Amazon might be your main squeeze, but it often makes sense to branch out and sell on other platforms like Shopify and eBay.
But what’s the best way to ship your goods sold from these sites?
Read on and find out…
For various reasons, not everyone buys from Amazon. That’s why many sellers choose to offer their goods on other platforms like Shopify, Walmart, eBay, Facebook, and Etsy.
One of the main things that puts sellers off from using these sites is how to ship the product.
Amazon’s fulfilment centre handles all that stuff when we sell on Amazon, so what about when we use a different platform?
Well, I’ve got some great news for you… it’s actually really easy to ship your product regardless of where you’re selling it.
The beginner option: Use Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfilment
The 100% easiest way to store and ship products sold on another site is with Amazon’s own multi-channel fulfilment service.
Just like when you sell via FBA, Amazon will handle all the moving parts for you making it the simplest and most cost-effective method of doing this.
If you’re selling only a couple of items a day on Shopify, for example, then it’s easy to set up and you can just send out items one-by-one.
When your business starts to pick up and you’re selling around 10 items per day, then you have the option to upload your shipping details in bulk from Excel or a CSV sheet. Very handy.
If you’re selling more than 10 items per day on Shopify, Etsy, etc., then I recommend using ShipStation. ShipStation is a US-based, order processing aggregator that collects all the shipping information and communicates with Amazon to send out your items automatically.
Despite its simplicity, there are a few downsides to using Amazon’s multi-channel fulfilment service, a major one being branding.
No matter where they were purchased from, packages that are shipped by Amazon will be caked in, you guessed it, Amazon’s logo, potentially, causing a heap of confusion for your customers.
I believe Amazon is working on this. So hopefully, soon, they will start shipping blank boxes to multi-channel fulfilment customers.
The intermediate/advanced option: Use Deliverr (in the USA)
If you’re really starting to rack up the sales on Shopify and other platforms – and/or you don’t want to ship your products with Amazon branding – then I recommend a fulfilment service like USA’s Deliverr.
For your customers in the US, Deliverr will integrate all of your channels like Shopify, Etsy, Walmart etc., store your products in their warehouses, package and ship them for you. It’s fast, reliable and although it’s more expensive than Amazon’s multi-channel fulfilment service, it’s still pretty reasonable.
The big advantage of an independent fulfilment service is that you get full control over customers and their details – just what you need when your business starts to grow outside of Amazon.
What about non-US fulfilment?
For Europe, I recommend WAPI. Like Deliverr does in the US, these guys will integrate your platforms, store, pack, and ship your items to European countries.
For Australia, there are a couple of options I can vouch for.
FBA Prep Services do a great job and have excellent customer service. But if you’re selling more than 15 items per day, you’ll need a bigger operation.
PikPak and eStore Logistics are both excellent choices if your business starts to grow. I’ve used both and like to get quotes before going with the one that offers me the better deal!
I hope that helps you get your products to customers quickly and reliably – no matter where they’ve bought them!
Hugs and kisses…
Stacey xxxx