Amazon FBA UK: how to source and check stock
To source stock for Amazon FBA, find a product you can buy below its expected selling price, then check the exact listing, your permission to sell it and the full costs. A large retail discount alone does not make a good Amazon purchase.
FBA is the fulfilment part: you send eligible stock to Amazon, which handles dispatch and customer returns. Sourcing and deciding what to buy remain your work.
Looking for alerts rather than an introduction? SAVR's Amazon sourcing membership explains the UK retailer feeds, personal filters and Discord access.
Where UK sellers find stock
Online arbitrage: buy from retailer websites and have the goods delivered to you. Include delivery charges, quantity limits and the risk of a cancelled order. Our online arbitrage guide covers the buying process.
Retail arbitrage: research clearance stock in physical shops. You can inspect the packaging before paying, but local prices and stock can differ. See the retail arbitrage checklist.
Wholesale: buy through a supplier rather than a retail clearance listing. Consider minimum orders, documentation and repeat availability. SAVR's retail alerts are not a wholesale supplier directory.
Check these five things before buying
1. Match the exact product
Compare the barcode, model, variation and pack quantity with the Amazon listing. A single bottle and a multipack are different products even when the title and photo look similar. Do not use a higher-priced listing unless your stock matches it.
2. Check your account can sell it
Use your own Seller Central account to check eligibility. Some brands, products and categories require approval or documentation. A product appearing on Amazon does not mean your account can list it.
Follow the requirements Amazon shows for that application. Do not assume a retail receipt, or another seller's previous approval, will satisfy them. Amazon's reseller guide explains product matching and eligibility.
3. Estimate all costs
Use Amazon's current pricing and Revenue Calculator for the intended product and fulfilment method. Then add costs the estimate does not cover for your business: buying the stock, delivery to you, preparation, shipping to Amazon, storage allowances and returns.
Check tax treatment against your own circumstances. Do not treat an amount labelled as excluding VAT as your final cost automatically.
4. Review demand and competing offers
Look beyond today's asking price. Review price history, competing offers and how demand changes over time. Sales rank is a signal, not a guarantee of units you will sell. More sellers can put pressure on prices, but seller count alone does not predict the outcome.
5. Decide how long you can hold the stock
Your money can be tied up while goods arrive, are received, sell and become payable. Test a small quantity before placing a larger order. Record actual costs and results so your next decision uses evidence.
A simple cost check
This is an illustrative calculation, not a live deal or an Amazon fee quote:
- Expected sale proceeds: £30.
- Stock cost, including delivery to you: £12.
- Assumed marketplace and fulfilment costs: £7.
- Preparation, inbound delivery and storage allowance: £2.
- Remaining amount: £9 before overheads, tax and any extra return costs.
If the sale price falls to £25 while those assumed costs stay unchanged, the remaining amount falls to £4. In practice, some fees also change with the sale price. Run the lower-price scenario through the calculator too.
Where SAVR fits
SAVR monitors UK retailer discounts and price errors. Set personal keyword and discount rules to reduce time spent checking sale pages. You then do the Amazon checks above.
Selected SAVR deal comparisons use eBay sold listings. An eBay comparison is not an Amazon valuation, approval check or FBA profit estimate. Our previous SAVR finds show how the retail alerts look, with dates and ended deals clearly labelled.
Common questions
Do I need an Amazon FBA group to start?
No. Amazon offers free seller learning. A sourcing community can help you find products to research, but it does not replace learning the selling process or checking your own account.
Is online arbitrage the same as FBA?
No. Online arbitrage describes where you buy stock. FBA describes how orders are fulfilled. You can source online and fulfil orders yourself instead.
Does a deep discount mean a product is profitable?
No. Check the exact product, realistic selling price, demand and all costs. A large reduction from RRP can still leave no margin.
What does SAVR membership include?
UK discount monitoring, personal alerts and access to the SAVR Discord feeds. See the SAVR sourcing page for current membership details and the checks you still handle.