What really goes on in an Amazon fulfilment centre

Have you ever wondered what actually happens to your products once you send them into Amazon FBA? I recently visited Amazon’s LCY3 fulfilment centre in Dartford, the biggest Amazon distribution centre in Europe, and in this episode I’m taking you behind the scenes and sharing what I learnt. I followed the journey products take through an Amazon fulfilment centre, from arriving at the loading bays and being checked into stock, through to stowing, picking, packing and eventually being sent out to customers. There were quite a few things that surprised me, including just how much of the process still involves people, despite all the automation and robots you might expect to see. More importantly, I came away with a couple of things that I think are really useful to know if you sell on Amazon. Some of the information you enter into Seller Central has a very real impact on what happens to your products and customer orders inside the Amazon fulfilment centre, so there are some simple things worth checking in your own account. If you sell through Amazon FBA, or you’re simply curious about what happens behind the scenes after you send your stock to Amazon, I hope you find this episode interesting and useful. Want some support with Amazon? Join me for Amazon Seller Support & Connect, my free monthly online session held during the first week of every month. Bring your Amazon questions, get practical advice and connect with other product-based business owners. Find out more and book your place on the next call here: https://calendly.com/vickiweinberg/new-meeting LET’S CONNECT Follow me on YouTube Find me on Instagram Work with me Buy My Book: Bring Your Product Idea To Life If you enjoy this podcast, and you’d like to leave a tip, you can do so here: https://bring-your-product-idea.captivate.fm/support Chapters 00:00 Inside Amazon’s biggest European fulfilment centre 02:21 What happens when your FBA stock arrives 04:43 How Amazon stores your products 07:02 Why Amazon deliberately spreads your stock around 09:21 How customer orders are picked and packed 11:46 What happens before an Amazon order is dispatched 14:05 Damaged stock and Amazon returns 16:30 The important Seller Central checks I’d make now Mentioned in this episode: Amazon Made Easy is now open My membership, Amazon Made Easy is now open. It’s a membership for people who are selling on Amazon (or planning to) and want regular access to support, somewhere to ask questions and talk things through, and a bit of structure and accountability as they grow. Inside, there are live Q&A calls, optional co-working sessions and a small, supportive community. Find out more: https://vickiweinberg.com/membership membership