What you need to know about selling on Amazon this Christmas

By Sharon Fussell, September 5, 2013

I know the weather continues to be very nice, and we are experiencing a very pleasant summer compared to recent years.

It’s hard to think that in less than 8 weeks time, the weather will likely be much different: darker evenings, coats, heating switched on – lights on even in the daytime!

I know it’s difficult to conjure up these images when the sun is shining and indeed many folks are still on summer hols by the beach.

However, it is never too early or sunny to think about what products you can acquire for the Christmas selling bonanza that you’ll be wanting to get a piece of the action of!

I tend to look for craft books; niche autobiographies (such as famous or long-retired sport personalities); cookery books are always good, especially Christmas cookery books; children’s books, even used books in very good condition tend to sell well and provide gifts for auntie and uncle, grandparents, siblings and others.

Amazon’s restrictions on selling toys and games this Christmas

You may be attracted to the idea of researching toys and games to sell over the Christmas period.

These types of goods do sell very well. However, you may not be aware that Amazon does restrict selling activity in this category for certain sellers.

So before you go out and acquire a job lot of toys and games to ‘make a killing with’ over the Christmas period, check Amazon’s restrictions below.

It’s worth mentioning that Amazon do relax toys and game selling requirements after Christmas – but that will too late if you have purchased a pallet load of goodies to sell before and during the Christmas season.

Below is Amazon’s email sent to my account… Luckily if I did want to sell toys and games, I do actually qualify, which is useful as I often find suitable products when out and about: wrapped jigsaws and board games.

So keep a look out and if you do qualify to sell toys and games, do look for ideal items.

They should be new and factory wrapped – and don’t forget to ensure you have allowed for actual posting costs. I recommend you go to the post office and get a postage rates leaflet. Or look online at www.royalmail.com.

Dear Seller,

To maintain buyer confidence in Amazon this festive season, we are implementing Christmas selling guidelines for the Toys & Games store.

With effect from 19 November 2013, only sellers who meet the following performance criteria will be eligible to sell in the Toys & Games category from 19 November 2013 up to the end of the first week in January 2014.

  • Your first sale on Amazon.co.uk must be prior to 19 September 2013. The sale does not need to be specific to the Toys store.
  • You must have processed and dispatched at least 25 orders from 1 September up to 31 October 2013. The orders do not need to be specific to the Toys store.
  • Your pre-fulfilment cancellation rate must be no greater than 1.75% from 1 October up to 31 October 2013.
  • Your late dispatch rate must be no greater than 4% from 1 October up to 31 October 2013.
  • Your short term order defect must be no greater than 1% as of 1 November 2013.

Orders for which you use Fulfilment by Amazon will not be subject to the festive season restrictions provided your account is in good standing.

You can find your customer metrics in the Performance section of your seller account. If your performance does not meet the above criteria, we encourage you to take corrective action.

Eligibility to sell in the Toys & Games store is determined separately for each country. If you sell in multiple marketplaces, your performance metrics will be evaluated for each country.

We will provide final notification about your eligibility to sell in the Toys & Games store by the middle of November 2013. Beginning 19 November 2013, we will monitor the performance and listings of sellers who are approved to sell in Toys & Games during the festive season. Amazon Services Europe reserves the right to cancel listings, remove selling privileges, and prohibit the sale of specific products to maintain a marketplace that is safe for buyers.

Here are some steps you can take to remain eligible to sell in Toys & Games throughout the festive season:

  • Monitor your customer metrics and take corrective action when necessary.
  • Use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) to send products to your customers.
  • Check your orders frequently in the Manage Orders section of your account.
  • Minimise order cancellations; don’t show more stock for sale than you have available to dispatch.
  • Dispatch orders and confirm dispatch in a timely manner.
  • Ensure your seller policies are up to date.

Thank you for selling on Amazon.co.uk.

Regards,
Amazon Services Europe

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