We regularly deliver goods straight into Amazon’s UK fulfillment warehouses. This means customers don’t need to see or touch their products to get them to market!
A lot of customers import products to the UK to sell online via Amazon, eBay and their own websites. We do everything possible to make the process of importing easier than ever so if you use Amazon’s fulfilment centres then we can save you some money by delivering direct to them.
Not having to handle your products is an attractive proposition for many online traders who sell large numbers of items. Amazon offers a great solution but they require that you work to their strictly regulated practices. Here’s what you need to know:
Getting a cost for shipping
Before setting your shipment up we understand that it is important to know how much it’s going to cost you to import your goods from your supplier into an Amazon UK Fulfilment Centre. This is something we can help with! If you don’t have the exact details of your preferred Amazon warehouse location or the finer details don’t worry, we’ll give you an estimated cost.
Click “Need a quote” tab and tell us:
- Shipment size
- Weight of goods
- Outbound port
- Delivery postcode
- Description of the goods you are shipping
At the time of writing we’re currently using Amazon Coventry (BHX4) when supplying estimates as we’re seeing a large proportion of our customers’ goods being routed there. Even if your goods aren’t allocated this location by Amazon it’ll be a good guide due to it’s central location. Here are the Amazon locations that we’ve seen allocated recently (keep your fingers crossed that you avoid Fife!):
You may already have done this so read on…
What to ask your supplier
Before you can set up your Shipment Plan with Amazon you it is important you check how your goods need to be packed and labelled to meet Amazon’s FBA standards.
You will need to check this with your supplier to ensure your products are accepted:
- All products must have a single scannable barcode placed on the outside of each unit.
- Carton dimensions should not exceed 63.5cm on any side.
- Cartons should not weigh any more than 23kg.
- Cartons with a weight exceeding 15kg will need to be marked “Heavy packaging”.
- Ensure that the Amazon carton labels from your Seller Central shipment plan are clearly visible… if you have more than one SKU then your supplier will have to label each box with the carton labels you’ll generate in the shipment plan (see below for details).
Set up an LTL Shipment Plan
A Shipment Plan is what specifies to Amazon the details of the products you are sending. This includes the quantity of each product, the shipping method, carrier details and whether you would like Amazon to prep & label or not. It allows you to organise your shipment to Amazon’s standards.
Now you have your estimate, you’re ready to go! Here is what you’ll need to know when setting up the Amazon plan:
- In your Amazon Seller Central you can set up shipment plans in the “INVENTORY” tab.
- Once you have reached the ‘Prepare Shipment’ section you will need to select ‘Less than Truckload (LTL)‘. This is important as it will generate pallet labels that you can send to us. We will put your cartons onto pallets when they land in the UK so we can apply these labels once your goods are palletised to Amazon standards.
- Send the box labels (referred to as “carton labels”) to your supplier so they can stick them on the boxes for you. It is important you follow this step otherwise it could result in Amazon rejecting your order, if they don’t know what’s in each carton
- Send us the pallet labels. We will attach them and palletise your cartons to Amazons standards
The pallet labels look like the below. They are necessary to identify your shipment when it is delivered:
n.b. The above selection is only for Sea and Air Freight. If you are sending via traditional courier then you will need to select SPD.
SPD (Small Parcel Delivery) are normally small shipments that are sent via FedEx, Ups, DHL or local postal services. They consist of units packed in individual boxes, each box will be individually labelled for delivery. Once the above is complete all you need to do is complete the rest of the details, send us (Shippo) the pallet labels and the Amazon details from your shipment plan so we can arrange the delivery appointment.
Delivery to Amazon
If your supplier is shipping your products as loose cartons (fairly normal when importing from China and the Far East) then don’t worry, with the pallet labels that you’ve sent us (in the above “Shipment Plan” step) our warehouse will unload the cartons from the shipping container and palletise them to Amazon’s requirements.
If your supplier wants to palletise your shipment at their factory they must be palletised to Amazon’s standards. This means loading onto 100x120cm pallets, heat treated to ISPM 15 standard, and be no taller than 180cm in height or heavier than 1000kg (including the height/weight of the pallet). In addition to this the pallets need to be accessible from all four sides.
If your supplier ships the goods on a pallet then they must adhere to the above before shrink wrapping the pallet in clear wrap (black shrink wrap may be rejected by Amazon).
All pallets must contain like items when quantities allow. All pallets of mixed but visually similar product must be labelled ‘mixed merchandise’ or ‘mixed SKUs’ on all four sides of the pallet.
Once we’re satisfied that the goods are palletised to Amazon’s standards and ready to go we will book the delivery in directly with the Amazon warehouse so you don’t have to worry about it. Once Amazon have allocated the delivery slot, we’ll let you know when your shipment will be delivered.
Once your goods have been delivered to Amazon UK they will show on your Amazon Seller Dashboard online and you’ll be good to go!
Simple as that! You’ll save time, money, and a lot of hassle!
Can we help you?
If you want to ship your products from China to Amazon UK fulfillment warehouses, or from anywhere else in the world for that matter, we can help. If you need the goods shipped into Amazon urgently then we can arrange air freight shipments direct to Amazon UK or if you’re looking to keep your costs down then sea freight is the preferred option.
For more information on the topic, or if you wish to import goods to be delivered into an Amazon fulfillment depot give us a call or drop us a line and we’ll happily discuss the process with you.
Contact us now on 0203 384 0498 or email info@shippo.co.uk