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How To Address Structural Margin Challenges With Amazon

By Martin Heubel, Amazon Strategy Consultant at Consulterce

Your Amazon Net PPM should not exceed 40%. I repeat: Your Net PPM with Amazon should not exceed 40%.

It doesn’t matter if you sell CPG, Apparel, or Hardlines goods, any Net PPM above 40% is unlikely to return healthy profit margins for your business. That’s because you have to think about all the hidden costs in your P/L as well:

  • Chargebacks
  • Shortages
  • Agency costs
  • Increasing headcount costs
  • Increasing shipping costs

The list goes on.

So, if you’re granting Amazon margins north of 40%, chances are you’re not addressing the real cause of Amazon’s profitability challenge.

Instead, any additional investments should come from initiatives that drive mutual cost-savings for you and Amazon.

This includes:

  • Consolidating inbound structures (PICS)
  • Improving fulfilment efficiencies (Direct Import/FOB)
  • Optimising product packaging (SIOC/SIPP)
  • Delisting items with low/no profit margins

Granting Amazon more cost support and trade terms every year is a race to the bottom.

So ensure to focus on your variable cost structures instead.

For further information and support, contact Martin Heubel here