Amazon Side Hustle – Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
What is FBA?
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is an Amazon service that handles warehousing, picking, packing, shipping, customer service, and returns for products sold on Amazon. Sellers send products to Amazon and Amazon manages the rest.
What are the benefits of FBA?
Benefits include easy scaling, access to Prime members, faster shipping, easier returns, and more exposure on Amazon. Sellers can focus more on sales, marketing and product development.
What fees are charged for FBA?
Main fees are monthly FBA subscriptions, storage fees based on inventory space used over time, and fulfillment fees per order shipped. There may be other supplemental fees as well.
What products can be sold with FBA?
Almost any retail consumer product can be sold with FBA, as long as it is not prohibited by Amazon's restricted products policy. Media, apparel, electronics, toys, household items are very common.
How do I send inventory to Amazon?
You prepare and label products to FBA specifications, then ship pallet/case loads to Amazon fulfillment centers. Amazon provides shipment instructions and preferred carrier options.
Can I use FBA and also sell on other channels?
Yes, FBA can support multi-channel sales on platforms like eBay, Shopify, Walmart, etc. You can leverage FBA for order fulfillment even if selling on other channels.
How much inventory should I send to FBA?
It depends on your sales velocity, but aim for at least 2-8 weeks worth of inventory to maintain availability. Continuously restock so as not to run out of stock.
What software tools help with FBA?
Tools help manage inventory tracking, forecasting, repricing, analytics, and more. Examples include SellerCentral, InventoryLab, Feedvisor, and Sellbrite. Third party prep and labeling services can also help.
