As holiday preparations accelerate, retailers are already securing inventory to avoid supply chain disruptions during the peak season. With nearly half of consumers planning to shop early this year, the rush to meet demand is on.
According to Vericast’s 2024 Holiday Retail TrendWatch, 44 percent of consumers intend to begin their holiday shopping in October or earlier. Another 41 percent will do most of their shopping in November, and 33 percent will wait until December. This growing trend of early shopping is fueled by consumers eager to take advantage of discounts and sales, prompting retailers to adjust their strategies accordingly.
Amazon, in particular, is urging its third-party sellers to start preparing now. The e-commerce giant has advised sellers to begin shipping inventory to its fulfillment centers in August and September to ensure they have sufficient stock for the holiday season. To be ready for Prime eligibility, inventory for Black Friday must arrive at the centers by October 19—a week earlier than last year.
This shortened timeline is part of Amazon’s strategy to maintain quick delivery during the holiday rush, a period that saw record-breaking sales in 2023. Last year’s extended 11-day Black Friday and Cyber Monday event led to over one billion items sold, with more than 500 million from third-party sellers.
Retailers are also bracing for a possible second Prime Day in October, which has become the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season since its introduction in 2022. While this year’s dates have yet to be announced, the event typically occurs in the second week of October.
In an effort to keep pace with Amazon, other retailers are bringing in goods earlier and launching sales sooner. Reports indicate that container imports and freight rates spiked in July, signaling an unusually early peak season for ocean shipping. This surge was driven by retailers kickstarting back-to-school sales early to counter Amazon’s July Prime Day dominance.
The urgency is compounded by concerns over potential disruptions, such as a port workers’ strike and continued shipping issues in the Red Sea. Many companies, wary of delays, began sending Christmas inventory by sea as early as May, according to Peter Sand, chief analyst at pricing platform Xeneta, who shared insights with Reuters.
With the holiday season fast approaching, retailers are moving quickly to ensure shelves are stocked and ready to meet the early wave of shoppers.