Record number of products sold last year by Amazon sellers
Currencies Direct February 9th 2015 - 3 minute read
There were a record-breaking number of items shipped by Amazon sellers in 2014, according to Amazon's own statistics released last month. The more than two million sellers on Amazon managed to ship over two billion products last year, the most ever recorded.
The giant online retailer said the increase was likely due to the a more widespread use of the company’s Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) service, which saw growth of 65% in 2014 when compared with the previous year.
“It’s been a record-setting year for selling on Amazon,” said Peter Faricy, vice president for Amazon Marketplace.
Amazon’s FBA service gives sellers access to storage, shipping systems, Amazon Prime benefits and streamlined international trade, which is why sellers are flocking to the service. The report on e-commerce also highlighted that sellers on Amazon from over 100 different countries were using the FBA service to fulfill orders to customers in 185 countries.
International growth is one of Amazon’s key priorities and there are plans to expand the company’s reach further east, following on from the recruitment drive for sellers in Australia, South Korea and Singapore.
“We’re seeing strong growth from sellers listing their items across our global marketplaces. In fact, there are now more than a billion offers for customers to browse from sellers who are listing items for sale outside their home country,” said Mr Faricy.
Those who target international consumers see strong returns. In China and Hong Kong, sellers that shipped abroad grew 80% on an annual basis.
Furthermore, Amazon realised that in order to attract more merchants it needed to revolutionise the way sellers interact with its stores, which was the thinking behind launching a mobile app that makes managing online stores simple and easy wherever the sellers are.
“The growth of mobile and the introduction of the Amazon Seller App have also been a big win for sellers this year. Sellers are constantly telling us they value the flexibility of managing their businesses on-the-go from their tablets and mobile devices,” Mr Faricy explained.
Another key point in the report is that the product selection available through the FBA service on the Indian version of Amazon's marketplace has more than tripled on a yearly basis.
It seems that deals are no longer restricted to one country either, as consumers are becoming more adept at securing bargains from overseas. During the 2014 holiday season, there was growth of more than 400% on the number of worldwide units sold on holiday deals offered by Amazon sellers, when compared with the previous year.
Awareness of high-profile shopping days like Cyber Monday is increasing and driving sales ever higher. More than 16 million units were sold on Amazon during last year’s Cyber Monday, and the number of orders businesses processed using Amazon Payments increased more than 60% year-on-year.
It seems that 2015 will be another bumper year for e-tailers as more shoppers go mobile and international. If you have a proposition that travels, e-tailing can open up the world for you. Don’t lose sight, however, of the hidden currency costs that can turn a potential profit into a loss.
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Currencies Direct