Amazon Buy Box - The key to sales success on Amazon

Are you selling commercial goods on Amazon or engaging in arbitrage? Are you dissatisfied with your buy box rate and want to know how to increase it? Then you are in the right place! In this article, we will show you how you can conquer the coveted Amazon Buy Box for yourself.

Today we want to explain to you what the Amazon Buy Box is, according to which criteria offers are listed, and how you can improve your own position. One thing we want to reveal to you in advance and dispel one of the most persistent rumors: price alone does not win the game.

What is the Amazon Buy Box?

But what is the Amazon Buy Box? You can find it on the product detail page, on the right side (desktop) or directly below product images and price (mobile). This is also where the "Buy Now" button is located, which is extremely important for successful conversions.

This field is the quickest way for customers to add a product directly to their cart without proceeding further through the purchase process. When a customer clicks on the "Add to Cart" or "Buy Now" button to purchase a product, they will automatically be assigned to the merchant who has won the Buy Box.

So if your offer is displayed by the Amazon algorithm here, you have already achieved the most important thing. Because when the customer then buys, it is your conversion!

By which criteria are offers listed in the Amazon Buy Box?

Amazon uses a complex algorithm system to decide which offers are displayed in the Buy Box. However, the Amazon Buy Box is not simply randomly assigned to a seller. Instead, several factors are taken into account.

However, these factors must not be considered in isolation. They always work together, and the algorithm is guided by the best result for the customer. Note that Amazon often simply rotates through sellers to test which one can achieve better results for the customer.

Price:

Price is an important factor in determining which offer is displayed in the Amazon Buy Box. Amazon compares the prices of all offers and usually selects the cheapest offer.

Availability:

If a product is not in stock, it cannot be displayed in the Amazon Buy Box. It is important to make sure you have enough inventory to meet the demand.

Shipping speed:

When a customer needs a product as quickly as possible, Amazon prefers sellers who offer faster shipping options. Therefore, you should maximize your shipping speed to increase your chances of winning the Amazon Buy Box. Especially with Prime shipping, you significantly increase your chances of winning the Buy Box.

Sales history:

A fundamental requirement to even be able to participate in the Amazon Buy Box is your sales history. Your account must have been actively selling for at least 90 days in order for you to be eligible for the Buy Box.

Exception: you participate in the Fulfillment by Amazon program (FBA). Then you have the great advantage of Prime shipping!

Seller feedback:

Another important factor is seller feedback. You are probably familiar with the classic product reviews. However, if you are selling commercial goods, they are not as important to you because they are not your products.

What many overlook, however, is the possibility that customers can also evaluate the seller. This is the seller feedback. Sellers can find it under "Voice of the Customer".

In line with Amazon's goal of wanting to provide customers with the best experience, sellers who have a better track record in terms of feedback are preferred to be featured in the Amazon Buy Box.

Keep an eye on this metric! Both good customer service and a great shipping experience will ensure a high score. This will give you a significant advantage in the battle for the Amazon Buy Box.

How can I improve my position in the Amazon Buy Box?

Now it's time to get down to business. Let's now look at your options to improve your ranking in the Amazon Buy Box and maximize your profit margin.

There is no general approach or blueprint on how to win the Amazon Buy Box. However, over the years, we have gathered important insights that can influence your success.

Price optimization:

As mentioned earlier, price is an important factor in determining which offer appears in the Amazon Buy Box. You should therefore monitor your prices regularly and adjust them if necessary to remain competitive.

However, it is important to note that you do not necessarily have to have the lowest price. If you rank better in other factors from Amazon's perspective, you will still land in the Buy Box.

Inventory management:

You should make sure you have sufficient inventory to meet the demand. If products are frequently out of stock, your chances of winning the Amazon Buy Box will be reduced.

Shipping optimization:

Another important factor is the shipping speed. Amazon prefers providers that offer fast and reliable shipping. So, if you have the option, choose a faster shipping option and make sure your shipping times are accurate.

As already mentioned, offers with Prime shipping are preferred. Therefore, you should definitely try to offer Prime shipping to increase your chances of winning the Buy Box.

The best way to optimize is by using FBA. In practice, FBA sellers are preferred in the Amazon Buy Box.

If you prefer Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM), there are a few things you should consider. Make sure that your orders leave your warehouse on the same day if possible and always provide tracking information for the customers.

If you do not want to handle shipping yourself, an external fulfiller who is qualified for Prime by Seller is always a good option.

Further factors:

In addition to the options already mentioned, there are of course several others that you can influence to win the Amazon Buy Box.

Keep your order defects as low as possible. If you cannot provide customers with a good shopping experience, Amazon will punish this with a lower share in the Buy Box.

Pay attention to a quick response time for support requests. If you don't use FBA, you have to take care of it yourself. So never let more than 24 hours pass before responding. The faster you respond, the better.

If you use FBA, your inventory at Amazon can also influence your ranking. If you have more in stock than your competitors, you are more likely to win the Amazon Buy Box.

What happens if Amazon sells the same item as you?

You have now learned about many factors that can affect winning the Amazon Buy Box and ways to influence it yourself. But what if Amazon itself is in the Buy Box?

So one might think that Amazon will naturally prioritize itself. To a certain extent, that is true. But not always. There are actually good chances to outperform even Amazon in their own Buy Box.

What many people don't know: Amazon doesn't always have the best overview of its own inventory. It's not easy with such a large quantity of products. Your chance comes when Amazon itself goes out of stock or is close to it. And they do this more often than most other retailers.

So make use of these phases! Amazon is driving down the bestseller rank with its low-priced offers, and you can benefit massively when they are out of stock.

Is the Amazon Buy Box also relevant for Private Label?

Definitely yes! Although the Amazon Buy Box does not play as big of a role for Private Label as it does for the merchants mentioned at the beginning, there is still something to consider here.

If you sell products under your own brand, then you practically own the Amazon Buy Box alone. There is no competition there. However, under certain circumstances, you can still lose the Buy Box.

Among private label sellers, a popular strategy for market entry is to set a low price in order to gain ranking quickly. Only once a certain ranking has been achieved, the price is then set at the desired level.

One can make a big mistake here. If the jump is too big, Amazon considers it as manipulation and you will lose the Amazon Buy Box in your own listing. If you want to pursue this strategy, you should therefore increase the price in small increments.

Similar effects are caused by a high cancellation or return rate, or in the case of FBM, by excessively long delivery times. Here too, Amazon's principle applies to wanting to provide the customer with the best experience.

You can also lose the Buy Box if you offer your private label product at a lower price on another marketplace or shop than on Amazon. Amazon constantly monitors the prices of products and compares them.

So if, for example, you sell the same product on Zalando and run a discount promotion there, you could potentially lose the Buy Box on Amazon. Amazon wants to indirectly force you to offer the lowest price on their platform.

You can prevent this by using different EAN codes for your products on each marketplace. This way, Amazon won't be able to compare the products anymore, assuming they are different items. While this may pose a logistical challenge, it can help alleviate the Buy Box issue.

Conclusion

The Amazon Buy Box is an important factor for your success on the platform. Even if you only do Private Label. If you manage to appear in the Amazon Buy Box, you can increase your sales and boost your revenues. We have provided you with the right tools to scale better here and get the most out of it!

However, we also know that it is not easy to keep an eye on all your KPIs. Including those that are important for your Amazon Buy Box Rate. To support you with this, we have Sellerfox developed. Test our tool now for 30 days for free and optimize your products better than ever before!