Amazon.com shares are trending higher. Why are AMZN shares climbing?
Shares of Amazon.com Inc. rose by 1.19% to $210.15 on Monday, bolstered by a mix of strong e-commerce performance and insights from the recent Prosper Show 2026 conference in Las Vegas. Industry expert Post noted ongoing gains in Amazon’s market share coupled with robust engagement from both merchants and brands, which have contributed to the upward trajectory of its stock.
Discussions at the conference revealed that many sellers are currently holding their prices steady despite rising costs associated with oil and shipping. Merchants expressed concerns about potentially losing market share if they increase prices in the face of inflationary pressures. Several sellers indicated a willingness to consider price hikes, but only if cost pressures remained persistent.
Post also highlighted a notable trend of consolidation among Amazon’s top sellers. According to data from Skai, traffic per seller has surged by 31% since 2021, coinciding with a decline in the total number of sellers on the platform. New seller registrations plummeted by 44% year over year in 2025, further shrinking the active seller base. Consequently, larger merchants are now capturing a greater share of shopper traffic, with the number of sellers generating more than $100 million in gross merchandise value rising to 235 from just 50 in 2021.
Artificial intelligence and retail media are now central to sellers’ strategies, with many investing in generative AI tools to enhance product listings and visibility in AI-driven search results. Post remarked that sellers have yet to observe significant traffic losses due to large language models (LLMs), as most transactions continue to occur directly on Amazon’s platform. Retail media spending has skyrocketed, with a 33% increase year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025, positioning the sector to potentially reach $108 billion in 2026, up from $37 billion in 2021.
Despite the proliferation of 277 retail media networks, Amazon maintains a commanding market share of around 79%, with Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) trailing at roughly 8%. Merchants indicated that they are increasing their advertising budgets on Amazon due to the channel’s proven effectiveness in driving sales. At the Prosper Show, service providers showcased technologies that help sellers optimize advertising, improve search visibility, manage inventory, and enhance fulfillment operations.
One provider managing over $1 billion in marketplace advertising spend stated that AI-optimized product listings could boost gross merchandise value by as much as 80% and increase unit sales by 75% within two weeks. Sellers emphasized that price and delivery speed remain critical drivers of e-commerce growth. Amazon has improved its Prime delivery speeds for the third consecutive year in 2025 and is expanding its Amazon Now ultra-fast delivery program, while Walmart is making significant investments in its fulfillment services to maintain competitiveness in two-day delivery.
Despite concerns regarding Amazon’s referral fees, which typically start at 15% and can escalate with additional services, merchants continue to rely on the platform. The vast customer base enables sellers to achieve significantly higher sales compared to other platforms. Overall, Post believes that Amazon remains an indispensable marketplace for sellers, supported by strong retail media growth, the expanding adoption of AI tools, and ongoing gains in e-commerce market share.
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