Whatever the reason behind a temporary shutdown of your Amazon MFN operations, it’s best to keep in mind that timing is crucial for smooth transitions between active and inactive listings. That’s why SellerEngine has put together some sensible timing tips for you to consider when dealing with Amazon vacation settings
Read our brief list of timeout suggestions.
We’ve discussed why and how to close up shop on Amazon previously, but we’ve never really touched on the subject of timing, which is important because you continue to receive customer emails and subscription charges while away.
If you have the luxury of choosing your downtime, you’ll probably opt for a time of the year when sales are low, namely in the middle of school breaks, just after tax filing deadlines, or after the holiday shopping season has ended.
Your sales trends will be a matter of type of merchandise, the category you list in, customer base and various other factors that are specific to your case, so take note of all of them. For example, toys sell best just before the holidays, while office stationery tends to go on sale in the back-to-school season.
When not to touch the Amazon Vacation Settings
Generally speaking, people tend to be more willing to shop just before or during some of the following days:
- During Back to School Season
While some parents or students prepare for school weeks in advance, others will start buying school supplies a few days after it starts. Depending on the type of items you sell and where most of your customers are from, you may wish to take heed of back-to-school sales periods.
- Around National Holidays
Depending on how long a public holiday lasts, customers could stock up for it days or weeks in advance. Excluding global religious holidays and New Year’s celebrations, there are some specific national holidays (or statutory holidays) that will vary according to the country you operate in on Amazon, and that tend to fall on the same date each year.
- Just After Pay Day
There are just as many local payday customs as there are Amazon venues.
For Europeans, monthly salary payments are the norm, but all self-employed people choose when they get paid, and consequently when they can spend. On the other hand, Mexican pay days are weekly for blue collar workers and biweekly for white collar employees.
In China, part-time workers are paid every 15 days, at most, and full-time employees are paid at least once a month, which means your sales will be a bit more unpredictable. To top it all off, in Canada, frequency and timing are up to the employer.
- Before Tax Return Deadlines
All people tend to be cash-strapped just after they’ve filed their tax returns, not just Amazon customers.
In the UK, for instance, people have until Halloween to file their paper tax returns, or the end of January for their online returns. In the USA, individual tax returns must be filed by mid-April. Deadlines can be extended until mid-October every year, though, and you may notice a slump in sales around those dates.
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Taking all these factors into account, your Amazon US, UK, France and China seller account downtime calendar for the next six months may look something like this:
We hope you’ve found our list of suggestions helpful, and that you’ll give it more than a fleeting glance the next time you opt for a brief hiatus in your Amazon MFN seller activities.
Irina is our International Business Development Specialist and our company do-all, whose motto is ‘Never give up, never give in, and always give it your best’.