Amazon’s October 28 arrival cutoff for Black Friday and Cyber Monday inventory using Amazon-optimized shipment splits has passed. The minimal shipment splits cutoff was October 21.
Those dates were published for the November sales events. They don’t give you a December replenishment schedule.
If your brand has December demand to cover, the next shipment needs a more specific plan: which products will run short, how many units they need, and whether those units can become available while customers still want them.
Every replenishment decision needs 3 numbers: the projected stockout date, the quantity needed, and the latest useful availability date.
Find the SKUs That Need Inventory Before December
Start with the stock keeping units (SKUs) driving your holiday sales. For each, compare current Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) availability with expected daily sales through its next replenishment. Adjust for planned promotions and last year’s demand curve. An October average can hide the exact week a gifting product will run out.
Keep units already available separate from units still inbound or moving through Amazon’s network. Count each unit once, and record when you expect it to support orders. A shipment marked delivered needs a different follow-up than a pallet that hasn’t left your supplier.
| Match each SKU’s inventory position to a December decision | ||
| Inventory position | December decision | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Available inventory covers demand until the next replenishment | Keep the planned shipment size tied to the forecast. | Check whether promotions will bring the stockout date forward. |
| Available inventory runs out before the next replenishment | Prioritize the SKU and calculate the gap. | Confirm whether another delivery can close that gap in time. |
| Enough units are inbound, but availability is uncertain | Check the existing shipment before sending more. | Identify the delayed leg and revise the expected availability date. |
| Seasonal demand may end before new stock becomes available | Reassess the FBA shipment quantity. | Decide whether the units have a profitable use after the holiday window. |
The output should be a short shipment priority list. Give each SKU an owner and a decision date so a receiving delay leads to an action.
Size the Shipment Around the Demand It Can Still Serve
Separate demand before the new inventory becomes available from demand it can cover afterward. Adding both to the next FBA shipment can leave you with excess stock after the sales you were trying to capture have already passed.
For illustration, assume a SKU has 1,800 units available on November 1 and is expected to sell 100 units a day. That gives you about 18 days of cover, before allowing for a safety buffer. If the next shipment isn’t expected to become available until November 25, you have roughly a week to cover through another route.
Now size the November 25 replenishment against demand from that date through the next planned replenishment, adding your chosen safety stock and subtracting any other units expected to be available during that period. The missing week still needs its own fulfillment plan.
Use a higher-demand scenario as a second check. A promotion that moves the stockout date forward also moves the date by which your backup needs to be ready.
Work Backward From When You Need to Sell
Set the latest useful availability date for each priority SKU, then work backward through Amazon receiving and distribution, delivery appointments, transit, prep, and pickup. Ask your logistics team to identify which dates are confirmed and which remain estimates.
Amazon’s Q4 2026 peak readiness playbook says its fulfillment centers shift toward processing customer orders in November and December, with limited inbound delivery slots. A November ship date alone is too little information to build a promotion around.
A live unload addresses the trailer-wait portion of the trip. It doesn’t establish when every unit will be available for customer fulfillment. Keep delivery, receiving, and customer availability as separate milestones in your plan.
RELATED: Inside Amazon’s Check-In Process: Why Your Prime Day Inventory Lands Later Than You Think
Choose the Inbound Route Before You Release the Freight
For eligible inventory, Amazon-optimized shipment splits avoid Amazon’s inbound placement service fee. Confirm that option in Send to Amazon before releasing the shipment, then compare the full transportation and handling quote against the alternative. The placement fee alone doesn’t tell you what the replenishment will cost.
SplitSmart™ by Tactical handles the transportation across 5+ Amazon destinations from 1 consolidated pallet shipment, with booked appointments and live unloads at every stop. Your team sends 1 shipment to Tactical, and Tactical manages the split and deliveries.
For this replenishment, the operational question is specific: can the proposed route meet the dates your priority SKUs need? Confirm pickup, prep readiness, and delivery appointments against that list before committing the freight.
Set the Date You’ll Use the Backup
For a SKU facing an availability gap, set a decision date before projected FBA stockout. If the replenishment timeline slips past that date, use the fulfillment plan you’ve already prepared.
A Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) offer can support orders from inventory held outside Amazon. It uses a separate SKU on the same ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). Confirm the physical stock allocation, order routing, handling time, and delivery promise before relying on it. If that inventory also supports Shopify or TikTok Shop, account for those commitments before assigning it to Amazon orders.
Keep this decision tied to the gap you calculated. A backup that needs 500 units shouldn’t quietly consume the stock already committed to another channel.
The Tactical Takeaway
Before the next December replenishment leaves, make sure your team can answer:
- Which SKUs will run short, and on what date?
- How many units can the next shipment realistically sell before demand changes?
- Which pickup and delivery dates are confirmed?
- When will you act if the expected availability date slips?
Send your priority SKUs, current inventory, and proposed shipment dates to the Tactical team, and they’ll review the inbound route and inventory plan against the December demand you need to cover.
Book a call to walk through your December replenishment plan with the Tactical team.
