Amazon Offers Unbranded Packaging to UK Brands for Off-Site Orders in Pilot Program: Report
In a sign that Amazon is continuing to aggressively expand its logistics business, the company has now started offering unbranded packaging to merchants in the UK for products that are ordered off-site.
ECommerceBytes reports that Amazon is offering the unbranded packaging at no additional fee to sellers who use Amazon's Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) service.
The service is available for non-apparel and footwear that are within the dimensions of 45.72 x 35.56 x 20.32 cm and weigh no more than 9 kg. Amazon says this is a pilot program, which means it could conceivably expand to other products and to other countries, including the United States.
This is all part of Amazon's effort to build a logistics infrastructure that can compete with big names such as FedEx and UPS. By going with unbranded packaging, Amazon is seeking to serve merchants beyond the products that sell through the Amazon website.
While this program is only available to brands that operate in the UK, if you don't have such a brand, you may still be able to position yourself to take advantage of the program when and if it becomes available. Amazon automatically enrolled MCF sellers in this pilot program (although some sellers were prioritized, according to the report), so by enrolling in the MCF program, you may immediately become eligible if Amazon expands the program.
MCF is an ideal option for sellers who already use Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). You can use your FBA storage to fulfill orders that don't come through Amazon with MCF, which can improve efficiency and save on costs. It certainly could save you a lot of time and money searching for a partner to deal with storage and shipping.
It's also a good option if the vast majority of your business is done with Amazon. If only a minority of your business comes through Amazon, it may not make sense to give Amazon that much control over your logistics.
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