#545 - TikTok Shop USA Booming and New EU Packaging Policy | Weekly Buzz 8/13/26

TikTok Shop USA sales are booming. There are some new regulations for packaging if you're selling in Europe, and the most-requested tool for MCP for Helium 10 is now available. These stories and more on today's weekly buzz!   We’re back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10’s VP of Education and Strategy, Bradley Sutton. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, TikTok Shop, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10’s newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level.   TikTok Shop’s U.S. GMV Nearly Doubles to $11.8B in H1 2026 https://www.netinfluencer.com/tiktok-shop-us-gmv-nearly-doubles-to-11-8b-usd-in-h1-2026/ Why China’s traders, e-commerce merchants feel boxed in by new EU packaging rules https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3363746/why-chinas-traders-e-commerce-merchants-feel-boxed-new-eu-packaging-rules Most Asked For Helium 10 MCP Update Helium 10 has launched Black Box Niche for MCP, giving sellers the X-ray-style data they’ve been asking for directly inside Claude. Instead of researching keywords one at a time with the Chrome extension, users can analyze multiple niches at once and compare metrics like search volume, top-product revenue, number of listings generating over $5,000 in sales, and how many top products have low review counts. The feature makes it much faster to compare market opportunities and competition across multiple keywords using the Helium 10 MCP.   How Amazon's AI shopping assistant makes hundreds of millions of products feel personal https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/alexa-for-shopping-learn-and-be-curious-podcast Optimize your listings with built-in Seller Central tools https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-news/articles/QVRWUERLSUtYMERFUiNHR1ZKWFZETkRTSFhYQVo1 Amazon Expands Locker Network to more than 750 U.S. College Locations https://press.aboutamazon.com/retail/2026/8/amazon-expands-locker-network-to-more-than-750-u-s-college-locations In episode 545 of the AM/PM Podcast and Weekly Buzz, Bradley talks about: 00:00 -  Introduction 00:43 - TikTok Shop US BOOMING 03:13 - New EU Packaging Regulations 05:11 - Most Asked For MCP Update 09:13 - Amazon's Alexa Predictions 14:36 - Research Dead Amazon Listings For Opportunity 17:55 - Amazon Caters To College Students