Amazon Vendor Central vs Amazon Seller Central - FAQs
What are Amazon Vendor Central and Amazon Seller Central, and what is the difference between the two?
Amazon Vendor Central and Amazon Seller Central are two different platforms offered by Amazon for businesses to sell their products on the platform. Amazon Vendor Central is a reseller structure, where Amazon buys the products from the manufacturers, sells them on the platform, and pays the vendors back. It is invite-only and generally reserved for larger manufacturers and well-known brands. In contrast, Amazon Seller Central allows third-party sellers to list their products on Amazon’s marketplace. Anyone can use Seller Central, even those who are currently using Vendor Central.
What are the pros and cons of Amazon Vendor Central?
The pros of Amazon Vendor Central include bulk orders that make inventory management easier, payments received directly from Amazon, and increased visibility due to Amazon advertising opportunities. However, there are cons to using Vendor Central, such as inflexibility in pricing, no direct access to customer feedback or reviews, less control over customer relationships, and the difficulty in tracking sales data.
What are the pros and cons of Amazon Seller Central?
The pros of Amazon Seller Central include the ability to control product pricing, listings, and inventory management, direct access to customer reviews and feedback, and easier tracking and monitoring of sales performance through analytics. However, the cons of Seller Central include fees per item sold, competition from larger organisations with deeper pockets and greater resources, and the complexity of seller central reporting.
What is a hybrid account, and is it allowed by Amazon?
A hybrid account is when a brand uses both Seller Central and Vendor Central. Anyone can use Seller Central, even those who are currently using Vendor Central. However, this type of account is discouraged as this can jeopardise your relationship with Amazon. Saying this, we aware of brands leveraging both accounts.
What should businesses consider when preparing to move to Seller Central?
If a business plans to migrate from Vendor Central to Seller Central, controlling distribution will be vital to their success and profitability. Unauthorised third-party sellers can hurt their ability to advertise and undercut their prices on Amazon. Using an Amazon brand protection service can help businesses protect their intellectual property, preserve the integrity of their products, and prevent lost sales.
Looking to learn more about Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central? Join #AmafestUK - Amazon Sellers Conference in Brighton in October 2023 - Find out more https://amafestuk.com/