Black Friday Growth and Risk Management Strategies
How Smart Working Capital Solutions Empower Suppliers on Global eCommerce Marketplaces
Driven by the global boom of eCommerce, supplier business models are evolving rapidly. According to BCG’s 2025 Top Value Creators Ranking, leading players such as Amazon, Alibaba, and Walmart continue to dominate, while emerging platforms like Pinduoduo are swiftly rising. With the rise of the C2M (Consumer-to-Manufacturer) business model, more suppliers are now connecting directly with consumers worldwide.
During large-scale online promotions like Amazon Prime Day, Double 11 (Singles’ Day), and Black Friday, surging sales present huge opportunities—but also significant strain on suppliers’ cash flow and operations. For those B2B merchants of Amazon Vendor Central (VC) or Walmart RetailLink, maintaining stable liquidity amid peak seasons has become vital to sustaining growth.
SME suppliers commonly face these major pain points:
- Fast product turnaround and rising warehousing and logistics costs. - Long payment cycles from eCommerce marketplaces (ranging from 30 to 120 days). - Limited access to financing from banks due to lack of collateral.
These challenges often lead to a shortage of cash flow to support daily operations, production delays, and difficulties in replenishment or expansion.
The Cash Flow Challenge for Vendor Centrals
Amazon Vendor Central is a core online platform that allows suppliers to sell their products to Amazon as wholesalers. It is similar to Walmart’s RetailLink and has been specifically designed for manufacturers and distributors working with Amazon on a B2B basis for bulk orders. The program demands fast delivery and a top-tier customer experience.
When a Vendor Central supplier’s product is promoted as a top pick during peak seasons, Amazon’s extended payment terms—up to 120 days—can create significant cash flow pressure due to the high volume of orders. This impacts the supplier’s ability to respond to demand during peak seasons, disrupts production schedules, complicates supply planning, and limits the ability to reinvest.
Air8 provides agile financing plans and smart working capital management tailored for cross-border exporters and B2B eCommerce sellers, enabling them to navigate the cash flow challenges of high-sales seasons.
- Rapid Fund Access: By converting unpaid Amazon invoices into immediate cash to stabilize liquidity during high-demand periods.
- Flexible Credit Limits: The financing amount can be adjusted upon sales volume, allowing suppliers to access the capital they need ahead of time. No collateral is required.
- Industry-Specific Insights:With deep industry insights, Air8 offers tailored financing solutions through a data-driven approach, enhancing risk management and supply chain resilience for various suppliers.
For instance, a home and lifestyle goods supplier on Amazon VC used Air8’s financing solution to unlock cash flow during the peak season. The readily available “Just-in-Time Cashflow” helped the supplier scale procurement and production without disruption, improving financial agility and overall supply chain resilience.
By streamlining financing processes and introducing smart fund management, Air8 empowers SME exporters and Amazon VC suppliers to seize eCommerce growth opportunities. Whether partnering with Amazon, Walmart, Tmall, or JD.com, Air8 enables suppliers to operate efficiently and expand confidently during online shopping festivals such as Amazon Amazon Prime Day, Double 11, and Black Friday.
Air8 is dedicated to supporting our partners to better manage their risk management strategies. Talk to us today: https://air8.io/contact/
