Claude's new Chrome extension learns seller workflows by watching
Claude has released a Chrome extension whose standout feature is workflow recording: a user performs a task in the browser while narrating each step, and Claude watches, documents the process and turns it into a reusable shortcut that can run on demand or on a schedule.
Seller advocates say the use cases are immediate for brand owners, agencies and operators: checking reviews and flagging ones needing responses, daily account-health reviews, scanning inventory for suppressed ASINs, downloading reports and automating recurring morning checks. The tool is described as an early version of AI that runs workflows rather than merely answering questions.
In TikTok Shop tactics, a consultant argues most sellers sample too widely: one brand sent 300 samples that produced 749 videos but only 21 sales, and across 3,000 sampled affiliates just 32, 1.1%, drove any sales, though those 32 generated over $100,000. The prescribed fix is a 'sniper approach' targeting proven creators, aiming for 3-8% response rates, 90%-plus post rates and two to four videos per affiliate monthly at $15-30 in sample cost per video, using assistants at $400-640 a month plus software at $97-497.
On ads, GMV Max campaigns are said to start near 10x ROI and mature to 3-4x at scale, with two to three times return on hero-SKU campaigns; success requires adding five to ten creatives weekly with at least 32 total. TikTok's Hero Program adds free traffic and ad credits: per SKU, 20 samples and $200-400 in ad spend typically return a 30-40% traffic lift worth $1,500-2,000 a month, with higher tiers at 50 and 100-plus samples unlocking larger lifts, credits and a dedicated account manager. Credits expire in 30-60 days.
Holiday 2025 results are in: overall retail spending rose 4.2% per Visa, e-commerce grew 7.8% to 27% of total retail, global online sales passed $1 trillion by mid-December and US online sales hit $238 billion from November 1 to December 15, up 4%. Close to half of shoppers turned to AI for comparing products and finding gifts; retailers with on-site AI shopping agents grew 7.2% versus 3.6% for those without, and AI influenced 18-22% of e-commerce transactions. Electronics led categories at 5.8% growth, apparel rose 5.3% and home improvement fell 1%. Buy-now-pay-later usage rose 6% while returns fell 2.5% through mid-December.
Amazon has also quietly launched an ad beta called Instructions: its AI ingests the detail page, Brand Store, catalog and past campaigns, then composes micro-answers shown inside ads to pre-empt shopper questions like installation difficulty or battery life. Observers call it prompt-level advertising, making detail-page quality and structured data direct drivers of ad performance. Also noted: Genstore AI, a chat-based store builder with marketplace and social integrations, and a reminder that Chinese New Year runs February 17 to March 3, 2026, warranting early shipment planning.
