If you're an online business owner, you've probably heard of FBM – or 'Fulfilled by Merchant' as it's formally known. It's a way of fulfilling Amazon's orders that can save you time and money, but is it right for your business? In this post, we'll take a look at the pros and cons of FBM so you can make an informed decision about whether or not to use it.
Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) is an order fulfillment method offered by Amazon where sellers ship products directly to customers after an order is placed. With FBM, sellers can either ship items from their own warehouse or use Amazon's fulfillment centers. However, the seller is responsible for customer service and shipping the final package.
There are several key reasons sellers choose FBM over other fulfillment options:
However, FBM also comes with some potential downsides to consider:
Choosing between FBM and FBA depends largely on your unique business needs. FBM offers more control while FBA prioritizes convenience and reach. Consider factors like:
Analyze both fulfillment models to decide which provides the right balance of affordability, profitability, and manageable workload for your business.
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The main benefits of Fulfillment by Merchant include lower costs since there are no monthly storage fees, full control over packaging/shipping options, easier inventory management using Amazon’s system, and higher profit margins.
Potential downsides of FBM include having to handle all inventory management and shipping tasks yourself, overhead costs like packaging materials and labels, and having to compete against other sellers using the same fulfillment method.
It depends on factors like your number of products, existing warehouse capacity, how much control vs convenience you want, and your ability to handle operational tasks like order fulfillment. Compare FBM and FBA to pick the right model.
Yes, with FBM you have the option to either fulfill orders from your own warehouse or have Amazon fulfill orders using their network of fulfillment centers while still handling shipping.
No, one of the main benefits of FBM is there are no monthly storage fees like there are for FBA. You only pay Amazon directly for orders fulfilled through their centers.