Amazon Brings Prime Delivery to Merchant Sites, Costco's Digital Sales Top $33B + 6 More Stories
3 min read · September 25, 2026 · Covering September 24 · 8 stories from 6 sources
Yesterday in ecommerce: Amazon gave merchants a new way to borrow Prime's trust and speed, and Costco showed how big a warehouse club's online business can get. Eight stories, about three minutes.
01Delivery
Amazon lets merchants add Prime delivery to their own websites
Amazon's Multichannel Fulfillment now lets US merchants show Prime delivery badges and speeds on their own sites, not just Amazon.com. Early adopters shipped over 40% of eligible orders this way, activated 70% faster than the older Buy with Prime, and get 15 to 25% off fulfillment fees for six months. Skinnies Instant Lifts saw sales rise close to 10%; its GM Gabriella Luksander said it "changes their confidence level, especially first-time buyers."
For your store:If you already use FBA, check whether MCF's new discount and Prime badge fit your own checkout.
Amazon lets sellers run 5 channels from one Seller Central dashboard
Amazon's Seller Central is rolling out multichannel tools that connect accounts, import listings and show orders and fulfillment across Amazon, eBay, Shopify, TikTok and Walmart in one place, at no extra cost. Amazon says over 95% of its independent sellers already sell on multiple channels. Elizabeth Mott's operations director Pamela Lee said the monthly cross-channel reporting alone used to cost her team five hours.
For your store:If you already sell on several marketplaces, this could cut the manual reporting work your team dreads.
A Netskope report on a year of retail network traffic found ungoverned "shadow AI" tool use fell from 70% to 44% as sanctioned AI use rose to 73%, but risk followed the shift: over half of blocked data-policy violations involved regulated data, and AI agents connecting to remote servers via MCP jumped 400%. AI-themed phishing attempts are climbing again too.
For your store:Before connecting any AI agent or plugin to your store's data, write down exactly what it can touch.
Marketplace sellers now chase profit, not just sales
ChannelEngine's Marketplace Seller Trends Report, based on over 550 sellers across the UK, Germany, France, the US and the Netherlands, finds profit margin has overtaken net sales as the top success metric. Sellers keep expanding: 49% added two or three marketplaces this year and 39% now sell on seven or more. Yet three in five still run largely manual operations, says CEO Jorrit Steinz.
For your store:Track margin per channel, not just revenue. The busiest marketplace isn't always the most profitable one.
Costco's digital sales cross $33 billion, up more than 20%
Costco's online sales topped $33 billion in fiscal 2026, growing over 20%, helped by new nationwide delivery deals with DoorDash and Uber Eats alongside its long-running Instacart partnership. CEO Ron Vachris called the extra sales mostly incremental to the core warehouse business. Digital and delivery are also pulling in younger shoppers: under-40 membership is up more than 60% since Covid.
For your store:Third-party delivery marketplaces can reach new, younger customers without cannibalizing your core sales.
H&M's third-quarter operating profit rose 23% to SEK 6.0 billion even as sales inched up just 1% in local currencies. Gross margin improved to 54%, helped partly by a one-off tariff and import benefit. CEO Daniel Ervér credited tighter purchasing, cost control and a better stock mix, plus AI support for "greater relevance and precision" in the assortment.
For your store:Growth doesn't only come from more traffic. Tightening your buying and stock mix can move the needle too.
US Halloween spending forecast hits a record $13.5 billion
The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, above last year's $13.1 billion record. Discount stores remain the top destination (39%), but 27% will buy online and 13% will shop local, nearly double the share from a decade ago. Almost half of shoppers plan to start buying in September to spread out the cost.
For your store:Seasonal budget-consciousness is rising. Early, value-forward promotions can catch shoppers before they commit elsewhere.
Lowe's becomes first home improvement chain to offer drone delivery
Lowe's is piloting drone delivery with Alphabet's Wing and DoorDash at a store in Matthews, North Carolina, promising over 100 everyday items, from hand tools to caulk and cleaner, in as fast as 20 minutes. Customers order through the DoorDash app, and Wing drones handle the final leg from the store. It adds to Lowe's existing BOPIS and same-day delivery options.
For your store:Fast, small-basket delivery is becoming a differentiator beyond groceries. Worth watching if you sell bulky or urgent items.
The Daily Checkout is a daily summary written by KonvertiQ. Every story links to its original source, where you will find full reporting and context. Covered today: About Amazon, Digital Commerce 360, Ecommerce News Europe, Modern Retail, Retail Dive, Retail Gazette.