Did you know that 83% of all Amazon sales happen through the Buy Box and even more on mobile? Consequently, if you're not in the Purchase Box, your chances of making a sale are pretty slim.

This definitive guide will assistance you understand how the Amazon Purchase Box works, what factors you need to excel at in order to win the Amazon Buy Box in 2021 and how to optimise your Amazon prices.

This post volition cover:

  • What is the Amazon Buy Box?
  • Buy Box on Amazon Overview
  • How the Purchase Box Works
  • Amazon Buy Box Factors
  • How to Win the Amazon Purchase Box
  • Purchase Box Requirements
  • The Suppressed Purchase Box
  • Purchase Box Myths
  • How to Optimise Your Prices on Amazon

What is the Amazon Buy Box?

In that location are ii types of sellers on Amazon, Amazon itself, and third-party sellers.

For the bulk of items, there volition be a number of buying options for the heir-apparent. When a buyer selects, "Add to Cart", the seller who has the Buy Box at that moment in time (the Buy Box winner rotates simply more nigh that afterwards), gets that earth-shaking sale.

A Buy Box on Amazon allows customers to make a quick purchase without considering who they are ownership from (Amazon or a third-party seller).

Amazon Buy Box

Amazon'southward net revenue sales accept grown steadily in the last ten years reaching over $386 billion in 2020 with over $320 billion worth of sales coming through the Buy Box—WOW! (Source: Statista).

­So, with an estimated 83% of Amazon sales (more than for mobile sales), going to the Box winner, information technology's vital for sellers to know how the Buy Box works and what they can do to win a share of it.

Buy Box on Amazon Overview

  1. 83% of Amazon sales come from the Purchase Box so all Amazon sellers will want to become a share of it.
  2. The Buy Box rotates betwixt sellers who have Buy Box Eligiblility and are competitively priced.
  3. Having the lowest price does not guarantee the Buy Box. The Buy Box price is not always the everyman price on Amazon.
  4. The Buy Box considers location.
  5. The Purchase Box is only for items in new condition.
  6. Amazon does share the Buy Box with 3rd-political party sellers only usually, information technology doesn't.

How the Buy Box Works

The Purchase Box algorithm starts by analysing each offer by all the sellers of the production. It and then evaluates each offer on the basis of seller history, cost and many other variables (more on those after).

After carrying out the analysis, Amazon rewards the Buy Box to what information technology deems every bit the best ownership options for its customers.

Not all sellers are eligible to win the Buy Box.

Amazon no longer awards the Purchase Box to one seller merely instead rotates the Buy Box between multiple sellers.

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Amazon Buy Box Factors

Whilst, Amazon doesn't disembalm the specific performance metrics for the Buy Box, we can divulge a list of the most probable factors, which vary in importance, which Amazon considers earlier awarding sellers the much-coveted Buy Box.

How Do I Get the Buy Box on Amazon?

Excelling in all of these factors thus delivering an outstanding customer experience is the best way to win a share of the Buy Box.

1. Fulfilment method, very important

Fulfilment is probably the most of import variable considered by Amazon.

Fulfilment can at present be washed in three ways, through FBA (Fulfilment past Amazon), FBM (Fulfilment by Merchant) or Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP).

Amazon gives FBA a perfect score for multiple variables including aircraft method, on-fourth dimension delivery and inventory depth. This makes it highly unlikely for merchants to beat out FBA sellers.

Yet, in 2015 Amazon introduced Seller-Fulfilled Prime which allows FBM sellers to reach Amazon Prime members without housing the goods in Amazon's fulfilment centre. This is of particular interest to sellers of heavy goods as they tin can make savings on shipping.

Sellers enrolled in Seller-Fulfilled Prime will have a greater take a chance of winning the Purchase Box than FBA sellers. Sellers who wish to enrol in the Seller-Fulfilled Prime programme must have stiff functioning metrics and a proven record of meeting customer'south expectations.

Related: Amazon Fulfilment Options: FBA Vs FBM

2. Landed price, very important

There are 2 prices on Amazon, the price you listing an particular and the landed price which includes shipping and VAT (Uk and EU merely). It's important to accept these things into consideration when pricing your products.

A common misconception is that sellers who take the lowest toll recollect they will win the Buy Box. Whilst having a lower toll will increase your chances of winning a share of the Buy Box, it is but one of the criteria for it, albeit, an important one.

If your seller operation is higher than your competition for a product, y'all may be able to raise your price and still get your share of the Buy Box.

3. Aircraft fourth dimension, very of import

The amount of time a seller takes to ship an item is known equally the aircraft time. This has a high impact on winning the Buy Box, particularly for products such every bit birthday cards and perishable items.

Shipping time is arranged into the post-obit brackets, which only includes working days: 0-two days, 3-7 days, 8-13 days, fourteen or more days.

The shipping fourth dimension can be seen on the product detail page where it states the date the particular should arrive between.

iv. Stock availability, very important

Usually, if y'all don't take the item in stock, you tin can't win the Purchase Box and information technology volition rotate to another seller. This is why it is crucial for sellers to go on adept stock levels of its bestsellers.

I exception to the in a higher place dominion is when a product tin exist listed as "backordered" alongside a note on the product page. With backorders, the customer orders the particular with the agreement that it is non immediately available and volition exist shipped at a subsequently date.

Backordered items can be featured in the Buy Box, however, products that are immediately available are favoured.

5. Order defect rate, important

Order defect rate (ODR) comprises of three different metrics: negative feedback rating, A-Z guarantee merits rate and service chargeback rate.

Amazon calculates these three metrics to find out the number of orders which were defective. According to Amazon, the ODR should be beneath 1% and any sellers above this volition be penalised.

6. Valid tracking rate, of import

This is a new performance metric from Amazon, which is the percentage of total packages shipping with valid tracking.

Valid tracking rate is considered on the basis of the last 7 and xxx days.

In order to protect your Buy Box eligibility, valid tracking numbers should exist provided for 95% of packages shipped. Anything less than this could bear on their chances of winning the Buy Box and even selling in a sure category.

7. Tardily shipment rate, important

Late shipment rate is the number of orders aircraft subsequently than the expected ship date. Y'all can prepare your treatment time in Seller Central, sellers who don't will exist given the default aircraft fourth dimension of i-2 business organisation days.

A tardily shipment rate below iv% will help your chances of winning a share of the Buy Box. This metric can exist viewed for the concluding seven and 30 days in Seller Primal.

8. Delivered on-time charge per unit, important

The per centum of orders that buyers received by the estimated delivery appointment.

Sellers should aim for a pct of 97% or greater. This metric can exist viewed for the last seven and 30 days in Seller Central.

nine. Feedback rating, important

Feedback rating is the culmination of all feedback score the seller has received over the last 30 days, ninety days and 365 days, with the virtually recent feedback having the greatest impact.

Feedback rating can be seen in Seller Central.

Amazon feedback rating

Save time and automate your feedback requests with an Amazon feedback tool.

10. Customer response time, of import

Again, Amazon checks responses for the last seven, 30 and 90 days and compares them for all competing sellers. Information technology is considered, that replying to customers within 12 hours increases your chances of winning the Buy Box.

If more than 10% of messages were replied to subsequently 24 hours or never replied to, this can have an adverse issue on the ratings. Still, by marking every bit no response needed, the seller tin salve themselves from negative points.

11. Feedback count, important

Feedback count is the number of buyers who have given seller feedback. A college feedback count can lead towards winning the Buy Box.

13. Inventory depth/sales volume, somewhat important

Amazon prefers sellers who accept enough inventory to deal with the demand which the Buy Box can create. As a outcome, sellers with a big inventory, consistent sales, and proficient stock history can be granted a higher Buy Box share.

If you're often out of stock, your chances of winning the Buy Box are slim to none.

14. Counterfoil and refund charge per unit, somewhat important

The number of orders cancelled earlier existence shipped by the seller and the number of orders refunded after being shipped make up the cancellation and refund rate.

A rate higher than two.5 % could affect your chances of winning the Buy Box.

New metrics, no impact currently

Amazon introduced ii new seller metrics aimed at improving the buying experience, the Return Dissatisfaction Rate and the Customer Service Dissatisfaction Rate.

Although Amazon is currently not considering these ii new metrics equally Purchase Box factors, information technology's worth keeping them in good health as they are probable to exist factors in the near future.

Learn more nigh these new seller metrics.

How to Win the Amazon Buy Box

In club to win a share of the Buy Box, sellers need to improve their metrics without forfeiting performance in other areas. It is not e'er easy to find a perfect balance between customer support, toll and several other factors.

Here are four strategies that may help you increase your Amazon Buy Box buying.

  • Know your metrics: Sellers should be aware of their seller metrics in Amazon Seller Central.
  • Focus on the important metrics: Some sellers might choose to focus on those metrics which have the most impact on the Buy Box. Your seller feedback score is an important metric. This is one of the reasons sellers employ Amazon feedback software like FeedbackExpress.
  • Improving seller performance: Apply Amazon Seller Primal to identify the primal areas of operation you lot need to improve on.
  • Exist priced competitively: This does not hateful having the lowest price. If yous don't want to reprice manually consider using repricing software to save time and keep your prices competitive.

Amazon's Buy Box Requirements

There are four key criteria sellers must have to compete for the Purchase Box:

  • Professional person Seller account: Only sellers with a Professional Amazon Sellers business relationship which costs $39.99 per month are eligible to win the Buy Box. Private or Basic Seller accounts are non eligible.
  • Buy Box eligibility: A seller must exist Buy Box Eligible (previously called Featured Merchant) for the product in lodge to compete for a share of the much-coveted Buy Box for that production'due south sales. Sellers can exist eligible to win the Buy Box for some products and not for other products. Sellers can fast-runway their fashion to Buy Box Eligibility by using Amazon FBA. To exist Buy Box eligible, your Society Defect Rate, Cancellation Rate and Late Shipment Charge per unit metrics must be in good standing.
  • Detail status: Items that are used cannot win a Purchase Box position over a new item—instead, at that place is now a Used Purchase Box which is separate to the main Buy Box.
  • Stock availability: An obvious i but if you don't take an item in stock, you can't win the Buy Box with the exception of a back-ordered item.

You tin check your Buy Box eligibility within Seller Primal inventory reports.

The "Buy Box Eligible" column is not shown by default. You tin switch it on by doing the following:

  1. Select "Manage Inventory"
  2. Select "Preferences"
  3. Select "Purchase Box Eligible"
  4. Save changes

Buy Box Eligible

The Suppressed Buy Box

A suppressed Buy Box is when Amazon removes the Buy Box from the product folio. Instead of seeing the "Add to Cart" button ("Add to Basket in the EU$, y'all will see a box that states "See All Buying Options".

Suppressed Buy Box

When a user clicks this push button, they will be redirected to another webpage with offers usually sorted by cost from lowest to highest.

Why is at that place no Buy Box on Amazon?

The most popular reason is that Amazon thinks the price offered by sellers is too loftier.

Amazon has a Marketplace Fair Pricing Policy which states:

"Amazon regularly monitors the prices of items on our marketplaces, including aircraft costs, and compares them with other prices bachelor to our customers. If we see pricing practices on a marketplace offer that harms customer trust, Amazon can remove the Buy Box, remove the offer, suspend the transport option, or, in serious or repeated cases, suspending or terminating selling privileges."

But there are 3 other occasions when it may suppress the Buy Box such as when:

  • Sales volume is besides low for the loftier prices offered.
  • The sellers' seller metrics aren't good enough to be Buy Box eligible.
  • The list needs to be improved such as images, product clarification or bullet points.

Using repricing software, information technology's really piece of cake to lower the cost of your products to brand the Buy Box magically announced again. And fifty-fifty if information technology doesn't you withal have a adept chance of getting a sale on the "Run across All Buying Options" folio in the meantime.

Tip: If you lot go to the "Manage Inventory" view in Seller Central yous can select "Buy Box Cost" and "Purchase Box Eligible" columns under preferences to see what items are Buy Box Eligible.

How to Calculate Your Buy Box Percentage?

If a production is viewed 100 times and you are in the Buy Box for 65 of those, then your Buy Box Percentage is 65%

If there are v sellers of the same product and you all have identical pricing and functioning metrics and stock availability and then theoretically each seller should go a Buy Box pct or share of twenty%.

Amazon Buy Box Myths

  1. Amazon doesn't share the Buy Box – Although Amazon often wins the Purchase Box on listings that it sells on, 3rd-political party sellers can win a share of it.
  2. The lowest price always wins the Amazon Purchase Box – Price is a major factor in the Buy Box algorithm but not the only 1, e.one thousand. fulfillment method.
  3. You tin can keep the Buy Box to yourself – No one is guaranteed exclusive access to Amazon'due south Buy Box. Other merchants tin announced at any fourth dimension.
  4. You need to plow Buy Box eligibility on – Amazon decides if yous're eligible for the Buy Box, not you.

How to Optimise Your Prices on Amazon

As discussed above, one of the biggest myths surrounding Amazon'southward Buy Box is that having the lowest toll makes y'all a certainty for winning a Buy Box.

By always having your prices at stone-lesser prices, you'll reduce your profit and customers may perceive your product quality to be low.

Yet, optimising the price of your product will almost certainly increase your chances of winning the Buy Box. With cost optimisation, your prices and subsequent profits will increase when a competitor runs out of stock.

Repricing software such as RepricerExpress can salvage you huge amounts of fourth dimension and effort also every bit helping you win the Buy Box. RepricerExpress works inside your defined pricing rules, ensuring your prices are optimised within your min and max price settings.

Information technology worked for this seller, who increased his Amazon Purchase Box Percentage by 61% because he signed up for RepricerExpress.

Buy Box increase

Equally you lot tin probably tell by now, the Amazon Buy Box is a complex and multi-faceted system. Amazon gives a lot of control to third-party sellers and you should always endeavour to take full advantage of its incredible potential.

Delivering a starting time-course customer experience gives sellers the ability to enhance their prices and yet maintain a healthy Purchase Box share.

Finding the optimal pricing point for every product is crucial and challenging. Become it nearly correct and y'all'll probably win some sales; get it exactly perfect and you'll watch your profits soar!

P.S. Increase your Amazon Purchase Box percentage today past signing upwards for a costless 15-mean solar day trial of Repricer, Amazon repricing software. Utilize promo code "REX10" and you lot'll receive 10% off your first month's bill.

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Related: 21 Ways to Rank Your Products Higher on Amazon