We explore one of the simplest Amazon fixes – which just happens to also be one of the most overlooked…
If your brand already plans promotions, launches and campaigns across your wider business and doesn’t include Amazon, there’s only one question to ask – why not?
As Emma Pickard, our Head of Seller Services, says, “when you’re marketing Amazon, use the same marketing calendar that you’re using across the business – operationally, treat Amazon like it is your ecommerce store, it shouldn’t sit outside your core planning.”
And in 2026? It’s a point that matters more than ever.
Amazon isn’t different – it’s just faster
Too many brands have a bad habit of treating Amazon as something separate – a channel that reacts to what’s happening elsewhere in the business rather than being planned alongside it.
But the reality is both much simpler and less forgiving.
Amazon is an ecommerce store, and it’s one with faster feedback loops and automated systems that mean there are almost immediate consequences when things don’t line up quite right.
Where other channels tolerate misalignment over the shorter term, brands are punished far faster on the marketplace, with performance dropping quickly and recovery taking time.
These are systems that reward clarity.
But when teams aren’t working from a shared plan?
The knock-on effects are something we’ve spotted over and over again – promotions launch without enough stock, media ramps up before availability is ready, launches miss crucial windows of visibility and teams react instead of leading the way.
And because Amazon’s algorithm responds in near real-time, those gaps don’t stay hidden for long.
As Emma says, “Amazon punishes misalignment faster than any other channel”.
The power of even light planning
What’s striking is that this doesn’t require a year-long masterplan to fix – even a 3–6 month forecast and a shared Amazon calendar can dramatically improve execution.
Simply by:
- Aligning your stock, promotions and media ahead of time.
- Giving teams full clarity on priorities and timing.
- Reducing last-minute firefighting.
- And recognising Amazon as a commercial ecomm engine as opposed to a reactive channel…
Your brand can make one of the lowest-effort changes around – and one with the potential for — and one of the highest-impact.
The questions to ask now
Heading into 2026, the questions we think brands should be asking are:
- How can we make sure Amazon sits within our core planning?
- Do our teams share one view of our launches, promotions and stock?
- Are our media and availability planned together?
- And do we have enough forward visibility to execute our plans with confidence?
The Bottom Line
It’s not that Amazon is special in your ecommerce mix, but it absolutely should be central.
The brands that perform best in 2026 will be the ones who plan their marketplace strategy with the same discipline as the rest of their ecommerce business – and who grasp that alignment across the board is crucial to growth.
If you want to go deeper on what real Amazon growth planning looks like in 2026, don’t miss our latest Beyond the Listings episode, where our expert panel dives into everything from how to use data insights to choose your “big bets” with confidence to how to stay strategic when Amazon throws you a surprise.
Watch or listen now to sharpen your 2026 Amazon plan