Amazon 2022 Holiday Calendar: The Most Important Dates for FBA Sellers

Last updated: September 26, 2022

Global supply chain issues, product stockouts, ongoing storage restrictions, pandemic-induced shifts in consumer behavior: the past few years have been a wild ride for FBA sellers. But to rise above the changes and unpredictabilities,  it’s important to keep your eye on the prize with an effective inventory forecasting plan in place—one that ensures you have enough product available during Amazon's peak shopping seasons in 2022 and proactively reduces surpluses and stockouts throughout the year.

As you prepare your marketplace strategy for 2022, a key question to ask is: “When should I send in my inventory to ensure it’s received on time?” To make things easier on you, our logistics team created this calendar outlining the most important dates to know and when to send your inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers. 

This should help keep your stock levels on track, but be sure to anticipate and accommodate seasonality or specific trends related to your product, too:

A few things to keep in mind this year:

• Fall Prime Day 2022: Amazon is hosting a second Prime Day event this year on October 11 and 12, 2022. Their Fall Prime Event is expected to be the big kickoff to the Q4 shopping season. Though Amazon only just announced the official dates, they closed Coupon submissions on 9/9/22 and their FBA inventory cut-off date for the event was 9/12/22. With that said, it’s important to take a look at the strategies and inventory you have in stock now.
  
  Since the second Prime Day will be the start of the 2022 holiday shopping season, take a look at the data from this summer’s Prime Day as well as last year’s holiday sales/consumer behavior insights. Adjust your strategy accordingly, with an emphasis on inventory forecasting, keyword research, and advertising performance. Keep in mind that many people aren’t just shopping for others, they’re “gifting” themselves as well, which means it’s critical for most brands to take advantage of the sheer influx of traffic experienced during this high-spend season.
  
  Think of the most recent Prime Day as a crash course as you prepare for the second one: What worked, what didn’t, and what could you have done better? Did your customers behave the way you predicted, or do you need to make some changes (to your stock, product assortment, shipping methods, marketing/branding)? Make those changes now so you don’t run into these issues again.
• Holiday Shopping Season: Speaking of top-selling seasons, the holiday shopping season seems to start earlier each year—we expect that trend to continue. Though only time will tell, it’s important to keep in mind that holiday shopping could start as early as the beginning of October. Keep a close eye on consumer behavior and big box retailer promotions, and plan your inventory send-in and Amazon advertising strategy accordingly.
• Shipping Method & Quantity: Ship-in dates can vary by shipment type, shipment origin, quantity, and the number of Amazon fulfillment centers you’re shipping inventory into. On average, Parcel shipping usually takes one week to deliver and receive, while Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) shipments take quite a bit longer—about two to three weeks to deliver and receive, sometimes longer depending on the fulfillment center’s capacity.
• Supply Chain & Inventory Issues: After the last few years, sellers have learned to expect fluctuations with Amazon fulfillment and changes to consumer shopping habits. While we’re starting to see a slow return to predictable production, stock limitations, and ship times, we expect supply chain bottlenecks and worker shortages to continue, causing delays in fulfillment that can lead to stockouts. Be sure to stay alert, flexible, and fine-tune your inventory forecasting strategy.
• Prime Day 2022: The biggest question on many brands’ and Amazon Prime sellers’ minds right now is when is Amazon Prime Day this year? Prime Day 2022 will take place on July 12-13, 2022, which is about a month earlier than the previous year. The 48-hour event takes place for Prime members in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., and more.
  
  Amazon officially announced this news on June 16, 2022, a little under a month before the big event, though they’ve been dropping subtle hints leading up to the date with shipping and Prime Day deal deadlines. Last year, Amazon announced Prime Day 2021 just three weeks before the big event—keeping brands, retailers, and other marketplaces (Target, Walmart) who hope to run competing promotions on their toes and scrambling to shift plans ahead of schedule. Perhaps Amazon kept it under wraps for as long as possible this year for similar reasons. For a quick action plan to prepare and capitalize on increased platform traffic, read this Prime Day 2022 prep guide.
  
  

Make the most of your Amazon inventory strategy

Whether you’re currently selling FBA or looking to switch from Vendor to Seller Central, SupplyKick can help create an optimal inventory strategy for your brand—either as a trusted third-party seller or an Amazon agency serving as an extension of your team. With 100s of partners and over $160M sold on Amazon to date, we know how to help brands reach their full potential on Amazon and beyond. Connect with us here.