Introduction
As a seller on Amazon, the last things you want are unhappy customers and unplanned costs chipping away at your profit margin. You sure want to create a strong and lasting impression on your customers while having a healthy balance sheet. Irrespective of your experience level selling on Amazon, you need appropriate support to streamline and scale your business. Managing your inventory and getting your products ready for shipping to Amazon Fulfillment centers are key areas where you really need this support. With FBA prep services, you can skip the layers of processes involved in packaging your products and focus on selling them while maintaining your business’ standards.
In this article, you will get to know the basics of FBA prep and also discover a cheaper and more efficient way of fulfilling your orders.
Contents
- Introduction
- What is FBA prep?
- Major Types of FBA prep services
- Why consider FBA prep?
- Operations of FBA Prep companies
- Benefits of using FBA prep services
- Some Demerits of FBA Prep Services
- Conclusion
What is FBA prep?
Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) prep is a solution that offers Amazon sellers a coordinated process of packaging, labeling, and organizing their products according to the prepping guidelines of Amazon. FBA Prep provides standardized logistics facilities, inventory packaging, and general prepping services for products selling on Amazon.
FBA prep means the packaging, labelling, and organization of your products in such a way that Amazon accepts your shipments, stores them in their warehouse, and ships your products out to customers. The process requires extremely strict and precise standards to make sure inventory is successfully received, stored, and shipped out to customers.
FBA prep is a crucial step in the Amazon selling process that helps ensure that products are delivered to Amazon warehouses with accurate packaging and labelling. The prep work begins by receiving the shipment of products at the FBA prep facility (usually owned by a 3rd party FBA prep company). Then, the products are physically inspected to ensure that they meet all designated specifications. After inspection, the inventory is then placed in storage in the facility.
The primary FBA prep phase kicks off at the point of getting your products sent off to Amazon. This is where your inventory enters the prep process for shipping — by packaging it in an Amazon-specific box and attaching the FBA shipping label. Once your inventory is packaged, labelled and ready to go, shipping and freight are arranged and the final distribution phase starts.
Major Types of FBA prep services
There are 3 major varieties of FBA prep services and your choice in choosing which onehas a significant impacton your business
1. In-House Prep Service
This is basically a Do-It-Yourself approach to FBA prep. You and maybe some partners of yours have decided to run the FBA prep yourself. This is a good option, but may not be sustainable for long due to lack of time and maybe resources to continue. This is because the prep process is time-consuming and needs to be streamlined with the necessary materials and facilities.
2. Amazon Prep
Yes, Amazon has its own FBA prep services, which are done in Amazon Fulfillment Centers. This option is great because you leverage the logistics and FBA prep facilities of Amazon. The downside here, however, is that Amazon FBA prep services are very expensive and are mostly out of reach for many small businesses.
3. Third-Party FBA Prep Services
This is where you are open to a lot of options. There are several third-party FBA prep companies that provide prepping services to Amazon sellers before shipping their products to Amazon Fulfillment Centers for onward shipping to your customers. However, despite the wide options you have in choosing 3rd party FBA prep services, see why our services are the best in the industry.
Why consider FBA prep?
Using an FBA prep service can save you a lot of time and money. By outsourcing the preparation and fulfilment of your orders, you can focus on expanding and scaling your business. FBA prep services can handle a wide range of items, irrespective of size. This way, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of managing everything in-house
In addition, outsourcing to an FBA prep service can help you speed up the process and lower your costs. So if you’re looking for a way to streamline your Amazon business, outsourcing to an FBA prep service is a great option to consider.
Moreover, since the requirements for Amazon to receive, store, and ship your products to customers are usually stringent, you have got to make sure you avoid costly mistakes during prepping. This is why FBA prep services are important. There are severe penalties involved when you send in inappropriately prepped products to Amazon centers, which will surely disrupt your business flow and inventory management system.
However, when choosing an FBA prep service, there are several factors you need to consider, to make sure all your requirements are met. At Allwin Freight, we provide quality FBA prep service that will help you scale your business and keep your customers happy.
Operations of FBA Prep companies
The sorting, packaging, and prepping of your products are done in special facilities called fulfillment centers. After picking your products, the FBA Prep center will move them to a nearby Amazon Fulfillment center.
A key function of FBA prep centers that is crucial to the business of Amazon sellers is inventory inspection. Most FBA prep centers are well-versed in Amazon’s policies, requirements, and restrictions. They also have an inspection procedure that ensures that your products are packed in compliance with Amazon’s standards.
The job of FBA prep companies begins with receiving and loading your inventory at their warehouse. Then they will inspect your inventory following your requirements. You will be notified as the inspection process is carried out. FBA prep companies will also store your inventory under appropriate conditions. Once an order is placed for your products, the prep company packages your products according to Amazon standards. Labelthem appropriately and then ship them off to Amazon warehouses for onward distribution to your customers.
In addition to serving as the receiving facility for inventory, the FBA prep center operates as a large warehouse/repository for your products. FBA allows you to store your inventory at the facility until it gets ordered on Amazon. Hence, you can track your stock and control your shipping based on your sales activity. Check out our facilities to make sure we provide you with the best FBA prep services.
Benefits of using FBA prep services
To save money and reduce your operating expenses, FBA prep needs to be top-of-mind for your business. By using a dependable FBA prep company, you can save time and money on shipping and inventory management. Using FBA prep services can help you avoid common mistakes that can lead to lost sales and unhappy customers.
When it comes to choosing an FBA prep service, it’s important to choose one that is reputable and experienced. A trustworthy and reliable FBA prep center will make it far easier to grow and scale. Some benefits of a good FBA prep service include:
- Inspecting your inventory to ensure all your requirements are met
- You save money and time that would have gone into hiring and managing a prepping team
- Packaging and labeling your inventory
- Checking your inventory for compliance with Amazon’s requirements
- No need for getting a warehouse, hence saving costs on storage
- Preventing FBA removals, returns, defects and account suspensions
By getting your FBA prep process optimized and streamlined, you’ll be able to reduce your supply chain costs and grow faster than most FBA sellers.
Some Demerits of FBA Prep Services
Much has been said about FBA prep and how beneficial it is to your business. However, there are some demerits you have to consider before you sign up.
FBA prep will substantially increase your business expenses. If you have a small business with a small profit margin, the FBA prep service may be more of a minus for you than a plus. Also, not every FBA prep company delivers 100% quality service due to various factors, and this can affect the efficiency of your business.
At Allwin Freight, we have the perfect facilities and processes to handle your entire order fulfillment. We have efficient fulfillment centers that are strategically located both in the United States and China. This gives us a unique advantage over other companies in effectively managing your FBA prep needs.
Other services provided by Allwin Freight include ocean freight, air freight, warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, and customs clearance. At Allwin Freight, we not only correctly provide quality FBA prep services; we also accompany you on the journey of scaling your business.
Conclusion
FBA Prep is a great solution for sellers on Amazon to optimize their business operations and increase sales. You can make your customers happier by signing up with Allwin Freight for all your ecommerce order fulfillment and FBA prep solutions.
