Black Friday Is Almost Here: 4 Things Amazon Brands Should Know

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, brands selling on Amazon Canada and the U.S. need to closely monitor inventory, advertising, product listings, and profitability.

Here are four important areas to focus on this week.
1. Amazon Announces 2027 FBA Fee Changes
Amazon has confirmed its 2027 fulfillment fee updates:
• Canada: Average increase of CAD $0.21 per unit.
• United States: Average increase of USD $0.19 per unit.
• January 15, 2027: Most new fulfillment fees take effect.
• February 1, 2027: Storage utilization surcharges will be eliminated in both marketplaces.
Actual changes will vary by product, size, price, and inventory characteristics.
Our take: Review product-level profitability now. Amazon’s Fee Change Comparison Dashboard in Seller Central can help brands assess the impact.
2. FBA Shipment Timing Matters More Than Ever
During the holiday season, getting inventory delivered to an Amazon fulfillment centre doesn’t necessarily mean it’s immediately available for Prime customers.
Receiving and processing times can vary, particularly during peak shopping periods.
Our take: Monitor inbound shipments, available inventory, and Prime eligibility. Plan replenishment around when inventory becomes sellable, not simply when it’s delivered.
3. Be Careful With Last-Minute Listing Changes
With increased holiday traffic, brands may be tempted to refresh product images, titles, and A+ Content.
Unnecessary changes close to major shopping events can create approval delays or unexpected listing issues.
Our take: Avoid changing well-performing listings without a clear reason. However, correct inaccurate content, suppressed listings, and compliance problems promptly.
4. Advertising and Inventory Must Work Together
Strong advertising campaigns cannot compensate for unavailable products, interrupted campaigns, or lost Featured Offer eligibility.
Before Black Friday, review advertising budgets, campaign delivery, inventory availability, product pricing, and promotions.
Our take: Managing advertising without monitoring the rest of your Amazon business can result in missed opportunities and wasted spending.
The Next Success Perspective
More traffic doesn’t automatically mean more profitable sales.
The brands best positioned for the holiday season are those managing inventory, advertising, content, and profitability together.
Preparation today can make a meaningful difference during the busiest shopping weeks of the year.