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What is FBA? (Fulfillment by Amazon)

As the name suggests Fulfillment by Amazon means your inventory is fulfilled by Amazon. You are required to send all of your inventory to Amazon already prepared for shipping. Before you send your products to Amazon, use an experienced fulfillment service company such as Fulco Fulfillment Inc. (FFI) as your dedicated prepping partner. They will package your items to Amazon’s specifications, print and apply labels and bar codes, and ship them to a regional facility. Simply put FBA works like this: you sell it, then Amazon ships it.

Send your items to Amazon’s fulfillment warehouse to be stored. After they receive it they may shift your stock from one warehouse location to another if they see a geographical need.
After Amazon receives your inventory you can monitor it through their tracking system.
Customer places order. You can market your product via email, or any of your social media marketing channels and see your orders come in.
Amazon picks packs and ships
Customer service available at Amazon and they accept returns.

Are you asking yourself, “Should I be using FBA?”

Using Amazon’s marketplace as a sales channel gives users the ability to grow their business and reach more customers. But, there are some things you need to consider before using FBA. There are some pitfalls with FBA that could be major. Since FBA isn’t a flexible service they require your products to be ready to be fulfilled upon arrival at their fulfillment centers. If not, unplanned prep may delay Amazon’s receiving of your shipments by up to 48 hours. Not properly preparing your inventory before sending to Amazon can also run the risk of being charged for noncompliance or even worse, refusal of inventory.

Sellers that use FBA for Amazon sales still outsource to an existing fulfillment center, like Fulco Fulfillment Inc., for fulfilling sales from other online channels. Examples of other selling channels could be Etsy or their own web site otherwise known as off-Amazon sales. If you sell on several channels other than Fulfillment by Amazon, such as your own website and other marketplaces like eBay, you can use FBA to fill those orders too. Amazon calls this service Multi-Channel fulfillment or MCF. Your inventory storage fees are the same, but the MCF fulfillment fees are higher. Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI) fulfillment by Amazon preparation supports you if you are a multichannel customer and Amazon is one of your sales channels, or if you are exclusively an Amazon seller and don’t sell through other channels.

Take a look at Fulco Fulfillment for not only your FBA prepping services but to help you manage fulfillment for non Amazon shipping needs. After that your major fulfillment task is done, aside from checking stock levels and replenishing when necessary.

Fulco Fulfillment FBA Prepping Services:

Receive Materials

We receive your products, inspect product shipments for visible damage and verify quantity.
The importance of quality control is key at this moment. Photo documentation can be provided following item inspection if items appear damaged. If price tags or stickers are visible they will be removed or covered.

Amazon Prep Services

Case and Pallet Labeling
Generate Amazon ID Labels
SKU labeling
ASIN: Each unit must have a scannable barcode (ISBN, UPC, GTIN, EAN, or JAN). The unit’s barcode must not be punched out, marked over, covered, or otherwise obstructed.
Multipack packaging “sold as set”
Repackaging
Loose products
Case-packed products
Fragile item preparation
Polybagging
Secondary packaging
Bundling
Compliant Markings: anti-suffocation warning, sold as set, choking hazard, expiration date etc.

Ship to Amazon Warehouses

We divide your products to ship out to different Amazon fulfillment centers, using either small parcel or LTL service. Trackability will be accessible through the Amazon seller central portal.

Fulco Fulfillment Inc offers seller Central shipment management for your FBA, give us a sign-in and we can take it from there.

Beware of Hidden Storage Fees That Amazon Charges

Long-term storage

As FBA grows, space within their fulfillment centers becomes more valuable. It’s no surprise, if inventory is stored in an Amazon fulfillment center for longer than six months penalty fees are charged. If your items have long shelf lives or if you usually have stale inventory, you’re paying more to rent to store items, especially if it doesn’t sell. Your need to make sure you are keeping track of all inventory and monitor it. Don’t let it become too much of a burden and sit stagnant for too long.

Seasonal storage increase

October – December holiday season storage rates increase dramatically during these three months. This is something to watch closely if you use FBA, and is a major reason that volume sellers rarely use FBA as their sole storage option. Instead, sellers often store the bulk of their inventory using an outside fulfillment center like Fulco Fulfillment Inc. Then periodically ship just enough stock to cover a range of forecasted sales at Amazon.

Stock removal fee

FBA charges a removal fee if you want to pull inventory from Amazon or dispose of unsold stock.

There are other scenarios where additional fees apply. These different instances can cause a change in FBA standard pricing: Oversized items that have special handling fees per shipment. Other fees can apply such as prep service fees or fees for processing customer returns in specific categories. Clothing items incur an extra surcharge per unit. If you are only shipping large, oversized items or only shipping/storing during the peak months of October through December you may want to reconsider using FBA. If you’re considering using FBA, you need to be aware of these fees to ensure they don’t unknowingly creep into your bill. If you don’t stay on top of these, your profits can slip away. So be sure to understand the FBA fulfillment and storage fees, and how they apply to your products, before taking the plunge.

Is FBA Worth the Cost of Your Business?

Just because FBA, Fulfillment by Amazon, is used by so many companies, you need to determine if it’s right for your company. For some it’s a tough choice. If you decide it’s right for you remember the services that Fulco Fulfillment Inc offers to assist you with properly prepping your products to meet fulfillment by Amazon’s standards and specifications.

What is polybagging?

Polybagging is a simple process where a printed item or small loose items can be hand inserted into polybags and sealed. Polybagging usually falls under the mailing service banner, but it can be used for packaging and kitting as well. The traditional definition is a clear plastic or polyethylene bag used to package multiple items together. It is commonly used to package a magazine, small supplementary publications, a newspaper or magazine.

Direct marketers love the versatility that comes with polybagging and polybag mailings, since they are always looking for ways to stand apart from the competition.

3 Reasons to Polybag you Next Mailing

1. Stand Out from the Competition

Smart marketers know that polybagging is a great way to stand out from the competition. Virtually any combination of companion pieces can be stacked together to form the mailing. The polybag doesn’t have standard size limitations like an envelope, it can be wrapped around mailers of almost any size. Probably the best reason you would want to use a polybag is so that you can stand out from the competition and achieve a high open rate. Polybagged pieces get opened more frequently and quicker than traditional direct mail pieces. Your brilliant promotional piece will be displayed through the polybag not covered like an envelope. The visibility of the contents is a marketing tool that stimulates interest and makes a lasting impression with the person receiving the mail piece. Printed pieces “pop” and create a more professional and memorable impression. It gives potential customers a sneak peek into what they are receiving.

2. Cost Efficiency

Not only will your mailer stand out but you can also achieve it at the same costs as using traditional envelopes. Polybagging keeps your package light and therefore you postage costs low. Mailing your marketing piece in a polybag saves you money because you are eliminating the cost of a designer and printing services associated with an envelope.

3. Protecting Catalogs and other Printed Materials

Polybagging protects printed materials from damage. Damage can be related to weather or human error. The polybag makes your piece durable and protects it from ripping in the mail stream and protects it from water damage.

Take advantage of high quality professional polybagging services from Fulco Fulfillment Inc (FFI) to deliver any number of printed items such as:

Catalogs
Brochures
Magazines
Periodicals
Booklets/Pamphlets
Annual Reports
Marketing Collateral
Advertisements with Free Samples

Our polybag services and mail services team will efficiently take care of your polybag project from start to finish maximizing postal savings. Ship your printed materials directly to FFI transmit us your distribution lists and we will do the rest. We will ensure that everything is packed safely and completely prior to shipping or mailing. Fulco Fulfillment Inc can be your full service direct mail provider offering polybagging, mailing list postal data presorting, addressing, sorting mail for lowest postage rate.

In addition to mailings, polybagging is used to polybag small parts together. Marketers bring small parts together in a polybag to prevent loss and organize distribution or ecommerce shipment. Items can be heat sealed into clear bags, custom labeled bags, or preprinted suffocation warning bags. Post bagging weigh station for 100% accuracy. If you have unique requirements for you polybagging we specialize in hand assembly and expert quality control. Often companies include small losable parts in orders and a tiny polybag is the perfect solution to not lose the small parts included. FFI also polybags products for our fulfillment customers. Often products are polybagged to prevent damage to the product packed in cartons. During transit cartons can be broken, torn, or open upon arrival. This exposes finished products to dirt, moisture and damage. The polybag protects the product from becoming dirty or damaged during transit. Additionally, the polybags keep stored products clean in the warehouse environment.

Many clients rely on Fulco Fulfillment Inc for their products’ polybagging and hand assembly packaging needs. Your project may be simple or you may be looking to outsource a complicated polybagging project. When automation is not an option, our skilled team of packagers offer polybagging solutions. We can provide efficient and effective polybagging to suit all of your needs. Polybagging is perfect for gift set assemblies, specialty kits, sampling kits, games, cosmetic kits, seasonal items, combination offers and much more.

How your marketing message or fulfillment of your order is organized is very important. Polybagging can make it easy for customers to find small parts or make a big impact with a marketing message. Either way, it’s an affordable alternative to paper envelopes that Fulco Fulfillment Inc can help you implement today.

Successful Outsourced Order Fulfillment Processes for E-Commerce Businesses

Transparent, efficient order fulfillment is one of the keys to success for an e-commerce business. Understanding each step of order fulfillment will help you choose the right 3PL for your business and customers.

Better E-Commerce Fulfillment Starts With Systems Integration

At Fulco Fulfillment, Inc. (FFI) orders are received from e-commerce businesses and sellers through a variety of methods. Most commonly, FFI receives its orders through an application programming interface or API. With an API, any online shopping cart can be connected directly to our fulfillment facility in Dover, NJ. The orders can then be picked, packed and shipped at a moment’s notice.

After we receive an order from a client’s e-commerce system, we automatically respond with pertinent information such as tracking data and the level of remaining inventory. This automation is one of the main drivers of our successful fulfillment process.

FFI Offers Many Order Management Solutions

Although most of our clients typically use an API solution, FFI can receive orders in a variety of ways.

Batch Download
CSV Order File
Manual Order Entry

Manual order entry can be used for auto-ship or continuity programs like subscriptions. For the CSV method, it is important to send an updated list of subscribers each month including their corresponding orders. This method is useful for pharmaceuticals and magazines. Direct integration with a client’s online inventory is the most efficient way to work with us, but we are happy to work with any method a client prefers: email, fax or mail order.

Good Warehouse Management Streamlines Fulfillment

After the orders are received, they are printed and organized according to the method of shipping, i.e., two-day, expedited, etc. This allows us to correctly prioritize shipping times. Orders are then categorized by product type and sent to one of our warehouse sorting areas to be unpacked and packed in the preferred method of the client.

Orders are checked for any specific pick and pack instructions such as plastic wrapping or a particularly specified box size.

Throughout the pick, pack and ship process, frequent quality control checks are performed to be sure that each order is accurate. Typically each product is put into a small box or container and given the appropriate protection to avoid breakage during delivery. Smaller boxes with appropriate protection lower the dimensional weight of each package and will help save the client some money.

Efficient Shipping and Inventory Management

Labels for the orders, including shipping instructions, are organized by shipping location. When the orders have been labeled, they are put onto a pallet to prepare for their final journey.

Once the orders are shipped, clients have live access to tracking activity through our Order Management System portal. FFI can even have tracking numbers sent to the client’s e-commerce system automatically.

Clients can customize their under-stock notification level. An email is sent to the client notifying them that it is time to re-stock, and another email is generated when inventory reaches zero. Since inventory is updated the moment items are shipped, the end customer will know immediately if their order is not available.

Flexible, Effective Fulfillment Helps Businesses Succeed

FFI has taken control of fulfillment and streamlined this potentially complicated process through software integration, efficient inventory and warehousing capabilities, and superior customer service. If you are looking to optimize your fulfillment process, we would love to work with you. We have solutions for all types of businesses! Give us a call at 973-361-1700 or fill out our contact form.