Amazon Announces Prime Day Lightning Deal Submissions [2021]
With Amazon Prime Day just around the corner, it’s never too early to start prepping for what is considered one of the biggest shopping days for the Amazon Marketplace. Last year, Prime members across the world saved more than $1.4 billion on Prime Day discounts.
Amazon curates their offers for Prime Day on the front end to make sure they are offering customers the best deals on already popular products. Products that are featured in Amazon’s Lightning Deal spaces (especially on Amazon Prime Day) typically enjoy a bump in sales throughout the duration of the deal.
(Just take a look at this household food storage brand that sold more than 10x sales the second day of Prime Day. According to our experts, much of the success was due to Lightning Deals coupled with coupons for additional SKUs in the catalog.)
Amazon is being proactive with selecting the products they want to feature. There’s still an application process and being selected to apply doesn’t guarantee acceptance, but this is their attempt to ensure their customers get the best experience possible.
Pro-Tip: There are a limited number of spots for each category so there will be competition for featuring the best deals. If there are multiple sellers selling the same ASIN as you, you will be competing with them to submit the best deal as well.
What is an Amazon Lightning Deal?
An Amazon Lightning Deal is a promotion with a limited number of discount offers on an item for a short period of time. These premium deals can be found throughout Amazon.com, and are available one per customer, until either the promotional period (typically 4-hour blocks) for the deal expires or all the available promotional discounts are claimed.
When can I apply for a Lightning Deal?
Lightning deal submissions opened on March 8, 2021, and will close on April 16, 2021.
Note: Dates for submission open and close are subject to change.
There are two ways to obtain a Lightning Deal (Amazon will contact you, or you can apply).
How do I submit a Lightning Deal for Prime Day consideration?
- Go to Merchandizing > Promotions.
- Choose Lightning Deal, and then select the I want Amazon to consider my deal for Prime Day checkbox.
How do I accept a Prime Day Lightning Deal submission?
To accept a Lightning Deal recommendation for Prime Day consideration:
- Go to Merchandising > Promotions > Recommendations tab.
- Review and accept your recommendations. You can also edit your recommendations before submitting them. Keep in mind, not all vendors will receive recommendations.
Are there any fees for Prime Day Lightning Deals?
Yes, you will be charged a base merchandising fee for each Lightning Deal. Lightning Deals that are selected to run during the Prime Day event will be charged a $500 fee per Deal. Lightning Deals that run during the week of Prime Day but not on the actual event day will be charged a fee of $300 per Deal. Lightning Deals schedules are subject to change.
Pro-tip: The fee amount charged will be based on the day your Lightning Deal actually runs and not the day it was requested or initially scheduled. If your Lightning Deal does not go live at all, you will not be charged.
What are the Lightning Deal requirements [and FAQs on Purchase Orders]
- Expect deal purchase orders (POs) in early May.
- US inbound shipping cutoff is May 20, 2021.
- Ship windows will be extended on deal POs to allow for more prep time due to the increase in order volume.
- Lightning Deals must have a per-unit funding amount that supports a discounted price of 20% or more.
- Only one Lightning Deal per product may be submitted using the checkbox option.
- The product must be projected to sell more than our minimum customer demand as determined by our proprietary forecasting model.
- The product must have a rating of at least three stars or higher, with at least 5 reviews on the date of submission.
- The selected start date must be at least four weeks after the date that you submit the promotion.
To learn more about Lightning Deals or how to prepare for Prime Day 2021, reach out to our experts!
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