Is Amazon really prepared for this Q4?
A few months ago, Amazon told us we had to prepare for the peak season and have our inventory ready for the major shopping holidays.
But given yesterday's news and the complexity of organizing the shipments, will they really make sure that everything works as it should?
For context, Amazon’s network isn’t just about one warehouse. It’s a system designed to handle massive volumes.
Here’s how it works:
• IXD: Inbound Cross Dock, the initial hub for processing goods.
• nIXD: National Inbound Cross Dock — handles large, mixed shipments to be sent across regions.
• rIXD: Regional Inbound Cross Dock — more localized, making it faster to get goods to the Fulfillment Center (FC), where they are stored and processed.
The thing is that depending on your Inbound Split options, the way your inventory moves from one place to another will be very different.
For example, now that there are regional and national docks, when sellers do minimal and partial, the shipment goes to an nIXD, which usually takes 1 week (now it is taking up to 3 weeks) because they have to separate the shipments so they can go to each rIXD. (This means time you are not selling)
When sellers optimize split, it goes to an rIXD and, from there, to the Fulfillment Center, meaning it should be faster and easier.
But with facility congestions causing delays and sellers relying on Amazon to handle all supply chain aspects, they are finding themselves caught in a bottleneck.
Even more considering that in November, the focus will switch from stocking to fulfilling customer orders, meaning that if your inventory isn't processed in time, you’re looking at potential stockouts and missed sales.
⚠️ The Big Takeaway: Don’t leave your Q4 success to chance. It’s time to plan smart, ship early, and strategize so you’re not caught in a last-minute scramble
But what's your take? Do you think Amazon will solve this on time?