How do I plan Amazon FBA inventory for Q4?
Place your Q4 hero SKU POs by early July, second wave by late August, and a small third wave for post-Cyber Monday replenishment by mid-October. Amazon FC intake slows in November and early December, so units that miss check-in windows sit outside FBA during the peak.
Jul 26, 2026 · 3 min read
The Q4 timeline
Early July: place primary Q4 POs based on last year x 1.15 growth adjusted for current run-rate. Late August: place second wave for late-October to Cyber Monday cover. Mid-October: place small emergency top-up for post-Cyber Monday and early January.
Going into Q4, watch coverage weekly in the inventory tracker rather than at month end.
What to keep out of FBA
Sit deep buffers at AWD or 3PL, not FBA. Q4 storage and utilization surcharges will eat the margin gain you were hoping for. Replenish FBA from AWD in small, frequent waves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Prime Day a separate plan?
Yes. Prime Day POs need to be in FBA by late June to be safe.
Should I inflate safety stock for Q4?
Yes, moderately. A 20 to 30% pad on hero SKUs is normal; a 100% pad usually creates January dead stock.
Do I need extra COGS budget for Q4?
Yes. Plan on 3 to 4x normal monthly COGS outflow between July and October.
See this in Nova
Nova surfaces this metric per SKU so you can act before your next monthly close catches it.
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