The Holiday Inventory Checklist for FBA Sellers

The Most Wonderful (and Chaotic) Time of the Year

If you sell on Amazon, “the most wonderful time of the year” can also be the most stressful. Between managing stock levels, restocking timelines, and unpredictable demand spikes, one misstep can send your sales (and/or your sanity) spiraling.

According to JungleScout, 54% of sellers oversell during Q4 because they don’t have real-time visibility into inventory. That’s a costly mistake in peak season.

That’s why we created this holiday inventory checklist for FBA sellers to help you get your operations sleigh-ready and your RestockPro dashboard glowing brighter than Rudolph’s nose.

1. Review Last Year’s Holiday Sales

Before you dive into ordering, start with your data. Review your 2024 Q4 performance:

Which SKUs sold out first?
Which sat longer than expected?
What lead times caused you trouble?

This isn’t just hindsight, it’s your roadmap. RestockPro makes this easy by pulling up sales velocity and profitability data per ASIN, helping you predict what deserves top-shelf status this season.

Pro Tip: Flag seasonal or bundle-worthy SKUs in RestockPro early so you can adjust forecasts ahead of time.

2. Audit Your Current Inventory Levels

Think of this as your holiday “naughty or nice” list. You can’t restock what you don’t know you have.

Check FBA quantities vs. warehouse inventory.
Review reserved or stranded inventory.
Look for listing suppressions or inactive ASINs.

A quick RestockPro sync gives you a complete picture of your sellable, inbound, and reserved stock, so you can spot issues before they turn into shipping disasters.

3. Forecast Demand Like a Pro

The holidays are unpredictable, but your forecasts don’t have to be. RestockPro analyzes your past performance, velocity, and supplier lead times to calculate when and how much to restock.

If you’re still forecasting in spreadsheets, that’s like wrapping gifts with duct tape. RestockPro does the math, so you can focus on strategy (and maybe sneak in a gingerbread cookie or two).

4. Confirm Supplier Lead Times and Shipping Schedules

Your suppliers are juggling their own holiday rush. Confirm lead times now, and pad them with at least an extra week.

Order raw materials or finished goods early.
Double-check carrier pickup and cut-off schedules.
Plan for potential customs delays if you import.

Use RestockPro’s Purchase Order and Shipment tracking tools to see where every restock stands without sending 12 follow-up emails!

5. Prep Shipments for FBA (Before Cutoff Dates!)

Amazon’s FBA check-in times can stretch longer than your aunt’s holiday stories. Plan to ship at least two weeks earlier than your usual window.

Label and bundle products correctly.
Split shipments by destination if needed.
Verify FBA warehouse assignments early.

RestockPro helps you build, label, and manage FBA shipments directly, so every box makes it to the right place before the cutoff.

6. Watch Your Margins (They Matter More Than Ever)

Q4 brings huge volume, but also rising fees, storage costs, and shipping surcharges.

Use RestockPro’s profitability insights to see how costs affect your per-ASIN margin in real time. That way, you can focus ad spend on the products that actually make you money (and skip the ones that don’t).

7. Create a Backup Plan

Even the best-laid plans can go sideways. Build safety nets like:

Backup suppliers for best-sellers
A small reserve of local warehouse inventory
FBM listings ready for overflow

RestockPro’s inventory visibility makes pivoting between fulfillment channels simple, because running out of stock shouldn’t be your holiday tradition.

8. Keep Monitoring and Adjusting

Once your shipments are sent, don’t set it and forget it. Use RestockPro’s dashboards to:

Track inbound inventory arrival
Monitor sell-through rates
Identify top performers mid-season

A quick daily check can save you from costly stockouts or worse, missing the holiday momentum.

Final Thought: Stay Stocked, Stay Sane

The holidays move fast. Sellers who plan early (and monitor constantly) win the season, and without losing their cool. Whether you’re fine-tuning forecasts, sending shipments, or just trying to keep up with the orders pouring in, RestockPro keeps your FBA inventory merry, measured, and moving.

Stay Stocked with RestockPro