Amazon Seller Central is a web-based interface that allows businesses to sell their products on the Amazon marketplace. It provides tools and resources to help sellers manage their inventory, lists their products, and fulfill orders. Sellers can also use Amazon Seller Central to track their sales performance and analytics. Amazon Seller Central is a powerful tool for businesses selling on Amazon. The alternative to using Amazon Seller Central is Amazon Vendor Central, both platforms have different benefits.
Why Use Amazon Seller Central?
Through Seller Central, you can list your own products on Amazon.com, as well as on Amazon’s international sites. Secondly, you can track your sales performance and customer feedback. You can also manage orders and fulfill them yourself or through Amazon Fulfillment. You then can create and run promotions to boost your sales. Finally, you can use Amazon Advertising to promote your products on Amazon. Amazon Seller Central has several tools that are beneficial to selling on Amazon.
What are the benefits of using Seller Central?
- Access to Amazon’s vast customer base
- No upfront costs or inventory requirements
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) services are available
- Competitive pricing and listing options
- Detailed performance reporting
- Able to recall or have control over products
How to Get Started with Amazon Seller Central?
To get started, simply login to your Amazon account and click on the “Sell on Amazon” link. From there, you will be taken to the Seller Central home page. From the Seller Central home page, you can click on the “Get Started” button to begin creating your seller account.
What are the Requirements for Using Seller Central?
In order to sell on Amazon, you will need to have a valid credit card and a bank account. You will also need to provide Amazon with some basic information about your business, such as your company name, address, and phone number. If you plan to use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) services, you will need to have an inventory of products to sell. Amazon will provide you with shipping labels and instructions for sending your products to their fulfillment centers.
Seller Central vs Vendor Central
Amazon Seller Central is a platform that allows third-party sellers to list and sell their products on Amazon. In contrast, Amazon Vendor Central is a platform for manufacturers and distributors to sell their products directly to Amazon. While Seller Central offers more flexibility and control of pricing for sellers, it also comes with additional risk. Because Amazon decides which products rank in search and which products earn the Buy Box, sellers may find it difficult to compete on the platform. However, Vendor Central provides a more stable source of income, as well as the ability to work closely with Amazon to promote your products. Ultimately, the best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and goals as a seller.
Anyone can use Seller Central by signing up and registering how you would like to manage the account. Amazon Vendor Central is an invitation-only, meaning that Amazon will directly contact the seller asking to be a part of the Vendor Central, connecting them to other vendors. Overall there is a significant difference in the amount of control the seller would like to have, using Amazon Seller Central will allow more control while using the platform whereas using Amazon Vendor Central, Amazon takes more control over the sellers’ products.
Benefits of Amazon Vendor Central
- A simple business model
- Sell to Amazon as wholesale
- Customer confidence in purchasing the item
Amazon Vendor Central
Envision Horizons’ Stance on Seller vs Vendor Central
Envision Horizons has always been a Seller Central first business. We have successfully moved clients from Vendor to Seller over the years and found that due to the nimble nature of Seller Central, we can grow brands significantly faster on Seller Central so long as there are no major buy box issues.
Moving to Seller Central also allows brands to be more nimble. For example, images are live in 15 minutes on Seller Central. On Vendor Central, it could take 3-5 business days to find out if images are approved and up to 2 weeks for the images to be live.
The typical process of migration includes setting up the brand’s Seller Central account, sending products into Amazon fulfillment, and then waiting for Vendor Central to run out of inventory. For one Envision Horizons client, moving to Seller Central involved a 2-month transition period, however, both sales and margin were up 30% after making the switch.
Envision Horizons also has experience running some clients on a hybrid model. For example, products under $10 are sold on Vendor Central because there is a better margin. New products are launched on Seller Central and then get a higher cost price from Amazon. If it’s a proven product, you have more leverage to negotiate.
