Fulfilled by Amazon international shipping has been receiving bad rap these past few months. Due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide, Amazon has made drastic and sudden changes to regulate shipments coming into their fulfillment centers.
The e-commerce giant announced last March 17, 2020, that they partially suspended the FBA program until April 5, 2020. This was to allow the prioritization of shipment of essential products which belong to these categories: Pet Supplies, Grocery, Beauty & Personal Care, Baby, Health & Household, and Industrial & Scientific, but in limited quantities. This new policy put non-essential goods on hold, which irked some third-party sellers left to fend for themselves.
But on April 16, 2020, Amazon lifted that rule and finally allowed shipping services for non-essential items. They also removed restrictions that limit the quantity of inventory being sent to Amazon warehouses. The online retail giant also addressed long delivery times after receiving 800,000 negative reviews in April as the pandemic also affected their one- and two-day shipping service.
It seems all systems were slowly returning to normal when they reversed every policy restriction they put into place. But wait until the holidays come because Amazon plans to put quantity limits for product shipments again. This policy will affect third-party sellers that use Amazon U.S. fulfillment centers. According to CNBC, an Amazon spokesperson told them this new restriction would "help ensure all sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon have space for their products."
Given the turbulent and unpredictable situation in Amazon international shipping, sellers should think of ways to adapt and survive.
Since Fulfilled by Amazon international shipping has been experiencing category and quantity limits, you have no choice but switch to FBM for a while to cope with the current problem.
Will it affect your relationship with Prime members who prefer FBA's fast delivery service? Good news, because for the very first time, "Amazon's Buy Box algorithm appears to now give preference to offers from merchants who expect to be able to fulfill the order faster," Forbes reports.
Sometimes we need to break the mold and be more flexible during these challenging times. This is the new normal regarding FBM so Amazon can keep up with its Prime members’ expectations.
Improve your fulfillment strategy by employing other shipping providers or third-party services. Better yet, localize your delivery based on where you sell your products. For example, if most of your customers are coming from Canada, but your company is based in the U.S., immediately search for a manufacturer or supplier that can replenish your inventory and hire a local logistics company to deliver your orders. Make sure that the supplier is near or within the area.
In Canada, the popular couriers or postal services are APC Postal Logistics and PostNL. You can also use e-commerce integrations to seamlessly manage your orders with just a few clicks . Online shipping integrations also have a feature similar to Amazon fulfillment services tracking, where you can check your order's status.
Amazon is currently receiving blows due to shipping delays that sometimes would last for weeks or a month. Alternatively, try to sell your products on eBay, Walmart, Shopify, and other online sales channels. In this way, your sales and brand's reputation won't be affected. But it doesn't mean you will abandon your Amazon account. Instead, you will only diversify your market and expand your customer base.
Many sellers are reducing marketing costs and pausing live ad campaigns. What you should do instead is to ramp up your advertising efforts because more and more people are buying products online. The stay-at-home restrictions in some countries turn people into homebodies studying or working from home.
This is an opportunity to be more aggressive with your marketing campaigns to boost sales and drive awareness. You may also try social media channels since most homebound customers rely on them for the latest news and developments about COVID-19.
The coronavirus pandemic has put the entire world in a standstill and forced everyone to stay in their homes. Thus, disrupting every aspect of our lives -- even the unsuspecting shipping landscape. It is so disruptive that even Fulfilled by Amazon international shipping, which is lauded by many, is even affected, resulting in delivery delays and angry customers. However, as a seller, you should not go with the flow but instead find ways to manage the current situation. If you need to self-fulfill all your orders, do it with utmost mindfulness and caution.The world might never be the same again after this pandemic, and you have no choice but to adapt and be agile.
Are Fulfilled by Amazon international shipping restrictions affecting your business right now? Let Stallion Express assist you. We have a team of experienced consultants that are willing to help with your Amazon international shipping concerns. For inquiries, you can call +1 877-863-7447 or email [email protected].
Nicasio is the co-founder of Stallion Express - the leading eCommerce shipping company in Canada. Through his unique experiences in tech and digital marketing, he is on a journey to disrupt the logistics industry.
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