Amazon has set out its UK peak dates and fees for 2026, and for FBA sellers buying wholesale the deadlines that matter fall weeks before the selling starts. Figures are for the UK store.
The UK inbound dates Amazon has confirmed
Stock has to arrive before each event. In its July peak season post, Amazon says UK inventory must arrive at its facilities by 16 September for Prime badge eligibility during Prime Big Deal Days, and by 28 October for Black Friday Week. Amazon says Prime Big Deal Days returns at the same time as last year, when the UK event ran on 7 and 8 October, though this year's dates had not been announced at the time of writing.
Receiving gets harder after October. Amazon's fulfilment centres focus on receiving shipments in September and October, then switch to processing customer orders in November and December, and inbound delivery slots will be limited.
Capacity limits and what peak costs in the UK
Capacity is measured in cubic feet, and stock in transit counts. Amazon's UK guidance says usage covers inventory on hand plus open inbound shipments, and that limits reflect IPI score and sales, adjusted for available space. The Capacity Monitor shows estimated limits for the next three months, and Capacity Manager lets you request extra space at a reservation fee you set.
Storage roughly doubles from October. The UK monthly storage fee for standard-size, non-dangerous goods is £0.76 per cubic foot from January to September and £1.51 from October to December. Oversize rises from £0.55 to £0.87.
A festive fulfilment fee runs from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027. On the rate card effective 1 July 2026 it adds 11p to 13p per unit on small and standard parcels and 7p on large and extra-large envelopes. Light and standard envelopes, oversize items and Low-Price FBA are unaffected, and Amazon's 1.5 per cent fuel and logistics surcharge applies on top.
The UK store has no low-inventory fee. The Pan-EU low-inventory cost coverage fee is charged only in Germany, France, Italy and Spain, on Pan-EU standard-size stock where both 30-day and 90-day days of supply are under 28 days.
Where overstocking catches up with you
Unsold stock gets dearer as it ages. The UK aged inventory surcharge starts at 241 days at £1.18 per cubic foot a month, rises to between £3.14 and £3.41 from 271 to 365 days, and after that is the greater of £5.71 per cubic foot or 20p per unit, with a higher rate after 455 days. Stock received in mid-October passes 241 days in mid-June.
The storage utilisation surcharge bites in the new year. For sellers past their first 52 weeks with at least 25 cubic feet of daily volume, Amazon divides average daily stored volume by average daily shipped volume over the past 13 weeks, and charges from 42p per cubic foot a month above 22 weeks of cover. By the end of March, November and December sales have dropped out of that window, so leftover peak stock pushes the ratio up.
A wholesale buying plan for peak
Work back from 28 October. Allow for prep and labelling, carrier transit and slow receiving, and order Black Friday stock with that time in hand. Deal Direct Trade dispatches orders within 48 hours, but nobody can speed up the Amazon end.
Sort approvals before ordering volume. If a brand is gated, apply using supplier invoices before committing peak quantities, and file every invoice by brand so authenticity queries get a quick answer. Our guide to wholesale invoices for Amazon ungating covers what they need to show.
Buy by sell-through. Send proven fast sellers in depth during September and early October, while receiving is Amazon's priority. Keep slower lines to modest quantities, since thin cover carries no fee penalty in the UK store, and review them in early December while you can still discount.