The Buy Box is the box on a
product detail page where customers can begin the purchasing process by adding items to
their shopping carts.
A key feature of the Amazon website is
that the same product can be sold by several sellers. If several sellers offer the same
product in "new" condition, they may be eligible to compete for the Buy Box for that
product (as long as it can be shipped to the customer's selected address).
To give customers the best
possible shopping experience, sellers must meet performance-based requirements to be
eligible to compete for Buy Box placement. For many sellers, Buy Box placement can lead
to increased sales.
Note: Seller
offerings for Music and DVD products are eligible for the Buy Box if fulfilled through
Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA). Books and video (VHS) listings are not eligible to appear in
the Buy Box on the product detail page.
Product placement
When you place your products in the
Amazon catalog, anyone browsing Amazon can find and buy them.
When customers find what they want, they can put the product into their
shopping basket (and ultimately purchase the product) using one of three
methods:
-
By clicking the Add to Basket button in
the Buy Box.
-
By browsing seller offerings in the
More Buying
Choices box and then clicking the Add to Basket button
next to the seller from whom they want to purchase the product.
-
By clicking the "used & new" link,
browsing all offerings for the item, and then clicking the Add to Basket button
next to the seller from which they want to purchase the product.
Note: If there are no used listings, the
link will say "# new".
After the Buy Box winner is selected,
offers from up to three further qualifying sellers are displayed in the More Buying Choices box on
the product detail page. The remaining seller offers are available to customers who
click the new &
used (or new) link at the bottom of the More Buying Choices box to
go to the offer listing page.
How sellers can increase their chances
of winning the Buy Box
Since seller performance
requirements can vary by category and are subject to change, we do not disclose specific
targets needed to become an eligible seller; however, becoming an eligible seller
requires meeting very high standards, and excelling in the qualifying criteria is the
best way to work toward achieving this status. If you are an eligible seller, you can
increase your chances of winning the Buy Box by following these guidelines:
Pricing
-
Since we look at the price the customer will pay (price + shipping),
make sure that you price your products competitively, including the delivery
rates. The lowest price doesn't guarantee winning the Buy Box, as pricing is
just one factor that is evaluated.
-
On the Manage Inventory page,
you can view the price of the offer that is currently winning the Buy Box. In order
to view the Buy Box price column, go to the Preferences page
and enable display of the column. Buy Box prices are only displayed for "New"
listings.
-
Business customers on Amazon tend to base their buying decisions on
VAT-exclusive prices. That is why for these customers we are comparing the
VAT-exclusive prices, where available.
To enable your selection, enrol into the free VAT Calculation Service.
Availability
-
Keep stock
available: If you have no current stock for a product, you cannot win
the Buy Box. Use Seller Best Practices to keep your popular products in stock.
-
Update your
inventory: Customers who submit orders for products that are not in
stock are likely to leave negative feedback, especially around the holidays. To
ensure that buyers cannot place orders for out-of-stock items, keep your inventory
updated.
Fulfillment
Offer multiple shipping options on your
products, including free shipping.
You can manage your available shipping options on your Current Delivery Rates and Settingspage in Seller
Central.
Customer
Experience
-
ODR (Order Defect
Rate)—ODR is based on customer feedback, A-to-Z claims, and
chargebacks.
-
Other metrics related to seller
performance.
-
Shipment experience offered on a product, including speed of shipment, handling
time, and your participation in FBA.
-
Time and experience selling on
Amazon.
The Customer Metrics page in your seller Account can help you
track your performance.