Recently, there has been much discussion among cross-border e-commerce sellers regarding the performance of this year’s Prime Day. Many sellers reported a slight increase in order volume compared to regular days, but the event didn’t turn out to be the explosive success they had anticipated. In fact, considering the drop in orders before and after the promotion, it seems that many sellers simply concentrated their usual sales volume into Prime Day itself.
Due to deeper-than-usual discounts, many Amazon sellers indicated that the profitability of Amazon’s major promotion days has significantly declined. And it appears that this downward trend in margins is becoming a harsh reality that most sellers can no longer ignore. Outside of Amazon, Hui Creative also noticed that many sellers had high hopes for TEMU’s Prime Day performance this year—but the outcome, unfortunately, was disappointing.
Yet, while most complaints dominate the conversation, we might be overlooking the fact that some sellers are making substantial profits this year—both during and outside of Prime Day—by adopting entirely new approaches. What are these methods? How should sellers choose and operate their platforms today? In this article, Hui Creative breaks it all down.
Part 1: Amazon – Besieged on All Sides, Sellers More Uncertain Than Ever
From July 8 to 11, 2025, Amazon extended Prime Day to four days for the first time. Although this move drove record-breaking consumer spending—with Adobe reporting U.S. online sales reaching $24.1 billion, a 30.3% year-over-year increase and higher than last year’s Black Friday benchmark—Amazon kept a notably low profile, withholding total sales figures and order volumes. This deliberate silence reflects its awkward position under mounting pressure.
Firstly, Amazon faced direct competition from Walmart and Target, who launched their own “Summer Events” during the same period, as well as the rapid expansion of TikTok Shop. Walmart initiated a six-day online and offline discount campaign, with in-store and online channels synchronized for the first time. Target also rolled out a rolling-style promotion, effectively diverting shopper attention away from Prime Day.
Secondly, the ongoing trade war and increased tariffs have sharply driven up costs for Chinese sellers, eroding their price advantage. Many now weigh potential tariffs before launching new products. Those offering highly commoditized products find themselves without pricing power. As a result, Prime Day’s sales structure has shifted, with consumers gravitating toward daily essentials and low-priced SKUs. Data shows 46% of orders were for products under $20.
Thirdly, TikTok Shop has disrupted the traditional purchasing path with its “short video + shopping” model, forming a closed loop of “discovery + trust + conversion.” Its combo of shoppable videos, livestreams, and affiliate commissions is rapidly penetrating Western markets and has become the go-to platform for launching new brands. More and more consumers are no longer relying on Amazon to discover new products.
Lastly, Amazon’s internal “Haul” review system expanded from the app to the desktop version, significantly cannibalizing Prime Day orders for many third-party sellers. Judging by review counts and BSR rank shifts, it’s clear that third-party sellers’ real competition may not be TEMU or SHEIN—but Amazon Haul itself. However, this internal competition between Amazon’s regular listings and the low-price Haul platform has blurred the company’s positioning. Sellers unable to join the Haul program are now reluctantly supplying to TEMU and SHEIN instead, further fueling the low-price war Amazon struggles to contain.
Overall, while Amazon continued to lead in total sales during Prime Day, the operational burdens of early inventory planning, rising ad costs, review competition, and recent compliance audits have led many sellers to realize: they can no longer place all their hopes on Amazon alone.
Part 2: Walmart – A Rising Star Becoming a Seller Favorite
Walmart had a strong first half in 2025—its online marketplace surpassed 200,000 sellers, with 44,000 new additions. E-commerce revenue grew over 20% year-on-year. Its synergy between physical stores and online channels gave it a distinct advantage during peak sales periods, far surpassing Amazon in some respects.
During Prime Day, Walmart Sellers’ order growth rate outpaced Amazon significantly. Why is Walmart closing the gap so quickly and scaling up at such speed? The key lies in:
- Supply Chain and Logistics Superiority: With stores across the U.S. acting as warehouses and pickup points, Walmart offers same-city delivery advantages.
- Lower E-Commerce Costs: Platform fees and fulfillment costs are more favorable, allowing sellers higher profit margins.
- Serving Members and Non-Members Alike: Walmart ran promotions for all customers during its event, appealing to those unwilling to pay Amazon’s $139 annual Prime membership.
For cross-border sellers, Walmart is no longer just a “supplementary” channel—it’s now a viable long-term growth path. According to U.S. media reports, Walmart’s Prime Day sales this year surpassed $26.5 billion and showed clear potential to rival Amazon long-term.
Part 3: TEMU & SHEIN – Growth Amid Uncertainty
TEMU made little impact during Prime Day 2025, largely due to the adverse effects of tariffs on its fully-managed model. Higher prices and longer delivery times have eroded its value proposition, leading to noticeable drops in both order volume and conversion rates.
Hui Creative also noted that, unlike Amazon and SHEIN, TEMU does not operate self-owned stores. This puts TEMU at a disadvantage under rising tariff pressure, leaving it more vulnerable than its competitors.
Meanwhile, although SHEIN saw some sales growth, few sellers reported explosive results. Market rumors continue to suggest TEMU will reinstate its fully-managed model with shipping from China via small postal packages. However, according to U.S. media, even as U.S.-China trade talks near potential breakthroughs, Trump is unlikely to ease up on Section T86, and may even impose broader postal package tariffs on other countries.
Therefore, the return of the fully-managed model may be wishful thinking for Chinese sellers—and even if it does return, it won’t look like it did before.
Part 4: TikTok Shop – The Go-To Platform for Explosive Sales
Based on our observations at Hui Creative, TikTok Shop has become the most valued platform for U.S. sellers and brands in 2024–2025—not just for online sellers, but also brick-and-mortar retailers and even globally recognized brands.
TikTok Shop succeeds because of:
- Social Trust Purchasing: Its video + livestream format effectively replaces traditional reliance on reviews.
- Transparent Affiliate Model: Low barriers for creator partnerships make it highly appealing to influencers.
- Time-Limited Deal Exposure: Promotional deals mimic Amazon’s event-style urgency, making TikTok ideal for launching new products.
We can describe TikTok brand sellers as “fast-track overtakers.” Consumers habitually price-compare on TikTok, while promotional content circulates back to traditional platforms. Many sellers now masterfully execute an “Amazon external traffic” strategy: new listings garner dozens of reviews daily, quickly reaching hundreds in a month and over 1,000 in just 2–3 months.
Per Amazon’s guidelines, as long as sellers do not incentivize specific star ratings or offer discounts/gifts in exchange for reviews, these external review-driving methods are fully compliant.
Part 5: Shopify’s Comeback – Explosive Seller Adoption
Trump’s tariff policies have undoubtedly shaken up platform-based e-commerce. But Shopify—built on independent sites and integrated marketing—has emerged as a hot destination for sellers seeking stability and long-term growth.
At Hui Creative, we’ve seen more sellers turning to Shopify during Prime Day 2025, and building effective models that combine Shopify + TikTok + Amazon. Why?
- Perceived Brand Legitimacy: To consumers, a brand without a website is just a “pop-up stall”—unprofessional and untrustworthy.
- Product Discovery: Shoppers who like a product on Amazon often search for a brand’s standalone site to find more premium or unique items not sold on Amazon.
- Centralized Inventory and Pricing Management: Sellers rarely list all products on a single platform. Shopify becomes the hub for managing products, prices, and stock.
- Integrated Marketing Power: When sellers add Amazon affiliate buttons and TikTok, Meta, and Google tracking codes to Shopify, once-competing platforms become one synchronized system.
- All-Channel Fan Engagement: Shopify’s tools—email, community, and social publishing—help sellers keep fans informed, nurtured, and engaged long-term.
With the rise of Gen-AI, Shopify’s advanced marketing features are emerging daily. When integrated with Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok, these can unlock entirely new waves of traffic and orders.
Shopify allows sellers to navigate account-level risks on major platforms with confidence—and build a sustainable path for brand development.
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