How To Sell On Amazon Without Inventory: 3 Methods That Work

Getting Started with Your Online Business

It might be intimidating to begin as an Amazon seller at first. The issue when starting to sell on Amazon for sellers who do not have a previous eCommerce business is, how to sell online without inventory! 

Fortunately, there are methods to sell on Amazon without being worried too much about inventory, as well as many tools and reports to help you choose the most acceptable selling option for your Amazon business based on the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Methods Of Selling On Amazon without Inventory

Most of the Amazon sellers prefer FBA; when broken down, Amazon merchants sell as follows:

FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon)

This method of FBA is ideal for beginners; this is how most people start their new online business. It means that rather than having an in-house stock of items for sale on Amazon, as a company, you would pay a fee to Amazon warehouses, where they store your products and ship them when orders come in.

Fulfillment encompasses storing, packing, and shipping purchases and handling returns and exchanges—customers like eCommerce fulfillment since it is effective and reliable. You send your company’s goods to Amazon fulfillment centers with FBA, where they pick, pack, ship, and handle customer service for you.

According to Jungle Scout's 2021 State of the Seller Report, 91% of Amazon vendors utilize FBA exclusively or with FBM.

Amazon's fulfillment networks are the most advanced in the business. You may utilize Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to store your items in Amazon fulfillment centers. They’ll handle everything from picking, packing, shipping to handling customer service for all these items. Fulfillment by Amazon can help you expand your operation while also attracting new consumers.

Amazon's FBA program, in a nutshell, if you sell the item, we'll ship it. The Amazon FBA program is designed to store your items at its fulfillment centers, where employees then pick them as they're sold, pack and send them, as well as provide any customer support required.

Using FBA requires a few steps and considerable investment on the front end, but it works like a charm for selling on Amazon without inventory.

Amazon FBA also aids sellers in their success by providing them with several tools and benefits, including rapid, convenient delivery, worldwide brand recognition, and sophisticated analytics to help you to track sales.

FBA is the way to go for eCommerce entrepreneurs seeking a comprehensive solution for their brand and access to Amazon Prime customers.

FBM (Fulfillment By Merchant)

Fulfillment by Merchant, or FBM, is another way of selling products on Amazon without inventory if you use a third-party merchant. Amazon allows sellers to handle the storage and delivery of their merchandise themselves. However, this can be burdensome in terms of time commitment and costs associated with shipping fees that Amazon does not reimburse.

As an FBM vendor, you are not dependent on Amazon in regards to fulfillment which means that you handle your inventory. However, we would cover the third-party fulfillment next.

Third-party fulfillment centers are companies that store your inventory, pack orders, and handle shipping, invoicing, tracking, and customer service for you. This option is perfect for an individual seller who doesn’t want to deal with their stock but still needs assistance managing large order quantities.

Amazon FBA is the most popular alternative since Amazon has a broader knowledge of customers and specializes in selling items with its brand name recognition, dependability, and detailed resources.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping lets you fulfill customer purchases when you don't have or carry the goods. Instead, you buy the product from a supplier directly and have it sent straight to the client when your online store offers a product using this method. Considering the risk involvement and startup requirements, Amazon Dropshipping is ideal for beginners.

As the Amazon seller, you don't own or store the inventory but instead purchase the goods directly from the supplier as needed to satisfy customer orders. Dropshipping products is permissible under Amazon's terms of service as long as certain conditions are met.

However, it would help if you were always designated as the Amazon seller of record for the items. Additionally, any packaging or invoices mailed to clients should include your store’s information as the seller and you should make sure all the supplier/third-party information has been deleted prior to shipping. You also accept and process any refunds when utilizing a fulfillment center, so this part is covered.

FBA vs. FBM (Third Party) vs. Dropshipping: Which One Should You Use?

There are alternative ways to build a brand without having any inventory on Amazon. For example, if you compare these fulfillment methods, FBA vs. FBM vs. Dropshipping, these options provide you the choice of selling on Amazon without being too worried about the inventory.

Your Sales Strategy Defines The Fulfillment Method

First, you need to determine your sales strategy. Then, use the corresponding fulfillment method that fits with it.

Retail arbitrage is the practice of purchasing goods at a discount from retail outlets and reselling them on Amazon for a profit. Sellers search for clearance and liquidation sales, in which retail prices are lowered on items that may be resold for a profit. It is a time-consuming procedure, but it's one of the more cost-effective ways to get FBA inventory since it doesn't usually need purchases in huge quantities. This is an excellent way for a new individual seller to experiment with the Amazon FBA environment.

Buying wholesale entails acquiring a significant amount of goods from the manufacturer at a reduced price. The objective is to find reliable suppliers with whom you can build long-term partnerships to provide your consumers with a consistent supply and demand. Rather than having huge orders delivered to your house or workplace, have them sent and stored at an Amazon fulfillment center, where all delivery operations are handled.

Online marketplaces, such as Alibaba.com, are one way to get FBA goods. This technique entails purchasing in bulk from overseas internet marketplaces at a discount. ThomasNet, eWorldTrade, and IndiaMart are some of the most popular websites. It's crucial to be aware of counterfeit items when looking for products on these online markets and assessing satisfaction rate to customer service responses.

Other Factors Also Play Their Roles In The Fulfillment Method

There are other significant things you should think about before deciding on a fulfillment method to sell products online.

Sellers with small, lightweight items that change frequently will profit from Amazon's fee plan. On the other hand,  some delivery methods might not be ideal for selling large, heavy goods.

FBA sellers use Amazon to store and ship their items and handle customer support on their behalf. Dropshipping sellers have more control over the customer experience.

Amazon's seller feedback system is a mechanism for customers to provide comments on vendors and their interactions with Amazon. FBA sellers are more likely to get positive feedback.

As Amazon keeps track of how long inventory remains in its fulfillment centers, an FBA seller's turnover rate is crucial. To avoid Amazon's high storage fees, vendors with slower turnover rates should consider third-party FBM or dropship.

There are fees associated with both methods. However, being a seller, you need to consider which one is less costly for you based on your product details.

You Should Use FBA If…

You Should Use FBM If…

You Should Use Dropshipping If…