What Is FBA Prep?
FBA does not permit sellers to simply place their inventory in a box and send it to them. Fulfillment Centers will require that your inventory meets specific requirements. Certain of these rules apply to all stock. Some are only applicable to specific classes. FBA prep is the process of preparing your inventory for shipping to Amazon. This primarily focuses on packaging and labeling items, but some sellers, specifically those who import items additionally add inspection of their inventory. It is essential to get your FBA preparation right. You could be charged a fine for not preparing your FBA prep properly. If you send damaged stock into Amazon and it is incorrectly shipped to a buyer, they are likely to complain and return the item. If you've had several complaints, it could impact your sales and could result in your listing being removed, or even your account being suspended.
Why Outsource FBA Prep?
FBA prep can be done by the retailer, Amazon, or a third-party. FBA preparation can be a bit complicated and complex, making it difficult to do correctly. In essence, you are outsourcing the process. FBA preparation services should have a good understanding of the procedure. They will make sure that your stock is in line with Amazon rules prior to sending it to FBA. This will reduce the likelihood of your inventory being rejected. This is crucial for new FBA sellers. After you've tested it, you'll be able to predict how difficult it can be. Amazon's numerous rules mean that preparing inventory for FBA is a significant expense to your time. You'll end up looking through items, preparing boxes, and printing labels when your time might be better spent on sourcing new products.
Price
The price for most sellers is the main consideration when choosing FBA prep. Although it shouldn't be the primary element, it's not uncommon to want the best deal. It doesn't matter if the initial costs are high. The first thing you have to consider is whether the prep service is charged monthly or per item. A monthly charge is more likely to appeal to sellers with huge quantities of inventory, whereas the per-item cost appeals to sellers with low volumes, who will be sending stock in more frequently. You will then want to know the cost of the process of packaging, since certain prep centers will charge extra for packaging, such as bubble wrap or poly bags. It is important to understand the storage costs and the minimum amount of units that must be delivered to the prep center at any given time. The primary consideration when selecting the FBA preparation service is cost. A budget service should not cut corners, however you also want the prep expenses to be affordable. Keep in mind that even if your costs start high but that doesn't mean they must remain high. As you become more proficient in the preparation process It is possible for your costs to be reduced. You can divide certain tasks among your manufacturer and your prep services. Check out the most popular Door to Door Delivery site for info.
Location
Strategic thinking is key when deciding where to locate your prep center. If your company is mostly private label, you're likely to ship large amounts of inventory to China. It is important to know the ports that your goods arrive in and finding a nearby prep center is a wise choice. Danny McMillan believes that having prep centers near ports for shipping is a good idea. Not only will it make it easier for you to save time and aid in the cost of trucking, but also it will help your business run smoothly. It means on the rare occasion when problems arise the prep center can potentially send someone to the port to resolve the situation. This is not possible in the event that your center was located at a distance of 300 miles from the port. A prep center near your home is a good option for retailers who sell retail arbitrage. This lets them pick up the inventory from their homes or pay very little cost of shipping. Be careful about choosing a prep center due to its proximity to an Amazon Fulfillment Center though, because the Amazon warehouse you ship to could be different each time. This applies regardless of whether Amazon's Inventory Placement Service is signed up. Amazon will permit you to ship the entire inventory of a single product to the Fulfillment Center. But Amazon has the power to change the shipping destination from shipment to shipping.