What Restock Limits Are
Amazon limits how much inventory each seller can store in their fulfilment centres. These limits are measured in cubic feet and apply across your entire account. When you hit your restock limit, you cannot send more inventory to Amazon until existing stock sells or you request a limit increase. This forces sellers to be strategic about what they send and when.
How Limits Are Calculated
Amazon calculates your restock limits based on your Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score, your sales history, and available warehouse capacity. Sellers with higher IPI scores get larger storage allocations. Your IPI is influenced by sell-through rate, excess inventory percentage, stranded inventory percentage, and in-stock rate. Maintaining a healthy IPI is the primary way to earn more storage space.
Strategies for Working Within Limits
Remove slow-moving inventory that consumes storage space without generating sufficient sales. Create removal orders for stranded or unfulfillable inventory that counts against your limits but cannot sell. Send smaller, more frequent shipments rather than large infrequent ones — this keeps your FBA inventory lean while maintaining in-stock status.
Prioritise your highest-velocity products when storage is limited. A product that sells ten units per day deserves more storage allocation than one selling one unit per week. Use your restock limits for products that generate the most revenue per cubic foot of storage space.
Improving Your IPI Score
Increase your sell-through rate by pricing competitively and running advertising on slow-moving stock. Reduce excess inventory by running promotions or creating removal orders. Fix stranded inventory immediately when it appears — stranded units count against your limits but generate zero sales. Maintain strong in-stock rates on your best sellers to show Amazon you manage inventory responsibly.
When Limits Become a Problem
During peak season preparation, restock limits can prevent you from building up enough inventory for Q4 demand. Plan ahead by starting to build FBA stock early in the year when limits are less constrained. Use Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) to store excess inventory at lower cost while maintaining the ability to transfer to FBA when space becomes available.
If restock limits are consistently constraining your growth, focus relentlessly on improving your IPI score. The higher your score, the more storage Amazon allocates, and the less restrictive the limits become.