When Is Amazon Peak Season? Key Dates in 2026

Amazon peak season runs from October through December, with the highest sales happening around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas shopping period.

For many sellers, this is the most important time of the year. According to Meteorspace, over 30% of annual eCommerce sales happen during Q4, driven by holiday shopping and major promotional events.

But peak season is not just a few busy days. It is a longer cycle that builds over time. Events like Prime Day in July give sellers a chance to test what works before demand increases.

Sellers who prepare early are more likely to succeed, because they are ready when both traffic and competition rise.

Overview

• When Is Amazon Peak Season?
• Amazon Peak Season Timeline
• The Four Biggest Amazon Sales Events You Can’t Miss
• What Changes During Amazon Peak Season
• How Peak Seasons Vary Across Regions
• How to Prepare for Amazon Peak Season
• Amazon Peak Season Calendar & What Sellers Should Focus On
• FAQs

When Is Amazon Peak Season?

• Peak season: October to December
• Busiest shopping periods: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas
• When to start preparing: August to September or earlier
• Mid-year spike: Prime Day in July

Amazon Peak Season Timeline

Peak season builds in stages, and each stage requires a different focus.

August to September: Preparation Phase

This is when you set the foundation for peak season.

• Send inventory to FBA and ensure sufficient stock
• Improve your listings for better visibility and conversion
• Start running Amazon ads to collect performance data

October: Demand Starts to Build

You will begin to see steady growth in traffic.

• More shoppers browsing
• Conversion rates gradually improving
• Sellers increasing ad budgets

Many brands begin scaling campaigns during this period to start building momentum before peak season arrives.

Late November: Major Peak (Black Friday and Cyber Monday)

This is the busiest shopping window of the year.

• Extremely high traffic and purchase intent
• Heavy discounting across most categories
• Increased competition in ads and pricing

According to Brandwoven, in 2025, Black Friday reached $11.8 billion in U.S. online sales, while Cyber Monday exceeded $14 billion, making it the largest online shopping day of the year.

At the same time, Tinuiti reports that advertising competition increases significantly. Amazon ad-driven sales during this period have shown 22% to 28% growth across the Cyber Five window, reflecting how aggressively brands invest in visibility.

December: Final Holiday Rush

Shopping becomes more urgent as the holidays approach.

• Increase in last-minute purchases
• Faster delivery becomes critical
• Giftable products perform especially well

This period rewards sellers who have strong inventory planning and fast fulfillment options.

The Four Biggest Amazon Sales Events You Can’t Miss

Prime Day

Prime Day is one of Amazon’s largest sales events outside Q4. The official date for Prime Day in 2026 has not yet been announced by Amazon which normally happens in July but this year it may be moved to June, but stay tuned as we update you with the latest details as soon as they are available.

• Creates a short but intense increase in traffic and sales
• Helps sellers test pricing, listings, and ad strategies
• Provides insight into what may perform well later in the year

Adobe Analytics showed that Prime Day 2025 generated over $24 billion in online spending from July 8 to July 11, indicating a 30% YoY increase across all retailers, highlighting its importance as a mid-year opportunity.

Black Friday

Black Friday marks the beginning of peak holiday shopping. This year, it is expected to celebrate it on November 27, 2026.

• High-intent shoppers actively looking for deals
• Strong conversion rates across categories
• Increased Buy Box competition

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday continues the momentum, and it would fall on November 30th, 2026.

• Often the largest online shopping day of the year
• Strong performance in digital-first categories
• Continued pressure on ad costs and competition

Holiday Shopping (November-December)

The final stretch lasts throughout the last few months of the year and peaks around Thanksgiving through to Christmas and even post-holiday sales.

• Last-minute purchases increase
• Fast shipping becomes a key decision factor
• Buyers are more focused on delivery and availability

What Changes During Amazon Peak Season

During Amazon peak season, shopper behavior changes and sellers need to adapt quickly.

More customers are actively browsing and buying, often with clear intent tied to holidays or major sales. This leads to higher conversion rates, since shoppers are ready to purchase rather than compare. Decisions also happen faster, so your listings, pricing, and availability need to stay competitive at all times.

Competition also increases. More sellers are competing for the Buy Box, and prices change more frequently. Inventory moves faster too, creating more sales opportunities but also a higher risk of stockouts if not managed carefully.

Advertising costs rise as well. With more sellers bidding for visibility, Amazon PPC becomes more expensive. According to Sellerlabs, CPCs can increase significantly during peak periods, up to 25% year-over-year increases in ad costs during major events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

How Peak Seasons Vary Across Regions

In Western markets, demand is mostly spikes during Q4. U.S. shoppers spent $14.25B during Black Friday–Cyber Monday 2025, with Amazon capturing a significant share of Cyber Week, contributing to roughly $11.8B in sales. Success here depends on maximizing a 4–7-day window.

In contrast, Eastern markets run on extended, multi-event peak seasons. Events like Diwali, Ramadan, and “Double Date” campaigns (e.g., 11.11) create sustained, weeks-long demand across Asia and the Middle East.

In 2026, a rare overlap of Lunar New Year and Ramadan (Feb–Mar) is expected to amplify early-year spending by combining two major cultural shopping cycles. Ramadan alone drives multi-week demand and double-digit e-commerce growth (e.g., +13% in Southeast Asia), particularly in fashion and gifting, while Lunar New Year contributes to regional shopping peaks.

Winning global customers requires moving beyond a single peak season to multi-stage, culturally driven strategies.

Regional Peak Season Comparisons (2026)

How to Prepare for Amazon Peak Season

1. Forecast Inventory Early

• Review past sales data
• Plan for increased demand
• Keep extra stock to avoid stockouts

Running out of stock during peak season can lead to lost sales and lower rankings, making inventory planning critical.

2. Optimize Your Listings

• Improve titles, images, and descriptions
• Use seasonal keywords
• Highlight features like giftability

Even small improvements in conversion rate can have a significant impact when traffic increases.

3. Build and Scale Amazon PPC Campaigns

• Start campaigns early to gather data
• Increase budgets gradually
• Focus on high-performing keywords

Without early data, it becomes harder to scale efficiently when competition starts to increase.

4. Use Repricing to Stay Competitive

• Adjust prices regularly to compete for the Buy Box
• Avoid relying only on manual updates
• Balance price competitiveness with profit margins

Pricing becomes more dynamic during peak season, so responsiveness is important. Using an AI-powered repricer can help you shed some manual workload to focus more on other aspects of your business.

5. Monitor Performance Daily

• Track key metrics like conversion rate and return on ad spend (ROAS)
• Adjust pricing and ads based on results
• Resolve issues quickly

Amazon Peak Season Calendar & What Sellers Should Focus On

FAQs

What months are seasonal at Amazon?

Amazon’s most seasonal period runs from October through December, when holiday shopping drives the highest traffic and sales. However, sellers also see shorter demand spikes throughout the year, especially during events like Prime Day in July and Prime Big Deal Days in October.

Is peak season coming up for Amazon?

If you are approaching Q4, then yes. Amazon peak season typically begins building in October and intensifies through November and December. For sellers, preparation should start earlier, usually in August or September, to be ready for increased demand.

What is the best month to sell on Amazon?

November is usually the strongest month for most sellers, driven by Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That said, performance depends on your category. December can outperform November for giftable products, while Prime Day in July can be a major opportunity to test and scale.

Which is Amazon’s biggest sale of the year?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are typically the biggest sales events on Amazon, generating the highest traffic and conversion rates across most categories. Prime Day is also one of the largest events, but it tends to be shorter and more concentrated.

How should sellers get ready for peak season?

Preparation should start well before Q4. Focus on sending inventory early, optimizing listings, and building data in your Amazon PPC campaigns. Many sellers also refine pricing strategies in advance so they can stay competitive in the Buy Box while protecting margins during high-demand periods.