Introduction: Crunch Time for Amazon Sellers Has Arrived
The clock is ticking. With Black Friday 2025 just three weeks away, Amazon sellers across the board, especially growing and first-time brands, are staring down one of the biggest revenue opportunities of the year. But opportunity doesn’t guarantee outcome.
If you’re behind on prep, uncertain about what to prioritize, or wondering whether to DIY or hire expert help, you’re not alone. Many sellers feel overwhelmed in Q4.
Inventory is stuck in transfer, ad costs are rising, and competitors are already running aggressive early-bird deals.
Here’s the good news:
It’s not too late to take strategic action. Whether you’re optimizing FBA logistics, fine-tuning your advertising, or deciding which ASINs to promote, now is the moment to act.
In this post, we’ll walk you through the best Amazon Black Friday strategies for sellers in 2025. You’ll learn:
- How to prepare your Amazon FBA inventory for Black Friday 2025
- What deal types still matter (and which are worth skipping)
- Key advertising moves for Cyber Monday 2025 and beyond
- How to use the Brand Referral Bonus to lower ad spend
- What to expect from consumer behavior and Q4 returns
At Bits & Atoms, we help Amazon brands at every stage plan, execute, and scale performance, especially during critical sales windows like BFCM. Let’s dig in and get your Q4 playbook in order.
Optimize Your FBA Inventory: Last-Minute Moves That Still Count
If your inventory isn’t already at Amazon FBA, you’re cutting it close. Amazon’s recommended cutoff for Black Friday 2025 delivery to fulfillment centers has passed. But if you act immediately, you can still:
- Replenish fast-moving SKUs via AWD (Amazon Warehousing & Distribution): AWD allows you to stage inventory for auto-replenishment. It’s a safety net if your FBA capacity is maxed out.
- Fallback to FBM offers: If your FBA stock won’t make it in time, enable FBM listings with backup 3PL support to keep the Buy Box active.
- Monitor stranded or delayed inventory: Check for units stuck in transfer. Even minor fixes (like labeling issues) can unlock sellable stock.
Understanding how to prepare Amazon FBA inventory for Black Friday 2025 is critical. Fast action now can help you avoid missed revenue and Buy Box losses when the traffic surge hits.
Review Your Deals Strategy: Promotions That Still Make Sense
If you missed Amazon’s Lightning Deal deadline, you’re not out of options.
Focus instead on:
- Prime Exclusive Discounts: These still trigger a strikethrough price and “deal badge” without massive fees.
- Coupons: Visible, green-badge discounts help increase click-throughs and are easy to set up quickly.
- Brand Tailored Promotions: For brand-registered sellers, this tool lets you target custom segments (repeat buyers, high-spending shoppers, etc.)
Want to revisit Amazon Black Friday Lightning Deal requirements for 2025? Save them for next year’s planning. For now, focus on what’s still in your control.
Launch Smart, Targeted Ads for Cyber Monday and through the Holiday Rush
As BFCM traffic builds, so do ad costs. But with 94% of holiday shoppers turning to Amazon in 2025, visibility is non-negotiable. Here’s how to make your campaigns count:
- Smart Budgeting Wins Q4. You should expect higher CPCs than average during Cyber Week and beyond. Raise budgets on your top-performing campaigns to avoid premature cutoffs, but just as importantly, reduce spend on underperforming or exploratory campaigns. Make sure testing campaigns are tightly optimized to minimize waste and protect your budget from low-intent, research-driven clicks.
- Use Sponsored Brands Video and Display Retargeting: These ad types help you capture attention mid-funnel and retarget window-shoppers. For deeper insights and better audience segmentation, layer in Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) to analyze engagement patterns and refine your targeting across touchpoints.
- Monitor hourly. Adjust quickly. Run real-time reports. Pause underperformers and reallocate to what’s working.
- Create a Cyber Monday push plan: Highlight bestsellers or high-stock ASINs with “last chance” urgency.
- Cross-promote strategically with SP and SD: Advertise lower-performing SKUs on your bestsellers’ pages to capture high-converting traffic and drive incremental sales.
If you’re looking for Cyber Monday 2025 Amazon advertising tips for sellers, this is it: spend strategically, monitor aggressively, and stay agile.
Prioritize Inventory Strategy: Push What You Need to Move
Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just about promoting your bestsellers, they’re also a golden opportunity to liquidate excess stock. If your brand is sitting on high inventory levels for slower-moving SKUs, now is the time to package compelling offers, apply discounts, or run coupon-based deals to move that product.
While high-converting ASINs should still get ad and deal support, consider using your promotional levers strategically to clear aged or overstocked inventory. These events drive massive traffic and price sensitivity, perfect for offloading volume without deep margin cuts.
Look at your catalog and ask: Which SKUs are slower to move or building up in storage? Creating targeted offers for them now can help improve cash flow and streamline your inventory going into the new year.
Leverage the Brand Referral Bonus to Offset Rising Ad Costs
Want to reduce your ad spend by up to 10%? Use Amazon’s Brand Referral Bonus (BRB). Here’s how to use Amazon Brand Referral Bonus during Cyber Week:
- Drive traffic from Instagram, TikTok, or email to your Amazon listings.
- Use Amazon Attribution links to track and earn BRB credits.
- Stack it with external promotions (gift guides, influencer posts, etc.).
This is especially useful for sellers who already run Meta or Google ads. During Cyber Week, when CPCs rise sharply due to intense competition and high shopper traffic, leveraging BRB can help offset increased ad spend by driving lower-cost external traffic and earning credits on those conversions. You get the sale and Amazon pays you back for bringing in the buyer.
Choose FBA or FBM Wisely: Have a Backup, Always
The FBA vs FBM Black Friday 2025 pros and cons come down to control vs. scale:
- FBA gives you Prime eligibility and faster shipping, but strict deadlines and peak fees.
- FBM offers flexibility, but you need fast fulfillment and excellent customer service.
If your FBA inventory is delayed, FBM is a lifesaver. If you lack warehouse capacity or can’t hit 2-day shipping, FBA is still your best bet. The smartest sellers use both, switching dynamically based on stock position.
Avoid Logistics Disasters: Know Your AWD Shipping Windows
If you use Amazon Warehousing & Distribution, the Amazon AWD Black Friday shipping deadline 2025 was October 9 for guaranteed replenishment. If you missed it, you can still:
- Use AWD for December or post-BFCM inventory
- Set auto-replenishment rules for your most critical SKUs
- Reroute unsent units to a local 3PL for FBM fulfillment
Amazon is still moving inventory between nodes. But don’t rely on luck, know where your stock is and how quickly it can be shipped.
Prepare for January Returns: It’s Part of the Game
Every Black Friday boom comes with a January hangover. The holiday return policy Amazon sellers 2025 extends through January 31. That means:
- You may not see true profit until returns settle in February
- Plan for restocking, refurbishing, or writing off returned inventory
- Prioritize clarity in listings to avoid buyer confusion (which drives returns)
Use this period to assess return reasons and improve listings, packaging, or product quality. Returns are feedback in disguise.
Q&A: Quick Answers to Seller Questions
Q: Is it worth running ads during Cyber Monday if my Black Friday sales underperformed?
Yes. Many shoppers wait for Cyber Monday to make big purchases. Reallocate budget to well-stocked, proven performers.
Q: I missed Lightning Deals. Are coupons and Prime Discounts still effective?
Absolutely. They still give visual pricing cues and can increase conversion rates, especially with mobile shoppers.
Q: Should I pause underperforming ads during Black Friday weekend?
If an ad has a high spend and no conversions after several hours, pause it. Focus on ASINs with strong ROAS.
Q: What’s the fastest way to drive external traffic to my Amazon listings?
Use Amazon Attribution + social media or email. If you’re brand-registered, the Brand Referral Bonus gives you a % of sales back.
Q: What happens if my FBA units don’t arrive in time?
Switch to FBM if possible. Update shipping promises and communicate clearly with customers.
Q: Is Black Friday a good time to liquidate excess inventory?
Yes. The surge in shopper traffic during BFCM makes it an ideal window to clear out slow-moving or overstocked items. Even modest discounts or coupons can help you recover costs and free up space for higher-performing products.
Wrapping Up: Finish Strong in Q4
Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 are just the beginning of Q4. With Christmas, New Year’s, and January deals still ahead, your momentum now will carry through the rest of the year.
Even if you’re playing catch-up, focused action this week can make a massive difference. Tighten your listings, boost your best ads, and keep your inventory moving.
Want to see how our proven strategies can work for your brand?
Bits & Atoms has optimized thousands of listings, campaigns, and catalogs, and has helped build and scale performance-driven Amazon businesses. Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just seasonal spikes, they’re a key part of the long-term growth plans we execute for brands that want results.