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Amazon FBA & Dropshipping

Online sellers have specific needs: FBA labels, small batches, fast restocks and branded packaging. These guides focus on that workflow.

  1. 01China Dropshipping Agent vs AliExpress: Which to Use and WhenStart on AliExpress when you are testing products: there is no minimum order, the Dropshipping Center and order-automation apps are free or cheap, and you pay only when a customer orders. Move to a China dropshipping agent once a product sells steadily, because an agent can buy closer to factory price, check goods before they ship, hold stock, combine items in one parcel and add your own branded packaging, none of which AliExpress sellers reliably offer.6 min read

Key terms

Dropshipping
A retail model where the seller doesn't hold stock: when a customer orders, a supplier or fulfillment agent ships the product directly to the customer.
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)
Amazon's service in which sellers send inventory to Amazon fulfillment centers, and Amazon stores, picks, packs, ships and handles customer service and returns for those orders.
FNSKU
Amazon's Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit, a seller-specific barcode that identifies one seller's units of a product inside Amazon's fulfillment network.
GS1 barcode
A retail barcode that encodes a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) built from a GS1 Company Prefix licensed to the brand owner, such as a 12-digit UPC or 13-digit EAN.
Prep center
A third-party warehouse that receives goods and prepares them for Amazon FBA, including inspection, FNSKU labeling, bagging, bundling and carton labeling, before sending them to Amazon.
Third-party logistics (3PL)
An outside company that handles logistics for a seller, typically warehousing, order picking and packing, shipping and returns, and sometimes freight and customs coordination.
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