"Fulfillment by Amazon" Makes It Possible for Amazon.com Customers
to Receive Benefit of Amazon.com Shipping Offers When Buying from
Third-Party Sellers
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2006-- Amazon Business Solutions today launched "Fulfillment by Amazon"
and "WebStore by Amazon," giving small and medium-sized businesses
access to Amazon's order fulfillment, customer service, customer
shipping offers, and underlying website technology to improve the
experience they offer their customers.
Fulfillment by Amazon
Fulfillment by Amazon allows businesses to use Amazon's own order
fulfillment and post-order customer service infrastructure, and allows
Amazon.com customers to receive the benefit of Amazon.com shipping
offers when buying from third-party sellers who use Fulfillment by
Amazon. Amazon.com customers can now use offers such as Amazon Prime
and Free Super Saver Shipping when buying products with the "Fulfilled
by Amazon" icon next to the offering listing.
"We created Fulfillment by Amazon because it is good for
Amazon.com customers, and therefore, great for our third-party
sellers," said Joe Walowski, Product Manager, Fulfillment by Amazon.
"With membership in Amazon Prime growing every day, more and more
Amazon.com customers want a great deal on shipping and to receive
their orders quickly. Fulfillment by Amazon makes it possible for
sellers to offer Amazon.com customers this convenience."
For a handling fee as low as $0.50 per item plus $0.40 per pound
and a storage fee of $0.45 per cubic foot per month, Fulfillment by
Amazon frees online sellers from the time and money required to store,
pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for the products they
sell online. Businesses simply send their products to an Amazon
fulfillment center where Amazon stores and sends those products to
customers who order them on Amazon.com or the business's WebStore (see
"WebStore by Amazon" below). Amazon will also manage post-order
customer service such as customer returns and refunds for businesses
that use Fulfillment by Amazon.
"We are excited about the possibilities of Fulfillment by Amazon
for our children's product line 'The Faery Folk dolls.' For small
manufacturers of unique products like us, one of the greatest
challenges is getting the product to the consumer in a cost-effective
manner. The overhead costs of pick-and-pack for one-off orders drains
time and resources away from the important tasks of marketing and
business development. Fulfillment by Amazon alleviates this issue by
acting as the small business owner's fulfillment house at an
acceptable price point," said Charles Erdman, co-founder and president
of Dervish Media and Dervish Toys. "With a rapidly growing brand and
product line, execution is critical for our business, which is why
we're so optimistic about the impact Fulfillment by Amazon can have on
our business."
WebStore by Amazon
WebStore by Amazon allows businesses to create their own privately
branded e-commerce websites using Amazon technology. Businesses can
choose from a variety of website layout options and can customize
their sites using their own photos and branding. For example, Seattle
Gift Shop now has its own WebStore at www.seattlesgifts.com. WebStore
by Amazon users pay a commission of 7 percent (price includes credit
card processing fees and fraud protection) for each product purchased
through their site and a monthly fee of $59.95.
"Not only has using WebStore by Amazon increased my sales
dramatically, but its easy-to-use tools give me complete control of
the look and feel of my site," said Kathy Wojtczak, who manages
www.elementjewelry.com using WebStore by Amazon. "Plus, I can use
WebStore by Amazon to track and manage all of my online inventory and
sales in one place."
WebStore by Amazon allows businesses to:
- Maintain their brand while leveraging Amazon's own scalable,
reliable, and secure back-end technology.
- Make it secure, simple, and easy for visitors to buy using
their existing Amazon.com accounts.
- Earn additional revenue by including other products from
Amazon.com in their WebStore and referring customers through
the Amazon Associates program.
"Day-to-day mission-critical functions such as handling sensitive
payment information and making sure our websites can handle big spikes
in traffic are fundamental pieces of Amazon's business. We've made
significant investments over the past decade and employ world-class
software engineers to make sure these things are done right," said Tim
Mirick, Director, Amazon Business Solutions. "WebStore by Amazon now
puts these people and this investment to work for sellers, so they can
focus on what they do best-building their brands and managing their
merchandise."
Both Fulfillment by Amazon and WebStore by Amazon are available
today in beta. They can be used separately or together. Go to
http://www.amazonservices.com/businesssolutions for more information,
including information on how businesses can sign-up for these new
services.
About Amazon Services & Amazon Fulfillment Services
Amazon Services, LLC is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.
(NASDAQ:AMZN) that offers the technical platform, operational
capabilities and e-commerce expertise that power Amazon.com to other
businesses seeking to create a world-class, cost-effective e-commerce
offering for their customers. Amazon Enterprise Solutions and Amazon
Business Solutions are Amazon Services groups. Amazon Enterprise
Solutions works with large retailers such as Target, Bebe, and Marks &
Spencer (UK) and the Amazon Business Solutions works with small to
medium-sized businesses. Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc. is a
subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. that operates U.S.-based fulfillment
and customer service networks for Amazon.com and the businesses that
leverage fulfillment or customer service as part of their offering
from Amazon Enterprise Solutions or Amazon Business Solutions.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc., (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in
Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers
Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover
anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its
customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers
offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories
such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food,
sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs,
electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp,
www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms
include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context
indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ
significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others,
risks related to competition, management of growth, potential
fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes
of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization,
seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic
transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant
amount of indebtedness, inventory, limited operating history,
government regulation and taxation, payments, fraud, consumer trends,
and new business areas. More information about factors that
potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in
Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2005, and all subsequent filings.
CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc., Seattle
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
http://www.amazon.com/pr
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.
