THE BEST 3PL SOLUTIONS FOR AMAZON SELLERS
Amazon sellers need unlimited warehousing and personal customer care, so you don’t have to choose high fees for idle inventory or sale losses due to low inventory. This includes FBM services.
True Customer Care with FBM for Amazon Sellers
Whether it’s the holidays or an unexpected surge in your product’s popularity, you need ecommerce fulfillment services that won’t abandon your success by limiting the amount of warehouse space and throwing your timelines off course, resulting in unhappy customers. For sellers with Amazon, 3rd party warehouse solutions is the answer.
Our fulfillment by merchant (FBM) capabilities can lower your costs and spare you the financial penalties often associated with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
For those who’ve relied on a California or, specifically, a San Francisco Amazon fulfillment center, let Westhub Logistics be your new partner in 3PL fulfillment. We’ll ensure proper product preparation, hit the designated delivery windows, properly send advanced shipping notifications (ASN) and correct purchase order information. You won’t have the headache of managing your relationship with Amazon—that’s our job. And we’ll also keep track of your orders and never let your product go unstocked.
What’s the problem with FBA?
Why shouldn’t the largest e-tailer in the industry store, manage and deliver your inventory? In 2020, their sales reached $386 billion. With their behemoth infrastructure in place, why wouldn’t you want to be part of that powerhouse?
Well, the bigger the business, the bigger the problems. And if you’re a small to medium sized business, you can get lost in the shuffle.
Rising fees:
FBA’s fulfillment fees have increased up to 20% in 2021. Extra fees for busy periods can make a big dent in your business wallet.
Customization is lacking:
Amazon has streamlined its process to a fault. Meaning, to deal with the high volume of product they have built an amazing and impressive infrastructure, but in order to keep it all moving, they must stick with a rigid process that limits the personalization. Products are packed, wrapped and shipped in a way that does not allow for modification. Likewise, packing is either plain or Amazon-branded, so you lose the opportunity for another branding touchpoint with consumers.
Limited storage:
As many of you know, in August of 2020 Amazon limited its storage capacity for third-party sellers. And we know how this makes you lose sales, especially during the holiday rush, due to delays (anywhere from 10 days to two weeks during a high season) and the inability to restock fast enough to meet the demand, and ultimately, customers go elsewhere. For new products, shipments are further limited until a proven track record is built, making it harder for new sellers at the start. In addition, the limits Amazon set—and it varies by category and history—cannot be appealed by sellers.
Lack of inventory control and hidden costs:
The people picking your inventory are human, so it’s understood there will be errors, but one of the biggest complaints of FBA is mishandled inventory and mis-picks. A 2013 Intermec study surveyed 250 supply chain and distribution managers across the US, UK, France and Germany, and discovered there was an overall annual loss of almost $400K due to mis-picks. At the time, the average mis-pick cost a company approximately $22. Today, estimates are up to $100. In addition, with lost, missing and damaged inventory, you have to constantly monitor and manage in order to get properly reimbursed. You’re better off with a 3PL that saves you time and money.
Lowered search ranking algorithms:
Many Amazon sellers have experienced their listings getting a demotion. As inventory lowers, they appear lower in search listings via Amazon’s ranking algorithm.
What are the benefits of FBM via Westhub’s 3PL ecommerce fulfillment process?
Cost savings:
The monthly storage fees Amazon imposes are an added cost that frequently change and become burdensome when you’re dealing with bulk orders. As a 3PL, we offer lower storage fees that sellers can leverage by only shipping their products to Amazon when supply is running low, to ensure their products are not sitting in Amazon’s warehouse for extended periods. We also offer cross-docking services when you arrange for your suppliers to ship directly to our warehouse. We then package your products and send them to Amazon or store them for you.
Inventory control:
When all of your items are stored with Amazon you’re relinquishing physical control of the inventory. This stymies your capability to keep up with competitors. With FBM, sellers maintain full control over their inventory, allowing for more agile responses to changes in demand, better stock management, and reduced risk of overstocking or stockouts.
Custom branding:
We allow sellers to use their own branded packaging, enhancing brand visibility and creating a unique customer experience that FBA’s standardized packaging does not offer.
Flexibility in fulfillment:
Sellers can adjust their fulfillment strategies more easily with a 3PL, catering to special promotions, seasonal changes, or custom orders without being constrained by Amazon’s strict guidelines.
Personalized customer service:
We provide dedicated support and a more personalized approach to managing fulfillment, ensuring quicker issue resolution and smoother operations compared to Amazon’s customer service.
Avoid the log jam Amazon’s 800 number:
With Westhub, one of our associates provides personal care you can count on. Every one of our representatives is highly trained and knowledgeable in 3PL and remains in communication from start to fulfillment.
Reduced penalties:
We help ensure compliance with Amazon’s strict requirements, reducing the likelihood of costly chargebacks or penalties related to shipping and product preparation.
Omnichannel fulfillment:
We can handle both B2B and B2C fulfillment across various sales channels, not just Amazon, providing a unified fulfillment solution for all of a seller’s e-commerce needs.
More specifically, what are the benefits of a Bay Area 3PL?
Faster shipping times:
Being in the Bay Area, we can offer quicker shipping to a large portion of the U.S. population, especially to key markets in California and the West Coast. This can improve customer satisfaction and potentially lead to higher conversion rates for sellers using FBM.
Access to major ports:
Our proximity to the Port of Oakland can reduce shipping times and costs for imported goods, making it easier and faster to replenish inventory and manage stock levels efficiently.
Tech-savvy support:
As the Bay Area is known for its technological innovation, we can offer more advanced logistics technology, better integration with ecommerce platforms, and data-driven insights to optimize fulfillment strategies.
Proximity to a San Francisco Amazon fulfillment center:
Located near a San Francisco Amazon fulfillment center (this includes the one on Market St, in Brisbane, and Oakley), sellers using a hybrid approach (FBA and FBM) will benefit from efficient inventory transfers between our warehouses and the Amazon facility, ensuring optimal stock levels and quicker fulfillment.
Local market expertise:
We have deep knowledge of the local and regional markets, allowing for more tailored fulfillment strategies that cater to the specific preferences and demands of West Coast customers.
What are Westhub’s Full Packaging Solutions?
Our ecommerce fulfillment services include:
Picking
Packing
Kitting
Tracking and Monitoring
Small Package Shipping with UPS and FedEx
Rush Service
Marking / Labeling
Transfers
Same-Day Local Service Options
SMARTParcel™ Shipping
LTL and FTL
We also provide:
Shrink Wrapping
Rotating Inventory
Special Projects / Light Assembly
Floor / Rack Load
Pick / Pack Status
Labeling / Marking
Storage
Repacking
Bagging