December is prime time for Amazon. There is no beating December. It is the strongest month of the year for sales volume, prices, cash flow and overall growth. When prepared correctly, December acts as a huge injection of capital into the business and can set you up for a very strong year ahead.
The question sellers always ask is whether January is slow.
The honest answer is that January is slower than December, but that does not mean January has to be a bad month.
January From a New Seller Perspective
If you are a newer seller, January can actually be a continuation of growth. When I started, I began in November. From November through December, January, February and all the way through to the following September, my business grew every single month.
This happened for a few reasons:
- All profits were reinvested
- Skills improved month on month
- Sourcing became more efficient
- Capital compounded as experience increased
If you are starting around October or November, January may actually outperform December for you. Your skill level will be higher, your sourcing knowledge will be stronger, and your ability to deploy capital will improve. Growth at this stage is driven more by learning and reinvestment than seasonality.
January for Established Sellers
If you have been selling for a while, January will almost always be lower than December. That is normal and expected. Consumer behaviour changes after Christmas, discretionary spending reduces, and prices settle back down.
However, lower than December does not mean slow.
January can still be a strong month if you prepare correctly. The sellers who struggle in January are usually the ones who stop sourcing too early in December and fail to transition properly into Q1.
December as a Cash Injection
December acts almost like a business loan. In some cases, you can generate three or four times the profit of a standard month. That extra cash flow gives you options.
You can:
- Clear slower moving stock
- Capitalise on higher prices
- Build a strong cash position
- Fund aggressive Q1 sourcing
- Reduce financial pressure going into the new year
If you use December correctly, January becomes much easier to manage.
Preparing for January Properly
January performance is largely decided before January even begins. The key is starting Q1 sourcing early. This is something I am actively doing now.
By sourcing Q1 products before Christmas:
- Stock arrives ready for early January sales
- You can take a short break over Christmas
- You transition smoothly into the new year
- Cash flow stays consistent
This approach removes the panic that many sellers feel in January when sales dip and inventory levels are low.
Why January Can Still Be a Strong Month
January benefits from:
- Reduced seller competition as some sellers do have time off in January
- Good January sales
- Skill and knowledge improving
- Capital availability from December profits
If you are disciplined and proactive, January can be very productive.
Final Thoughts
January is slower than December, but it does not have to be a rubbish month. For new sellers, it can still be a growth month. For experienced sellers, it can be a solid and controlled transition into Q1.
I will be releasing a dedicated blog on sourcing for Q1 shortly, which will go into more detail on how to position yourself properly for the new year.
