Amazon published its second-quarter results last week, confirming that the marketplace continues to grow strongly. But for sellers, the key takeaway is not only how much the platform is growing. It is how that growth is taking shape: a larger share of third-party sales, higher advertising revenue and an increasingly demanding delivery promise for everyone.

The operational implications are clear. Winning on Amazon is no longer just about having a good product and generating demand. Growth now requires inventory, campaigns, order preparation, logistics and cash flow to operate in sync and at an ever-faster pace.

That is why the following figures are worth highlighting.

Three figures that show where Amazon is heading

In its second-quarter 2026 results, published on 30 July, Amazon reported that:

• Third-party seller services revenue reached $780 million, up 16% year on year.
• Advertising revenue reached $809 million, representing 26% year-on-year growth.
• Third-party sellers accounted for 61% of paid units worldwide, up from 60% in the previous quarter.

In its earnings release, Amazon also said that it had once again set new Prime delivery-speed records during the first half of 2026, with more than 40% more items delivered either on the same day or overnight. Growth was even stronger in categories such as groceries and everyday essentials.

These are global figures rather than a Europe-specific snapshot, but they provide a clear indication of where the platform is heading: the seller ecosystem is expanding, commercial visibility is becoming increasingly important and delivery speed is moving to the centre of Amazon’s value proposition.

For sellers operating across several marketplaces, this has an important consequence. Each channel can generate demand, but each one also competes for the same inventory, advertising budget and order-fulfilment capacity.

The change turning this trend into an urgent issue for FBM sellers

The pressure to deliver faster is already being reflected in seller-performance metrics.

Amazon has updated its Fulfilled by Merchant performance requirements in Europe. According to Seller Central documentation and notices sent to sellers, as reported by outlets including ecommercenews.eu and HeyCross, sellers in markets such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain must maintain an On-Time Delivery Rate of at least 90%.

From 1 September 2026, consistently falling below that threshold may result in listings being deactivated or restrictions being placed on the creation of new FBM offers.

Default handling times have also changed. Since 15 July, the general account settings only display options of zero or one day. Sellers previously using a two-day default handling time have had it automatically reduced to one day, a change confirmed in several official Seller Central forum threads.

It is still possible to set longer handling times at SKU level, but sellers should no longer rely on a broad account-wide setting to cover products with very different fulfilment requirements.

The conclusion is not that every seller should simply promise faster delivery. It is that sellers need to make more accurate delivery promises and support them with reliable stock, warehouse and carrier data.

The multichannel risk: selling the same inventory at different speeds

A seller operating on Amazon, Miravia, eBay, ManoMano or other marketplaces is usually pursuing a sensible goal: diversifying sales and reducing dependence on a single channel.

However, commercial diversification can create operational concentration when every order depends on the same inventory and the same fulfilment process.

Imagine a SKU that performs well across several platforms. An Amazon campaign increases demand at the same time as another marketplace launches a promotion. If inventory is not updated frequently enough, the same stock may be allocated twice.

The problem does not end with a cancellation. It can affect on-time delivery, offer visibility and the seller’s ability to keep FBM listings active.

The most useful question is therefore no longer simply, “How many marketplaces do we sell on?” It is:

“Can we absorb a surge in orders across two channels at the same time without breaking our delivery promise or losing the ability to restock?”

The advantage is not only selling more, but reacting sooner

Amazon’s latest figures point to a genuine opportunity. Paid units, third-party services and international activity are all growing. At the same time, the platform is demanding greater precision from sellers managing their own logistics.

For a multichannel business, controlled growth means connecting decisions that are too often made separately: how much inventory to purchase, where to list it, how much to invest in visibility and how quickly the cash generated from sales can be put back to work.

This brings us to a lever that often receives less attention than catalogue management or advertising: the time it takes to access sales proceeds.

When demand accelerates but cash moves at a different pace, a business may have significant sales awaiting settlement while simultaneously needing funds to restock its best-performing products.

Would you like Wannme to carry out an in-depth review of your account and identify how you could grow more effectively? Contact us here.