When choosing a cross-border e-commerce platform, Amazon has also become a no-brainer. The success of an Amazon store cannot be separated from the accurate calculation of Amazon operating costs.
Calculating Amazon operating costs is to comprehensively assess the business situation and formulate reasonable strategies.
Amazon operating costs include product purchasing, warehousing, platform fees, transportation, marketing, customer service and other aspects.
By recording and tracking the various costs, you can accurately grasp the profitability and effectively manage the store. Understanding how to calculate operating costs will help you optimize your cost structure, increase profits, and lay the foundation for sustainable store growth, so in general, how do you calculate operating costs for Amazon stores?
Amazon Operating Costs
Product Purchase Cost: This is the cost of the goods you purchase, including the price of the goods from the supplier, transportation costs, tariffs and so on.
Warehousing costs: if you choose to use Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service, you’ll need to pay warehousing fees. These fees are calculated based on the size, weight, and storage time of your item.
- Platform fees: Amazon’s platform charges certain sales fees, including a per-order processing fee, a monthly subscription fee (if applicable), and other possible fees such as advertising costs or promotional costs.
- Shipping costs: if you choose FBM shipping, you will need to pay for the cost of shipping your items. This may include packaging materials, shipping costs, and shipping insurance costs.
- Marketing costs: in order to increase product exposure and sales, you may need to conduct marketing campaigns such as Amazon ads, social media ads, etc. These costs should also be included in the operating costs.
- Operational manpower costs: in order for the store to continue to operate correctly and in an orderly manner, certain human resources support is also required,…
- Other costs: there are some other costs to consider, such as financial management costs, legal counseling costs, refund and return processing costs, etc.
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How to Reduce Amazon Operating Costs
Optimize inventory management
Inventory management is an important part of operational costs. Too much inventory can lead to increased warehousing costs, while too little inventory can lead to lost sales opportunities. Use Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service to reduce inventory costs by letting Amazon manage your inventory and automatically adjust stock levels based on demand.
Save on logistics costs
Logistics costs are one of the major expenses for Amazon sellers. You can reduce logistics costs by choosing your logistics partners carefully, planning logistics routes wisely, and optimizing packaging. In addition, participating in Amazon’s logistics programs and promotions, such as Amazon Prime, can help save costs.
Adopt automation tools
Amazon sellers can benefit from a variety of automation tools, including inventory management software, price tracking tools, and order processing systems. These tools can increase efficiency, reduce human resource costs, and decrease error rates.
Fine-tune your advertising
Advertising costs are a major expense for Amazon sellers. By fine-tuning your ad placement and displaying ads only to potential high-value customers, you can reduce ad costs and increase ad conversion rates.
Diversify your product portfolio
Diversifying your product portfolio can help spread risk and increase sales opportunities. If one product sells weakly in one quarter, other products may still remain active, thus maintaining revenue.
Keep an eye on the competition
Regularly monitor competitors’ pricing, offers and operational strategies to stay competitive. By understanding market dynamics, you can adjust your strategy to reduce costs and increase sales.