Ever thought about branching out to Europe to tap into a growing market with lots of cross-border shoppers? Now you can, thanks to Export Central! Find out how to sell in Europe using Amazon’s seller tools and distribution channels.
Have you heard? Export Central was launched last September to round off the list of tools for selling in multiple countries on Amazon. The announcement was posted on the Amazon blog, along with tips on how to sell in Europe using Amazon. It has since been displayed on Seller Central too.
Export Central is part of the European Export Programme. It offers SMEs the chance to grow their global footprint via Amazon European marketplace selling. With this tool, sellers can now sell their products in 39 countries. Many of these countries don’t have an Amazon marketplace.
How Export Central Works
With just three clicks, as shown below, sellers can enable Amazon Seller Central international shipping settings for free on 6 European venues. That’s the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands*. They can then start offering their products to new markets right away.
| *Amazon Ireland is due to launch in 2025 also, as announced on the blog and Seller Forum.|
Fulfillment shouldn’t be an issue. Both FBA and MFN sellers can benefit from this tool. So, you don’t need to ship products to fulfillment centers across Europe. But here is the main difference in terms of working with MFN vs. FBA for Amazon international sellers:
- FBA Sellers are automatically enrolled and they don’t need to take any extra steps.
- MFN Sellers must carefully review their international shipping settings in their Seller Central account and customize their suggested shipping rates and transit times.
Benefits of Export Central
Export Central is touted as a game-changing tool designed to help sellers expand their reach across Europe. Sellers who jump on the bandwagon and enable exports with it now for free may be able to reap several benefits, such as:
- Convenience. Amazon manages most of the logistics, allowing sellers to focus on their core business.
- Potential Sales Boost. Amazon claims sellers who activate it report an average sales uplift of up to 10%.
- Broader Market Reach. With Export Central, sellers gain access to buyers in markets that used to be out of bounds, so visibility and sales opportunities expand.
- Follow Western Buying Trends. Cross-border shopping seems to be on the rise as there are reports that price hikes are spurring people in the USA and UK to shop online from abroad.
- Tap Into European Lifestyle Choices. European shoppers love to shop abroad- especially online, according to Statista-, but also in-store; going on international shopping sprees and snagging the latest designer products are seen as a status symbol.
- Consistent Offers. In Europe, there are many products and brands that are not available for sale on both sides of a border or from one region to another; selling them online would help shoppers who migrate, have long commutes, or vacation abroad, for instance.
Who Can Access Export Central
Export Central makes cross-border selling simple and efficient. But not everyone can use it. To take part, you must comply with VAT regulations in the destination countries. This includes filing VAT reports and issuing VAT invoices to buyers who request them- unless you are exempt.
To help tackle the challenges of VAT registration for Amazon sellers, there is a VAT compliance solution known as VAT Services on Amazon. But it doesn’t cover everything. If you want to sell to buyers in Spain or France, for instance, you will also need fiscal representation.
To pay all your EU VAT to a single EU member state instead of 27, you can also sign up for a Union scheme called One-Stop Shop (UOSS). This simplifies VAT management a lot, but if you’re still not sure how to handle VAT for Amazon exports, consider hiring an expert.
How to Merge Export and Repricing
As you expand into new markets with Export Central, you stand to gain a great deal if you use repricing tools. Diving into a new market often brings you face-to-face with new types of competition and pricing trends, but tools like BuyBoxBuddy can help you keep your edge with:
- Price adjustments based on the unique dynamics of each marketplace.
- Constant monitoring of local competitors to help you analyze their strategies.
- Listings optimized across venues that align with Export Central’s functionality.
As you combine Export Central’s global reach with BuyBoxBuddy’s precision, you’re bound to boost sales while also maintaining a healthy profit margin. Our post titled “What is the Amazon Buy Box” shows you just how the BuyBoxBuddy repricer can adapt to the quirks of any market.
Getting Started
To start exporting, you only need to activate international shipping settings in your Amazon Seller Central account. Simply click the “Activate Export” button, as shown below, or click on this Export Central link. Then select the stores and destinations from the given lists.
Amazon will then propose transit times and shipping fees, ready for you to adjust them. Once activated, Export Central will manage these shipping settings for eligible stores, making your transition to cross-border selling seamless.
As we have shown, Amazon’s new Export Central tool removes many of the hurdles in international expansion. Now that issues like logistics and red tape aren’t as daunting, we hope Export Central will become one of your favorite tools for selling in multiple countries on Amazon, and that you won’t hesitate to come back to our blog for updates and advice.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed.