FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is a program that 3rd Party Amazon Sellers can elect to use to ship from Amazon’s distribution centers directly to customers. Why is this important? Amazon Sellers no longer need to (1) ship products themselves from their workplace or homes. Or, (2) Amazon sellers no longer need to use 3rd Party Logistical providers who are oftentimes an expensive route. And (3) Amazon FBA fees are some of the lowest in the world due to Amazon’s economy of scale and negotiating advantages with parcel carriers. Sellers that utilize FBA do experience many perks, such as reduced pick, pack, and ship fees, front-line customer service solutions offered by Amazon directly, return management, and most importantly, when Amazon Sellers opt to use Amazon FBA services, the products sold through the FBA program are eligible for Prime. Why is being eligible for Prime important? Because Prime orders get to customers within 2 business days, and often in one business day in large metropolitan areas.

Palmetto Digital Marketing Group, a full-service, turnkey Amazon Marketing Agency, concentrates entirely on assisting Amazon sellers and vendors in achieving the best results in every aspect of their Amazon business. Best results equate to top line sales and bottom line profits. So let’s straight talk. What are the real costs of selling on Amazon?

• – The default for product set up is FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant). The first step is to accept the terms and conditions of the FBA Program. Once those are accepted you can convert your SKU(s) from FBM to FBA
• – The first step of the conversion process is to go through the Hazmat approval process. Once cleared by Hazmat you can utilize the FBA program

Set Quantity – this is when a Seller must determine how much to send into Amazon FBA. You have 2 choices, create the shipment using case packs or single items.

Prepare Products – this is when a Seller must determine if any Amazon Prep Services are needed. For example, bubble wrap protection or bagging.

Label Products – this is when a Seller must choose to send a product to Amazon using Amazon Barcodes or UPC labels. An identifier is needed.

View Shipments – at this stage Amazon is requesting that you approve the Amazon shipping plan. Amazon may break your shipment into several shipments. Be prepared to ship to multiple locations unless you opt to use Amazon inbound placement services.

Prepare Shipment – this is when a Seller must select if the shipment will be sent into Amazon using UPS Parcel or LTL Carrier Services. At this stage, you will need to double confirm how your shipments will be sent to Amazon. Lastly, you will need to print off your Master-Case/UPS Parcel Labels, plus Pallet Labels if sending in Palatalized Shipments.

Pallet Shipments – If sending in Palatalized Shipments, approving the cost and scheduling the pickup are also required in this phase of the process. You will need to place the contact information for an operational contact.

Final Step – Mark shipment complete

Ok – your product is en route to Amazon. The next step is the receiving process: what’s involved during this phase?

Receiving at the Amazon DC – once your product arrives at the Amazon DC, it is broken down and the product is (1) placed into inventory at the fulfillment center (2) it gets rerouted.

DC to DC Distribution – Amazon makes sure that your inventory is spread throughout the country to ensure that Amazon can keep its shipping cost low. These DC’s are strategically located by geography. Most larger cities have an Amazon DC close by. This allows Amazon to hit 1 and 2 day shipping guarantees.

Products are Ready to Purchase – Ok, your products have been rerouted, received and placed into storage bins. They are now ready to be sold on the Amazon catalog.

PDMG’s key goal is offering sellers knowledge. And with knowledge comes power (or at least awareness). Our Amazon FBA Services will ensure the following:

• – Help sellers utilize best practices for selling on Amazon
• – Help sellers save shipping, storage and fulfillment costs
• – Help sellers become Prime eligible – this leads to more sales on the Amazon platform
• – Help sellers reduce inbound shipping costs into Amazon
• – Help sellers with FBA reimbursements for lost or damaged goods
• – Help sellers problem-solve FBA errors