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The FBA Change That Just Made Brand Protection Easier
Amazon ended commingled inventory in September 2025. Here's how this changes your FBA strategy and what to do now.
Kody Nordquist
October 28, 2025
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Amazon quietly dropped a major change in September 2025 that most sellers missed.
Commingled inventory is over, every unit you send to FBA now requires FNSKU labels.
No more pooling identical products from multiple sellers into one bin.
On the surface, this sounds like more work…
But in reality Amazon just handed you better brand protection and complete unit-level tracking without the counterfeit risk.
In this email, we're breaking down:
What Amazon's commingling change means for your brand protection strategy
How this affects return management and multi-channel inventory allocation
The Post-Commingling Playbook to capitalize on better brand protection
Let's dive in.
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For years, Amazon used commingled inventory for products without FNSKU labels.
If you and three other sellers sent the same product, all units went into one shared bin.
This created counterfeit risk.
A bad actor could send counterfeit units into commingled inventory, and your customers received them under your listing.
You took the hit for returns and negative reviews from products you never sent.
Now, every unit requires an FNSKU label tied directly to your seller account.
When a customer orders from your listing, they get your exact unit.
The Brand Protection Win
Now, every return and quality issue is tied to units you actually sent.
The Key advantages:
Counterfeit traceability: If a customer reports a counterfeit, Amazon traces it back to the exact seller.
Quality control: Your product quality is directly reflected in your customer experience without contamination from commingled units.
Review accuracy: Negative reviews now reflect your actual product, not someone else's counterfeit.
How This Changes Return Management
Under commingled inventory, a customer could return a counterfeit unit they received from shared inventory, and you'd get it back as defective even though you never sent it.
Now, every unit returned to you is one you actually sent.
This makes return analysis more accurate.
Multi-Channel Inventory Allocation
FNSKU labeling locks your inventory into Amazon FBA.
You can't easily pull it out and sell it through Shopify without removing labels.
Determine what percentage goes to Amazon FBA with FNSKU labels and what stays available for multi-channel fulfillment.
This requires better demand forecasting across channels.
The Post-Commingling Playbook
Step 1: Set Up Your Labeling Workflow
If you're not already FNSKU labeling every unit, you need a system now.
Options include in-house labeling, using Amazon's label service, or outsourcing to a prep center.
Step 2: Adjust Inventory Management
Update your inventory planning to account for channel-specific allocation.
Use historical sales data to forecast demand and avoid over-allocating to one channel while others stock out.
Step 3: Implement Quality Control Systems
Now that every unit is tracked separately, implement batch tracking and quality control checks before sending inventory to Amazon.
Step 4: Monitor Return Data
Track return rates and reasons by batch and fulfillment center.
Use this data to identify patterns and improve product quality.
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Final Thoughts
Amazon ending commingled inventory adds complexity, but it gives you complete control over your brand's customer experience.
No more counterfeit contamination, and no more absorbing returns from units you never sent.
The brands that capitalize on better brand protection and cleaner data will pull ahead.
Set up your labeling workflow, adjust your inventory allocation strategy, and implement quality control systems.
This change protects your brand.
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 Sincerely, |