Are you ready for what could be your most successful quarter yet? About 40% of Americans will begin their holiday shopping this November.
As an FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon) Seller, you must keep important dates in mind. For example, Amazon requires all your inventory to be received by November 7th for Cyber Monday and Black Friday.
Beyond that, you want your entire business in order so your products can sell themselves.
Let’s look at what’s different this holiday season, as well as other important tasks you’ll want to start checking off your list now.
Important Dates to Remember
These dates aren’t too far off from last year:
- November 7—An Amazon Fulfillment Center for Cyber Monday and Black Friday must receive all your inventory.
- December 1—All your inventory must be received by an Amazon Fulfillment Center for the Christmas shopping season.
- December 17—Do not send 2018 inventory any earlier than this date.
Last year, Amazon didn’t allow new sellers to open FBA accounts from October 1 until the end of December due to the holiday rush.
We haven’t seen any announcements for 2017, but it’s likely to be the same case.
Months with Increased Storage Fees
October—You might be accustomed to November and December’s increased storage fees.
Due to the changing costs of storage, fulfillment, and transportation, Amazon has added October to those months. This will apply to standard and oversized items.
Monthly Storage Fees
- January-September: $0.64/cubic foot for standard-size items.
- October-December: $2.35/cubic foot for standard-size items.
Monthly Storage Fees
- January-September: $0.43/cubic foot for oversize items.
- October – December: $1.15/cubic foot for oversize items.
Months with Decreased Fulfillment Fees
October—Although the increased storage fees might strain your budget, Amazon has lowered its fulfillment fees until the end of December.
Monthly Fulfillment Fees for Standard Non-Media Items
- January-September: $2.41 – $4.18/unit total.
- October-December: $2.39 – $3.96/unit total.
Monthly Fulfillment Fees for Standard-Size Media
- January-September: $2.41 – $4.18/unit total.
- October-December: $2.39 – $3.96/unit total.
Monthly Fulfillment Fees for Oversize Media
- January-September: $6.85 – $138.08/unit total.
- October-December: $6.69 – $131.44/unit total.
For the latest news and updates, keep an eye on Amazon’s Seller Central headlines page. You can also check the headlines section of your Seller Central home page when you log in to your dashboard.
Checking these regularly will help ensure you never miss an important deadline.
What Else Should You Keep in Mind This Holiday Season?
Review Your Product Pages
Are all your product images high quality? Do they make your products appear professional and as appealing as possible?
Are your titles and product descriptions clear and straight to the point? Is all your information up to date and current? Now’s the time when there’s no margin for error.
Optimize Your Inventory
Take a look at your inventory. Since storage fees will increase, you should be careful and only store the items you need.
Make sure you’re fully stocked with what you need. Remember to receive all your items in Amazon’s Fulfillment Center by November 7.
You can manage your inventory through the ‘Excess Inventory‘ tool in Amazon or through your Sellercloud Account.
Consider Starting an Ad Campaign
Since Amazon will be managing the picking, packing, and shipping of your merchandise during this busy season, take advantage of this opportunity to focus your efforts on an ad campaign and, hopefully, watch your profit margin rise.
This can also help increase your visibility in 2018.
Monitor Your Ad Campaigns Closely
If you run an ad campaign, monitor your performance through your Campaign Manager.
Review your sales and Advertising Cost of Sale (ACoS) to determine what is working and what you want to tweak.
Amazon has prepared a handy guide to help you prepare for this busy selling season. In it, they review some of the above dates, discuss shipments and inventory, and suggest running an ad campaign.
Happy Holidays!
Although you’ll see that things are operating closely in line with 2016, it’s important to remember your cut-off dates and rate changes.
This year, holiday sales are expected to reach over $1 trillion between November and January.
As long as you abide by your dates, budget for the increased storage fees, and, perhaps, run an ad campaign, you’ll be on your way to a piece of that trillion-dollar pie.
Sellercloud’s dedicated service team is here to answer any of your questions and help you smoothly navigate this crucial fourth quarter.
Please use our support portal to contact us with any questions or concerns. Our team is waiting to assist you.
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