VIAO

VIAO is a mechanism used in the 1P (vendor) model when a vendor wants Amazon to activate a retail offer that requires allocated inventory support.
The vendor proactively requests Amazon to set aside a defined quantity of units for a specific promotion or event, ensuring Amazon has enough stock to execute the offer without risking out of stock issues.

VIAO is commonly used for:

• Lightning Deals
• Best Deals
• Prime Day offers
• Coupons and price reductions
• Retail placement support
• Seasonal or tactical campaigns

How VIAO works:

• Vendor identifies an ASIN opportunity for a retail promotion
• Vendor proposes an allocated quantity to Amazon
• Amazon reviews forecast, inventory, and retail metrics
• If approved, inventory is reserved for the promotional period
• Offer becomes active once requirements are met

Why vendors use VIAO:

• Ensures Amazon has enough stock to run the promotion
• Helps secure placement during high traffic periods
• Reduces risk of running out of stock mid event
• Supports visibility and ranking improvements
• Strengthens partnership between vendor and Amazon retail teams

Key factors Amazon considers before approving VIAO:

• current and projected instock rates
• PO capacity and vendor lead time
• promotional price competitiveness
• historical performance of the ASIN
• demand expectations for the event
• margin and profitability alignment

Benefits for vendors:

• better control over promotional execution
• increased sales velocity during events
• higher chance of winning premium placements
• stronger category presence

Benefits for Amazon:

• more predictable inventory availability
• higher customer satisfaction during promotions
• reduced OOS risk during high demand peaks

Example:
A vendor requests a VIAO for 3,000 units of a bestselling coffee machine ahead of Prime Day.
Amazon reviews the forecast, approves the allocation, and reserves the inventory so the deal runs without interruption.

Why It Matters:
VIAO helps align vendor inventory planning with Amazon’s promotional engine, ensuring that high visibility offers have sufficient stock to drive conversion and customer experience.

In short:
VIAO (Vendor Initiated Allocated Offer) is a vendor requested inventory allocation to support Amazon promotional or strategic retail offers without risking stockouts.