From its humble beginnings in a small garage, Amazon has evolved into a massive multinational corporation. If you're wondering, "What is Amazon?" the answer can be initially perplexing, especially for those outside the US. Is Amazon primarily an online retail company, a platform specializing in book sales, or a business centered around cloud computing and AI? In reality, Amazon encompasses all of these facets.
Amazon is a diversified multinational corporation offering a wide range of products and services. This article, however, will specifically focus on Amazon's online retail business. If you're eager to understand what Amazon is and how to kickstart sales on this online marketplace, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to get started.
What is Amazon. ?
Amazon is an American online marketplace with its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA. Established by Jeff Bezos in 1994, the company had modest origins, starting in a garage. Initially, the platform concentrated solely on the sale of books.
Bezos' mantra during that period was "Get Big Fast," and this vision materialized. By 1997, Amazon had accumulated 1,000,000 customer accounts, and Bezos was even recognized as Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999.
Today, Amazon has diversified its offerings across various categories, including digital content, electronics, fashion, household goods, and more. Often referred to as "The Everything Store," Amazon is renowned for its extensive range of available items.
Amazon has achieved widespread popularity in the US and is recognized as one of the Big Five American technology companies, alongside Alphabet (Google), Apple, Meta (Facebook), and Microsoft. As of October 2023, among billions of websites worldwide, Amazon holds the 12th rank!
What Are the Countries that Have Amazon?
As of my knowledge cutoff date in January 2022, Amazon operates in numerous countries around the world. The availability of Amazon services can vary in terms of the full range of offerings and features. The primary countries where Amazon has a significant presence include:
- United States: Amazon's home country and its largest market.
- United Kingdom: Amazon has a strong presence, offering a wide range of products and services.
- Canada: Amazon operates a robust platform for Canadian customers.
- Germany: Amazon has a substantial presence in Germany, serving customers with various products.
- France: Amazon provides services to customers in France, offering a diverse selection of items.
- Japan: Amazon has a significant presence in the Japanese market.
- China: While Amazon has a presence in China, it's worth noting that it faces strong competition from local e-commerce platforms.
Additionally, Amazon has expanded its presence to many other countries and regions, including but not limited to:
- India: Amazon has made significant investments and has a growing presence in the Indian market.
- Australia: Amazon has expanded its services in Australia, offering a range of products to Australian customers.
- Brazil: Amazon has entered the Brazilian market, providing e-commerce services.
Keep in mind that Amazon's global footprint may have expanded since my last knowledge update in January 2022, and the specific services offered can vary by country. It's advisable to check Amazon's official website for the most up-to-date information on the countries where its services are available.
As of November 2023, the top users of Amazon, based on Similar Web's data, are as follows:
- United States (83.23%)
- Canada (1.06%)
- India (1.03%)
- United Kingdom (0.93%)
- Japan (0.93%)
These percentages indicate the share of Amazon's user traffic from each respective country. It highlights the significant dominance of the United States in terms of Amazon's user base, followed by other countries such as Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Keep in mind that these statistics may change over time, and it's always a good idea to refer to the latest data for the most accurate information.
It's great that you've provided information on how sellers can explore Amazon Global Selling and check the list of countries where Amazon exports its products. For those interested in selling on Amazon internationally or looking to know if Amazon ships to their country, accessing these resources can be valuable.
For readers who want to explore Amazon Global Selling or check if their country is eligible, they can visit the relevant page on Amazon's official website. Additionally, the list of countries where Amazon exports its products can offer insights into the global reach of the platform.
Amazon's global presence provides opportunities for sellers to reach customers in various regions, and the ability to check eligibility and shipping information is essential for those looking to expand their business internationally.
How to Start Selling on Amazon?
Over 60% of Amazon sellers operate independently, indicating that you don't need to be a large business to initiate your selling venture on the platform. Simply follow the guide below to kickstart your journey as an Amazon seller:
- Select a Selling Plan
Similar to other online marketplaces, Amazon deducts fees from sellers when a sale is made. Presently, Amazon provides two selling plans:
- The Individual Selling Plan, where Amazon charges 0.99 USD per sale.
- The Professional Selling Plan entails a fixed monthly fee of 39.99 USD, regardless of the quantity of items sold.
The Individual Selling Plan is suitable for occasional sellers. However, if you desire broader access to Amazon’s selling features and programs—such as applying to sell restricted products, creating promotions and coupons, participating in global selling, listing products in bulk, and more—opt for the Professional Selling Plan. Additional details about Amazon’s selling plans can be found on this page.
2. Chose a selling plan
After selecting the selling plan that aligns with your requirements, proceed to create an Amazon seller account. Click on this link and fill in the necessary details.
Amazon will request your bank account and routing number, an
internationally chargeable credit card, a government-issued ID, tax
information, and phone number during the registration process. Make sure
you have these details prepared before initiating the registration
process.
3.Complete your account settings and information
To avoid any selling mishaps, make sure to configure and finalize the settings of your Amazon seller account. Verify that the following details are complete:
- Seller profile
- Payment and business details
- Shipping and returns settings
- Tax information
- Notification settings
- Login details
- User permissions
4.Enroll your brand in the Amazon Brand Registry
Amazon strongly recommends enrolling your brand in the Amazon Brand Registry, especially if you're the rights owner of a specific brand. This enrollment serves as a proactive measure to protect your brand and offers access to additional selling benefits. These include features for detecting and reporting intellectual property infringement, improved content and photo management, analytics and dashboards, etc. Furthermore, the enrollment process is free of charge.
Utilizing the Amazon Brand Registry allows you to enhance and fortify your brand's presence on the platform, ensuring a more secure and impactful representation in Amazon's online marketplace.
5.Listing your product
After completing the aforementioned steps, you can proceed to list your products. To optimize your listings, make sure to provide the following product details:
- Title
- Images
- Variations
- Bullet points
- Featured offer and other offers
- Description
- Competitive pricing
By addressing these elements, you can enhance the visibility and appeal of your products on the platform.
6.Select a fulfillment method
Amazon provides two options for delivering your products to customers:
Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN): With this option, you manage your product inventory, handle packaging, and personally oversee the shipping to customers.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): With this approach, you send your product inventory to Amazon, and they take care of the storage, packing, and shipment of the products to your customers.
MFN is suitable for those selling a low volume of products and can manage all aspects independently. On the other hand, if you have a large inventory and require more storage space and resources, FBA is the preferable option.
What You Can Sell on Amazon ?
Similar to eBay, you have the flexibility to sell a diverse range of products on Amazon, provided they fall within the following categories:
- Electronics
- Computers
- Smart Home
- Arts and Crafts
- Automotive
- Baby Products
- Beauty and Personal Care
- Fashion (Women, Men, Girls, Boys)
- Health and Household
- Home and Kitchen
- Industrial and Scientific
- Luggage
- Movies and Television
- Pet Supplies
- Software
- Sports and Outdoors
- Tools and Home Improvement
- Toys and Games
- Video Games
However, it's crucial to note that each category may have specific restrictions. For example, in the "Electronics" category, selling laser shifters and blocker devices is prohibited. Similarly, in the "Art – Home Decor" category, selling unauthorized copies or reproductions that violate copyright or trademark is not allowed. For a comprehensive list of restricted items, please refer to Amazon’s Restricted Products page.
If you're wondering if it's permissible to sell used and refurbished items on Amazon, it is indeed allowed. Amazon facilitates this through the "Amazon Second Chance" category, where you can sell refurbished and pre-owned items.
How to Sell on Amazon Without Inventory?
Managing a product inventory poses a few challenges. It requires sufficient storage space, maintaining product quality during storage, and regular monitoring. This process can be both physically demanding and financially burdensome for any seller.
However, it's feasible to sell on Amazon without directly handling inventory. Here are some alternatives:
1. Offer digital products
Etsy isn’t the only marketplace where you can sell digital products. Amazon also allows the sale of digital content! You can sell music, audio files, e-books, digital art, software, courses, stock photography, and downloadable prints on Amazon. By offering digital products, you don’t have to worry about physical inventory and storage space.
2. Use the Amazon FBA service
If you want to simplify your selling process, opt for the Amazon FBA service. With FBA, Amazon takes care of all aspects, from storing your products in their warehouse to packing, shipping, and managing returns and replacements. Although FBA involves higher fees, it offers the advantage of increased visibility for your listings in Amazon’s rankings and search results.
3. Outsource to third-party logistics (3PLs)
Consider outsourcing to a third-party logistics provider (3PL) for services similar to Amazon FBA. 3PLs handle storage, packing, and shipping. Some may even manage customer service based on your agreement. This option is beneficial if you sell on multiple platforms, providing flexibility. However, if you want more Amazon seller perks, sticking with Amazon’s FBA service may be more advantageous.
4. Consider dropshipping
To sell on Amazon without managing inventory, consider dropshipping. Amazon permits dropshipping as long as you adhere to its dropshipping policy. In the dropshipping business model, the seller promotes and establishes an online storefront, while fulfillment responsibilities lie with a dropshipping supplier.
If you're searching for a dependable dropshipping supplier, consider partnering with us! Sup Dropshipping can help automate and streamline your dropshipping process by integrating our dropshipping platform into your Amazon store. For detailed instructions, please refer to our guide titled "How to Integrate Amazon Store with Sup Dropshipping?"
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