the curtain look at January through an operator’s lens. No hype. No fear tactics. No forum folklore. Just how demand, returns, policy, and execution actually intersect when the calendar flips.

If you want to stay ahead of marketplace updates, AI driven retail shifts, competitive pressures, and growth strategies across Amazon, Walmart, and Target, subscribe to Selling on Giants