Becoming an Amazon Vendor, any advice?

[Du1point8]

Has anyone moved from being a seller to a vendor with Amazon?

We have only been on the market for 12 months and we got an invite last weekend to become a vendor, the more I look through the documents, the more Im not sure it would be beneficial or not.

I now have bricks and mortar stores, but I think Amazon may kill off the good work by undercutting everyone to make £5 profit an item on purpose.

Has anyone been a vendor and survived?

[Du1point8]

To answer your questions.

Nope I don't sell anywhere else that is an e-market place (other than our website), etsy have an issue that we don't manufacture the stock and are a representative of the main company.

Amazon Seller Central, Im currently in the process of being verified and have been for 3 weeks now, amazon are a bit slow on this one.

Amazon Vendor, we got a personal invite buy one of their head buyers when he noticed us at a trade show last week, straight up no questions asked, he wants them for Amazon asap.

[Du1point8]

Ean218 said:

Du1point8 said:

I now have bricks and mortar stores, but I think Amazon may kill off the good work by undercutting everyone to make £5 profit an item on purpose.

I would be bloody careful. Amazon don't need to make any profit at all on your product. Their business model has nothing to do with profit, just market share and stock market valuation, you might end up destroying your product.

This is my fear if I go with amazon as a vendor, also the company has been running properly for only a year so the cashflow is limited and Im a bit wary of the 90 day payment along with their terrible SOR agreement.

[Du1point8]

Dejay1788 said:

Du1point8 said:

To answer your questions.

Nope I don't sell anywhere else that is an e-market place (other than our website), etsy have an issue that we don't manufacture the stock and are a representative of the main company.

Amazon Seller Central, Im currently in the process of being verified and have been for 3 weeks now, amazon are a bit slow on this one.

Amazon Vendor, we got a personal invite buy one of their head buyers when he noticed us at a trade show last week, straight up no questions asked, he wants them for Amazon asap.

So you will be listing your own products and shipping them out yourself? If you don't manufacture what you sell, and Amazon wants it eventually they will undercut you and sell it themselves.

Anyway, we've been selling on Amazon since January, we get most of our sales from our website because we're fashion related so want to build a brand, but we do sell certain things on Amazon and do well with something I totally didn't expect to sell in volume.

It's okay for us as a sideline and a bit of extra revenue, but I wouldn't run by business relying on Amazon or Ebay, too many factors can get you banned and send your business down the toilet.

I dont manufacture it, but am sole distributor and importer into the UK with a signed contract stating so.

we currently have 3 income streams.

1) Social media, blogs, physical magazine articles, TV shows and trade shows to push people to our ecommerce website.
2) Corporate one off buys to hotels/spas/corporate bonus/etc.
3) Resellers and retailers that I accumulate that are either bricks and mortar or web stores.

Bonus income streams will be using Amazon as a seller.

The Vendor invite was a complete surprise to be honest, but I do have my reservations with it, in these early stages income 3 is the bread and butter of the company with many fingers in all the pies, we don't and are not relying on one single company currently to generate profit for the company.

[Du1point8]

Ean218 said:

Du1point8 said:

I dont manufacture it, but am sole distributor and importer into the UK with a signed contract stating so.

The Vendor invite was a complete surprise to be honest, but I do have my reservations with it, in these early stages income 3 is the bread and butter of the company with many fingers in all the pies, we don't and are not relying on one single company currently to generate profit for the company.

In that case do not do it. I would also make sure that anything you sell yourselves on Amazon is priced on the expensive side. The last thing you want is Amazon pissing off your 'proper' customer base and then pinching your supplier.

I doubt anyone would pinch my supplier, he's the kind that wants paying up front, doesnt speak english and will not touch large companies.

Sometimes I think he is a lot of hassle, but then over the years he's become a trusted friend and the feeling is mutual.

[Du1point8]

95Aero said:

Du1point8 said:

Has anyone moved from being a seller to a vendor with Amazon?

We have only been on the market for 12 months and we got an invite last weekend to become a vendor, the more I look through the documents, the more Im not sure it would be beneficial or not.

I now have bricks and mortar stores, but I think Amazon may kill off the good work by undercutting everyone to make £5 profit an item on purpose.

Has anyone been a vendor and survived?

By moving from seller to vendor do you mean signing up for Amazon FBA?

Nope... I move from selling on Amazon to clients to selling to Amazon as they are my client.

[Du1point8]

Noted... I'm already on the no route at the moment, cheers for the warning.

[Du1point8]

DSLiverpool said:

PM sent

can you send me a PM too about that

[Du1point8]

DSLiverpool said:

Du1point8 said:

DSLiverpool said:

PM sent

can you send me a PM too about that

I cant resend it via PH so please PM me your email

Done