Getting the Amazon Buy Box is the dream of every Amazon seller because it is equivalent to showcasing your product and thus increasing sales.

Winning the Amazon Buy Box is every seller's dream. Showcasing your product prominently guarantees visibility and increased sales.To obtain the Buy Box you don't need a magic formula; its assignment is given by the combination of some decisive factors for Amazon purposes:  

1. Price

2. Product Availability

3. Customer feedback / positive user experience

4. Short and reliable delivery times

These four points are just the tip of the “Buy Box Amazon” iceberg that will lead you to victory only if respected and accompanied by other small tips that you will find in this article.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What is the Buy Box and Why You Should Have It

2. The Basic Rules 

3. 5 Variables That Act Like Rules for Amazon

4. Secondary but still incisive variables

5. Suppressed Buy Box: What to Avoid 

1. What is the Buy Box and Why You Should Have It  

Before we dive into the topic, I’d like to ask you a simple question: have you ever wondered why we say “winning” the Amazon Buy Box?

The answer is very simple: Amazon does not give you anything that you have not earned through correct and respectful behavior towards the user and the rules of the #1 marketplace in the world.  \

Therefore, you have to conquer her. 

An estimated 83% of all Amazon sales are through the Buy Box, with even more coming from mobile. Amazon’s net revenue has grown steadily over the past decade, reaching over $574 billion in 2023, with over $476 billion in Buy Box sales. (Source: Statista ).  

You will have understood for yourself how fundamental it is for sellers to have a thorough understanding of how the Buy Box works, what perhaps you do not consider enough is knowing what you can do to win it. 

The Buy Box is a prize that Amazon makes available to sellers who offer the best purchasing experience and, as in all competitions, some fundamental rules must be respected.

2. The Basic Rules  👍

First rule👍: the requirements.

• Professional Seller Account; sellers with individual or basic accounts are not eligible.

• Buy Box eligibility, also previously called Featured Merchant, or Amazon Selling Merchant Status, is defined by sellers who have met Amazon's performance-based requirements. (Order Defect Rate, Cancellation Rate, and Late Shipment Rate metrics must be in good standing.)

• Item Condition: Used items cannot win a Buy Box position over a new item; instead, there is now a Used Buy Box, separate from the main Buy Box.

• Stock Availability: This may seem like a given, but if you’re out of stock on an item, you can’t win the Buy Box unless you have an item on backorder.
  

Second rule ✌️: study the variables to obtain a share of the Buy Box 

To assign the Buy Box, Amazon uses parameters that are not explained in depth, however, we can analyze and respect well-defined variables that Amazon takes into consideration before assigning the coveted prize.

3. Third Rule: 5 Variables That Act Like Rules for Amazon 

1. Order fulfillment. 
   
   You have 3 ways to organize logistics: 

   1. FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) method, shipping method, on-time delivery and inventory depth. This makes it highly unlikely that merchants can beat FBA sellers. 

   2. FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) method, where the seller takes full responsibility for inventory storage and shipping of orders. 

   3. Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP), introduced in 2015, allows FBM sellers to reach Amazon Prime members without having to house their merchandise in an Amazon fulfillment center. This is of particular interest to sellers of heavy goods, as they can save on shipping.
      

2. The Price. 

   For the UK and EU, Amazon has arranged for the product to be presented with two prices: one to list the item for sale and one that also includes shipping + VAT. 

   Many retailers apply a strategy where they present a lower price, ignoring that this method does not always lead to the desired effects.  On the one hand, it gives importance to customers, who prefer to stay on Amazon to look for the product with the same features, but at a competitive price; on the other hand, lowering the price too much could suggest that you are not offering a quality product. The user might perceive a rip-off behind the low price; without considering the possible price war that could result. 

   In other words: i'ts demeaning.  Better to avoid it. If you have been doing this up until now, then it's time to reveal a secret to you: if the seller always offers quality products at a competitive price, instead of lowering it to increase sales, he can actually increase it and have a greater chance of obtaining his share of the Buy Box, why? Because it has earned the user's trust.  

   You know the result too: increased profit. In this perspective, Amazon helps you by making available   the Amazon repricing software with which to set prices automatically.
   

3. Shipping times. That is, the time it takes a seller to ship and deliver an item.  Amazon organizes them into bands, which include only business days: 0-2 days, 3-7 days, 8-13 days, 14 or more days. Meeting these deadlines has a crucial impact on winning the Buy Box.
   

4. Order Defect Rate or ODR (Order Defect Rate). Amazon is very keen to ensure that the product arrives intact at its destination, which is why it relies on 3 parameters: a- evaluation of customer feedback (whether positive or negative)b- rate of complaints of products under warrantyc- Service chargeback rate To avoid a negative rating, you need to make sure your listings are detailed; you need to banish all misleading information.  Only in this way will you be able to maintain a high reputation.
   

5. Delivery tracking and monitoring rate. I'll put it briefly, you can imagine what I'm referring to.  We are talking about numbers and percentages that are based on the ratings made by users who have already purchased.  Receiving the product within the expected delivery times and checking its traceability give a great incentive to the customer to consider you serious, because he sees you as someone who cares about him; he feels important and valued. From this importance will come a positive feedback given not only by the implementation of all those little rules that Amazon imposes; but that will make you appear authoritative in the eyes of Amazon and the user. Here too, Amazon extends a helping hand to simplify the counting and evaluation process; you can automate your feedback requests with an Amazon feedback tool .

4. Secondary but still incisive variables 

If up to now we have analyzed the most decisive variables to win the Buy Box; now let's analyze the less impactful ones, but still incisive in a complex evaluation process such as that of the award assignment. They are closely linked to the behavior that every seller should have on Amazon, but indirectly, since they do not depend entirely on him. I'm talking about customer response times and sales volume. 

Amazon checks responses from the last 7, 30, and 90 days; responding to customers within 12 hours increases your chances of winning the Buy Box.  

However, by marking messages as “no response needed,” the seller can avoid negative scores. Obviously in a percentage that does not exceed 10% of the total responses. 

When it comes to sales volume, Amazon favors sellers who have a large inventory and a good inventory history.  Hence the importance of a direct update between warehouse stock and orders. We've seen how the shopping experience is vital to getting the Buy Box, which is why Amazon has introduced two new customer evaluation metrics:

• Return Dissatisfaction Rate and

• Customer Service Dissatisfaction Rate. 

In reality, even if they were inserted for the purpose of improving the user experience, Amazon is not using them for the purposes of the Buy Box, but that doesn't mean it won't do so in the future.  That's why you should consider them now, so you don't find yourself unprepared.

5. Buy Box suppression

Surprised? No, I don't think so... Amazon is a very strict teacher, it's no coincidence that it's number 1 in the world.  Its pricing policy states that: 

"Amazon regularly monitors the prices of items on our marketplaces, including shipping costs, and compares them to other prices available to our customers. If we see pricing practices on a marketplace offering that damage customer confidence, Amazon may remove the Buy Box, remove the offering, suspend the shipping option, or, in severe or repeated cases, suspend or terminate selling privileges." 

If the sales volume is too low compared to other prices offered; If the seller metrics are not suitable or if the listing is not clear enough in the description, images or otherwise, Amazon reserves the right to suppress the Buy Box. 

And how to win her back? Simple! You can use repricing software to lower the price of your products to bring the Buy Box back up.  If this doesn't happen, you still have a good chance of getting a sale in the "View all purchase options" section. Apply these little tricks and you will be an authoritative and competitive seller.