Amazon Q4 Vendor Operational Preparedness

As Q4 quickly approaches, Amazon has continued to provide guidance with regards to Vendor Operational Preparedness. You should expect to receive Purchase Orders (POs) for approved Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals at the beginning of October. Keep in mind that these will be in addition to your regular POs in October and November.

All approved deal POs should be fulfilled and ready to ship by mid-October to reduce your risk of out-of-stocks (OOS) on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Collect vendors should route early, accurately, and completely, with freight ready to ship by 8am on the freight ready date (FRD).

Additionally, after Cyber Monday, you may receive OOS replenishment orders and Amazon has asked that you confirm available inventory on those POs as soon as possible.

To help ensure a successful Q4, we recommend you:

• Ensure sufficient ship-ready stock of top products between Oct 1 and Dec 1 (for Black Friday orders and post Cyber Monday replenishment)

• Route collect PO pick-ups as early as possible to avoid delays

• Check and update warehouse hours in Vendor Central if needed

• Warehouses should utilize Amazon's Transportation Hotline for any transportation issues (866-203-8372)

You can review Amazon's additional guidance and 9 best practice recommendations in Vendor Central, under News from the Home Page.

In addition to Amazon's 9 best practices for Q4 readiness, they recommend using Vendor Central Support when you need more information about policies, processes, or self-service options. You can take training, search help, or download forms and manuals (including the NA Vendor Shipment and Transportation Manual).