Amazon’s peak shopping seasons are a goldmine for sellers. From holidays to special occasions, this is when shoppers flood the platform looking for the perfect items. For print-on-demand (POD) sellers, there’s even more potential – skip the hassle of inventory and focus on creating products that tap into each season’s trends.
In this article, we’ll cover the key sales periods, show you how to spot trends, and share tips to increase your Amazon sales with Printify.
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Key takeaways
- Plan around Amazon’s peak sales periods. Major events like Black Friday, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day are prime opportunities to reach more shoppers with tailored POD products.
- Use data to identify and adapt to trends. Tools like Amazon Product Opportunity Explorer, Helium 10, and social media insights help track emerging trends and seasonal demands.
- Optimize listings with keywords and promotions. SEO, seasonal keywords, and timely promotions can improve your visibility during high-traffic seasons, drawing in more customers.
- Personalize products for lasting appeal. Offering customization options keeps your products relevant year-round, especially for events outside major holidays, like family gatherings and niche hobbies.
- Stay flexible with post-peak adjustments. Review sales data after peak seasons and consider diversifying with evergreen products or adding personalization to maintain steady sales across Q1 and Q2.
What are Amazon’s key peak sales periods?
Our Printify Amazon integration is available in the US, where major holidays like Christmas and New Year drive a surge in shoppers searching for seasonal items and gifts. These peak seasons are perfect opportunities to increase sales and attract more customers.
Here’s a breakdown of the main sales periods to help you plan ahead and maximize these opportunities. You can also refer to our marketing calendar guide for a full overview of sales seasons throughout the year.
While seasonal products are excellent for increasing sales during high-traffic periods, maintaining a balanced mix of evergreen product designs alongside seasonal ones is fundamental for sustainable growth.
Back-to-School season
Beginning in early August, the back-to-school season drives significant spending from parents, students, and teachers. From custom stationery accessories, lunch boxes, and tote bags to unique teacher appreciation gifts, POD sellers have endless options to meet the demand.
As a POD seller, adjust product designs to appeal to different demographics within this season – college students, young children’s parents, and even teachers looking for supplies. Check out our back-to-school bestsellers and free designs for inspiration.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Kicking off the holiday shopping season, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping days of the year. With deals on nearly everything, shoppers flock to Amazon for discounted products.
Consider creating exclusive designs and seasonal discounts that stand out, as competition will be fierce. This is an excellent time for eye-catching, limited-time product offerings in high-demand categories like tech accessories.
Thanksgiving
Items focused on family gatherings, cooking, and gratitude perform especially well.
POD products that showcase family unity, home decor, or personalized items related to Thanksgiving themes can be a huge hit.
Christmas and New Year
Amazon’s peak season continues through December, with shoppers looking for the perfect gifts. From Christmas-themed apparel to New Year’s celebration accessories and seasonal decorations, POD products tailored to holiday gifting are highly effective.
To stand out, think beyond generic Christmas designs – consider themes related to New Year’s resolutions, goal-setting, and family activities. Browse our holiday marketing ideas to thrive during the next holiday season.
Valentine’s Day
February brings Valentine’s Day, a prime season for romantic and friendship gifts. POD sellers can explore designs for couples, friends, and even self-care themes, offering custom messages and unique graphics to make gifts memorable.
Heartfelt and humorous designs often perform best. Consider selling a set of custom-scented candles, cards, and beauty items.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
These holidays in May and June are perfect for products dedicated to parents. POD items that can be personalized or tailored to specific interests (like hobbies, professions, or inside jokes) are particularly popular, from t-shirts and socks to mugs and greeting cards.
Consider releasing collections celebrating parents’ favorite pastimes or highlighting thoughtful, custom messages.
How to identify trends?
Trends can make or break your success during peak seasons. Understanding what’s popular with shoppers lets you position products in a way that resonates. Here’s how to approach trend discovery and implementation.
What are seasonal trends?
Seasonal trends refer to product demands that spike during specific times of the year. For example, Halloween-themed merchandise peaks in October, while eco-friendly items might be popular around Earth Day in April.
Recognizing and capitalizing on these trends means you can tailor products to what shoppers are actively searching for.
Tools to identify trends
Staying updated on trends takes a mix of research and tools. Here are some of the best tools for Amazon POD sellers:
- Amazon Product Opportunity Explorer: This tool provides insights into search patterns, customer demand, and niche opportunities on Amazon. It’s designed for tracking seasonal demand and emerging products, helping you target the right items at the right times.
- Helium 10: A comprehensive suite of tools, Helium 10 includes features like Black Box for finding trending products, Cerebro for keyword research, and Xray for assessing listing competitiveness. It’s popular for deep insights into product and keyword trends.
- Jungle Scout: Known for its product database and sales analytics, Jungle Scout allows you to filter products by criteria like sales volume and competition. It also has a keyword research tool to help you optimize listings and spot high-demand, low-competition keywords.
- AMZScout: AMZScout’s Product Tracker and Keyword Explorer help sellers monitor trends, understand product demand, and analyze competitor pricing, making it a reliable option for identifying market trends.
- Keepa: A price-tracking browser extension, Keepa shows historical pricing and product ranking data. It’s useful for tracking seasonal trends and identifying price patterns over time.
- Amazon Sales Analytics: This tool is essential for Amazon sellers to track the performance of listings over time. It lets you identify patterns, bestsellers, and demand fluctuations during peak seasons, providing a solid foundation for assessing what products work and when.
- Google Trends: It provides insights into the popularity of search terms across platforms, helping sellers identify seasonal and emerging trends outside of Amazon. With its easy-to-use interface, track terms relevant to your niche and adapt product designs accordingly.
- Social media trend analysis: Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest offer trend insights to help Amazon sellers stay updated on emerging designs, styles, and cultural shifts. Following relevant hashtags and influencers is a simple, effective way to discover trends that resonate with potential customers on Amazon.
Tips to maximize sales during Amazon’s peak seasons
To make the most of each sales season, you’ll need a strategy that combines market awareness, optimized listings, and customer engagement. Here’s how to make it happen:
1. Ensure necessary stock levels
For POD sellers, one major advantage is that you don’t need to store products in advance – Printify takes care of that for you.
This means you can focus more on the creative and marketing side, designing seasonal items without worrying about inventory or restocking.
2. Optimize listings with SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for showcasing your products to Amazon shoppers. Update your listings with seasonal keywords and descriptive tags to make it easier for customers to find relevant products.
Don’t miss our guide on Amazon SEO for more insights.
3. Have a competitive pricing strategy
Pricing influences customers’ buying decisions, especially during high-traffic periods. For Amazon POD sellers, developing a strong pricing strategy involves more than just setting a price – it’s about balancing profitability with market competitiveness to attract buyers.
During peak seasons, limited-time discounts, seasonal deals, and strategic pricing adjustments can help capture the attention of price-sensitive shoppers. For instance, consider offering discounts on popular items or bundling products to increase perceived value.
When crafting your strategy, focus on a few key pricing tactics:
- Dynamic pricing adjustments: Monitor competitor prices and use Amazon’s automated repricing options or external tools to adjust prices in real time based on demand and competitor activity.
- Value-based pricing: POD products allow for customization, so consider pricing that reflects the uniqueness of your designs, especially if they cater to niche interests. Shoppers are often willing to pay more for exclusive designs that align with their tastes or values.
- Pricing psychology: Small tactics like ending prices in .99 or setting discounts as percentage savings can make prices appear more attractive to buyers.
For more detailed tips and strategies, check out our comprehensive pricing guide.
4. Advertise on Amazon
Amazon advertising offers several options to help increase visibility, particularly during peak shopping periods. Sponsored Products ads promote individual product listings, making them more visible in search results, while Sponsored Brands ads showcase a collection of your products along with your logo, ideal for building brand recognition.
Sponsored Display Ads lets you reach customers on and off Amazon, offering retargeting options that keep your products top of mind for shoppers.
For a complete look at Amazon advertising options, head to our Amazon advertising guide.
5. Create seasonal promotions
Promotions and discounts attract attention, especially when shoppers are already in a buying mindset. Try offering discounts on themed collections or bundling items for specific holidays like Mother’s Day or Christmas.
6. Leverage Amazon features to drive more sales
Amazon provides various tools and features that enhance brand presence and attract more shoppers:
- Amazon Brand Registry: Grants access to enhanced marketing tools, which improve product listings and increase trust with buyers.
- Amazon Storefront and custom landing pages: Create a branded storefront to make your products stand out and allow customers to explore your collections.
- Amazon Lightning Deals and Best Deals: Short-term discounts expand visibility during high-traffic times.
7. Don’t forget about customer service
Good customer service creates lasting customer relationships. Respond to queries promptly, manage orders carefully, and encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews.
Positive reviews enhance credibility, which can directly impact sales during peak seasons.
What to do when peak season is over?
Once a peak season wraps up, it’s time to analyze performance and adjust for the next cycle. Here’s how to keep your store active and appealing throughout the year:
- Review sales data: Go over your stats and see which products and promotions hit the mark. Understanding what resonated with customers helps you better plan for upcoming holidays and events.
- Address feedback: Use customer reviews to pinpoint areas for improvement. Handling any complaints quickly shows you’re responsive, which can encourage repeat purchases.
- Prep yearly for new holidays: Data from peak seasons can reveal customer preferences, so use it to prepare for upcoming holidays. Consider refreshing popular designs for events like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or summer celebrations.
- Diversify and stay flexible: For political merchandise sellers, staying versatile is key. After an election season, consider customizing items or moving to evergreen categories like personalized name products or sports memorabilia. These options keep customers engaged year-round.
- Add personalization options: Customization offers lasting appeal, letting customers personalize items for family events, special occasions, or everyday favorites.
Sell on Amazon with Printify
Selling on Amazon is easier with Printify’s seamless POD integration. Here’s how to get started:
- Sign up: Create an account on Printify and choose a subscription plan.
- Pick your products: Choose from various POD products, from t-shirts to tote bags.
- Design: Upload your designs or create new ones with our AI-powered Product Creator.
- Start selling: Connect your Amazon US account and add your products to your Amazon store.
With Printify, you’re equipped to handle Amazon’s busy seasons without the hassle of inventory or shipping.
Start selling on Amazon now with Printify
To summarize
Understanding and leveraging Amazon’s peak sales periods gives you a competitive edge in maximizing profits throughout the year.
By identifying trends, optimizing listings, using Amazon’s promotional features, and staying flexible, you’ll be well-prepared for each season. With Printify by your side, you’re ready to start – and keep – selling all year round!
