As we approach Q4, you’ll want to ensure you are prepared for a successful holiday season. Strong holiday performance is driven on smart preparation and thorough execution of strategy - including inventory planning, advertising, and promotions. The earlier you start, the more effective you can be.

That being said, the deadline to submit Amazon Deals for Black Friday & Cyber Monday is Friday, September 17, 2021 at 11:59pm (PST).

Not only are Black Friday and Cyber Monday huge events on Amazon, but the entire holiday season from November to January can set the tone for your brand’s momentum and drive even more sales for years to come. So while you will find helpful tips and deadlines leading up to Black Friday/Cyber Monday, it doesn’t stop there - continue beyond into January 2022!

How Can Sellers Prepare?

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Inventory
Having products to sell throughout the season is obviously a pivotal first step to success. Amazon inbounding, which has been quite slow all year, traditionally backs up quite heavily during Q4. It would be prudent to plan for additional delays this year by sending in inventory as early as storage limits will allow. Shipping in September or early October can avoid the most severe shipping delays.

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Advertising
The next key to Q4 success is proper investment in Amazon Advertising. Thorough coverage for your products improves visibility. Early investment, starting now, can yield dividends as advertising becomes more competitive throughout Q4. Building the relationship between your products and desirable customer search terms will result in better ad placements and preferences with Amazon's advertising algorithms. When thinking about how to set your budget for Q4, we generally recommend anywhere between 2.5-3x more than average monthly spends trailing 3 months.

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Optimize Your Listings
You’ll want to be sure your product pages look clean, are error-free, and are SEO optimized to encourage sales and marketing efficiency. You can prioritize the items in your catalog that you anticipate being most popular over the holiday season. These can be best sellers or products you will have on promos.

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Promotions
Amazon offers a variety of tactics - Lightning Deals, Best Deals, 7 Day Deals, Coupons, and price discounts. All sellers can submit coupons, or price discounts, but there is a leg up when you qualify for Amazon’s Deals: Lightning Deals & 7 Day Deals.

There are two main types of Deals you can create:

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Lightning Deals
Lightning deals are exclusive, time-sensitive discounts promoted by Amazon. Amazon advertises these deals through multiple channels like e-mail, social media, and throughout Amazon.com.

For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Lightning Deals can run for a maximum of 12 hours. Amazon determines the day/time that your Deal is promoted.

Requirements

• 20% minimum discount. The discounted price must be the lowest price in 30 days and either match or beat the lowest price of the year.
• Enough quantity to last the duration of the Lightning Deal (amount varies depending on the product).
• 3.0-star or higher product rating

Fees
Because Amazon determines when to run your Lightning Deal, you won’t be able to know the exact cost until it is scheduled. However, you will be notified by October if your Deal was selected and for what day. You can cancel it for a full refund if you aren’t satisfied with the selected date.

• 20% minimum discount. The discounted price must be the lowest price in 30 days and either match or beat the lowest price of the year.
• Enough quantity to last the duration of the Lightning Deal (amount varies depending on the product).
• 3.0-star or higher product rating

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7 Day Deals
7-Day Deals run for several days throughout the week of Black Friday or Cyber Monday. These longer-term sales are featured on Amazon’s Deals Page and run for a maximum of 7 days.

Requirements

• 15% minimum discount. Discounted price must be the lowest price within the past 30 days and match or beat the lowest price within the past 60 days.
• Enough quantity to last the maximum duration of the 7-Day Deal (varies depending on the product)
• 3.0-star or higher product rating

Fees

• $1000 per deal

What Deadlines Should Sellers Know About?

August

• August 3: Holiday promotion submissions opened in both Seller Central and Vendor Central

September

• September 17: The deadline to submit 7-Day Deals, Best Deals, and Lightning Deals for the US and Australia.

October

• October 8: The deadline to submit 7-Day Deals, Best Deals, and Lightning Deals in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
• October 24: We recommend that all Amazon sellers plan and schedule your FBA shipments to arrive at Amazon well in advance of key promotions. Inventory should arrive at Amazon fulfilment centers to ensure your products are processed and available for customers.

November

• November 3: Amazon’s cut off date for FBA inventory in the United States
• November 5: Amazon’s cut off date for FBA inventory in France, Germany, Italy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom
• November 12: Amazon’s cut off date for FBA inventory in Australia
• November 14: Amazon’s cut off date for FBA inventory in Japan
• November 17: Amazon’s cut off date for FBA inventory in Singapore
• November 26: Black Friday deals begin!
• November 29: Cyber Monday deals begin!

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