Overview

Amazon merchants often encounter an abrupt slowdown in order volume that can last from a single day to several weeks. Recognizing the root causes quickly is essential because a prolonged dip can jeopardize cash‑flow forecasts and inventory planning.

Key Points

• Typical Symptom — Many sellers see daily unit counts tumble from a normal range of 80‑100 to fewer than 40 units, sometimes without any obvious trigger.
• Seasonal Effect — Peaks around holidays followed by post‑holiday troughs can swing order numbers by 20‑30 % across a wide array of product categories.
• Algorithm Shift — When Amazon’s A9 ranking factors are updated, visibility may fall, resulting in a 10‑15 % reduction in page impressions for affected listings.
• Stock Shortages — A two‑day out‑of‑stock situation for a top‑selling SKU can halve the sales volume for that product line during the gap.
• External Traffic Loss — The sudden disappearance of a major off‑Amazon traffic source, such as a paused Facebook ad campaign, often translates into a roughly 25 % drop in daily orders.

How to Diagnose a Sales Dip

1. Review Recent Sales History — Export the last 30 days of sales data; for instance, a seller who usually moves 90 units per day but records only 55 on a Tuesday should flag the 35‑unit shortfall as abnormal.
2. Inspect Traffic Channels — Open the “Traffic & Conversion” report and compare click totals; a decline from 1,200 clicks to 800 in a single day may indicate a lost external referral, such as an inactive ad set.
3. Check Inventory Status — Navigate to the “Manage Inventory” screen; if a best‑selling item shows an “Out of Stock” label for 48 hours, calculate the missing units by referencing the prior week’s average sales for that SKU.
4. Analyze Advertising Performance — In the “Campaign Manager,” look for spikes in ACOS or drops in impressions; a 12 % dip in ad impressions often mirrors a 9 % contraction in overall sales for the advertised products.