How I Went Out of Stock on Amazon (and What I’m Doing to Fix It)
Real lessons on FBA inventory management, keyword strategy, and scaling smart
When One Order Wipes Your Stock: Amazon FBA Inventory Management in Action
This week, my Breathing Exercise Cards for Kids hit a major milestone — and a major challenge.
After weeks of steady growth, a business customer placed an order for 25 units, instantly wiping out my remaining stock. From one side: incredible validation. From the other: the classic mistake every Amazon seller fears.
Never go out of stock.
I tell clients that. I’ve even written it in my own strategy docs. But when you’re running lean, testing small batches, and feeling your way through a first launch — it’s easier said than done.
Why Stockouts Happen (Even When You Know Better)
The reality is, you never know how much inventory to order for a new Amazon product. I’ve been in the opposite situation too: ordering way too much and watching it sit unsold in FBA for months.
This time, I took a conservative route — and it cost me momentum. But it also gave me real data to work with, which will guide my next steps.
How to Restock Amazon FBA Inventory (Fast)
The good news? I already had a batch of 100 new units prepped and ready. This week, the courier picked them up and I’ll be shipping them to Amazon FBA as soon as they land.
To stay ahead, I also placed a follow-up order for 250 more units. That number didn’t come easy — I spent the morning going back and forth, debating whether to go bigger or stay safe. But with the early traction I’ve seen, I’m leaning into the growth potential.
✔️ Lesson: Inventory isn’t just about having enough. It’s about having the confidence to scale when the data supports it.
Avoiding Stockouts: What Amazon Sellers Need to Know
If you're a new Amazon FBA seller, here’s what I’d recommend:
Start small — but have a reorder plan in place before you need it
Monitor stock daily once you get traction
Pause ads if you’re close to running out (which I did last week)
Don’t let one mistake ruin your momentum — adjust and keep going
Tracking Amazon Keyword Ranking with Helium 10
While managing inventory, I’ve also been tracking keyword performance with Helium 10’s Cerebro tool — and the results are encouraging:
“breathing exercise cards for kids” — #2 organically
“breathing cards for kids” — #3
“calm down cards” — #16
“mindful activity cards for kids” — #17
These are all long-tail keywords — lower search volume, but less competitive and more relevant. That’s exactly what I target as a small brand.
I avoid broad, high-volume terms like “cards for kids” and focus on specific phrases buyers actually type when they want this kind of product.
Keyword Discovery: One Unexpected Win
Here’s something cool: I noticed I was starting to rank organically for a keyword I never even used —
“breathing exercises for anxiety relief”
It had about 455 monthly searches and was trending up. So I added it to my product title — and one week later, I was already in the top 40.
✔️ Lesson: Always check your organic visibility. Your product might be showing up for keywords you haven’t even optimized yet.
I’ll share a full breakdown of how I write Amazon product titles (and layer in keywords without overstuffing) in an upcoming blog post.
Amazon Vine Update: Early Reviews Are Coming In
I enrolled in Amazon Vine to get those crucial early reviews, and so far, I’ve received 5 reviews out of the 30 units sent. It’s not fast, but every one adds value.
The reviews have been positive so far — which gives me more confidence as I scale, especially for future ad campaigns.
Final Thoughts: Managing Momentum
This week was messy. But it was also a milestone. Going out of stock isn't ideal — but it’s part of the growth curve. The key is responding quickly, staying calm, and letting your data guide the next move.
If you're building a small brand on Amazon and navigating your first 90 days, just know: it won’t be perfect. But it will be progress — if you keep learning and adjusting.
More updates coming next week.
Stay tuned — and stay in stock. 😉