There’s one thing FBA sellers, Amazon vendors, and eCommerce businesses everywhere share: The key dates and events that make up 2022. Whether you’re prepping for Prime Day, fulfilling POs for Q4, or looking to capitalise on seasonal marketing opportunities, it helps to keep an eye on the calendar and plan ahead.
Hit your sales goals and make this year the best ever, with our tips and reminders for holidays and Amazon particulars in this blog.
Q1 2022
Now’s the time to request reviews from all of those holiday shoppers (remember, you have a 30-day window), check your IPI score (if you’re above 400, you’re on track for unrestricted storage for FBA sellers), and do a deep dive into last year’s performance. What steps do you need to take now to have a more successful holiday period in the coming year? If you’re an Amazon vendor, you’ll be preparing for vendor terms negotiation. Be sure to check out Vendor Society for events to help you out.
January
A great time for health, fitness, and wellness brands to hit the ground running. Many businesses also may need to clear out overstocks, order inventory for the summer, and continue planning for the year, especially if they are taking into account learnings and reports from Q4. Audit your keywords for all of your PPC campaigns and turn off Christmas marketing.
January 1st: New Year’s Day
January 17: Martin Luther King (MLK) Day (US)
January 25: Burns Night (Scotland)
February
Love is in the air, and so are Amazon searches for giftable items. Get your keywords for Amazon Ads in shape, and make sure your listings, Amazon Posts, and Brand Stores are good to go. Check out our keyword round-ups for potential search terms and continue to refine your ads strategy. Also, begin prepping for Prime Day, this includes thinking about inventory needs and potential promotions.
February 1: Black History Month begins (US)
February 1: Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year
February 2: Groundhog Day (US)
February 13: Super Bowl Sunday (US)
February 14: Valentine’s Day
February 21: Family Day (Canada)
March
Get ready for spring. March is the perfect time to refine your PPC campaigns, create custom images for upcoming holidays and the warmer weather. Globally, the focus is on women this month, with International Women’s Day and Mothering Sunday in the UK.
March 1: St David’s Day (Wales)
March 1: Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day (UK)
March 8: International Women’s Day
March 13: Daylight Saving Time (US)
March 14-16: The Prosper Show
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 18: Holi (India)
March 20: First day of spring
March 27: Daylight Savings Time (UK)
March 27: Mother’s Day (UK)
Q2 2022
The weather warms up and so do Amazon sales. Categories with outdoor toys, sporting goods, clothing, and more will want to prep for summer. Now is a great time to get your Brand Store up and running for Prime Day and the fourth-quarter rush. Get help with strategy, marketing, and design from our expert team, as it only gets busier as the year progresses. Take a look at our services and contact us with questions.
April
Full of religious holidays, April can be a busy time for shoppers around the globe who are filling Easter baskets, visiting with family, and hosting events. April is also the perfect time to launch Mother’s Day gifting campaigns if you’re a US-based seller. The beginning of Q2 is also a great time to check your IPI score and make adjustments to inventory planning. If it’s relevant to your category, planning for Back to School season should also begin now.
April 1: April Fool’s Day
April 3: Ramadan
April 11: National Pet Day (US)
April 15: Tax day (US)
April 15: Good Friday
April 16: First day of Passover
April 17: Easter Sunday
April 22: Earth Day
April 23: Last day of Passover
April 23: St George’s Day (England)
May
Get your inventory ready for Prime Day. The usual inventory cut-off for FBA sellers for Prime Day is around May 31. You’ll also want to watch Vendor Central and Seller Central for any calls for promotions.
May 1-4: Labour Day (China)
May 2: May Day/Early May bank holiday (UK)
May 4-6: Sellers Summit
May 5: Cinco de Mayo
May 8: Mother’s Day (US)
May 31: Memorial Day (US)
June
Summer begins in earnest, and sellers will need to be fully prepped for Prime Day 2022. Prime Day went off schedule in 2020 after being held annually in July. Prime Day 2021 was held June 21-22, so it’s possible dates have shifted permanently or it will be an entirely different weekend in 2022. Regardless, Amazon usually announces the summer sale 8 weeks or so in advance. Keep an eye on our blog or sign up for our email list to ensure the latest news for 2022 dates. In other news, June is the time for “dads and grads.” Some categories will get a boost from this gift activity, so know your product and your audience. It’s always a good idea to look at your listing optimisations and refresh advertising keywords before a new season.
June 1: Pride Month begins
June 2: Spring bank holiday (UK)
June 3: Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday (UK)
June 11: Queen’s Birthday (UK)
June 19: Father’s Day
June 19: Juneteenth (US)
June 21: First day of summer
June 21: Start of summer sale (UK)
June 21-22: Commercenext
Q3 2022
Either Prime Day 2022 has just happened or is about to happen, and it’s also time to start focusing on Q4. Getting your listings and A+ Content in shape and retail-ready is a great way to spend this quarter. Ensure you complete any testing when it comes to A/B experiments and Amazon Advertising. You can also begin planning ahead for Q4. Get your promotions planned out for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and ensure you have stock levels to support your marketing efforts during Q4.
July
Barbecues, beach toys, and patriotism. Summer travel also ramps up, boosting travel-related items such as luggage, sunglasses, sunscreen, and camping items. Amazon may implement storage restrictions around Prime Day, so keep an eye on your IPI and account.
July 1: Canada Day
July 4: Independence Day (US)
August
Back to school season begins, which stretches into September. This is a big time for clothing (uniforms and shoes, especially), backpacks, and supplies. Consumer electronics will also be ramping up. If your category is a popular one, try offering coupons/vouchers, or Prime Exclusive Deals to take advantage of extra traffic to the site.
August 1: Summer bank holiday (Scotland)
August 16: Back to school season (US)
August 29: Summer bank holiday (England, Wales, N. Ireland)
September
Crisp fall weather (in some places), back to school season, the costume frenzy, and also time for Black Friday Lightning Deal submissions to open. Is your inventory ready for the holiday rush? As summer winds down, it’s time to clear out beach and pool items, outdoor toys, and summer apparel. September is also the time to prepare for any Halloween promotions, including categories and businesses that sell costumes, clothing, candy, and toys. If you’re hoping to get any content complete before Q4, this month is your best opportunity to make it count. Don’t rely on a last-minute scramble, especially if you need services from contractors, freelancers, or agencies. Implementing an effective Amazon Advertising strategy for the holidays should also start now, with pre-emptive keyword bidding and implementing any strategy you learned in Q3 tests.
September 5: Labor Day (US)
September 22: Autumn begins
Q4 2022
Winter is right around the corner and with it, so is the festive period and the key quarter for retail. You should schedule holiday promotions now, update your advertising, and consider a Q4 Brand Store refresh to focus on deals and gifting.
October
It’s time. Q4 2022 is here. In 2021, Amazon US stated that all inventory for Black Friday and Cyber Monday should be at fulfilment centers by November 15, and inventory for Christmas should be in by the December 2 cut-off. Plan and prep early, and have your holiday-period inventory ready by October 31. See Amazon’s holiday season best practices for more information.
Unfortunately, you can’t slack on 2023, either. Many manufacturers close for the Lunar New Year and ask businesses to get their manufacturing orders in by October 31 if they want them before China’s break for the holiday.
October 10: Indigenous Peoples Day/Columbus Day (US)
October 10: Thanksgiving (Canada)
October 24: Diwali
October 30: Daylight Savings Time ends (Europe & North America)
October 31: Halloween
November
It’s go-time for the Christmas period. Be sure your inventory is sent to Amazon FCs by November 1, at the very latest. Also, reserve some stock (label and prep) to have ready in case you need to top up with smaller shipments during the holiday season.
November 5: Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night (UK)
November 11: Singles Day
November 11: Veterans Day (US)/Armistice Day (UK)
November 13: Remembrance Sunday (UK)
November 24: Thanksgiving (US)
November 25: Black Friday
November 26: Small Business Saturday
November 28: Cyber Monday
November 30: St Andrew’s Day (Scotland)
December
It’s no secret that the biggest shopping time of the year is from Thanksgiving to Christmas. As more customers shop online, more retailers are competing when it comes to offering deals. If you missed out on Lightning Deals or other promotions during Cyber Monday weekend, get traffic to your listings by offering last-minute deals. Coupons/vouchers can be scheduled easily and quickly, so can was/now pricing. You can also offer promo codes which can be offered via social media, email, or other off-Amazon channels. Keep an eye on your inventory and pricing to ensure you’re competitive and winning the Buy Box.
December 18: First day of Kwanzaa
December 19: First day of Hanukkah
December 21: Winter begins
December 24: Christmas Eve
December 25: Christmas
December 26: Boxing Day (UK)
December 31: New Year’s Eve
As 2022 draws to a close, you’ll want to reflect on how your year went. Amazon is a never-ending cycle and it’s important to always up your eCommerce game with fresh strategy. You’ll also want to take advantage of new programs and offerings from Amazon as they launch. The bigger your business, the more important it is to prepare in advance and know your category. If you need assistance with anything from logistics to marketing, or are ready to let the experts manage your vendor or seller account, please contact us. We hope you have a great 2022!
