Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday: FBA Selling Tips
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Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the most popular shopping events of the year. During this time, Amazon FBA sellers have the opportunity to make a significant amount of sales. However, with so many sellers competing for attention, it's essential to be prepared and start your planning well in advance.
In this post, we will discuss Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday and give you tips for making the most of these popular shopping events.
When Is Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2024?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) is a time when shoppers are looking for the best deals on a wide range of products, and Amazon is one of the most popular places to shop. Black Friday in 2024 will be on November 29th, and Cyber Monday will follow on December 2nd.
Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, and Cyber Monday is the following Monday. Both days are known for their huge discounts on a wide range of products, from electronics and clothing to home goods.
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Black Friday and Cyber Monday are known for their high sales volumes, so it's important to order enough inventory to meet demand. We recommend starting this process 7-9 weeks before the sales event. You can collaborate with your suppliers to ensure you have enough lead time to find profitable deals and deliver inventory.
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Why Planning for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
For Amazon sellers, BFCM is an opportunity to boost sales and profits. However, it is also a time of high competition and additional challenges, so it is crucial to be prepared.
Below, you will find key reasons why Amazon sellers should plan for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the key challenges they can face. By planning ahead and taking steps to prepare for BFCM, Amazon sellers can overcome these challenges and maximize their success during this important shopping event.
Reasons to plan for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Increased sales
BFCM is one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, and Amazon sellers can expect to see a significant increase in sales during this time. In 2023, Amazon sellers generated over $9.8 billion in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales alone.
New customers
BFCM is a great opportunity for Amazon sellers to reach new customers. Many shoppers are looking for the best deals on a wide range of products during this time, and Amazon is a popular destination for shoppers.
Increased profits
Amazon sellers can boost their profits by increasing sales and reaching new customers during BFCM. You can also get additional sales by offering discounts, coupons, and deals.
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Challenges of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Increased inventory demand
Amazon sellers need to ensure that they have enough inventory on hand to meet the increased demand during BFCM. That can be a challenge, especially for sellers who sell popular items. You can look into your last year’s demand figures and use inventory management tools to make a forecast.
Increased shipping demand
Amazon sellers need to be prepared for an increase in shipping demand during BFCM. Amazon specifically asks FBA sellers to order inventory in advance and ensure it arrives at the fulfillment centers by the end of October due to the peak holiday shipping season. In turn, FBM sellers must work with their shipping partners to ensure their orders are delivered on time.
Increased competition
Amazon sellers must compete with other sellers for shoppers' attention and business. They need to offer competitive deals and provide excellent customer service in order to stand out from the competition.
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What to Sell on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
When deciding what to sell on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it is essential to consider a number of factors, including considerable product popularity, high profitability, and moderate competition.
Some ideas for products popular with shoppers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday include electronics, toys, clothing and accessories, home goods, and gift cards. You must also remember that not all products are eligible for BFCM.
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What products are eligible for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Products must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
Eligibility for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Professional sellers with a minimum of 3.5-star rating;
- Products with a minimum rating of 3.5 stars or no rating;
- Product with many variations;
- Items eligible for Prime shipping in all regions;
- Restricted or offensive items are not eligible;
- Products in new condition only;
- Items compliant with Amazon's policies on product reviews, pricing, and deals.
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Note. In addition to these general criteria, there may be specific eligibility requirements for certain types of deals, such as Lightning Deals or Deals of the Day. For example, Lightning Deals must be products in high demand and with a limited supply. To check product eligibility, go to the Deals dashboard, and select the event from the drop-down. Choose “Schedule for the Deal.” If you are eligible, you can see the event.
How to find deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
When looking for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, you must do product research to ensure that a product meets the criteria listed below.
Criteria to select Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
- Products with high demand
Use Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR) to gauge product sales potential. A lower BSR indicates higher sales volume.
Seller Assistant calculates potential monthly sales in the Sales field and tracks BSR drops over 30, 90, and 180 days. Green BSR numbers with downward arrows signify increasing sales, while red numbers with upward arrows indicate declining sales.
- Possibility to dominate the Buy Box
Securing the Buy Box (Featured Offer) is essential as most Amazon sales occur through it.
Seller Assistant displays the average Buy Box price and highlights opportunities by showing the minimum FBA and FBM prices. It also tracks Buy Box shares among sellers and indicates when Amazon holds the Buy Box.
If there is a dominating seller in the Buy Box, it is difficult to compete. You can see the Buy Box percentage per seller with Seller Assistant’s Offers feature.
- Moderate competition
Steer clear of products with high competition, particularly those with many FBA sellers.
Seller Assistant helps you check the number of FBA and FBM offers. High competition is typical if there are more than 15 sellers. Avoid products sold by Amazon as they are challenging to compete with.
Good sales potential
Seller Assistant provides potential sales figures with its Sales Estimator to help you make informed decisions about product selection. It shows how many product units you can potentially sell if you become one more seller on the listing.
- Eligibility to sell and IP issues
Ensure the products you choose are not restricted on Amazon and do not have intellectual property (IP) complaints.
Seller Assistant’s Restrictions Checker and IP Alert features identify products with sales history issues and specific problems, helping you avoid potential pitfalls.
Ungated products are marked with a green open lock, while restricted products have a red closed lock. A red closed lock with an exclamation mark indicates you cannot sell the product on your account.
Products with IP Alerts are marked with a red triangle.
- High profitability
Use Seller Assistant’s FBM and FBA Profit Calculator to estimate profit and profit margin for each product.
Enter the Cost of Goods Sold (COG) and logistics costs into the calculator. Seller Assistant will calculate your profit, ROI, margin, and FBA or FBM fees, helping you determine which products are worth selling and how to price them competitively.
Selling Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday give you exceptional opportunities to earn big money because, during this period, buyers are ready to spend more than usual. Below are some tips that will help you maximize Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Start planning early
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping days of the year for Amazon sellers, so it's essential to start planning 7 to 9 weeks in advance. That will give you sufficient time to order inventory.
Ensure you have enough inventory to meet the increased demand during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Remember that the deadline for inventory to be delivered to Amazon’s fulfillment centers is November 2, 2024.
Timely submit Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
To offer your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, you must submit them for Amazon’s approval in advance. The deadline to submit Deals is September 6, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PDT). You can apply for BFCM deals in the Deals dashboard.
Deals to offer
Amazon offers a variety of deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, including 7-day deals and Prime Exclusive Discounts.
- Lightning Deals
Lightning Deals are time-sensitive promotions where a product is featured on the Amazon Deals page for a limited duration, typically lasting 4 to 12 hours, as determined by Amazon.
- How to submit some text
- Step 1. In your Seller Central, go to Advertising > Deals.
- Step 2. Click "Create a new deal." Then select a deal type – “Lightning Deal,” click “Apply,” and add an eligible ASIN. Configure the deal.
- Best Deals
Best Deals are promotions on high-quality products offered at a discount. They often work best with best-selling items and feature strike-through pricing.
- How to submit some text
- Step 1. In Seller Central, go to Advertising > Deals.
- Step 2. Click "Create a new deal," then select a deal type – “Best Deal,” click “Apply,” and choose an ASIN marked as available for the exact Holiday Season event or all events. Configure the deal.
- Coupons
Coupons are promotional discounts available at the point of sale on a single product or a set of products, automatically displayed on the Coupons page, search results, Product detail pages, and other locations.
- How to submit some text
- Step 1. Submit Coupons via Seller Central under Advertising > Coupon.
- Step 2. Select "Create a new coupon," and configure it.
- Promotions
Amazon promotions are special marketing tools designed to increase product visibility and sales. Common types include Lightning Deals, Coupons, Buy One Get One (BOGO) offers, and Holiday Bundles.
- How to submit some text
- Step 1. Submit Promotions via Seller Central under Advertising > Promotions.
- Step 2. Select the type of promotion, and configure it.
Offer competitive deals
Shoppers are looking for the best deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so ensure you offer competitive deals on your products. Use product sourcing software, Seller Assistant, to identify available price offers and average Buy Box prices to set competitive price levels.
Make it easy for shoppers to buy from you
See to it that your product listings are clear and informative. Make sure your product listings are optimized for search and conversion and include Black Friday and Cyber Monday keywords.
Promote your deals early
Let your customers know about your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in advance. Start promoting a minimum of two weeks before the events. You can promote your deals through social media, email marketing, and Amazon's advertising platform.
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FAQ
Does Amazon do Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Yes, Amazon does Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In 2024, Black Friday will happen on November 29th, and Cyber Monday will follow on December 2nd.
Is Amazon busy on Black Friday?
Yes, Amazon is very busy on Black Friday. It is one of the biggest shopping days of the year for all Amazon sellers, with millions of customers placing orders. Amazon prepares for the increased traffic by hiring additional staff and scaling up its infrastructure.
What is the date of Amazon's Black Friday?
Amazon Black Friday is on November 29, 2023. It is always the day after Thanksgiving in the United States.
How long is the Amazon Black Friday sale?
Amazon Black Friday sale runs for 48 hours or 2 days. It starts on Thanksgiving Day and runs through Black Friday.
Where are the best Black Friday deals?
The best Black Friday deals can be found at a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Macy's. You can select the best deals with Seller Assistant, a popular product research extension.
Final Thoughts
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year, and Amazon FBA sellers have the potential to make a lot of money during this time. By following the tips in this post, you can maximize your sales and profits during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024.
With careful planning and execution, you can make Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024 your most successful selling season yet. Remember to start planning early, offer competitive deals, and select the right products to sell.
Seller Assistant is the right tool for you to find winning products for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With this product sourcing software, you can instantly identify if a product is profitable, its demand, competition, and sales estimates. All this information, alongside sales restrictions or IP claims, is visualized right on the Amazon product search and search pages, and on the supplier website. The tool offers Price List Analyzer, Seller Spy, Side Panel View, FBM&FBA Profit Calculator, Quick View, ASIN Grabber, UPC/EAN to ASIN converter, Stock Checker, IP Alert, Restrictions Checker, in one place.