What happens to FBA capacity in Q4?
The quarter you most need warehouse space is the quarter Amazon gives you least.
Every autumn, Amazon tightens the funnel. Capacity limits shrink as every seller on the platform inbounds peak stock at once, storage attracts peak surcharges, and check-in queues stretch from days to weeks. Your allowance is shaped by your recent sales rate and IPI score, so it reflects the past, not your Q4 ambitions.
For healthcare brands the squeeze is sharper because winter is also cough, cold and flu season: your demand peak collides with retail’s. Missing availability in November is not just lost December sales, it is surrendered search rank that costs money to win back in January.
The playbook is boring and effective: position peak stock from early autumn, hold overflow in your own or a partner’s warehouse for rapid top-ups, and watch capacity and restock limits weekly rather than discovering them at the moment of truth.
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Talk to the team that runs this every day for healthcare brands.