If you sell on Amazon, I have some good news and bad news for you.
Bad news: if you thought that Q4 is almost over and you can rest, you are wrong.
Good news: there is money to be made.
1. Don’t Forget About Post-Holiday Sales and Returns
Generally speaking, Q4 is a three-month period lasting from October to December, but Amazon is Amazon. Its Q4 fever usually starts in late November and lasts until the end of January.
This shifted Q4 means that you shouldn’t let holiday vibe fool you. Even though Christmas is near, keep working hard and expect higher sales throughout January.
If you are running out of stock, try to restock as soon as possible and use the beginning of Q1 to get as many sales are possible.
And finally, don’t forget about extended Holiday Return Policy. Anything bought on Amazon Nov 1-Dec 31 can be returned until Jan 31 for any reason. This includes orders fulfilled by you and orders fulfilled by Amazon.
2. Don’t stop your promotions
There are two things to remember about Q1, especially on Amazon.
- Many buyers are still on Christmas buying spree. It takes some time before they will cool down.
- Many of those buyers, thousands of people, will have Amazon gift cards waiting to start spending them online.
That’s why you should continue your holiday’s promotions.
Don’t stop your CPC campaigns only because Christmas is over. Don’t stop your other successful promotions until the end of January, either.
Another idea that you can try on Amazon is bundling. Don’t mix up bundling with selling multipacks, though.
TIP: Look at the bundling guidelines. According to Amazon Bundles consists of multiple single items that can each be identified by a unique ASIN/UPC and are sold together as a single offering. A pre-packaged kit or pack with multiple items that are identified by a single ASIN/UPC is not considered a bundle.
Some bundled items sell much better and let you raise your prices. For example, if you have winter gloves and scarves which aren’t selling well, you can try to sell them together.
3. Sell the right products
Contrary to folk wisdom January is not a slow month.
You may think that after Holidays people have no money (or they suddenly keep their New Year’s resolutions and save instead), but no, people love buying things in January. And they often look for things you haven’t even thought about.
Data gathered from eBay advertising shows 3 things:
- In January, compared to December, more people look for designer and luxury items. Things like jewelry, designer handbags, and even champagne glasses are more popular.
- People make their travel plans for the year in January. That’s why more people look for “beach towels” and “bikinis”.
- In January people look for washing machines. Seriously, I am not kidding.
I am not trying to tell you that you should start selling washing machines or fridges on Amazon. Just experiment a bit in Q1. Which takes us to the next point.
4. Release a new product.
For many companies, and sellers, January is a stocktaking time.
That’s your chance.
Let them waste their time analyzing sales while you release a new product.
Why is January a great time to release new products? It’s all about the mindset. Have you ever heard about New Year – New You?
The New Year is time for forward-thinking and changes. Look at your Facebook’s news feed. People love to write how they want to start over. They share self-improvement hacks or plan to do new things. Most of those things never happen, but you can use that “new year, new you” mentality to make money.
Try to aim at products that are related to that “new” mindset.
Some examples:
- Anything related to productivity: notebooks, diaries, pens.
- People often promise themselves that they will lose weight next year. So, health-related things should sell: supplements*, exercise equipment, clothing.
- Household items.
*Amazon doesn’t need more supplements. Unless you have something remarkable, don’t even try to sell supplements.
5. Calendar is your best friend
Here is a quick list of the “Q1 holidays”:
- 4th February – Super Bowl Sunday
- 14th February – Valentine’s Day
- 11th March UK/13th May USA – Mother’s Day
- 1st April – Easter
I know, I know…
Technically speaking Super Bowl Sunday is not a holiday. Mother’s Day is in May and Easter starts at the beginning of Q2. But you should plan for those special days right now.
Plan and start sourcing for the Q1 holidays as soon as possible. Each holiday is a chance to increase your sales.
What items might sell?
The answer seems easy-items related to those holidays. The trick is to look at them from a broader perspective.
Think about Super Bowl Sunday and super bowl items. Before Super Bowl, people might look for things like grills and DIY Beer Making Kits, but Super Bowl might as well prompt sales of sound bars and TVs. It’s much better to watch your favorite team on a big screen with a group of friends.
6. Place your orders NOW
Here comes the most important tip. No matter if you plan to release new products or restock. If you haven’t already placed your Q1 orders from China, you need to do it NOW.
In 2018 the Chinese New Year starts Friday; February 16 and many factories will be closed for up to a month. But that’s not the worst part. The closer you get to that date the more problems you will meet.
I’m talking from experience. At some point before the Chinese New Year, everything gets broken. Suddenly sellers realize that they have no time and they bombard manufactures with orders.
This means longer lead times and more QC problems because everything must be done before the biggest holidays in Asia. Then, an increased amount of goods results in delays with shipping companies and port overloads.
Guess what happens when all that stuff arrives at Amazon? Yup, flooded fulfillment centers might take longer to process those orders.
This article was provided by BQool. Automate Your Amazon Business. Save Time．Save Money．Sell More
