Marketplace Fulfilment: Selling on Amazon, eBay, and Beyond
The Multi-Marketplace Reality
Most UK ecommerce brands sell on multiple platforms — their own website, Amazon, eBay, and increasingly TikTok Shop, OnBuy, and Wayfair. Each marketplace has its own fulfilment expectations, and managing them all is a genuine operational challenge.
Fulfilment Options by Marketplace
Amazon
- FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon): Amazon stores and ships your products. Prime badge, but high fees and limited branding.
- FBM (Fulfilment by Merchant): You (or your 3PL) handle storage and shipping. More control, but you manage the logistics.
- SFP (Seller Fulfilled Prime): Ship from your own warehouse with Prime delivery promises. Strict performance requirements.
eBay
- eBay doesn't offer its own fulfilment service in the UK. All fulfilment is merchant-managed. Fast dispatch and tracking are critical for search ranking.
Other Marketplaces
Most other platforms (OnBuy, Wayfair, Not On The High Street) require merchant fulfilment with carrier tracking.
FBA vs 3PL: The Real Comparison
| Factor | FBA | Independent 3PL |
|---|---|---|
| Storage cost | £0.65–£1.00/cubic foot/month | £2.50–£5.00/pallet/week |
| Pick & pack | £1.50–£4.00 per unit | £0.80–£2.00 per order |
| Long-term storage fees | Aggressive (6+ months) | Typically lower |
| Branding | None (Amazon boxes) | Full custom packaging |
| Multi-channel | Amazon orders only | All channels from one stock pool |
| Returns | Amazon handles | Your rules, your process |
| Control | Limited | Full |
For brands selling across multiple channels, a 3PL that fulfils all marketplace orders from a single inventory pool is usually more efficient and cost-effective than splitting stock between FBA and your own fulfilment.
Multi-Channel Fulfilment Strategy
Single Inventory Pool
The most efficient approach: hold all stock in one warehouse and fulfil orders from every channel:
- No split inventory
- No stock imbalances
- Simplified forecasting
- One goods-in process
Integration Requirements
Your fulfilment provider needs:
- API connections to each marketplace (Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, eBay, etc.)
- Real-time stock sync — overselling destroys marketplace ratings
- Channel-specific packing rules — Amazon requires specific labelling; your website orders get branded packaging
- Priority rules — which channel ships first when stock is limited?
Common Pitfalls
- Overselling — stock sold on one channel before another updates
- Wrong packaging — sending branded boxes for Amazon orders (or vice versa)
- Slow dispatch — marketplace algorithms penalise late shipments
- Ignoring marketplace fees — fulfilment cost is only part of the equation
- FBA dependency — Amazon can change fees, rules, or suspend accounts at any time
Performance Metrics That Matter
| Metric | Amazon Target | eBay Target | General |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late dispatch rate | <4% | <5% | <3% |
| Tracking upload | Required | Required | Best practice |
| Order defect rate | <1% | <2% | <1% |
At The Fulfilment Centre, we integrate with major marketplaces and ecommerce platforms to provide seamless multi-channel fulfilment. One stock pool, one operation, every channel covered.
Selling on multiple marketplaces? Contact us to discuss unified fulfilment from our UK depots.
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