The 14 most important criteria for winning the BuyBox on Amazon and how to keep your metrics under control
How is it that some offers are visible on Amazon while others do not appear in the Amazon BuyBox? The criteria for winning the small yellow button are the best-kept secret of the online giant, and qualifying for the BuyBox is not without its challenges. The Amazon algorithm decides based on certain rules which retailers are ideally suited for the field.
Because on Amazon, you find two types of sellers – Amazon itself and third-party retailers of branded goods and Private Label. When multiple sellers sell the same branded goods, a competition arises for the field on the right side of the product detail page, where customers can add an item to their cart or buy it directly using a yellow button.
Typically, there is only one BuyBox on each Amazon product detail page, and all retailers offering this branded good share this space. However, only the best of the best win the shopping cart field. How? You will find out here.
What is the Amazon BuyBox?
Anyone who wants to become a seller on Amazon must know it: the Amazon BuyBox, in German the shopping cart field, sometimes also written as Buy Box or Buybox. The visually highlighted box on the product detail pages includes not only the price but also the yellow button labeled “Add to Cart.” Next to it is also the “Buy Now” field, through which customers can go directly to checkout. Essentially, it is the Amazon equivalent of the shopping cart in other online stores.
Since most customers do not take the time to check all offers for an item but simply click on the BuyBox to make a purchase, around 90% of all sales of a product go through the yellow button. The BuyBox thus guarantees a high sales rate for the items of the respective retailer and optimizes sales figures on the marketplace.
Up to 90% of all sales take place in the BuyBox.
With this prospect, placement in the small yellow field on the product detail page is as coveted as ever and is a primary goal for online retailers on Amazon to remain competitive. But what criteria influence the awarding of the BuyBox?
The empty chair
An Amazon myth states that Jeff Bezos always brings an empty chair to his meetings. He places it at the conference table like any other chair. However, throughout the entire meeting, no one sits in it.
The chair serves as a symbol – it symbolizes the Amazon customer. The empty chair is meant to represent the customer sitting at the table, reminding all participants that all decisions are made for the benefit of the customer.
Whether this myth is true or not, one can easily imagine that the empty chair was also present during the discussion about the BuyBox algorithm. Thus, it is no wonder that only the offers in the BuyBox promise the best customer experience.
If you want to win the Amazon BuyBox, you must primarily provide perfect customer service.
All important BuyBox criteria at a glance
| Metric | Definition | Winning the Buy Box |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping method | Seller’s shipping method | FBA/Prime from the seller |
| Final price | Article price plus shipping costs | The lower, the better |
| Shipping duration | How long it takes for the goods to arrive | <= 2 days |
| Rate on order deficiencies | Negative feedback rate + rate of A-Z guarantee claims + cancellation rate | 0% |
| Cancellation rate before order processing in % | Orders with cancellation / total number of all orders | 0% |
| Rate of valid tracking numbers | All deliveries whose shipment status can be tracked | 100% |
| Rate of late deliveries | All deliveries that were delivered later than specified | 0% |
| Rate of on-time deliveries | Deliveries that were delivered on time | 100% |
| Dissatisfaction with returns in % | Number of negative return requests / total number of all return requests | 0% |
| Seller rating and its number | Total number of ratings that the seller has received | The higher, the better |
| Response time | How long it takes for the seller to respond to customer inquiries | < 12 hours |
| Inventory | How often the seller has no stock available | The rarer the seller is out of stock, the better |
| Dissatisfaction with customer service in % | How often customers were dissatisfied with a response from the seller | The lower, the better |
| Refund rate | How often customers request a refund | The lower, the better |
| Rate on invoice deficiencies | Orders with invoice deficiencies / Total number of orders from business customers | 0% |
Shipping method, offer price, shipping duration, and inventory are not purely customer-specific metrics and are completely in the hands of the seller. The remaining ten metrics for winning the BuyBox are closely tied to Amazon’s strategy and aimed at making the customer happy. But let’s finally get into the details.
1. Shipping method
To guarantee fast delivery, the processes surrounding the sale must be coordinated. Such optimization takes a lot of time and money. As an online seller, you know how much work is involved in the processes surrounding the order:
The faster these processes run and shipping can start, the more satisfied the customer is, and thus your chances of winning the yellow field increase.
Amazon has significantly advanced the optimization of internal processes for order fulfillment and has been offering its own solution with its “Fulfillment by Amazon” (FBA) program for several years.
But what does FBA have to do with the BuyBox?
To do this, let’s compare the different shipping options at Amazon.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
The seller ships ready-to-deliver goods to Amazon. Amazon provides storage capacity, takes care of packaging, shipping, and customer service. The items are marked as Prime offers and with “Shipped by Amazon.” With Fulfillment by Amazon, the seller has access to the most affluent customer group on Amazon, the Prime customers.
Shipped by seller (Fulfillment by Merchant – FBM)
The seller takes care of all processes related to shipping and customer service. Offers are not marked as Prime offers. Since the entire fulfillment is in the seller’s hands, storage space, manpower, technology, etc. must be organized by themselves. Amazon acts here merely as a platform for offering products.
Seller fulfilled Prime
In this shipping program, the seller’s goods are marked as Prime offers. Although Amazon selects the shipping service provider itself, it provides Prime shipping labels. The sellers also handle fulfillment and customer service entirely on their own. This shipping method is particularly suitable for online sellers offering high-quality products, products with seasonal or unpredictable demand, fragile or bulky goods. However, the program is only accessible by invitation from Amazon and after extensive quality tests.
As you can see from the table above, the Amazon algorithm prefers products with Prime status – pure FBM offers often fall short in the battle for the BuyBox. This is intended to keep customer satisfaction at a high level.
And now?
Minimum requirement and ideal value for the BuyBox
The minimum requirement for BuyBox qualification is shipping via FBM. To win the Buy Box, you should rely on FBA or Seller Fulfilled Prime.
Tip: Weigh all the pros and cons of each shipping method
A fast delivery and the best customer service are the most important prerequisites for winning the Buy Box, which are completely covered by Fulfillment by Amazon. Nevertheless, FBA is not suitable for all product groups. Therefore, weigh all the pros and cons of the shipping methods on Amazon and decide for yourself which shipping is best suited for which items. A competitor analysis can also help in making a decision. If you need more information about the individual shipping methods at Amazon, you can read about it here.
2. Final price
Sellers often confuse the final price with the product price when pricing. The final price consists of the product price plus shipping costs. Amazon calculates the final price and displays the offers in the BuyBox in the corresponding order. Often, the lowest price has the highest share of the Buy Box. However, this is not only due to the price, but also to the summary of additional metrics that show which seller can also provide the best buying experience.
Minimum requirement and ideal value for winning the BuyBox
According to Amazon, the price should be as low as possible. However, it is actually about the price-performance ratio. Therefore, do not try to compensate for the other metrics with the lowest price.
Tip: The lowest price does not win
If you observe the offer prices on Amazon’s marketplace, you will notice that they change constantly. This is dynamic or rule-optimized price adjustment – the selling price is automatically adjusted to the market situation or competition, possibly in connection with a specific pricing strategy. A comprehensive article on why dynamic repricing is crucial in the price battle for winning the Buy Box and how you can drive the optimization of your price, read here.
To put it briefly: With a rule adjustment in pricing – such as “My price must always be 5 cents below the lowest price” – the rule-optimized repricer takes into account the competition fighting for the little yellow button and pushes your prices down. In fact, rule-based repricers can also win the BuyBox (unless dynamic repricers are in play), but this comes at the expense of profitability. Dynamic repricing is about first entering the Buy Box and then playing between the minimum and maximum offer price per item or product group. Here, the price is automatically adjusted to the market situation and competition. This pricing strategy leads to the optimization of your margin.
3. Shipping duration
The faster the shipping, the better the reviews, and thus the chances of placing your offers in the shopping cart field. The requirement for winning the Buy Box is therefore: The shipping duration must not exceed two days. For qualification in the BuyBox, a shipping duration of up to 14 days is sufficient, but these offers will hardly have a chance for the shopping cart field in any case.
Minimum requirement and ideal value for the BuyBox
To qualify for the BuyBox, your shipping must not take longer than 14 days. If you want to win the field for yourself, shipping should take less than two days.
Tip: Monitor competition and rely on the right shipping method
Delivery times often depend on the product category. Batteries or cosmetics are quickly packed and shipped. In contrast, furniture or large electrical appliances take several days to reach the customer. Monitor your competition to get an idea regarding the delivery times of certain product categories: If another SELLERLOGIC promises delivery within two days for a similar product, then this is considered a minimum requirement for you as well. However, do not stretch too far with the delivery guarantee – late deliveries worsen the seller rating on Amazon and this has consequences for your scoring value and the placement of your offers in the BuyBox.
The benchmark in customer service: The seller performance
The seller performance consists of various metrics of customer service. How crucial this composite value is becomes clear from the English name: Account Health.
If the minimum requirements are not met, the seller account “suffers” and Amazon feels compelled to restrict or even completely revoke the selling privileges. Thus, it is evident from the seller performance metric alone how important customer satisfaction is to Amazon. The customer service metrics included in the seller performance are also the most important for determining the Buy Box.
The seller performance includes:
In the following, we will take a closer look at the individual metrics of seller performance.
4. Rate of order defects
The rate of order defects is influenced by negative reviews, A-to-Z Guarantee claims, and service-related credit card chargebacks. An order with a negative review OR an A-to-Z Guarantee claim OR a service-related credit card chargeback is considered a defect. This means, conversely, that an order with a negative review AND an A-to-Z Guarantee claim counts as only ONE defect.
The rate of order defects is expressed as a percentage that relates to all orders in the last 60 days.
Formula: Rate of order defects
Rate of order defects in % = (Orders with at least one defect / Total number of all orders) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for the BuyBox
The rate must not exceed the value of 1%, otherwise the seller account is at risk of suspension. However, for winning the BuyBox, this value should be as close to 0% as possible.
Tip: How can you prevent order defects
For every merchant in eCommerce, optimizing shipping processes is extremely important. Therefore, you should invest sufficient resources in this business area.
Of course, you know that every order should leave your house in perfect condition. However, it is also clear that mistakes can happen from time to time, which you should address promptly.
To prevent both a negative review and an A-to-Z Guarantee claim, direct customer communication is the only solution. In most cases, customers will seek contact with you before leaving a bad review or opening a guarantee case. This is your chance to turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one by quickly and efficiently finding a solution to their problem.
Friendly and courteous communication gives your customers the feeling of being taken seriously and well cared for. And if you end up having to refund a few euros, it is still better than unnecessarily receiving a defect on an order.
However, be cautious of customers who try to deceive you. If the guarantee claim is unjustified and you can prove this to Amazon, the guarantee case will be rejected by Amazon and will no longer be considered a defect.
Your greatest challenge, therefore, is to distinguish the disgruntled and disappointed customer from the fraudster.
5. Cancellation rate before order processing
The second value that significantly influences seller performance is the cancellation rate before order processing. This only refers to cancellations made by the seller.
This Amazon value is important as it is an indicator of the merchant’s inventory management. Amazon itself states:
“If a seller cancels a customer’s order before shipping, it is primarily due to the fact that the item is not in stock, according to our findings.”
Source: Amazon
In general, the cancellation rate is a percentage indicating how many orders were canceled by the seller within a specified period of seven days. By the way, it only applies to orders that the seller ships themselves.
Formula: Cancellation rate
Cancellation rate in % = (Orders with cancellation / Total number of all orders) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for Buy Box
The cancellation rate must not exceed the value of 2.5%, otherwise suspension is imminent. For winning the BuyBox, this value should be close to 0%.
Tip: How can you prevent cancellations?
Inventory management is of great importance. Regulate this work process with automated tools. Ensure an automatic connection to Amazon to prevent overselling. Also, pay attention to purchasing trends and regularly check the stock levels of the most popular items in your product range. Alternatively, you can save resources and rely on Amazon’s FBA service.
6. Rate of late deliveries
With Prime, Amazon has set standards for shipping in eCommerce in many ways. Customers want to receive their goods quickly and, above all, on time. Many customers rely on the estimated delivery dates. If these are not met, customers are disappointed and have a negative experience with Amazon. This can lead to guarantee claims and negative reviews, which should be avoided.
A delivery is considered late by Amazon if the shipping confirmation is sent AFTER the estimated shipping date has passed.
The rate of late deliveries is a percentage that reflects the portion of orders with late delivery out of the total number of orders in the last 30 days. Like the cancellation rate, it only applies to sellers who ship themselves.
Formula: Rate of late deliveries
Rate of late deliveries in % = (Number of late deliveries / Total number of deliveries) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for Buy Box
The rate of late deliveries must not exceed 4%. A rate above 4% may lead to account deactivation. To win the small yellow box, the value should be as close to 0% as possible.The biggest lever when shipping from your own warehouse is the processes. Every additional action costs time. Regulate all steps where possible with automated tools: From order processing in the back office to printing pick and pack lists as well as shipping labels to updating the system once the goods have been shipped.
High fluctuations in warehouse staff also cause problems. Therefore, you should also focus on optimizing processes and employee satisfaction here. A well-coordinated team that independently takes care of process optimization is worth its weight in gold.
If all this seems too complicated or you want to save resources, simply use Amazon’s FBA service.
Rate of valid tracking numbers
Tracking numbers are important for the customer. Once on the way, the customer wants to be able to track where the package is. Especially when the promised delivery date has been exceeded, the customer wants to know why the package is not there yet. It is not uncommon for it to have been delivered to a neighbor without leaving a message. By managing your shipping with tracking numbers, you can save yourself trouble and a lot of unnecessary communication.
The rate of valid tracking numbers is a percentage that shows the ratio of deliveries with valid tracking numbers to the total number of deliveries in the last 30 days. This is also only relevant for sellers who ship themselves.
Formula: Rate of valid tracking numbers
Rate of valid tracking numbers in % = (Number of deliveries with valid tracking numbers / Total number of deliveries) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for Buy Box
The rate of valid tracking numbers should be at least 95%. If it falls below 95%, however, this does not have as drastic consequences as the three previously mentioned metrics. Currently, Amazon refrains from negative consequences for non-compliance. For winning the Buy Box, the value should ideally be at 100%
Tip: How to achieve 100%
All major shipping services, including USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL, offer free tracking. This should be automated into your system and then automatically transmitted to Amazon. This ensures that no information is lost.
8. Rate of on-time deliveries
That the transmission of valid tracking numbers to Amazon is important is also shown by this metric. It indicates how many of the shipments sent by the seller have arrived on time with the customer. In order for Amazon to measure punctuality, it uses information from the tracking.
Amazon itself states:
“Customers repeatedly tell us that on-time delivery and the ability to track shipments significantly contribute to their satisfaction with an order.”
Source: Amazon
The rate of on-time deliveries shows the percentage of on-time deliveries over a period of 30 days. Since the tracking number is important for determining punctuality, Amazon only considers shipments that have this option for the calculation.
Formula: Rate of on-time deliveries
Rate of on-time deliveries in % = (Number of on-time deliveries / Total number of all deliveries with tracking option) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for Buy Box
The threshold of 95% also applies to this metric. Although there is no risk of account suspension here either, non-compliance will most likely cost the Buy Box. However, to compete in a competitive Buy Box, the value should be significantly closer to 100%.
Tip: How can delayed deliveries be prevented?
Once the package has been handed over to the shipping service provider, it is beyond your control. Therefore, it is extremely important to choose your shipping service provider wisely. Even if one or the other is a few cents cheaper, consider carefully whether you want to take the risk of delayed deliveries and the increased effort from customer inquiries. Our recommendation: Pay a little more for premium service. You may even save more resources this way than if you choose the cheapest provider.
9. Dissatisfaction with returns in percent
Of course, returns are not looked upon favorably at Amazon, but here too, the internet giant wants to make the customer experience as pleasant as possible. That is why Amazon measures dissatisfaction with returns.
The experience with a return is considered negative if a return request has a negative customer rating, inquiries about the return are not assessed within 48 hours, or are even incorrectly rejected.
Dissatisfaction with returns in percent describes the percentage of all negative return requests relative to the total number of all return requests.
Formula: Dissatisfaction with returns
Dissatisfaction with returns in % = (Number of negative return requests / Total number of all return requests) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for Buy Box
No more than 10% of negative return requests should be made. Although a higher rate does not pose a risk of account suspension, this metric still has a significant impact on winning the Buy Box. To have a good chance of winning the Buy Box, the value should trend towards 0%.
Tip: How do you keep the numbers in check?
In the returns process, Amazon is often very accommodating to its customers. Amazon’s customer service offers immediate contact, and often the amount is simply refunded. This is not least because they want to provide a perfect customer journey and make returns as stress-free as possible. Additionally, the extremely high return costs are reduced with this return policy.
In the FBA program, Amazon’s customer service is already included. If you manage customer communication yourself, you should be aware that the Amazon customer is spoiled by the fast service and leniency of the marketplace and expects the same from you. Therefore, your primary goal in the returns process should be to respond to customer inquiries as quickly as possible. We recommend significantly reducing the window set by Amazon of 48 hours. If a return request arises, it is in your interest to find a solution to the problem as quickly as possible and thus receive a good rating.
If something went wrong with the order, an apology for the inconvenience is not only appropriate, it costs nothing and has a positive effect on your rating. According to a study by the University of Nottingham, customers prefer to accept an apology rather than compensation.
Customers often leave negative ratings unjustly. You can contest such ratings directly with Amazon by clarifying that you processed the customer concern as quickly and accurately as possible. If you can prove this, the negative rating will not be considered in the dissatisfaction rate.
In this blog post, you will receive even more tips on how to sustainably reduce your return rate – guaranteed Amazon-compatible.
Additional metrics for determining the Buy Box winner on Amazon
With the shipping method, total price, shipping duration, and seller performance, we have covered the most important criteria for winning the Amazon Buy Box. The following criteria should also be taken to heart, even if they do not have as significant an impact.
10. Average seller rating and number of seller ratings
First of all, we should clarify that seller rating and product rating are two different things. Product ratings reflect buyers’ experiences with a product. However, seller feedback consists of statements about the seller’s performance. This includes customer contact, shipping speed, item description, etc. – all points that the seller can influence. The seller rating is given by the customer after the purchase. On the “Leave Seller Feedback” page, the customer can express their satisfaction with the seller’s performance through a simple star rating. Additionally, the punctuality of delivery, the accuracy of the product description, and performance in customer contact (if applicable) are also assessed. Finally, the customer can leave a comment if desired, which will be displayed on the seller’s page.
The average seller rating is calculated as the average of ALL seller ratings, with newer ratings carrying more weight than older ones. So if you have received more negative ratings recently, these will not be easily offset by older positive ratings.
Ideal value for Buy Box
Seller ratings do have an impact on winning the Buy Box. However, there is no specific value that must be achieved. Instead, it should be your goal to keep the value as high as possible.
For this reason, the total number of ratings is also important. With a low number of ratings, a few negative ones can pull the entire rating profile down. Therefore, you should collect as many ratings as possible.
Tip: 3 ways to get more positive reviews
#1 Honesty and high quality set standards
If you are honest with your customers, your product descriptions are accurate, and your product is of high quality, you are more likely to receive positive reviews.
#2 Go the extra mile
Bad experiences often leave a very strong impression – or very good experiences. Therefore, you should do everything possible to make the experience for your customers as pleasant as possible. Leverage reciprocity. With small gifts and a personalized message wishing them much joy with the product, you can create the feeling in the customer that they “owe” you. You have given them more than they “paid” for. They will want to give back, hopefully in the form of a good review.
#3 Learn from your negative reviews
Regularly review your ratings and proactively engage in dialogue with customers who have rated you poorly. Even if some criticism may seem unjustified, critics still provide the best opportunities for self-improvement. Utilize this potential, and your next customer will thank you.
11. Response time
According to the Amazon Service Level Agreement (SLA), customer inquiries must be answered within 24 hours. If the response to inquiries takes longer or fails completely, the online retailer will be penalized by Amazon. The SLA stipulates that 90% of all inquiries must be answered on time. This applies on weekends and holidays as well. Inquiries that do not require a response can be marked as such in your seller account. These will then not be included in the statistics.
Update: In 2018, Amazon announced that the response time would be removed as a metric. However, this metric remains important as it affects the customer experience and thus also the feedback.
Ideal value for Buy Box
The average response time is calculated from the last 90 days and should not exceed 24 hours. However, to be competitive for the Buy Box, the value should rather be 12 hours.
Excursus: What does the future bring?
The customer is becoming increasingly demanding in terms of customer service. Customer support is moving more towards real-time support, and social networks have been setting trends for this for years. Thus, Amazon could also reduce the 24-hour window, and sellers should be prepared for that.
Tip: How can you shorten the response time?
The simplest method to speed up customer service is pre-written responses. Once written, they serve as templates for your customer support. Online retailers receive thousands of inquiries daily that can be answered quickly using templates.
12. Inventory
If your inventory is low or the purchase cannot be completed in a timely manner due to delivery difficulties, the requirements of Amazon are not met. The consequences are quite simple – purchases go to your competitor and you lose the BuyBox. If the sale is canceled due to low inventory, your cancellation rate before order fulfillment increases and the buyer is likely to give you negative feedback. Both lower the seller rating and thus also the chances of placement in the BuyBox.
Tip: Inventory management is key!
How can you counteract this? Very important: automatic inventory synchronization. With your own warehouse and multiple sales channels, it is essential that the inventory is managed centrally in one place and automatically updated across all channels. This prevents overselling. Also, pay attention to purchasing trends and regularly check the inventory of the most popular items in your product range.
13. Dissatisfaction with customer service in percent
“Dissatisfaction with customer service” corresponds to the percentage of customers who were dissatisfied with a response in the buyer-seller inbox. If you were unable to resolve the customer issue, your response receives a negative rating with a “No” from the customer.
Tip: 3 ways to avoid dissatisfaction
#1 Focus on the perfect response
The written word has its pros and cons. The advantages are obvious – you have enough time to think about your customer’s concern and write a message that answers all questions. Additionally, you can use this as a template for similar inquiries. The downside: The reader has a lot of room for interpretation. It is therefore your task to keep messages to your customers simple while equipping them with all necessary information. Read your own responses carefully. Are you using clear words? Are you describing all necessary steps to solve the problem? When the customer knows what to expect next, they feel more secure and wait before impatiently sending the next message or leaving negative feedback.
#2 Personalize your response
Every customer is unique, and they should feel that way. Address them by name and sign with yours as well. Engage with the customer history so they know their concern is important and taken seriously. If you are also operating internationally with your products, offer the finishing touch and inform them about customs and return policies, exchange rates, and delivery times.
#3 Act proactively
You know the recurring issues with an order or when using your items. Act proactively and answer all questions about your products already on the detail page – this minimizes your support workload. Give the buyer confidence in selecting your items by providing all necessary information about the product.
14. Rate of invoice discrepancies
In 2020, Amazon introduced the rate of invoice discrepancies as a new metric. This refers exclusively to orders from business customers and describes the percentage of orders for which no invoice was provided in a timely manner. All invoices that arrive by midnight of the first business day after the day the shipment was confirmed are considered to be provided in a timely manner.
Formula: Rate of invoice discrepancies
Rate of invoice discrepancies in % = (Number of orders with late or missing invoice / Total number of orders from business customers) * 100
Minimum requirement and ideal value for Buy Box
This metric is currently relevant for Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, and Amazon.es and must not exceed a value of 5%, otherwise, account suspension is imminent. To win the BuyBox, the value should ideally be at 0%.
Conclusion: High requirements for winning the Buy Box
A placement in the Buy Box on the Amazon product page has a significant advantage – your items are prominently positioned, which greatly boosts sales on the marketplace. To win the Buy Box, the lowest selling price is not enough, as various factors come into play. Many of these factors have a common denominator – providing the customer with a perfect shopping experience.
Amazon prides itself on the perfect customer journey – high demands in terms of customer service are therefore completely understandable and, ultimately, also contemporary. The more professionalism you display, the higher the likelihood that you will either be the sole Buy Box winner with your items or be able to compete for a larger share of the coveted placement.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Amazon BuyBox refers to the visually highlighted box with two yellow and orange buttons that is displayed on every product page. These buttons are the easiest way for customers to add an item to their cart or buy it directly. Many products are offered by multiple sellers, which is why the algorithm decides which specific offer is placed in the BuyBox based on various criteria. Since around 90% of all customers shop through the BuyBox and do not consult the list of all other offers, the shopping cart field, as it is called in German, is highly sought after.
For some time now, there has been a second BuyBox on certain product pages. Amazon introduced this measure in response to antitrust difficulties. However, the second BuyBox seems to be used rather rarely.
In the past, the algorithm could often be tricked with a very low final price. Nowadays, many different aspects are taken into account in the allocation of the BuyBox, so while price is an important criterion, it is by no means the only one. Nowadays, poor seller performance can no longer be compensated for by a dumping price. Additionally, you would ruin your margin. Instead, focus on good performance and dynamic repricing.
Not every seller on Amazon can win the Buy Box, as it requires qualification first. This also includes that sellers must sell on Amazon for at least 90 days before they have the chance to win the BuyBox.
First of all: No panic. The BuyBox often changes hands, especially with competitive products. So it could very well be that your offer will soon hold the yellow button again. If that is not the case, investigate the causes by looking at your seller KPIs. Is any value standing out negatively? Were you perhaps pushed out by a Prime offer? You may also simply not be offering the optimal price (≠ lowest price). Then you should definitely get into dynamic price optimization, for example with the SELLERLOGIC Repricer, specifically for Amazon.
Image credits in the order of the images: © Lukasz – stock.adobe.com
