How to start anArbitrageAmazon businessLEM TURNERA STEP-BY-STEP GUIDEStarting a new new Amazon business? Findout where to begin and how to achievesuccess.THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM @THEARBITRAGESOURCE
Table of ContentsHOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COMThe Author:........................................................................................Page 3Chapter 1: What is Retail and Online Arbitrage.......................Page 4Chapter 2: Getting Started with Amazon Selling...................Page 8Chapter 3: ..............................................................Page 16Chapter 4: Sourcing Products by Retail Arbitrage................Page 23Chapter 6: How to know what sells and what does not.....Page 39Chapter 9: Shipping to Amazon FBA .............................................Page 65FEES!!Chapter 5: Sourcing Products by Online Arbitrage...............Page 31Chapter 7: Using the Amazon Seller App and Revseller to Scan and Calculate Profit....Page 46Chapter 8: Listing products on Amazon with Seller Central....Page 59Take Action - Common Terms - Links To Apps I use Daily .....Page 90Chapter 10 : Using the Amazon seller app to list.........................Page 79Chapter 11 : Shipping with FBM.........................................................Page 84
I have been selling with Amazon since May 2012and have over a decade of experience in selling. My original goal was to make an extra $50monthly to cover a cellphone bill.I went full-time as a seller in 2016 and now am amid-six-figure annual seller. I have seen andexperienced most of the changes since joining,which have changed some of the practices I useas a seller, and I bring my experience to you.HELLO THERE! I'M LEMMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COMTheAuthorDisclaimer:The strategies, techniques, and advice presented in this book areintended to provide guidance and inspiration. However, individualresults may vary, and success is not guaranteed. Achieving your goalsdepends on your personal effort, commitment, and perseverance.The author and publisher disclaim any liability for any loss or risk,personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly orindirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of thisbook.
What is Retail andOnline Arbitrage?CHAPTER N.1HOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Involves going intophysical stores—likeWalmart, Target, orlocal grocery stores—and buying items thatare discounted or onclearance. You thenresell those productson Amazon for a profit.Works in a similarway, but instead ofgoing to physicalstores, you find andpurchasediscounted orunderpriced itemsonline, and then sellthem on Amazon.At its core, arbitrage is simple: it’s the process ofbuying products at a low price and selling them for ahigher price, pocketing the difference as profit.THE BASICS OF ARBITRAGEWhat is Retail and OnlineArbitrage? RETAIL ARBITRAGEONLINE ARBITRAGE Both forms of arbitrage can be very profitablewhen done correctly. You don’t need todevelop your own products or buy largequantities of inventory upfront you’re simplyfinding opportunities in existing markets.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
How Does It Work?THE BASIC PROCESS OF ARBITRAGE ISSTRAIGHTFORWARD:Find a Product – Look for items that are beingsold at a significant discount. You might findthese in clearance aisles, online sales, or evenregular-priced items that are in such highdemand or hard to find that they are profitable tosell on Amazon.List the Product on Amazon - Once you’vebought the item, you can list it for sale onAmazon’s marketplace.Sell and Profit – When the product sells,Amazon handles the shipping (if you use theirFulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service), and youcollect the profit after Amazon’s fees arededucted.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Why It’s Perfect forBeginnersONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUTARBITRAGE IS ITS ACCESSIBILITY TOANYONE. HERE’S WHY IT’S GREAT FORBEGINNERS:Low Start-Up Costs: You don’t need a lot ofmoney to start. You can buy just a few items,test the waters, and reinvest your profits togrow.Flexibility: Arbitrage can be done part-time, onweekends, or in the evenings after work. It’s anideal side hustle for those with busy schedules.No Need for Warehousing: With Amazon FBA,you can send your products directly toAmazon’s warehouses, and they handle storage,shipping, and customer service for you.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Getting Startedwith AmazonSellingCHAPTER N.2HOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
To start selling on Amazon, the first step is creating a SellerCentral account by going here. This is where you’ll manageall aspects of your Amazon business, including listingproducts, tracking inventory, and viewing sales data.Setting Up Your AmazonSeller AccountAmazon offers two types of accounts: Individual and Professional. 1. Individual Selling PlanCost: No monthly subscription fee, but you pay $0.99 per item sold.Seller Tools: Basic tools for managing inventory and listings.Access to Categories: You can sell in fewer categories, with some requiringapproval.Listings & Promotions:Can only list products manually (one by one).Cannot create promotions, such as special discounts or offer free shippingoptions.No access to advanced listing and reporting features.Fulfillment Options: You can still use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) but withlimited features.Best For: Sellers with a small inventory or who are just starting out and sellingfewer than 40 items per month.2. Professional Selling PlanCost: $39.99 per month, no per-item selling fee.Seller Tools: Access to advanced selling tools, including bulk listing tools,inventory management, and reports on your business performance.Access to Categories: Ability to sell in more categories, including gated ones(requires approval).Listings & Promotions:Can list products in bulk (using spreadsheets or automation).Can run promotions, offer free shipping, and create special discounts.Eligible for Amazon Buy Box, which is important for increasing sales.Advertising Options: Access to Amazon advertising and promotion tools tohelp grow visibility.Fulfillment Options: Full access to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) with allfeatures.Best For: Sellers with larger inventories or who sell more than 40 items permonth and want to grow their business with advanced tools and analytics.
What You Will Need WhenSigning Up And What ToExpectBusiness Name and Address (This can bechanged later, but it's visible to customers—choose wisely!)Agreement to Amazon's seller termsPhone Number (Amazon will verify youridentity via call or text)Billing Information, including a chargeablecredit card (for Professional accounts)Bank Account Details (routing and accountnumbers for deposits)Tax Information (required for Professionalaccounts)Display Name (publicly visible tocustomers)Government-issued IDImportant: If submitting documents likebank statements or driver's licenses, usethe PDF format, as image files may not beaccepted.
Once you've provided all the requiredinformation, you'll have successfully set upyour Amazon Seller Account. Your SellerCentral dashboard may look empty initially,but as you start listing products and makingsales, it will populate with valuable data tohelp you manage your business.Just so you know, Amazon needs to processand verify your information. Account approvalcan take anywhere from an hour to a week.Be patient during this period. Every sellergoes through this same processYou may be asked to have a video call with anAmazon Associate to verify your documentsover a video call. You may also receive apostcard to your registered business addresswith a special code to be entered to proveyou're doing business from where you statedwhen creating your account.
What is FBA (Fulfillment byAmazon)?Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a servicewhere Amazon handles the storage, shipping,and customer service for the products you sell.This is one of the biggest advantages of sellingon Amazon, as it allows you to scale withouthaving to store or ship the products yourself.Here’s how FBA works:You Source Products – You find products(through retail or online arbitrage) andpurchase them.1.Send Them to Amazon – You pack andship the products to Amazon’s fulfillmentcenters.2.Amazon Stores, Packs, and Ships – Whena customer orders one of your products,Amazon takes care of the storage,packaging, and shipping.3.Amazon Handles Customer Service – If acustomer has questions or needs to returnan item, Amazon handles it.4.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
With FBA, you don’t have to worry about thelogistical headaches of running an eCommercestore. You can focus on sourcing great productswhile Amazon handles the heavy lifting.
What is FBM?Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) is another sellingmethod where you, the seller, are responsiblefor storing, packing, and shipping the productsdirectly to the customer. Unlike FBA, whereAmazon manages fulfillment, FBM puts thecontrol of the process in your hands.Here’s a quick breakdown of how FBM works:You List Products – Just like FBA, you listyour products for sale on Amazon.1.You Store Products – Instead of sendingyour products to Amazon’s fulfillmentcenters, you keep them in your own storagespace.2.You Handle Shipping – When a customerorders, you are responsible for packing andshipping the product to them.3.You Provide Customer Service – Anycustomer service inquiries or returns arehandled directly by you.4.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
What You Will Need ForSelling Products on AmazonPrintersYou can start with a regular inkjet or laser printer. You will use 30up labels to print FNSKU labels to label your FBA items, and youwill use 8.5"x 11" for the boxes being sent FBA. You can get freeshipping labels through UPS by creating a free account.You may also use thermal printers. Thermal printers don’t use inkand burn the image directly onto the label. Two of the moreknown brands are Dymo and RolloMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COMAll of these items can be bought from Amazon3" Tape Gun3"s is perfect for sealing boxes with one piece of tape. Also,make sure to tape every seal. This will help insure the box staysclosed and will be less likely to snag on equipmentBubble wrapAnything you send to Amazon must be able to survive a 3 footdrop to a concrete floor and survive. Bubble wrap can helpprotect your items. Don’t expect bubble wrap alone to protectglass or very fragile items.Scales You will need a scale for your MF shipments to weigh eachpackage to purchase shipping.You will need need a larger scale that can measure up to 50lbs(22.68 kilos) which is the maximum weight of a single box whichcan be sent to Amazon when doing FBA
PolybagsWarehouses are dirty, so you may want to protect your items,and you can do that with polybags. Besides, they are required forliquid or grainy items that do not have a double seal. Forexample, adding a sealed polybag around a tube of toothpastewould be the double seal.They come in various sizes to fit your needs and must have asuffocation warning printed on them or you must place asuffocation sticker on the bagShrinkwrapShrwinkwrap can be useful if you have an item that needs adouble seal but won’t fit any polybags you have. It is also usefulfor putting bundles of different items together. MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COMScotty PeelerA Scotty peeler is a plastic or sometimes bladed tool that helpswith removing price labels from packagingGoo Gone/ Adhesive remover(various brands)Combined with a Scotty peeler helps to make removing pricestickers easily without leaving a markBoxes, poly or bubble envelopes for MF OrdersYou may need boxes of various sizes to safely and securely shipitems to your buyers that may be fragile. 6X6X6 is a commonsize box I usually buy in bulk. Do not reuse boxes and above allelse do not use a box from a competitor like Walmart.Boxes for FBA ShipmentsWhen you ship items into FBA you will need to pack boxes. Youmay use or reuse any box you like unless it is an alcoholicbeverage box.
FEES!!CHAPTER N.3HOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COMThis Is A Very ImportantAspect To UnderstandAmazon charges various fees on its platform.There are referral fees for each item soldbased on the category. Fulfillment fees arecharged for using Amazon’s FBA program andothers.I am first telling you about these various feesbefore anything else because many sellersneed to recognize that there are fees that willeat into their profit early on.It is not uncommon to see new sellers on alisting. You can tell they are new sellersbecause their names will say “Just Launched”or they have only a handful of reviews. They willfrequently price so low that even if theyreceived the item for free, they would not makeany profit when they sold due to the feescharged.
There are many situations in which you maywant to price low enough to lose profit, but thisis not usually the case when it is a fast-sellingprofitable item at higher “normal” prices. It appears many sellers believe that if you buy atoy for $50 and sell it for $75, you will make$25 in profit, which is certainly not the case.We have tools on our phones and computersthat calculate fees automatically, but pleasemake sure to account for the various fees,especially if you are fulfilling these itemsyourself, as shipping materials and postage canbecome expensive.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Referral FeesAmazon deducts the applicable referral feepercentage calculated on the total sales pricefor all products. The total sales price is thetotal amount paid by the buyer, including theitem price, any delivery charge (if you areshipping yourself), and any gift wrappingcharges.The referral fee for most categories is between8% and 15%. Also, some categories chargefees based on price tiers. For example, in theClothing and Accessories category, Amazoncharges a referral fee of 5% for products with atotal sales price of $15 or less, 10% forproducts with a total sales price greater than$15 and less than or equal to $20 and 17% forproducts with a total sales price greater than$20MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Fba Fulfillment FeesExample of Referral Fee: Calculation for a toyToy rate: 15% of total sales priceItem price = $25Delivery charge (What you charge thecustomer to ship) = $4.50Gift wrap charges = $3.50Total sales price = Item price + deliverycharges + gift wrap $25 + $4.50 + $3.50 = $33 - 15% = $4.95referral feeIf you use Amazons fulfillment system FBA,there are additional fees paid on top of thereferral fess.With FBA, Amazon will pick, pack, ship and doall of the customer service for you at anadditional fee.
There are too many different weight size tierfees to mention them all so please click thislink then scroll down to see a chart for thedifferent weight and size tiers. Make notice of dimensional weight because avery lightweight item like a kite would be listedin a a higher fee category, not because of itsactual weight, but because the dimensions ofthe kite is largeFrom October 15th, to January 14th the holidaypeak fulfillment fee will be applied to FBA(excluding apparel)MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Long Term And Monthly Storage FeesThere are potential profit thieves if you areunaware with separate monthly and long termstorage fees. These fees are based on theamount of space your inventory takes in thewarehouses over the course of months andand every year.Closing FeesThe closing fee is $1.80 per unit sold forproducts in the Books, DVD, Music, Software &Computer/Video Games, Video GameConsoles, and Video Game Accessoriescategories.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Sourcing Productsby Retail ArbitrageCHAPTER N.4HOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
The Benefits of Retail Arbitrage1. Low Start-Up CostsOne of the most attractive aspects of retailarbitrage is the low barrier to entry. You don’tneed a large initial investment to get started.2. Immediate Access to ProductRetail arbitrage allows you to access productsinstantly. You can go to your local retail stores,buy products off the shelf, and list them for saleon Amazon the same day. There’s no need towait for long shipping times3. Flexibility and ConvenienceRetail arbitrage offers tremendous flexibility.You can do it in your spare time, on weekends,or whenever your schedule allows. Many sellersenjoy the convenience of being able to shop atlocal stores during their regular grocery runs orwhile running errands, turning their everydayactivities into profitable opportunities.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Where to Find ProductsThe key to successful arbitrage is knowingwhere to find products that can be resold for aprofit. Here are some of the best places to start:Big Box Retailers: Stores like Walmart, BestBuy, and Home Depot often have sales andclearance sections where you can findheavily discounted items and regular,everyday priced shelf products that you canbuy to sell and make a profit.Discount Stores: Places like TJ Maxx, Ross,and Marshalls are known for carryingoverstock items that can be resold onAmazon.Grocery Stores: Grocery stores, andespecially regional chains like Publix andPiggly Wiggly, can offer sales andmerchandise not available in other parts ofthe countryMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
One great aspect of RetailArbitrage is that once youhave located a profitableitem in a store likeWalmart, you will likely beable to hunt that sameitem at Walmarts in yourarea or even across thecountry on road tripsaccumulating wholesalequantities in the process.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
What to Look for in aProfitable ProductNot every deal is a good one. Here are somekey factors to consider when sourcing products:Discounts: The more significant the discount,the more potential profit you can make. Lookfor items that are 50-70% off retail price. Youneed to build profit into the items you buy. Advertised sales, flash sales, discount codes,cash back, and discounted gift cards are greatways to manufacture profit.Demand: You want to ensure a market for theitem. Check Amazon’s Sales Rank, lower isbetter(Closer to #1), indicating the item sellsfrequently, and then Keepa for historical salesinformation.Condition: Always check the condition of theproduct. Merchandise must be “gift ready” freefrom any defects. If being sent to FBA, theymust be protected enough to be dropped toconcrete from 3 feet and not take damage.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
There two main ways to make profit witharbitrage.Buying items on sale, using coupons orclearance, to get a COG so low you can sellthem at regular price.1.2. Buying items that are rare, hard to find ordiscontinued and selling them at a much higherthan regular sales priceCOGUp to regular PriceOver regular PriceDiscontinued ShoeMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Sales Rank ChartThis is a Sales Rank Chart I made for the US Market.Remember, an item’s sales rank is only a snapshot atthat very moment when you’re looking at the data.“Generally” speaking you want to hunt products with asales ranking below 3% of the categoryCategoryTotalItems0.5% 1% 2%MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Sourcing Productsby Online ArbitrageCHAPTER N.5HOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
The Benefits of Online Arbitrage2. Wider SelectionThe internet gives you access to countlessstores and product categories, expanding thenumber of potential deals.3. EfficiencyYou can quickly compare prices acrossdifferent websites and platforms, ensuringyou’re getting the best deal without needing tophysically visit multiple stores.1. ConvenienceYou can browse and source products anytimefrom anywhere with an internet connection,even from your bed in your boxers or gown. Thisis especially useful if you live in a smaller, moreremote city without multiple stores in the area.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM4. Online Discount Codes/ Cash BackBecause online retailers have to compete withother online sites to get business, they willoften run sales or offer coupon codes that arenot available in brick and mortar stores. Pluscash back sites like Rakuten offer a % of yourpurchase back to you
Where to Find ProductsFinding products for online arbitrage can betricky, but with the right tools and techniques,you can uncover hidden gems. Here are somepopular online sources to get you started:Retail WebsitesMany major retailers offer deep discounts,especially on clearance items or during salesevents. Some of the most popular onlinestores for sourcing include:Walmart.com: Look for clearance anddiscounted items in various categories.Target.com: Check their sales and clearancesections.HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com oftenhave great deals on tools, hardware, andhome goods.BestBuy.com: Look for discountedelectronics on sale or open-box items.Vitacost.com: A great site to hunt forgrocery and beauty itemsMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Deal and Discount WebsitesThese sites aggregate the best deals fromacross the internet and can be a goldminefor finding profitable products:Slickdeals.net: A community-driven sitewhere users post and upvote the best deals.Rakuten: This site finds deals and offerscashback, increasing your profit margins.Honey and Capital One Shopping: Thesebrowser extensions help you track pricechanges and alert you when the price drops.Retailmenot.com: A similar cashback sitelike RakutenTopcashback.com: A similar cashback sitelike RakutenAmazon ItselfOne of the most surprising places to sourceproducts for online arbitrage is Amazonitself, aka Amazon to Amazon Flips or A2A.You can buy discounted items directly fromAmazon when they have dropped their priceand resell them at a higher price on theplatform. You must not use Prime benefitssuch as 2-day shipping when ordering fromAmazon.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Some Stores and Sites Are NotReseller FriendlyStores run advertisements weekly to enticeshoppers to visit their stores. They do this with“Loss Leaders” where they hope a normalshopper will buy more than what is on sale.Because of this, you may be asked to leave astore if they suspect you are a reseller.Target - I worked for Target for nine years,and part of my training was to spot“resellers.” They are the only store to haveemployees ask me if I am a reseller, and it isone of two stores where I make up a story asto why I am buying so many units at once. Itell the truth everywhere else. The otheris.........Publix - They are a regional grocery chainwith some of the best BOGO half off weeklysales. I don’t know if there is an officialnumber of items you may purchase, as I haveheard different quantities from differentmanagers.
Kohls - Kohl’s is strange because they areseller friendly in their retail locations but isone of the stores that may block you fromordering online.CVS.com - Limits on certain products,especially in high demand, often triggercancellations.Walgreens.com - Cancels orders whenpatterns of bulk buying or reselling aresuspected.Target.com - Has strict limits on quantitiesand may cancel multiple similar orders.And some othersIf you are doing Retail Arbitrage in a known AntiReseller store, I would suggest treasure huntingin the evening when most managers who maycare have left for the day. Otherwise, it is agreat idea to get to know the store anddepartment managers, as they may be able tooffer discounts for you, helping them movemerchandise or meet their sales quotas.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
If you are doing Online Arbitrage , I wouldsuggest making your purchases look natural.Instead of buying 15 pairs of the same color andsize shoe, buy 5 of the 3 best selling variations.With Online Arbitrage, you may need tooutsmart the site’s bot so you do not getflagged in their system and have your buyingprivileges removed, which would be an evenmore significant pain if you shopped that sitefor personal use.MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COMUsing Simple Apps to Helpwith SourcingWhile you're in the store, you can use theAmazon Seller App to scan barcodes and seehow much a product is currently selling for onAmazon. Here’s how you can use the app tomake informed decisions:Scan the Product Barcode: The app willinstantly show you the current price onAmazon, sales rank, and estimated FBAfees.1.Analyze the Profit: Subtract your purchaseprice and Amazon’s fees from the sellingprice to see if it’s profitable.2.Make a Decision: If the profit margin ishealthy, add the item to your cart and repeat!3.
How to know whatsells and whatdoes notCHAPTER N.6HOW TO START AN AMAZON BUSINESSMORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
Understanding ASINS,Categories, BSRs(salesrank) and KeepaThe #1 question I am asked has to be “How doyou know if something will sell? Do you guess?ABSOLUTELY NOT!Selling on Amazon is a data-driven business,and Amazon, along with a few other tools,helps us sellers “read the tea leaves”So lets break it down.Every item sold on Amazon has an ASIN(Amazon Standard Identification Number). It isa unique 10-character alphanumeric identifierassigned by Amazon to each product sold onits platform. Books are the only items sold thatdo not have ASINS, they have ISBNs
ASINBSR (Sales Rank)MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM
The previous screenshot for Amazon BasicsToilet paper shows the ASIN as B095CN96JS.No other item for sale on Amazon will have thatASIN. This item is a five-pack; if it were a six-pack, it would have an entirely different ASIN.it is also showing the BSR(Best Seller Rank) tobe #3.A BSR(Best Seller Rank) is a snapshot in timeshowing how fast an item is selling comparedto every other item in the same category, with#1 being the fastest-selling item in thatcategory.With the BSR of this item being #3, these paperproducts sell hundreds of units daily. If the BSRwere 428,875, I could assume the item soldslowly.However, you must rely on more than just BSRto determine if a product is worth buying andselling. As I mentioned before, the BSR is asnapshot in time. The BSR changes every 15minutes, 24-7-365. MORE ON THEARBITRAGESOURCE.COM