What will Amazon’s Black Friday sales look like in light of its supply chain shortages?

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If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately or are tuned in to the current retail industry, you know the global supply chain is facing unprecedented challenges this year.

One technology giant, Amazon, has set forth plans to lessen the negative impact of these supply chain disruptions. The huge retailer’s goal is for customers to secure their presents for the holidays and take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Let’s explore the state of the supply chain and what Amazon’s Black Friday sales will look like in light of these ongoing issues facing the retail industry.

Snarled Supply Chains Impacting Major Retailers and Small Businesses

No business is immune to the current labor shortages and shipping challenges sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic disrupted nearly every aspect of the global supply chain, and the effects are expected to be long-lasting.

Factories and manufacturers in countries such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan had to temporarily shut down to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. This created a domino effect, impacting each step of a product’s journey. Combine that with the increased demand for certain products, especially essential items like toilet paper and diapers, and it’s clear the global supply chain is suffering.

Amazon, however, has decided to spend billions of dollars to ensure the holiday season meets customer expectations and sales can continue to drive company revenue. It’s always been challenging to meet ever-changing customer expectations.

By 2028, 40% of retailers are expected to offer two-hour delivery — it’ll be interesting to see how they achieve this feat. However, retailers like Amazon are already planning for this kind of speed, and especially as the holiday season approaches.

Amazon’s Plans for Black Friday

Thankfully, Amazon is prepared for the issues supply chain shortages are causing and has several plans to rectify the situation. For example, these are some of the steps the retailer is taking to handle the expected increases in holiday sales this year:

• Well-staffed warehouses
• Planes, vans, trucks, and ships will be used to transport products
• Investments in new technology to forecast customer demands
• Increased port of entry across 50% of its network

Amazon will likely incur billions of dollars in additional costs to handle the upcoming holiday season. Amazon is prioritizing customer satisfaction and wants customers to know that the company is doing everything in its power to deliver parcels accurately and efficiently.

Amazon is also expected to hire an additional 150,000 seasonal employees to prep, pack, pick, and ship orders out to customers.

What Should Amazon Customers Expect This Holiday Season?

While some retailers have made it clear that customers should expect shipping delays during the holidays, Amazon has reassured their customers that orders will be delivered on time. It’s suggested that you be proactive in ordering gifts online, even though Amazon is likely to uphold its promise.

Amazon customers will have access to Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day. Sales will begin at 12:01 a.m. PST and will be available for a 48-hour window.

Deals will be running on www.amazon.com/blackfriday, the Amazon app, Amazon 4-star stores, by asking Alexa “what are my deals?”, and the Amazon online bookstore. Customers will have an easy time searching for the latest deals in consumer electronics, toys, home appliances, and kitchen items.

Amazon Will Deliver on Customer Expectations

Despite the ongoing issues we discussed regarding supply chain struggles and labor shortages, Amazon will continue to serve its customers and maintain efficient shipping for all sorts of products. The holiday season is just around the corner, so get your wallets ready to spend your hard-earned cash.

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