#121 – Coronavirus Shipping Advice to Help with Your Amazon Business
In early 2020 the Serious Sellers Podcast episode 121 warned that container dwell times at Asian ports doubled, stretching a typical 30‑day ocean leg to 45 days and adding 48 hours of Amazon inbound processing. Sellers with a two‑week safety‑stock buffer avoided out‑of‑stock alerts.
Overview
In early 2020 the Serious Sellers Podcast released episode 121, bringing a logistics expert on board to explain how the COVID‑19 pandemic was reshaping shipping for Amazon merchants. The conversation highlighted mounting port backlogs, shrinking carrier capacity, and slower processing at Amazon fulfillment centers—issues that directly affect inventory availability, listing health, and profit margins for sellers.
Key Points
- Port backlogs surge — Container dwell times at major Asian gateways doubled within weeks, pushing inbound arrival dates back by several days.
- Carrier capacity tightens – Freight forwarders reduced sailings and cut air‑freight slots, forcing many merchants to explore alternate routes or absorb higher freight costs.
- FBA inbound handling slows – Reduced staffing at Amazon warehouses added extra days between pallet receipt and shelf placement.
- Last‑mile ground delays rise – Regional lockdowns caused ground carriers to extend transit times for small parcels, especially in high‑restriction zones.
- Safety‑stock becomes essential – Sellers who kept a two‑week buffer were able to stay sellable, while those without a cushion faced sudden “out of stock” notifications.
How Shipping Dynamics Changed (What’s Changing)
- Fewer ocean sailings — Major carriers cancelled or postponed scheduled departures; a vendor importing 5,000 home‑decor units from Vietnam saw the original 30‑day ocean leg stretch to 45 days, requiring a new arrival forecast.
- Air‑freight price spikes — With passenger flights grounded, cargo space grew scarce; a health‑supplement supplier paid roughly 1.5 times the normal rate to ship a 200‑kg load from the U.S. to Europe within a week.
- Longer Amazon inbound processing — Staffing shortages at fulfillment centers added an extra 48 hours before newly arrived pallets were made available for sale, prompting sellers to shift restock timing.
- Mixed‑mode transportation adoption — Some merchants combined rail and truck legs to bypass congested ports; for example, a bulk toy shipment was moved from the West Coast onto inland rail, cutting inland dwell time by about 50 percent.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
Longer lead times (up to 45 days ocean + 48 h inbound) extend replenishment cycles to over five weeks, increasing stock‑out risk. Adjusting listings, safety‑stock, and carrier choices helps maintain sell‑through and margin during pandemic‑related delays.
Key Takeaways
- Container dwell times at major Asian gateways doubled, pushing inbound dates back by several days.
- A 5,000‑unit home‑decor shipment saw its ocean leg stretch from 30 to 45 days.
- Amazon inbound processing added an extra 48 hours before pallets were available for sale.
- Sellers with a two‑week safety‑stock buffer avoided sudden out‑of‑stock notifications.
Recommended Actions
- →Update lead times in Seller Central: Inventory > Manage Inventory > Edit product > Restock Date, change ‘30 days’ to ‘45 days’.
- →Add two‑week safety‑stock in Seller Central: Inventory Planning > Forecasting > Safety Stock, increase buffer for fast‑moving SKUs.
- →Track carrier rates weekly and switch to regional couriers via Seller Central: Settings > Shipping Settings > Carrier Preferences when national rat...
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