If you are a seller or brand selling on Amazon, you know it’s not just about listing your products and hoping for the best.
One of the most important parts of Amazon sales is the Buy Box. Think of it as the “prime real estate” on Amazon that everyone’s competing to own.
It’s the little box on the right side of a product page where customers can click “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now.” Seems simple, right?
But the truth is Amazon Buy Box monitoring can unlock massive sales potential on Amazon.
Why? Because a whopping 82% of Amazon’s sales happen through the Buy Box. So, if you’re not monitoring it, you’re losing out on a tonne of sales.
Equipping your brand with a digital shelf analytics expert can insulate you from unprecedented market and competitor avalanches.
Dealing with a Suppressed Buy Box
Sometimes, Amazon suppresses the Buy Box altogether. This means no seller gets to own it, and customers are forced to click through to the “Other Sellers” section to find purchase options.
Here’s why it happens and how you can deal with it.
Why the Buy Box Gets Suppressed?
Amazon typically suppresses the Buy Box due to multiple reasons. They can be:
- High product prices
- Low seller ranking
- Poor sales history
- Non-compliance with Amazon policies
A suppressed Buy Box can cause numerous pain points for brand managers and channel managers, such as dealing with unauthorized sellers, unprecedented price wars, negative customer reviews, and revenue loss.
In addition to all these, manually monitoring your Buy Box can be a cumbersome process that can lead to time and resource waste.
How to Fix a Suppressed Buy Box?
Amazon doesn’t just hand over the Buy Box to any seller. You’ve got to earn it. Here are some ways you can free a suppressed Buy Box on Amazon.
Lower Your Price
If your price is significantly higher than the typical selling price for the item, a competitive pricing method should be introduced. Amazon usually suppresses the Buy Box when it feels that customers are being charged too much.
Improve Seller Metrics
If your online dispute resolution (ODR) is high or shipping times are slow, work on improving those metrics. A strong performance history can help in restoring the Buy Box.
Review Amazon’s Guidelines
Check if your listing meets Amazon’s compliance standards. If any aspect of your listing violates Amazon’s terms, it could lead to Buy Box suppression. Address any potential issues immediately.
Most customers don’t bother scrolling through the list of sellers offering the same product. Instead, they simply click on other product suggestions and move on with their day.
So, it is upto the brands to create a conducive shopping environment for surviving in the digital commerce domain.
READ MORE | Interested to know more about Amazon Buy Box? Check out our blog on Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon Buy Box
Get More Amazon Sales With a Buy Box Tracker
One of the most significant advantages of using an Amazon Buy Box monitoring tool is the wealth of data-driven insights they provide. Instead of relying on guesswork, you can use data to fine-tune your Buy Box strategy and increase your win rate.
Here are some of the benefits of using a Buy Box monitoring tool:
Track Buy Box in Real-time
One of the most frustrating aspects of selling on Amazon is losing the Buy Box without even realizing it. If you’re not aware of who’s holding the Buy Box at any given moment, you’re missing out on valuable sales opportunities.
The Buy Box can shift hands multiple times throughout the day, especially if you’re competing with several sellers. This is where real-time monitoring becomes essential.
Buy Box monitoring tools provide immediate insights into who owns the Buy Box, allowing you to act quickly when it is lost.
Monitor Price Variations
Price is one of the most significant factors influencing Buy Box eligibility. However, keeping track of price changes manually across multiple sellers and channels can be overwhelming.
Unauthorized sellers can undercut your pricing strategy or sell below MAP pricing (Minimum Advertised Price), damaging your brand’s pricing integrity and causing price wars.
An Amazon Buy Box tracker automatically monitors price fluctuations across multiple sellers, including authorized and unauthorized sellers. This allows you to see the complete picture of pricing changes and act accordingly.
Preserve Brand Reputation
One of the greatest threats to a brand selling on Amazon is having the Buy Box controlled by unauthorized or poor-quality sellers.
These sellers can offer counterfeit products, ship late, or provide poor customer service, all of which can severely damage your brand’s reputation.
Negative reviews stemming from the lack of proper Amazon review monitoring can show up under your product listing, making potential customers hesitant to buy from you in the future and losing brand protection.
Promotes Fair Competition
It can be tempting to lower prices to outperform competitors constantly. However, this strategy can quickly erode profit margins.
Many sellers fall into the trap of lowering prices without fully understanding the impact on their profitability.
Buy Box monitoring tools allow you to adjust your e-commerce pricing strategies by sending you alerts when a price change is necessary to win back the Buy Box.
This way, you remain competitive while protecting your margins.
By using an Amazon Buy Box monitoring solution, you can actively protect your brand’s reputation. These tools give you visibility into who is selling your product and the quality of service they provide.
If unauthorized sellers or sellers with poor ratings are winning the Buy Box, you can take corrective actions such as submitting complaints to Amazon or adjusting your fulfillment strategy to increase your chances of regaining control.
READ MORE | Confused about increasing your e-commerce sales? Check out our blog on How to Increase E-Commerce Sales?
Conclusion
Winning the Amazon Buy Box is critical to improving Amazon sales and scaling your digital commerce business.
By understanding how the Buy Box works, optimizing your listings, and consistently monitoring your metrics, you can dramatically improve your chances of securing it.
However, the Buy Box isn’t something you win once and forget. It is an ongoing process of monitoring, optimizing, and adapting according to market conditions that can change in minutes or seconds.
Ready To Take Your Brand Performance to the Next Level?
FAQ
Buy Box ownership can change multiple times throughout the day, depending on factors like pricing, seller performance, and stock availability.
Yes, Amazon favors Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers due to faster shipping and better customer service.
Buy Box monitoring tools provide valuable insights into pricing, seller performance, and competitor activity, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.
