Amazon is investing in its shipping business to compete with UPS and FedEx, and they are shelling out a lot of money. Rachel Greer, Amazon’s product safety manager, says that this initiative is reminiscent of times when Amazon expanded into Prime Video and AWS, so we’re pretty sure this move will be making waves in the shipping and fulfillment industry. As of right now according to SeekingAlpha, Amazon is investing in transportation expansion at a far greater rate than FedEx or UPS which has us wondering, what's next to come?
Amazon’s ongoing domination in the e-commerce industry doesn’t just stop with its marketplace selling platform. They also ship for sellers on external platforms (including marketplace competitors) to grow their business. It’s called Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF). Considering how significantly the past couple of years has evolved e-commerce, this investment seems right on track. The objective is to make shipping products in even remote areas of the world even more accessible, reliable, and fast.
With these events moving into play, Amazon sellers with brands on multiple marketplaces could find this incredibly convenient for their shipping strategy.
Multi-Channel Fulfillment FAQ
Do I need to be an Amazon seller to use Multi-Channel Fulfillment?No. An Amazon Seller Central account is required to use MCF, but you are not required to sell items on Amazon.
What is the difference between FBA and MCF?Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) allows you to fulfill orders placed on Amazon, while Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) fulfills orders on any of your channels, including your own website.
Can I use my current FBA inventory to fulfill Multi-Channel Fulfillment orders?Yes. If you are an existing Amazon seller using FBA, your inventory will serve both Amazon customers and customers from your MCF sales channels.
To see the full FAQ and details, click here.
Have you heard of Customer Service by Amazon yet? It's a service meant to alleviate sellers from some of the daily tasks involved in e-commerce and aid in customer inquiries through the marketplace, but is it really? After the announcement, sellers expressed mixed opinions about the service, assuming it would fall short of the seller's needs and focus too heavily on the customer. What do you think?
CSBA Benefits
For more information about CSBA, go to CSBA help page 14.
Based on the seller thread, it seems that the fear for many sellers is that many customer inquiries boil down to product refunds/returns that come out of the seller's pockets. This service could potentially be the green light to grant customer requests at the seller's expense with minimal investigation in Amazon's hands.
If you're curious, currently, this program offers a 30-day trial for those who want to give it a shot. Is this something you will be trying as part of your Amazon strategy?
We hate to break it to you, but Summer has wound down, and we're quickly approaching the holiday season. So if you haven't shifted focus towards your holiday game-plan yet, now is the time. Here are 6 things you should be doing now in preparation for the next couple of months according to Jungle Scout.
Inventory Management for Q4
To have a successful season, you must conduct inventory forecasting. Too little inventory will result in you going out of stock and could affect your listings, too much inventory will tie up capital and result in overwhelming storage fees.
Optimize Your Listings
Ensure your listings align with the holiday season and are optimized to convert better during prime selling time.
Adjust your PPC Campaigns and Budgets
During the holidays, there is always a jump in traffic on Amazon. Therefore, your campaigns need to be adjusted as necessary to ensure your ads are running smoothly.
Create Holiday Deals
'Tis the season of deal hunting and bargain shopping. Everybody loves a good sale so be sure to create deals and coupons on Seller Central. It's a great way to increase your Amazon sales, especially during major shopping events.
Anticipate Potential Amazon Delays
It's a busy time of the year so expect delays in having your products receive at Amazon in time. Due to high volume, fulfillment centers are likely to get backed up and can make a dent in your Amazon sales if you're not well prepared. The longer you wait to send inventory, the more likely you will experience delays with your shipments to Amazon.
Prepare for Holiday Returns
It's a big rush to get all the shopping done before the new year, but what comes next are the seller-dreaded returns. It's a downside to any business, but it's expected and typical, especially after the new year. Like last year, Amazon offers an Extended Return Policy so shoppers can return products until January 31st, 2022, as long as their order shows the customer purchased between October 1st and December 31st, 2021.
For the complete article and details, click here.