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Why does a barcode look the way it does? Mr. Will started with that simple question and ended up with a story about entrepreneurship, industry standards, and the data that now runs modern retail.

The barcode began in 1948 as a checkout problem. Joe Woodland sketched the first version in the sand at Miami Beach, inspired by Morse code. He and Bernard Silver patented a circular bullseye design, sold it for $15,000, and waited decades for the technology to catch up. When the grocery industry finally chose a standard in 1973, the winner was IBM engineer George Laurer’s vertical bar design, chosen largely because it survived the realities of high-speed printing. Woodland, then at IBM, backed it.

Will also covers what founders can learn from being early, why retailers like Walmart and Amazon end up setting the rules, and how the barcode’s biggest impact came from the data every scan created. He closes with a question every Amazon and Walmart operator should ask: am I actually using my data to make decisions?

Related reading from BellaVix:

How to Create UPC Codes for Amazon & Prevent Issues

Amazon FNSKU vs UPC: Which Barcode Should You Use for FBA in 2026?

The Most Important Facts About Barcodes and Their Relationship With Amazon

How to Get a Walmart GTIN Exemption: Step-by-Step Seller Center Guide

Selling on Giants is brought to you by BellaVix. Learn more at https://bellavix.com

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Amazon is creating multipack listings for sellers, Google is moving shopping into a universal cart, and TikTok's Black Friday starts weeks before Thanksgiving. The margin stakes are rising.

In the October 19, 2026 episode of Selling on Giants, Mr. Will breaks down the holiday demand outlook, Amazon's new automation and Q4 costs, Walmart's expanded shipping choices, TikTok's extended promotional calendar, and Google's push to own more of the buying journey. This episode focuses on operator decisions.

How strong is the 2026 holiday shopping season?

The National Retail Federation forecasts $1.013 trillion in November and December retail sales, up 4.2% year over year. But revenue growth doesn't necessarily mean stronger unit demand. With shopping starting earlier, brands must watch units, conversion, inventory, and contribution margin.

When does TikTok Shop's Black Friday campaign begin?

TikTok Shop is running its Black Friday and Cyber Monday event November 11–30, supported by eligible three-day delivery badges and more convenient returns. Participating isn't enough: creator content, inventory, pricing, and fulfillment must be ready.

What is Amazon's Black Friday deal deadline, and how do peak FBA fees affect profits?

October 20 is Amazon's deadline for submitting eligible Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Peak FBA fulfillment fees began October 15 and run through January 14, 2027, with an additional fuel and logistics surcharge. Will explains why a healthy ACoS or ROAS can disguise poor contribution margin once discounts, advertising, and fulfillment costs are included.

Why is Amazon automatically creating multipack listings?

Amazon is creating virtual multipack listings for selected brand-owned FBA products, with listings scheduled by October 28 and customer purchasing starting November 11. The units come from existing inventory, but pricing, pack structure, imagery, and product positioning still need human review. Automation still needs brand oversight.

What's changing with Walmart's seller-fulfilled shipping?

Walmart has approved eight additional parcel carriers, giving marketplace sellers more ways to compare shipping rates during peak season. Cheaper labels can protect margin, but poor delivery performance can quickly erase those savings. Cost and reliability both matter.

What is Google's Universal Cart, and why should Amazon and Walmart brands care?

Google's Universal Cart is rolling out through Search and Gemini, allowing shoppers to collect products from different merchants in one experience, track price drops, and move toward checkout. As platforms compete to control checkout, accurate product feeds, imagery, pricing, and inventory become critical.

The operator takeaway: More promotions don't automatically create profit. More listings don't automatically improve merchandising. And AI won't fix messy product data. The brands that win Q4 are the ones that connect advertising, inventory, fulfillment, and margin into one operating plan.

Like and follow Selling on Giants for weekly marketplace news and practical operator insights.

Subscribe to Selling on Giants for Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, retail media, and AI commerce analysis that goes beyond the headlines.

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Using AI every day but still doing most of the work by hand? Edwin Choi, Founder & CEO of Jet Fuel Agency, explains how eCommerce teams move from basic prompting to AI agents that run, connect, and improve their own workflows.

Mr. Will and Edwin cover a three-level framework for building AI maturity, why teams should document their judgment calls before automating anything, and where agents deliver the most impact today, from competitor gap analysis to CRO testing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- AI adoption happens in three levels: communication (prompting LLMs well), skills (turning playbooks into repeatable processes), and agentic workflows (connected agents that trigger each other and run QA).
- Don’t automate too early. Document your team’s internal DNA, the judgment calls and strategies behind your work, so agents behave the way you intend.
- Competitor gap analysis is a strong first use case. Agents can crawl competitor ads, product detail pages, and keywords to surface opportunities.
- For CRO, combining historical test data with Microsoft Clarity session recordings shows where visitors drop off and generates new experiments.
- AI looks backward at existing data. Taste-making, the ability to anticipate trends and set a brand’s direction, becomes the most valuable marketing skill.
- Human oversight stays essential. AI prepares the data, and the strategist makes the final call.
- Measure success beyond time saved. Track output quality, employee retention, and whether the work is 10x better.

CONNECT WITH EDWIN

Website: https://jetfuel.agency/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/choiedwin

Related resources from BellaVix:

https://www.bellavix.com/how-to-conduct-an-amazon-competitive-analysis/
https://www.bellavix.com/case-study/mastering-the-art-of-agency-strategy-elevating-amazon-account-performances-with-expert-techniques/

Selling on Giants is a podcast about the people, strategies, and decisions shaping eCommerce across Amazon, Walmart, DTC, and the broader digital marketplace.

#ecommerce #AIagents #AIautomation

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