Amazon has launched Pan-European Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) with the promise of faster shipping times and lower delivery costs.
Sellers to deliver their inventory to a local Amazon fulfilment centre. Amazon then moves the products across its European fulfilment network according to the anticipated local customer demand. It will then pick, pack and ship orders to customers from the closest fulfilment centre where the product is available, as well as handling all customer service inquiries for the seller.
(Image: Ken James)
Last year, Amazon’s UK sellers exported nearly £1.4 billion; and in the first quarter of 2016, over half of EU sellers were selling on more than one Amazon Marketplace in the EU.
Amazon has 29 fulfilment centres across seven European countries, plus a network of customer service centres.
To use the system, the seller starts by enrolling products that are eligible for Pan-European FBA. The seller then ships enrolled products to a local Amazon fulfilment centre.
Amazon will then distribute sellers’ inventory across its European fulfilment network – at no extra cost to seller – to get it close to customers, based on the anticipated local demand.
When customers order the products, Amazon will handle the fulfilment logistics and provide delivery from the closest fulfilment centre where the product is available.
For the delivery, sellers will only pay the local fulfilment fee of the marketplace in which the product was ordered. There is no European fulfilment network cross-border fee.
Francois Saugier, director of EU seller services, said: “Amazon’s Pan-European FBA programme will help sellers export to customers across the EU more efficiently than ever before, while allowing customers to benefit from faster delivery times and lower shipping costs. By gaining access to millions of new international customers, SMEs are given the opportunity to boost exports and successfully grow their business abroad”.
