What Is FBA Prep?
FBA sellers are not just supposed to pack everything in a container and then hand it over to couriers. To be accepted at Fulfillment Center, your stock must comply with a couple of specific requirements. These rules apply to all inventory while others are specific to a particular category. FBA preparation is the process of preparing your inventory to be placed on Amazon. The primary focus of FBA prep is on packaging and labeling the products. However some sellers (especially those who import) are also required to inspect their inventory. Getting your FBA preparation correct is very important. It is possible to be penalized if you do not prepare the FBA preparation correctly. Even worse, if damaged items are sent to Amazon customers, they'll likely be unhappy and will return the item. The complaints could build up and lead to your listing be removed, or your account to be suspended.
Why Outsource FBA Prep?
FBA prep comes with three options: do it yourself or pay Amazon for it, or hire professionals. FBA preparation is highly very specific, involving rules that are easy to miss or get wrong. You are in effect outsourcing it. FBA preparation services should be well-versed in the procedure. They will ensure that your stock is compliant with Amazon rules prior to sending it to FBA. This will reduce the possibility of your stock being rejected. This is especially important if it is your first time submitting items to FBA, as you never really know how difficult the process can be until you've tried the task and learn from your mistakes. Amazon's many rules make it difficult to organize inventory to be sent for FBA. The process of analyzing stock, creating boxes and printing labels is lengthy. Your time can be better spent sourcing new products.
Price
When deciding on FBA preparation services, the main concern for most sellers is the price. It's not essential that cost be the only consideration, but it is understandable that you need the most value for money. Although your expenses may initially be expensive however, it doesn't mean they'll stay that way. It's important to know the cost of your prep service per item, or per month. Sellers with high volumes of inventory will be able to benefit by a monthly charge, while sellers with small volume sales will appreciate the per-item cost. Sellers with low volume may prefer the per-item cost since they are likely to send inventory less often. Because some prep centers add additional charges for packaging, such as bubble wrap or poly bags It is important to know what the costs are. It is crucial to be aware of the storage fees as well as the minimum number of units that must be sent to the prep center at any moment. When choosing an FBA prep service, cost is not always the primary consideration. It is not important to select a service that is low-cost. But, you want your prep costs manageable. It's not necessary to spend excessive initial costs. You can lower your expenses by becoming more comfortable with the preparation process. For instance, you could split some tasks between your factory and your prep company. Check out the most popular Door to Door Delivery blog for more.
Location
You must think strategically when you are considering the location of your prep center. be situated. If your business is primarily private label, it's probable that you'll ship massive quantities of stock from China. Therefore, determining which ports your shipments arrive at and choosing the nearest prep center is a smart idea. Danny McMillan's experiences suggest that having prep centers close to your shipping ports can be beneficial, not just to save time and trucking costs, but also for the smooth operation of your business. If something goes wrong the prep center could dispatch someone to the port to help. If the distance between your prep centre and the port was greater than 300 miles, this might not be possible. For sellers selling retail arbitrage, having a prep facility close to home is important to allow them to stocks in their vehicles or avoid expensive trucking. Take into consideration your options when selecting a prep location. Amazon Fulfillment Centers can vary from one to the next. Be aware that this could be the case if you sign up for Amazon's Inventory Placement Service. You can only send only one item stock to Amazon's Fulfillment Center. However, Amazon has the ability to alter the shipping address of the shipment to the shipping.