The news: Amazon is rethinking how it works with the adtech firms and agencies that helped scale its retail media empire, per Adweek, creating friction across a partner ecosystem that has long relied on broad access to Amazon’s data and infrastructure.

The tension intensified after Amazon introduced new Selling Partner API (SP-API) fees that raise operating costs for high-volume vendors, while keeping direct brand access free. At the same time, Amazon is expanding its native AI offerings—including Creative Agent, Ads Agent, and clean-room tools, unveiled at unBoxed—that mirror capabilities historically offered by Amazon-focused intermediaries.

Amazon disputes that it is distancing itself from partners. A spokesperson said agencies and tech providers remain “integral,” stressing that recent partner program updates are meant to deepen collaboration. The company also said its ad APIs remain free and that SP-API charges reflect broader infrastructure costs rather than an attempt to squeeze the ecosystem. Even so, partners argue that retail and sales data accessed through SP-API fuel core campaign functions, making it difficult to separate the new fees from ad operations.

Why it matters: The shifts come as Amazon accelerates its ad ambitions—moving further up the funnel into programmatic and connected TV (CTV), while layering AI into planning, measurement, and creative production.

As platforms mature, core capabilities often migrate in-house; Google and Meta followed similar arcs. Many Amazon partners now fear they are watching the same pattern unfold: Native tools are expanding while access to essential data becomes more restricted or expensive.

Partners also warn that the new fee system introduces asymmetry. Because advertisers themselves can access comparable data without paying SP-API charges, vendors might try to route activity through client-owned licenses to avoid hefty usage fees. Some see this as a sign that Amazon is subtly nudging the ecosystem toward centralized control. Others worry the shift may reduce tooling diversity and raise costs for advertisers in categories where independent measurement and workflow software remain essential.

Key takeaway for marketers:

• Expect Amazon to keep investing in native tools that simplify buying, measurement, and creative output, while simultaneously tightening operational control over the data that powers retail media.
• Agencies will remain important, particularly for brand budgets flowing through programmatic and CTV, but differentiation will shift toward higher-order services rather than proprietary infrastructure.
• Vendors dependent on heavy SP-API usage may need to reassess cost structures or partner more closely with brands to maintain efficiency.
• For advertisers, the immediate task is balancing the convenience of Amazon’s native AI tools with the flexibility and customization offered by third-party platforms—especially as Amazon’s long-term model continues to move toward centralization.