e-commerce
FMCG distributors to boycott HUL products in Maharashtra
Mumbai: FMCG distributors demanding restoration of old margin structures from the leading maker HUL on Thursday said they would boycott its products in Maharashtra, starting with Taj Mahal Tea.
According to PTI, The distributor said that if the company does not pay attention to their demand, they will boycott the Kissan brand and leading detergent brand RIN along with Tata Mahal Tea brand going ahead.
Recently HUL has reduced the margin of distributors by 60 basis points and increased the variable margin by up to 100 to 130 basis points of its distributors.
HUL owns brands such as Lux, Surf Excel, RIN Pond’s and Dove has reduced the fixed margin by 60 basis points and increased the variable margins by up to 100 to 130 basis points for its distributors. The Distributor demands a minimum 5 per cent margin. The All India Consumers Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) , an umbrella body for distributors, has raised concern over the new margin structure.
AICPDF on Thursday shared a statement from the Maharashtra Consumer Distributors Federation (MSCPDF) in which they have started non-cooperation against HUL from January 11. MSCPDF plans to keep the Taj Mahal Tea brand as Inactive till January 25.
An E-mail sent to HUL remained answered till press time. The Federation also said from March 1 a nationwide movement will be organised by 1000 distributors in front of HUL head office in Mumbai.
e-commerce
Amazon unveils first Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report
32,000 bad actors targeted, 15 million fake products removed in 2025.
MUMBAI: In a marketplace where trust is the real currency, Amazon is showing its receipts. Amazon has released its first-ever Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report, offering a detailed look at how it polices its vast digital shelves from counterfeit crackdowns to scam detection and review authenticity. At the heart of the report is a four-pronged strategy, proactive controls, risk anticipation, enforcement against bad actors, and consumer protection. The scale is staggering. Since 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued over 32,000 bad actors globally through litigation and criminal referrals spanning 14 countries.
The clean-up drive accelerated in 2025, with the company identifying and disposing of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide. Legal action also led to the takedown of over 100 websites linked to fake reviews and scams, an ongoing battle in the age of algorithmic manipulation.
Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence and machine learning are doing the heavy lifting. Amazon says it monitors billions of daily interactions across listings, reviews, and seller activity to spot trouble before it surfaces. Its predictive systems can even flag potentially infringing listings for trending products before brands raise the alarm.
Tools like Omniscan, which verifies product safety information at scale, and SENTRIX, designed to detect and eliminate phishing websites, are part of this expanding tech arsenal. Together, they aim to reduce risk while keeping the platform usable for legitimate sellers.
That balance between protection and friction is a tightrope Amazon acknowledges. Rohan Oommen, Vice President of Worldwide Customer and Partner Trust, noted that while safeguards are critical, they must not stifle genuine businesses. Features like the Account Health Dashboard are meant to give sellers clearer visibility into compliance and performance.
Consumer-facing measures are also getting sharper. From direct safety alerts to recall notifications and refund guidance, Amazon is leaning into transparency, backed by partnerships with consumer organisations to raise awareness.
The report’s release follows the expansion of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit into India, signalling a deeper push into one of its fastest-growing markets, with closer coordination planned between brands, sellers, and law enforcement.
In short, as online shopping grows more complex, Amazon is betting that trust built through data, enforcement, and a fair bit of algorithmic vigilance will be its most valuable product yet.
