Podean and Jungle Scout launch 2026 Amazon Marketplace Index

Podean and Jungle Scout have released The Marketplace Index™ 2026, a benchmark of more than 3,500 Amazon brands across six global markets. The new report adds AI Readiness as a scoring pillar, reflecting how AI-powered shopping is changing discovery and competition on Amazon.

Why it matters: - The Marketplace Index™ 2026 gives brands a cross-market benchmark for Amazon performance in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, the UK and the US. - The report now adds AI Readiness as a fifth scoring pillar, signaling that AI-driven discovery is becoming part of Amazon competition. - The benchmark is designed to show brands where they stand, where they trail peers and where growth opportunities are strongest.

What happened: - Podean launched The Marketplace Index™ 2026 in partnership with Jungle Scout. - The annual report scores more than 3,500 brands across competitive Amazon categories in six global markets. - The report is in its fourth year. - The 2026 edition became available on Oct. 6 at the report hub. - Brand-specific reports may be available on request by contacting Raphiel Bacar at raphiel@podean.com.

The details: - The report scores brands across Retail, Content, Customer, Media and the new AI Readiness pillar. - Jungle Scout supplies the Amazon data behind the scoring model. - Podean and Jungle Scout have partnered for five years. - 2026 is their second collaboration on The Marketplace Index™. - The companies said they work closely during report creation to keep the data and insights accurate and complete. - The report highlights category leadership, competitive comparisons, performance benchmarks, year-over-year trends and global market differences.

Key findings in the US: - Health & Household, Beauty & Personal Care and Pet Supplies are the top-performing US categories. - Nearly three in four brands in those categories scored above the market average, compared with about half in other categories. - Leading brands include Nespresso, Starbucks, e.l.f., Neutrogena, Aquaphor, Pampers and Lysol. - Many of those brands also led their categories in sales. - Several of the top brands held their top spots from last year, showing that category leadership requires ongoing refinement. - Overall brand scores are rising again, helped by investment in content and product-page visuals. - Content scores rose 2 percentage points from last year. - Titles, image stacks, A+ Content and brand stores are now scoring around 90% or higher, up sharply since 2023. - Media remains the weakest area at 41% of available points. - Brands tend to defend their own name search terms but lag on broader category search, where discovery and budget matter more. - AI readiness averages 64%. - The report says brands need intent-driven content, not just keyword-heavy copy, to perform better with voice and AI assistants. - US brands lead other regions on AI readiness.

Between the lines: - The report suggests Amazon competition is shifting from basic retail execution to full-funnel performance across content, media and AI discovery. - The weak media score points to a gap between brand protection and category conquest. - The addition of AI Readiness shows how marketplace benchmarks are evolving as shopping assistants change how consumers search and buy.

What's next: - Podean expects brands to use the benchmark to identify category gaps, compare performance across markets and shape 2026 investment plans. - The company says its global footprint and local execution can help brands act on the report's findings. - More localized versions of The Marketplace Index™ 2026 are available for each market covered in the study.

The bottom line: - Podean and Jungle Scout are betting that Amazon growth now depends on a broader scorecard, not just sales or search rankings.