The business landscape has undergone tremendous changes over the last several decades. This can be attributed to the technological advancement that has altered how people carry out their daily activities. One particular sector that has become strong and reliable is the e-commerce sector. The convenience of ordering anything online has made the industry to flourish tremendously. From household goods to automobiles, shopping has been reduced to a few taps and touches on your mobile device. This growth of the e-commerce sector has also facilitated the stability of other sub-sectors; the fulfillment and shipping sectors have recorded positive growth since they are directly tied to e-commerce. Consequently, this has further led to the development of new businesses besides creating employment opportunities.
Shipping has become an integral part of modern business. As people seek to make their life more convenient, companies have stepped in to help them achieve this. In any given industry, there are certain companies that stand out due to their success. Amazon is a company that has mastered the art of e-commerce; it has managed to extend its services to almost every corner of the globe. This has made startup companies that are venturing into e-commerce opt to work with them. Furthermore, Amazon also working with various shipping companies to facilitate the shipping of products either to its storage facility or to the customers; Amazon FBA shipping services at Topshipping is a very good example of such collaboration. If you’ve been thinking about seeking Amazon FBA services, there are certain things you ought to consider.
FBA is a service that is offered to Amazon sellers; this means that businesses who use these services let Amazon handle the shipping and order, thereby easing this load on their part. Here’s how the whole process works. Businesses looking to use these services register for the Amazon FBA program. Next, they formulate their product list on Amazon, assemble their products, and ships them to the Amazon warehouse. From this point onwards, Amazon would handle all the fulfillment services to ensure the product reaches the customer at the stipulated time. Additionally, Amazon also addresses issues to do with the return of products. The following are some important things you should know before seeking the Amazon FBA shipping services.
You’ll Definitely Spend Money
When you use FBA shipping services, Amazon will charge you for the storage of your products at its facility and for carrying out the fulfillment facility. However, you won’t pay for the shipping of your products to the end consumers since it has been integrated into the fulfillment cost. One advantage of using Amazon FBA shipping is that you’ll also be eligible for its free two-day shipping that is usually available to Amazon Prime Customers. This means that loyal Amazon customers get to receive their products in two days with no extra charges.
If you do a cost-benefit analysis of Amazon FBA shipping, you’ll realize that it saves you a lot of time since you won’t be doing the hands-on shipping activities. You will also be eligible for its two-day shipping, an added feature that can help your business grow. On the other hand, using the services means that you’ll have to part with some money. The amount of money you will end up being charged will depend on the frequency of your fulfillment orders, the number of your products in their storage facility, and the size of your products. All in all, if you are planning to use Amazons FBA shipping services, you should consider it an investment.
No Sales Quota
Amazon understands that in the e-commerce world, products are different; thus, their demand would vary as some items tend to be fast-moving than others. In fact, the company supports small and medium-sized enterprises whose product lines that have soft orders. As a business owner, you are liberty to choose the number of products you want to sell every month.
Using Other Channels
Given the sheer magnitude of the Amazon company, it’s quite easy to think that for a business, to use its FBA shipping services, it has to be strictly under Amazon. However, this isn’t the case. Amazon understands the complexity of the e-commerce sector and is open and willing to provide FBA shipping services regardless of the marketing channel. This has made it easier for companies that have a wider global reach to operate efficiently and reach their target customers.
Shipping to Amazon
Even though the FBA services cater for the shipping costs to your customers, you’ll still need to pay for the shipping charges to take your products to various Amazon storage facilities. The good thing is that Amazon has collaborated with certain carriers to ship products to its fulfillment facilities at a very affordable rate. If a business has a bulk offer, Amazon has also put in place tailored services including offering partial and full truckload options to facilitate transportation.
No Limits to Store Products
One of the most lovable things about FBA shipping on Amazon is that the company doesn’t put any restriction on the minimum or maximum amount of products you sent to the storage centers at any given time. This really saves you on the cost of transportation especially when you have frequent shipments. Thus, you can send a large consignment to the fulfillment facility once and reduce the number of regular trips carrying fewer goods; however, before doing so, ensure you carry out a thorough analysis of whether the products will be bought. If your products take up too much space on the shelf and they are not moving, you will end up paying for the space they are occupying.
Determining The Prices
Amazon the First In First Out (FIFO) method to charge for storage space; this means that the products that were the first to arrive at the store, would be the first to be sold to the customers. Once the product is sold, they are no longer subjected to any charges. New products that would be taken in would then be charged up to the point when they are purchased.
Conclusion
Amazon FBA shipping has truly revolutionized the e-commerce sector. It has relieved a huge burden off companies while ensuring that customers get their goods on time. Although the points provided above are few, they can help you to make sound decisions when you want to use Amazon FBA shipping services.