Pricing in the final part of Q4 is one of the most important decisions you will make this quarter. This period is unique because demand is rising, seller behaviour becomes unpredictable and the market becomes more volatile. When managed correctly, this is the time where you can achieve your highest sale prices of the entire year.
However, pricing must be based on logic, not hope. Your pricing strategy should be determined by sales velocity, seller count, and time remaining not emotion or guesswork.
Sales Per Month vs Seller Count
Your approach must change depending on whether the listing is strong or saturated.
Example 1: Weak Listing
If you are on a listing selling 50 units per month with 30 sellers, the listing will be saturated. Prices will tumble fast and there is no point trying to hold out for a high Christmas price. In this case, pricing competitively is the right move.
Example 2: Strong Listing
If you are on a listing selling 200 units per month, and that figure is increasing as Christmas approaches, you can be far more optimistic. These types of listings usually rise in price and hold their value through December as demand increases and weaker sellers sell out.
Q4 is the one period of the year where holding your price can pay off significantly.
When to Hold Your Price
Hold your price when:
- Sales per month are high
- Sales are increasing heading into December
- Seller count is stable or decreasing
- You expect Q4 demand to push the price up
- The product has strong historical Christmas performance
This is exactly what I am doing on several high performing ASINs. I am personally holding around eight strong Q4 products that will likely return three to four thousand pounds profit. I do not want to sell out early. I want to capture the top of the market.
When to Be Competitive
Be competitive when:
- Seller count is rising sharply
- Sales per month are low
- The price has already started falling
- You can see the listing is becoming overcrowded
- You need to recycle capital quickly
If you are new to Amazon and have limited capital, competitive pricing can be the better choice. It allows you to:
- Free up cash
- Reinvent your capital
- Prepare for Q1
- Avoid getting stuck with stock after Christmas
High prices only benefit you if you have the financial cushion to wait for them.
Using Keepa and SellerAmp for Pricing Decisions
You should not price emotionally. Use data. Keepa and SellerAmp both show you everything you need.
What to look for:
- Seller count trend
Is it going up, down or stable? - Price trend
Is the price rising, falling or holding steady? - Sales velocity
Are sales increasing heading into mid December? - Stock levels of other sellers
Are large sellers selling out?
When the seller count is rising and sales are not increasing, price competitively.
When seller count is falling and sales are increasing, hold your price.
It is a simple framework but highly effective in Q4.
Final Thoughts
There is no single correct pricing strategy for the final weeks of Q4. The right strategy depends entirely on:
- Sales velocity
- Seller count
- Stock levels
- Your business position
- Your tolerance for holding inventory
If you apply the guidelines above to each product individually, you will maximise both profitability and cash flow. Q4 is the most profitable period of the year, and the right pricing decisions can make a substantial difference to your final results.
