While festive decor and chilly weather may seem far off, Q4 2021 is approaching, and Amazon suggests getting your promotions planned and set up early. After you’ve read our tips for Q4 2021, you’ll want to be sure you have a handle on these promotion types and dates, so you don’t miss any deadlines or key merchandising efforts.
Important dates to be aware of for Amazon holiday sales
Holiday promotion submissions opened in both Seller Central and Vendor Central on 3 August.
September
The deadline to submit 7-Day Deals, Best Deals, and Lightning Deals is 17 September for the US and Australia.
October
The deadline to submit 7-Day Deals, Best Deals, and Lightning Deals is 8 October in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
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 centres by 24 October to ensure your products are processed and available for customers.
November
Amazon has FBA inventory cut-off dates for sellers. This is the deadline for ensuring your inventory is available, by country.
3 November: the United States
5 November: France, Germany, Italy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom
12 November: Australia
14 November: Japan
17 November: Singapore
Black Friday deals begin on 26 November and end on 28 November, 2021. Cyber Monday begins on 29 November.
Types of promotions
Wondering what sorts of deals and promotions you can run? That will depend on whether you’re a vendor or seller, and what types of discounts you can offer customers.
LIGHTNING DEALS
Lightning Deals are a popular deal type on Amazon. Both sellers and vendors are eligible for Lightning Deals. This is a limited quantity deal that runs for a set number of hours on the event page. Amazon allows you to set a maximum quantity of units. Products are eligible for this deal type if they can be offered at a minimum 20% discount off the lowest price in the last 30 days or the lowest price in the last year to date (whichever is the lowest). To submit this deal in Vendor Central, navigate to Merchandising > Marketing recommendation. To set up this deal in Seller Central, go to Advertising > Create a new deal. You will see your eligible ASINs under the deal type.
7-DAY DEALS
7-day deals are price discounts featured on the event page that run throughout the duration of the event. This type of discount is available to sellers only. You will need a minimum 15% discount on the lowest price in the last 30 days or lowest price year to date (whichever is the lowest). To set up this type of deal in Seller Central, navigate to Advertising > Deals > Create a new deal. Enter your deal information and submit.
BEST DEALS
Best Deals are limited-quantity deals for Amazon vendors. This deal type can run for 14 days on the event page. Amazon will allow vendors to set a maximum quantity of units. For products to be eligible for this type of deal, you must offer at least a 15% off discount off the lowest price in the last 30 days, or the lowest price year to date (whichever is the lowest). To set up this type of deal in Vendor Central, navigate to Merchandising > Marketing recommendations, and proceed to enter your deal information.
COUPONS/VOUCHERS
Coupons (in the UK these are called Vouchers) are easy to set up and can give your products visibility on advertisements, and both search and browse pages, with a coupon badge. Coupons and Vouchers are available to both vendors and sellers. Amazon will merchandise popular coupons/vouchers elsewhere on the site, including the homepage, category pages, and events pages. Amazon shoppers engage with coupons by “clipping” the coupon to apply the discount, leading to more interaction with your brand. Eligible products will offer a minimum 20% discount on the current website price. Eligible items must also have positive product reviews and ratings. To submit in Vendor Central, navigate to Merchandising > Coupons > Create a new campaign. In Seller Central, go to Advertising > Create a new coupon. From here, you can choose your discount (amount off or percentage off).
Why should we run deals?
Different deal types can increase brand awareness, drive traffic, convert sales, and propel customer reviews. We encourage sellers and vendors to prepare their promotions for Q4 and submit them by the above deadlines. Ensure you are also following other steps to adequately prepare for Q4. Deal types and eligibility can vary slightly by locale. If you need assistance with account management, content, or promotions, please contact us for our full range of services.
