Because every other online buyer is now using Amazon to shop for different stuff, it stands to reason that all e-commerce businesses are striving to get their goods listed there. Typically, merchants have several options if they want to exploit the commercial potential of this platform. The most promising of them are Amazon Seller Central and Vendor Central which mainly differ in selling types and marketing methods. Let’s delve into the details to understand the underlying principles of the two.
Key points of Amazon Seller Central and Vendor Central
Within a Seller Central programme, you use the Amazon platform to get your goods listed and marketed on your own. In other words, you act as an Amazon marketplace seller (or third-party merchant) who is solely responsible for everything from product advertising to fulfilment and customer service. Thus, Seller Central allows brands to enjoy only the exposure benefits of Amazon, and it is open to everyone.
By contrast, Vendor Central is a programme that gives you the first-party seller status. This means you, as a merchant, sell your goods in bulk directly to Amazon, which then resells them to customers. The whole process comes down to receiving weekly purchase orders (POs) from Amazon and providing the required inventory for further marketing.
Unlike Amazon third-party sellers, vendors can avail themselves of Amazon fulfilment capabilities, improved customer service and new marketing opportunities to drive more traffic to their product pages. On top of that, first-party sellers end up with the status of their goods as ‘Sold by Amazon’, which is likely to boost the shoppers’ trust in their brands and encourage the marked increase in sales. But keep in mind that one and only way to become a vendor is to receive an invitation from the Amazon team.
Despite the numerous benefits of Vendor Central, there are many challenges that you may encounter, especially when it comes to measuring up to all those exacting standards of Amazon. This is where Minatus comes into play.
What Minatus offers to those who have Amazon Vendor Central UK accounts
Remember, if you’ve got the invitation to switch from an Amazon Seller Central UK account to the Vendor Central one, that’s only half the battle. To leverage the commercial potential of Amazon to your advantage, you have to ensure the flawless PO management and shipping. You can’t afford to make mistakes at any of those stages.
Minatus is well-placed to make Amazon processes less burdensome for you. With our dedicated systems and end-to-end solutions, you can say goodbye to improper handling, negligence and out-of-stocks. When partnering with Minatus, you will be provided with the professional assistance for:
- managing Amazon POs and consolidating orders, including imports to our warehouses;
- monitoring inventory levels to reduce the risk of stock-outs;
- providing on-time deliveries to Amazon and shipping goods either palletised or boxed;
- preparing all POD documents, including PO details and invoices, for easier information tracking and better Amazon Vendor customer service;
- picking, packing and order processing, including collation;
- booking delivery slots;
- addressing all issues and claims on your behalf;
- establishing and maintaining a liaison between you and Amazon.
Minatus will make all-out efforts to facilitate your responsibilities as a vendor and ensure that your products hit the shelves of Amazon on time and ready for sale. For more details on our services and end-to-end solutions, feel free to contact us.