With the rush of the holidays and Q4 sales approaching soon, the increased demand for products often creates a backlog in seller shipments, and it’s easy to lose track of important action steps to stay in the game.
Simply put, correct business prep in Q4 can make or break the profitability for the upcoming year.
Capitalize on your opportunity and tack these dates to your calendar to position your brand correctly:
FBA Inventory Holiday Deadlines:
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday - November 2, 2022.
- Christmas: December 1, 2022
Take Action:
- Ship inventory out to Fulfillment Centers no later than October 1, to provide ample room of 4 weeks for arrival.
- Check your replenishment quantity. Despite applied restock limits, you can identify loopholes for additional storage space based on category type.
Hybrid Shipping Models & Supply Chain Deadlines:
Take Action:
- Solidify supplier and carrier lead times. Allow for plenty of time to ship inventory to FCs during the holiday season.
- Consider using a hybrid shipping model - striking the balance between a combo of FBA, FBM, and Direct to Consumer shipping channels. If there is a backlog in a specific channel, you’re ready to pivot to another.
Take note that Chinese holidays tend to slow down the turnaround time in supply chains. Consult with your manufacturer to ensure accurate delivery times & sufficient order quantities for the expected increase in sales.
Be certain your shipments arrive at the Fulfillment Centers long before these deadlines.
Holiday Deals Promotions
Take Action:
- Select between two types of promotions; Percentage Off, or Buy One Get One Free (BOGO).
Note: Referral fees apply on the total sales price after applying for the promotion. Total sales price includes the product price and any shipping, gift wrap, or other charges. Depending on the product category, a minimum referral fee can apply to all products in the buyer's order.
2. Social Media Promo Codes: These can be created to offer a percentage discount to customers on eligible products and share it with them through social media and influencer marketing content. We recommend creating targeted promotions using this promotion type. Doing so will permit you to control how the deal is marketed and how offers are redeemed by customers.
- Note: Once you create a social media promo code, you will receive a URL for each promotion with a unique marketing page that displays eligible products and their promotion details.
3. Coupons: To be eligible for coupons, you must be a Professional seller with at least a 3.5 Seller Feedback Rating. Products must meet the following criteria.
Note: Coupon Targeting can filter your customer audience. For instance, if you select Amazon Prime customers as the targeted segment, only Prime customers will see your coupon offering on the product detail page and in their carts.
4. Prime Exclusive Discounts: The product must be FBA & have at least a three-star rating or no rating. Please note, this requirement may change for discounts specific to special events such as Prime Day and Black Friday. The discount must be at least 10% off the non-member, non-promotional price (that is, your price or sale price, whichever is lower). Please note, this requirement may change for discounts specific to special events such as Prime Day and Black Friday
5. Get the Most of Out of Your Deals: Lightning Deals and 7-day Deals are time-bound, promotional offers where a product is featured on the Amazon Deals page. You can use the Deals Dashboard to submit Lightning Deals and 7-day Deals for a fee.
Note: All the proposed Lightning Deals and 7-day Deals require Amazon approval to run on the Amazon Deals page.
Increased Holiday FBA Fees
Before submitting deals take note that Amazon is raising fulfillment fees during the holiday shopping period as the company battles with rising costs. From October 15 - January 14, third-party sellers who utilize FBA will have to pay 35 cents per item sold in the U.S or CA.
Prep now to stay ahead of the competition and set your business up for success for not only the holiday season but all year-round.
Take it from us, we’ve had our fair share of seasons’ early greetings!
