What happens if Amazon runs out of stock?

Asked by: Syble Gerlach  |  Last update: July 5, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (36 votes)

When you run out of stock, Amazon will automatically remove your listing, marking it as “inactive”. And when you don't have an active listing, you can't sell!

What happens when Amazon runs out of stock?

Replenishment is weeks away and eventually, it happens — you're out of stock. When the notification hits, you're going to feel it where it hurts. Obviously, you'll lose sales, but Amazon can also take away your Buy Box positions and even suspend your seller account if this situation becomes a trend. But don't panic.

Does Amazon penalize you for out of stock?

Amazon penalties

When you run out-of-stock on Amazon, you not only move backward from your KPI goals, but you may also lose your product listing, buy box position, and get your account suspended. While suspension may be an extreme scenario, losing business hurts in the long run.

How often does Amazon restock out of stock items?

A: We are sorry that the item you are looking for is currently out of stock. We restock every 3-4 weeks. You can check again in the future or send us a direct message on Amazon and we'll let you know when the item you are looking for becomes available for purchase. Helpful?

How long does it take Amazon to get back in stock?

Does Amazon get things back in stock? Yes, we see Amazon restock products almost every hour of the day. It really depends on the item. Usually we find that an out of stock item is restocked within 14 days of an alert being setup.

What You Should Do If You Run Out of Stock on Amazon

42 related questions found

How to tell if Amazon will restock an item?

We offer availability alerts for items without official release dates. Look for the "Alert Me" box on the product page to sign up. Remember, this doesn't reserve the item, so act quickly when notified. Prices may change between the alert and your purchase, so check the current price before ordering.

Is Amazon stock expected to go back up?

AMZN Stock Forecast FAQ

Amazon has 13.80% upside potential, based on the analysts' average price target. Amazon has a consensus rating of Strong Buy which is based on 47 buy ratings, 1 hold ratings and 0 sell ratings.

Why does Amazon show out of stock items?

If the available inventory is zero, Amazon thinks the product is sold out — so the out-of-stock label is applied.

Is Amazon a good stock to hold forever?

Amazon stock is increasingly seen as a reasonable value. While the company has historically traded at negative or triple-digit price-to-earnings ratios, its valuation metrics are improving. The company's stock currently stands at around 42x 2024 earnings and about 34x 2025 consensus earnings.

Do out of stock items come back?

Retailers often temporarily mark items as "Sold Out" in anticipation of upcoming sales events, ensuring sufficient stock levels to meet the expected surge in demand. Temporary Unavailability: The product will be made available again, typically at a discounted price, once the sale event begins.

Does Amazon ban you if you return a lot?

However, Amazon may use its discretion on a case-by-case basis to occasionally ban shoppers from Amazon if they are abusing the return policy. This usually only occurs when more than 10% of all purchased items are returned, and the customer provides little evidence of actual problems with any of the products.

What does Amazon mean by temporarily out of stock?

Temporarily Out of Stock. This item is currently not in stock but it is available for ordering. We'll email you the expected delivery date as soon as that information is available from our suppliers. Currently unavailable. This item isn't currently available for ordering and it may not be in stock again.

What happens if I run out of stock Amazon FBA?

If a customer is unhappy with regard to available inventory for purchase, they may be willing to buy from another seller. Amazon rewards hot-selling products, and if your items are out of stock, you will lose the privilege of having your listings even rank on the marketplace.

How long is Amazon out of stock?

The answer to this is that's there's no specific time frame for how long an item will be out of stock. Each item will have its individual eta (estimated time of arrival). If your item is sold and fulfilled by Amazon, then there's no way to find out a “back in stock date”.

Why did Amazon stock drop so bad?

Amazon suffered its worst trading day of 2024 following its second-quarter earnings report. Shares fell 8.8% after Amazon reported lower-than-expected sales for the second quarter in an earnings statement published Aug. 1.

What happens when you run out of inventory?

In the short term, out-of-stock causes lost sales (you can't sell what you don't have) and disappointed customers. But in the long-term, chronic out-of-stocks become even more insidious. If you are consistently running out of stock, several things will begin to happen: Your profit margins will start to decrease.

What will Amazon stock be worth in 5 years?

The Future of Amazon

Forecasters predict that Amazon will reach $200 per share a year from now and will continue to rise to $250 per share at the end of 2026. In 2027, the prediction is for a price of $300, and $250 by the end of 2028.

Will Amazon stock reach $300?

If Amazon grows its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 25% annually over the next three years, it could achieve an EPS of around $9.25 by FY 2027 (up from an estimated $4.74 in FY 2024). Applying a 35x P/E ratio in line with Amazon's historical average suggests a fair stock value of over $300.

Does Amazon ever restock?

There is no doubt that the Amazon Machine is running 24/7 restocking and unloading shipments for customers around the globe. Now because of their insanely large customer list, they do often run out of stock, which means you might have to wait for the product to restock to purchase it.

How do I get stock out of Amazon?

How to Create a Removal Order from Amazon's Seller Central
  1. From your Seller Central account on Amazon, click on the hamburger menu in the top left of the main menu bar.
  2. Under “Inventory”, select “Manage All Inventory”.
  3. Find the listing you want to remove inventory for. ...
  4. Click “Create removal order”.

What causes Amazon stock to rise?

Diversification Into Other Sectors And Impact on Amazon Stock Price. Amazon's reach has extended into AI, cloud computing, and healthcare. This growing phenomenon is one of their market strategies that fosters expansion. Amazon Web Services stands atop the global cloud market and drives significant revenue.

Who owns the most Amazon stock?

What percentage of Amazon (AMZN) stock is held by retail investors? According to the latest TipRanks data, approximately 53.80% of Amazon (AMZN) stock is held by retail investors. Who owns the most shares of Amazon (AMZN)? BEZOS JEFFREY P owns the most shares of Amazon (AMZN).

Is Amazon stock worth buying?

Despite the stock's recent push to record highs, Wall Street analysts still see room to run for Amazon. Of the 72 stock analysts following Amazon, 94% have a buy rating, according to FactSet.