There are three main ways you can ship something: by land, by sea, or by air. What you choose will depend on a number of factors, including:
- Where you’re located.
- Where your products are coming from.
- Where you’re shipping to.
- What you’re shipping.
- How many items you’re shipping.
- How soon do you want your inventory to arrive at Amazon?
The first thing you need to decide is if you’re going to have your supplier ship the products from the factory directly to Amazon, or if you’re going to have them shipped to you first.
It may seem inefficient to have your items shipped to you first, but because Amazon has certain rules for FBA shipping it’s worth checking that everything is in order before forwarding them to Amazon. This is a good step to take for the first few orders. Then once the distributor has proven they can pack things correctly you can start having them ship directly to FBA for you.
Ways of how to ship to Amazon fab
Here are your three main shipping options and the reason why you might choose them:
Land: If you’re shipping the products yourself to an FBA warehouse within your own country, or even your own continent (such as Canada to the US), then this is the obvious choice. Or it may be that your wholesaler is located near the FBA warehouse you’re shipping to, in which case you can just have them ship the products by land to Amazon for you.
Sea: If your products are coming from overseas (such as the UK or India to the US) and going straight from your supplier to Amazon then you’ll have to go with either sea or air freight. Shipping by boat is significantly cheaper, but it also takes a lot longer. This option is best for large and heavy items that are too costly to ship by air. It also makes sense if you’re not in a hurry for them to arrive and want to save some money.
Air: This is generally the best option for overseas shipping, assuming your products are small and lightweight. If your items are small enough the cost difference will be negligible and your inventory will arrive at Amazon much faster. Some express shipping options can even deliver your products in as little as two days.
Making the Right Choice for Your Business
Ready to start shipping? Tools like ShipEngine & Zonbase Amazon dfy can provide access & useful information to all of the carriers needed for your platform, brand, or third-party logistics company to thrive. Follow these three steps to begin:
Use the Filters Above: Read through the four filters above and apply them to your business. Does one carrier or service stand out above all the others?
Understand Your Costs: When negotiating with carriers, always take into account the full costs (including fees and surcharges) and how they impact your revenue.
Diversify With Multiple Options: What many online sellers discover is that there’s power in having options. Having access to multiple carriers, or offering customers access to multiple carriers, makes a huge difference in creating the right shipping experience at the right price.