Amazon’s FBA Program UK (New Launch)
- What is Heavy and Bulky Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)?
- What is the Big Change?
- What are the Criteria for Heavy and Bulky FBA Program UK?
- How to Enroll for the Amazon FBA UK Heavy and Bulky Program
- How Will the New Amazon FBA UK Program Affect Your Business?
- Tips for Amazon United Kingdom Sellers With the Heavy Program
- Final Thoughts
Below, we will address what the new program means for you and the details of how it benefits some businesses.
What is Heavy and Bulky Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)?
What is Arranged Delivery?
Amazon FBA UK systems have arranged delivery options that allow the customer to select a delivery time to their preference. This delivery type ensures they will not receive delivery until the delivery person contacts them.
Scheduled delivery allows the customer to select a specific time and date slot. The delivery person can leave the item on the front step by choosing a scheduled delivery without arranged delivery, just like other packages.
What is the Big Change?
The significant change is that Amazon Seller Central UK did not offer this service before. For people who sell large, bulky items, this is their opportunity to break into a larger market.
Even if you sell items in a mix of sizes (Like grills and grill equipment), you can choose to apply individual ASINs to the new program. That means you can continue to use the standard FBA program alongside the program for bulky items.
Below, we will dig into some of the requirements you need to be aware of and what you need to enroll your product listings into this program.
What are the Criteria for Heavy and Bulky FBA Program UK?
These more oversized items have to meet one of the following criteria to part of the program:
- It needs to be longer than 175 centimeters on one side but not longer than 300cm.
- Your item should weigh more than 31.5 kilograms but not more than 150kgs. (dependent heavily on location).
- The Girth (Length + 2*(Height) + 2*(Width)) needs to be more than 300 centimeters. In some locations, girth cannot exceed 800cms.
The information above fulfills the item-based criteria, but what about the seller-based standards?
Seller-Based Criteria for the Amazon United Kingdom Heavy and Bulky Program
- High Delivery Performance: Your Delivery Estimated Accurate (DEA) needs to be 96%. That means you can only have errors on 4% of deliveries.
- Detailed Tracking Information: You must use Valid Tracking (VTR), which provides detailed tracking information to Amazon.
- Specific Products Available: You must either have eligible listings that meet the weight requirement above or items that require special handling (TVs, Appliances, Furniture, etc.)
Amazon also requires you to use specific carriers that provide full tracking to the customer, including services that will contact them before the delivery arrives. Below is a list from Amazon Seller Central UK guidelines:
- Yodel
- DX
- Panther
- Arrow XL
- Amazon Shipping (Most Likely for FBA Sellers)
- DPD
- UK Mail
- Expert Logistics
- UPS
- TNT
- DHL
As you might expect, there may also be fees depending upon the size and weight of your package.
Amazon FBA UK Fees Associated With the Heavy and Bulky Program
To take advantage of Amazon’s millions of customers, one must first be willing to pay the program’s fees. The fees will depend on the item you want to ship; many of them depend on your chosen product category.
Starting with weight, here’s what you should expect for the fulfillment fees for items above 30kgs.
- Items from 20-40kgs are £15.23.
- Products from 40-60kgs are £40.40.
- Any kilogram exceeding 60kgs is an additional £0.24 per kilo.
For an exact calculation including unique product categories, place your ASINs into the Fulfillment by Amazon Revenue Calculator. We also have another article detailing the breakdown of Amazon fees on our blog. Here’s a quick overview of additional costs to expect:
- Subscription fees for your selling plan
- Referral fees to affiliates
- Fulfillment fees related to storage (short-term and long-term storage included)
- Additional fees related to advertising and unique product requirements
How to Enroll for the Amazon FBA UK Heavy and Bulky Program
- Step One: Set Up an Amazon UK Fulfillment Account
Start by setting up your account and apply for Amazon’s FBA system. While you don’t have to have a professional seller account to become an FBA seller, professional sellers receive many more tools from utilizing during this process.
Once your account receives approval for FBA, it’s time to list your products.
- Step Two: Apply for the Program
Once your account is ready, you have the option to fill out a form to apply for the Heavy and Large Program. Provided your Amazon account meets all of the other requirements, you will be able to click this link to handle the form.
Once you fill in the form, Amazon will get back to you within the next five business days. They will discuss all of the eligibility requirements of your products and your tracking methods.
- Step Three: Add Your Product Listings
Next, add all of the products you plan on selling on Amazon. Whether you are an individual seller or a professional seller, it’s crucial to have various products.
If you want to start by getting a feel for Amazon, you can limit these listings to a few items. Be aware of any additional fees that come with unique listings (i.e., Technology, Food, etc.)
To sell products protected by trademark, you must be the legal owner of that trademark to register the items.
- Step Four: Prepare Products on Your Listings and Ship Them
Once you’ve added a good image, title, and description for your product, it’s time to make sure they are ready for shipment and sale. When it comes to large and heavy items, you will need to create a template and add your SKUs to that template.
Follow these steps:
- Select “settings” from “shipping settings.”
- Select ‘create a new template for large and heavy items” from the shipping template list.
- Add any SKUs to the template that fit the bill for large and heavy items.
After everything in this process is complete, you will print Amazon shipment labels and send your items to the nearest fulfillment facility. Before doing this, you want to be sure that your Amazon United Kingdom Fulfillment Center supports the new program.
How Will the New Amazon FBA UK Program Affect Your Business?
If you do not handle heavy items through the Amazon United Kingdom, this will not affect your business at all. However, it does present the potential for you to introduce more oversized items that supplement your products.
Tips for Amazon United Kingdom Sellers With the Heavy Program
Below are some quick tips to keep in mind for those using Amazon Seller Central UK for their heavy items:
- Be Aware of The Cost Differences
It would be best if you broke down all of the cost changes of these items. Entering a different niche can be complicated when addressing all of the other advertising costs and category-based costs.
An often-forgotten cost difference comes from the weight and size of items. Don’t let any new costs break your budget. Re-evaluate your COGS with and without Amazon.
- Know Your Audience
Shipping large items is a most helpful effort when targeting local areas. It isn’t easy to ship appliances and furniture cross-country. With this in mind, focus on how your analytics information can help you target local areas.
With our DataHawk’s Amazon marketing analytics, you will be able to delve into this market and gain insight into competition and market dynamics. This tool will confirm what you need to do to succeed in this unique niche.
- Focus on the Benefits
When creating product descriptions, don’t be afraid to mention the benefits of your product. When part of the heavy program, state how they can receive the outcome through FBA shipping, meaning two people can move it to where they need it.
Don’t forget to mention other product benefits. Features won’t matter much if the buyer cannot see why those features might be helpful.
Final Thoughts
Giving away some of the challenges of heavy shipping objects is also handy. If your company specializes in making these oversized items (but not so much with logistics), this new Amazon UK system has you covered.
