There is a common misconception among Amazon FBA sellers that Amazon does not share the buy box. I get asked this often, especially by new sellers who are unsure whether to buy stock on listings where Amazon has the BB at all times. However, in reality, Amazon shares the buy box the majority of the time. It is important to understand how and when Amazon shares the buy box so that good sourcing opportunities are not missed.
The Misunderstanding
Sourcing tools such as SellerAmp will show a warning stating that Amazon doesn’t share the BB. Many sellers take this at face value and avoid the listing altogether. However, when you actually check the buy box price history or the competitive offers section, you will often see that the only reason why Amazon hasn’t been sharing the BB is because there are no offers that are competitive for the BB price. The problem is not that Amazon refuses to share, the problem is that most sellers on the listing are not priced competitively.
Real Example of What Happens
You may see a listing with:
- 10 total sellers
- 9 of them FBM at £22.00
- Amazon at £17.00
In this case, Amazon is not refusing to share the buy box. The other sellers simply aren’t competitive.
The same applies to FBA sellers. If there are FBA offers at £21.50 and Amazon is at £17.00, Amazon will continue to hold the buy box because the others are not offering competitive pricing. If you match Amazon’s price, in most cases you will share the buy box with them.
There are occasions where Amazon are being tight with sharing the buy box. In these situations, lowering your price slightly below Amazon will usually force the buy box rotation to include your offer.
This does not mean huge price cuts. Often lowering by a few pence is enough to trigger sharing.
When Amazon Will NOT Share the Buy Box
There are cases where Amazon will not share the Buy Box
- If Amazon is the only seller and has always been the only seller.
- If the listing has no history of other sellers ever winning the buy box.
With the above cases, it is important to avoid the listing not just because of the Buy Box share data, but because of IP issues too!
Final Thoughts
Do not let Amazons BB dominance scare you away automatically and do not rely purely on buy box warnings in sourcing apps, Look at the actual pricing behavior and competitive landscape. Amazon shares the buy box most of the time, provided you are priced competitively!
This understanding will open up far more sourcing opportunities and prevent you from missing profitable products simply due to a misconception.
