Sales on Amazon
Amazon Sales - Change in Inventory Limits 2021
7 Jul 2021
Are you planning to sell on Amazon and wondering how to prepare your first shipment? If you already have an account and operate under the FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) model, you can check which products sell best – those are the ones worth sending to Amazon's warehouses. And if you are just starting your journey with this platform, below you will find step by step how to start selling with FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and take advantage of all its benefits.
Amazon FBA vs. FBM – key differences
Amazon offers two sales models – FBA and FBM. Here’s how they differ:
FBM | FBA |
|---|---|
You store the goods yourself | Goods stored by Amazon |
You ship to customers | Amazon takes care of shipping |
Longer delivery time abroad | Shortened delivery time |
No Amazon Prime | Products included in the Prime program |
Higher costs per shipment | Lower costs and more attractive offers |
Customer service is your responsibility | Amazon provides customer service |
You handle returns | Amazon takes care of returns |
No obligation to register for VAT in other countries | Mandatory VAT registration where there are warehouses |
The “Shipping by Amazon” logo increases buyers’ trust – FBA products are more often found in customers' baskets.
When to choose FBM?
The FBM model is suitable if:
you want to avoid storage costs,
you like to pack and ship orders yourself,
you value direct contact with the customer.
FBM is a good solution to start with. When the number of orders starts to be too many, you can easily switch to FBA.
First shipment to Amazon warehouse – step by step
Go to Inventory → Manage FBA Inventory.
Select products for shipment.
Click Send/Replenish Inventory and go through the subsequent steps in the panel.
Shipping panel
SKU Confirmation – you approve products for shipment.
Shipping Confirmation – you specify the shipment sizes and its contents.
Label Printing – you generate labels for boxes (you can also let Amazon do this).
Final Confirmation – you provide the carrier, number of pallets, and print the labels.
Warehouse Selection
If you sell, for example, on amazon.de and have a German VAT number, you can send goods to the warehouse in Germany.
Without local VAT, you can use the OSS mechanism by sending goods from Poland or another EU country.
As sales increase, it is best to use several warehouses in different countries.
Happy FBA Shipping,
Amata Borys-Chudek
Go2Market Crew