Q4 FBA Strategy: Managing IPI Score During Peak Season

Q4 (October through December) is the highest-stakes period for FBA inventory management. Sales volumes spike, storage capacity is tighter, and Amazon historically tightens its IPI requirements. The sellers who come out of Q4 strongest are those who planned their IPI strategy starting in August. The Q4 IPI playbook: In August, focus on clearing excess and slow-moving inventory aggressively. Run promotions, liquidations, and removal orders on any product that is not a core Q4 seller. Enter September with a clean, lean inventory. In September, submit Q4 replenishment shipments for your core holiday sellers. Use Amazon's Send to Amazon tool to estimate your storage allocation before sending — this prevents you from sending more than you have capacity for. In October-November, monitor your IPI weekly. Q4 sell-through rates are high for holiday products, which naturally improves your score. The risk is oversize products or non-holiday items sitting while you fill up with seasonal goods. In December, plan your January strategy. Products that do not sell in December will be legacy inventory in Q1. Consider creating removal orders at the start of December for products that have not sold in October or November — do not let them sit into Q1 and drag your score.