{"id":395,"date":"2019-01-30T04:29:49","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T04:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/?p=395"},"modified":"2025-01-14T18:43:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T18:43:11","slug":"amazon-buy-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/amazon-buy-box\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Points Guide to Amazon Buy Box in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Every seller wants the \u2018Buy Box\u2019 and stay there for the maximum amount of time. Do you want to know why? Its because 75% \u2013 85% sales occur through this buy box. Amazon shares the buy box period among its FBA sellers and these rotations are hidden from its customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Hundreds of theories and speculations are out there regarding breaking the buy box code. While none of them can exactly know how the algorithm works, we can always estimate and learn the range of the algorithm through our experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Eligibility<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>FBA vs FBM. <\/strong>Keeping the price same, FBM merchant will not win the buy box in the presence of an FBA merchant. Many times an FBA seller with more price still wins the race to buy box from FBM merchant.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>New vs Used Items.<\/strong> Product needs to be categorized as a new one. Used products do not qualify to win the buy box.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Pro vs Individual Account.<\/strong> Only sellers with a professional account are eligible to contest for the buy box.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Inventory in Stock.<\/strong> Amazon is extremely sensitive when it comes to product availability and is inclined towards sellers that have the capacity to take bigger orders. They will prefer to give the buy box opportunity to a seller with hefty stocks in the fulfillment centers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Factors in Winning the Buy Box<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Amazon takes into account several data points by breaking down the performance into different variables for each eligible sellers\u2019 performance. It evaluates the performance on a specific variable on a comparative scale i.e. relative to other seller\u2019s rank\/score on the same variable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Competitively Priced. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Price is the king and its weightage is maximum in winning the buy box. In the spectrum of price range of all competitors, products with the lowest price and are not outrageously priced usually win the battle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Competition with Amazon. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">DO NOT COMPETE WITH AMAZON! You do not want to be in competition with a product that is sold by Amazon. No surprise but there is a natural inclination of the algorithm towards its own brand and Amazon will more often or so come out as a winner. You need to be selling an item that Amazon does not sell themselves to secure the buy box.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Geographical. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Not many sellers are aware that customers from one state will see a different seller\u2019s product in another state. This is because Amazon has spread products in warehouses nationwide and the products that happen to be in the warehouse near the customer\u2019s location will be available in the buy box.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sellercentral.amazon.com\/gp\/help\/external\/G200285170?language=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Order Defect Rate (ODR).<\/a> <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">An order has a defect if it results in negative feedback, A-to-Z guarantee claim that is not denied or a credit card chargeback. ODR needs to remain under 1% and sellers with high ODR should not expect to be in the buy box race.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sellercentral.amazon.com\/gp\/help\/external\/G200285250?language=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Performance Metrics<\/a>. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">A seller account\u2019s health is referred as its adherence to the performance targets and policies required to sell on Amazon. Amazon holds the seller performance history, regularly reviews performance of all sellers and prompts them when they are going off the radar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sellercentral.amazon.com\/gp\/help\/external\/200205250?language=en_US&amp;ref=efph_200205250_cont_G200285170\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Service Quality.<\/a> <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">This mainly refers to feedback about the merchant after product sales. You have to target and then maintain a good feedback score by taking customer care to the next level. This way Amazon can reliably award you the buy box again and again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Tenure on Amazon. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Seller lifetime is an important factor. If merchant A is selling the product for 5 years and B for 1 year then probability of winning the buy box will be in favor for merchant A majority of the times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Beginner\u2019s Luck. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">This is a good news for newbies which is not widely known. If Amazon has a stack of old sellers with negative feedbacks and you walk in as a new seller then Amazon will give you preferential treatment by giving you the buy box. You might think that Amazon is generous to its new sellers and may be this is a step to encourage its new sellers, you\u2019re wrong! Amazon wants to please its customers by providing them a new option that just got available.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>How Will You Lose It?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Losing to Hijackers.<\/strong> This happens when a seller connects their listing to another seller and offers a matching product with the same price. Amazon will deal with them like all other sellers and resultantly you will have grimmer chances in winning the buy box. That is where private label sellers reap the benefit after registering trademark and brand to get extra protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Box Sharing.<\/strong> Sometimes Amazon shares the buy box with other sellers when according to them there is a tie between sellers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Price Variations.<\/strong> There are sellers who work by changing their prices way too often. This constant change in your price gives Amazon an impression of inconsistency and as a result a merchant might lose onto the buy box. You need to behave like a brand that offers occasional may be periodical price variations so that Amazon can develop trust in you and pass it on to its customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Price Too High.<\/strong> Pricing outrageously as compared to other competitors will also make you lose the battle of the box. You need to stay within the gamut of the price range of your competition.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>How Does the Algorithm Work?<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">We all know that Amazon devises its policies with an obvious pivot towards its buyers and they describe their customer centric philosophy in their own words as \u2018customer obsession\u2019. Lets be clear that the algorithm is and will remain on the buyer\u2019s side not on sellers. It ensures to put forward the best offer to its customers in terms of the factors mentioned above. If the product is not providing value to the customer in Amazon\u2019s opinion then it is highly likely that it will not be in the buy box.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">The algorithm breaks down your performance as a seller and the buyer into bits of variables. You need to think every part of your (as a seller) and product interaction with the buyer and beef up your performance levels on each variable no matter its significance in your eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Competition Levels<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>Low Competition.<\/strong> There are high chances that you might have to share the buy box if you are operating in a niche. This means that Amazon will share the buy box with one of your competitors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\"><strong>High Competition<\/strong>. Price and fulfillment will take the back seat and competition will mainly be on other factors discussed earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva;\">Buy box is a game changer. You need to work hard for it but don\u2019t get too obsessed and hung up that this is the only way. One liner summary would be that Amazon needs you to be on your toes at all times from the day your inventory arrives in their fulfillment centers to the after sales.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every seller wants the \u2018Buy Box\u2019 and stay there for the maximum amount of time. Do you want to know [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":6349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[269],"tags":[335,336,337,338,339,340],"class_list":["post-395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-amazon-buy-box","tag-amazon-fba-buy-box","tag-amazon-fba-buy-box-2019","tag-buy-box","tag-buy-box-2019","tag-fba-buy-box"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=395"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10089,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395\/revisions\/10089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amzonestep.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}