Rumored “Second Prime Day” Confirmed? What Sellers Should Stock

Prime Day 2022 was a wild ride for sellers. Prime members purchased more than 300 million items worldwide —  more than 100,000 items per minute — during the two-day event on July 12 and 13. It was the biggest Prime Day to date.

But for Amazon, it wasn’t enough.

According to CNBC, Amazon will hold a second Prime Day this year, dubbed “Prime Fall.”

It’s expected to occur in Q4, with some speculating that it will happen in early or mid-October. The report notes that Amazon has already informed select third-party sellers of the event through Seller Central. So while this might still be a rumor, it’s a credible one that sellers would be wise to take seriously.

What’s the best way to prepare for this second Prime Day? Follow what’s already successful. Here’s a review of Amazon top sellers for Prime Day 2022, and some advice on what to stock, what quantities to order, and what to do if Prime Fall fizzles out.

Amazon’s Worldwide Top Sellers

According to Amazon’s own reporting, here are the most popular items sold on the marketplace behemoth. These nine total brands fall into three main categories. 

Health and Beauty

Two of Amazon’s top-selling companies were beauty brands LANEIGE and NuFACE. The popularity of beauty products this year follows a trend that Forbes and others call the “Lipstick Effect.” It’s a proven pattern that when economic stability goes down, sales with strong emotional return go up. Beauty products fall right into that category.

With that said, quality still matters, so cosmetics that last all day, as well as self-care products that rejuvenate the body, are excellent candidates to invest in for the second Prime Day.

The other popular item in this category is protein powder with collagen peptides by Vital Proteins. Many people are using this time to reclaim their pre-pandemic health and wellness, so self-care, nutritional supplements, and other healthcare items will only continue to be popular.

Home and Family

Between the lockdowns and the mass adoption of work-from-home employment, people have placed heavier importance on their families and their living spaces. That’s why the largest number of products purchased on the first Prime Day were in the realm of home and family. 

There’s no sign of this trend dropping by Fall.

Kitchen essentials made up a significant number of purchases on Prime Day, with Rachael Ray, Le Creuset, and Hamilton Beach being the major brands of choice, representing a scale of quality and affordability. Since the pandemic started, 54% of people in the US are cooking at home more than they were pre-pandemic. It’s safe to say kitchen items will only continue to be top-sellers.

Chemical Guys’ car wash products were another favorite, because even when your car isn’t in use, it needs to look its best. And with all that extra time at home, you might as well do your own detailing.

Pet products include a combination of consumable and durable products. Food and treats were top sellers for Nutro, Temptations, and Greenies, which Amazon highlighted. Toys, outfits, and grooming tools also did well — probably because they’re as much fun for pet parents as they are for pets themselves.

Children are the last — but by no means the least — popular in this category. Diapers and baby wipes are perennial necessities, and many parents selected Pampers and Honest as their brands of choice. Technology is also an essential to many parents, with VTech baby monitors and LeapFrog educational toys as the frontrunners.

Wearables

The last category includes fashionable brand names. Levi’s apparel and accessories were a top pick across the board, offering a classic look and simple comfort. The latest tech, such as the Apple Watch Series 7, was a top-seller, offering wearers a bold look and a host of tools in one device.

While fashions go in and out of style, the latest technology will always be in.

What If “Prime Fall” Doesn’t Happen?

Some sellers are understandably dubious about this rumored second Prime Day. After all, the same rumor cropped up in 2021 and never came to fruition. 

This year is different, though. Trustworthy news sources claim to have read the notices about the Q4 Prime Fall. 

Still, you might be worried about stocking up for a big sales rush, only to end up overstocked and fretting over your next inventory performance index check.

There are two reasons not to fear:

First, you can rest assured knowing that the most popular items are things people already want. You’ve got demand on your side. 

Second, people are always looking for a bargain, and you don’t need to wait for an official Prime Day to give people what they want. Slash your price to get in the buy box. Offer coupons to garner attention. Give big discounts on subscriptions. 

Obviously, you shouldn’t just give away your store — but you can keep an eye on your profit margins while getting shoppers’ attention by offering a deal that will turn them into your customers.

As a bonus, the beauty of a Q4 Prime Day is that you’ve also got Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas to fall back on. You won’t really have overstock because it will all feed into the next set of holiday shopping extravaganzas.

How Should I Prepare for Prime Fall?

The most important thing to do first is check your inventory. Do you have enough stock on hand or in transit to handle an influx of shoppers? If not, check your lead times right now and see if you can resupply by early October. You can shorten delivery times by having items shipped directly to your fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) warehouse — assuming you’re not doing that already.

Pouring over all your inventory spreadsheets to figure out what you have and predict your future needs can be an absolute chore. SoStocked incorporates both inventory management and customizable forecasting in its software. Combine that with its easy tracking and transfer tools and one-on-one onboarding, and there’s no doubt that SoStocked will have you ready for Prime time in no time.

When you consider the popular Prime Day products, it’s clear that wholesalers have a strong potential advantage. People gravitate toward familiar, name brand products. As the seller, the most important thing to you is making a worthwhile profit on your investment.

It’s great to know what items are popular, but if they have a minimal return on investment before discounts, then they aren’t worth the effort. That’s why it’s so important to make use of product sourcing tools like ScanUnlimited, which can calculate the profits on every item on your product lists — while accounting for fees, shipping, and discounts. ScanUnlimited also offers detailed statistics on each item, like sales rank history, ratings, and whether Amazon is in the buy box.

With powerful tools like ScanUnlimited and SoStocked at your side, you will breeze your way through the hardest parts of preparing for Prime Fall, giving you more time and energy to focus on the things that matter most to your business, like strategy and customer service.