Can FBA Fulfillment Be Applied to Standalone Sites?

Can Independent Stations Use FBA for Delivery?

With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce, an increasing number of companies are building their own independent stations. As a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform, independent stations offer advantages such as flexible brand shaping and controllable user data. However, in the logistics delivery phase, independent stations often face choices. Among them, Amazon's FBA Fulfillment by Amazon service has drawn much attention due to its powerful warehousing and distribution network. Can independent stations use FBA for delivery? This article will discuss this issue from multiple perspectives.

Firstly, the advantages of FBA services cannot be ignored. As one of the largest e-commerce platforms globally, Amazon's logistics system already covers many countries and regions. For independent stations, if they can connect with the FBA system, not only can they enjoy Amazon's efficient and fast delivery service, but also utilize Amazon's global warehousing facilities. This means that enterprises do not need to invest heavily in building their own logistics networks to quickly respond to market demand and shorten order processing time. For example, according to Amazon's official data, products using FBA services usually arrive at consumers' hands within two days after placing orders, greatly enhancing user experience.

Secondly, FBA services can bring additional brand exposure opportunities. When products from independent stations are included in FBA inventory, these items have the opportunity to appear on the Amazon platform and gain more display opportunities through Amazon's various recommendation algorithms. This undoubtedly provides independent stations with additional traffic entry points. Joining FBA also means that products can obtain Amazon Prime labels, further enhancing product appeal. According to Amazon's first quarter 2025 financial report, the number of Prime members has exceeded 200 million, and products with Prime labels tend to win consumer trust and favor more easily.

However, there are still some challenges and limitations for independent stations using FBA. The first is cost issues. Although FBA services seem convenient, their charging standards are not low. In addition to warehousing fees, they also include costs such as picking, packaging, and delivery. Especially for products with lower profit margins, high logistics costs may compress profit margins. For example, a cross-border e-commerce company found after testing FBA services that logistics costs accounted for more than 30% of product prices, far higher than expected. Before deciding whether to adopt FBA, enterprises need to carefully calculate the cost-benefit ratio.

Another challenge is the complexity of inventory management. To make full use of FBA services, independent stations need to send goods to Amazon warehouses in advance. This requires enterprises to have precise demand forecasting capabilities; otherwise, it may lead to inventory backlog or stockouts. Especially in seasonal product areas, how to reasonably arrange inventory becomes a thorny problem. According to industry statistics, about 40% of cross-border e-commerce enterprises encounter problems with inventory turnover when using FBA.

Independent stations also need to consider the balance between brand positioning and platform rules when using FBA. Amazon has strict regulations formerchants, including requirements for product quality and after-sales service. Once these regulations are violated, there may be risks of product removal or account bans. Independent stations must ensure that their operational models remain consistent with Amazon's platform rules to avoid losing sight of the bigger picture over minor issues.

Despite this, some independent stations have successfully collaborated with FBA. For example, an independent station specializing in outdoor sports equipment decided to try including some best-selling items in the FBA system after thorough research. By optimizing supply chain management and precisely advertising, the station not only effectively reduced logistics costs but also significantly increased sales. This case shows that as long as adequate preparations are made and reasonable strategies are formulated, independent stations can fully leverage FBA's advantages for rapid development.

In conclusion, whether independent stations can use FBA delivery depends on specific corporate needs and stages of development. For enterprises hoping to quickly open up markets and enhance brand awareness, FBA is undoubtedly a worthy consideration; however, for those pursuing extreme cost control or specific market positioning, a cautious evaluation of pros and cons is necessary. Regardless, independent stations need to make wise decisions regarding logistics delivery to stand out in fierce market competition. In the future, with the continuous evolution of the cross-border e-commerce industry and technological advancements, more innovative solutions will surely emerge, helping independent stations better address logistics challenges.