Glossary

A list of complex import terms, what they stand for, and what they mean.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Amazon

AMZ

Amazon(AMZ) is a US-based e-commerce and cloud service provider. Amazon is by many measures the largest internet retailer in the world.

Amazon Standard Identification Number

ASIN

Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) is a unique 10-character series that identifies products on Amazon.

B

Best Seller Rank

BSR

The Best Seller Rank (BSR )is an Amazon designation based on an in-house algorithm that reflects a product’s sales, past and present.

Brokerage

Brokerage is the process of facilitating both the shipment and delivery of goods across geographical borders for individuals and organizations.

Buy Box

The Buy Box is a coveted widget visible on most Amazon product listing pages that allow shoppers to quickly purchase products they are searching for.

C

Cost of Goods Sold

COGS

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is the accumulated total of all costs used to create a product or service, which has been sold.

Coupons

Using Amazon’s marketing services is key to successfully launching a new product. As an Amazon seller, you may use Amazon’s coupon program to offer discounts on your products.

Customs Broker

Customs brokers help remove barriers in global trade for their clients by facilitating the import and export of goods across international borders

Customs Clearance

The act of passing goods through the official department administers and collects the duties levied by a government on imported goods.

D

Delivered Duties Paid

DDP

Delivered Duties Paid (DDP) is a shipping method where the supplier is responsible for arranging carriage and delivering the goods at the named place, cleared for import, and applicable tariffs and duties.

Dropshipping

DS

Dropshipping (DS) is a fulfillment method where products aren’t kept in-house. Instead, when the customer buys an item, the store purchases the product from a third seller and then it’s shipped directly to the customer.

Duties

A tax levied by a government on imported and exported goods and services.

E

Expected Time of Arrival

ETA

ETAs are the Expected Time of Arrival on goods moving through the logistics process.

F

First Party Sellers (1P)

A term used to describe brands that are being distributed and sold by Amazon on its platform.

Freight Forwarder

FF

Sometimes referred to as freight is a third-party shipping service that will communicate with your supplier to coordinate all shipping details.

Fulfillment by Amazon

FBA

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service offered by Amazon which allows third party sellers to store their products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers. At the point of sale, Amazon will select, pack, ship, and handle customer service on behalf of the third-party seller.

Fulfillment by Merchant

FBM

Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) is a process where sellers store, pick, pack, ship and provide their own customer service for buyers who purchase their product online at an Amazon store at lower Amazon fees.

Fulfillment Center

A fulfillment center is a large warehouse where products are stored, prepped, and shipped on behalf of Amazon and its third-party sellers.

G

Giveaway Promo

An Amazon promotion template allows you to offer your products free to generate buzz or build a social media following.

I

Import Tax

Import taxes are tariffs imposed on imported goods and services by a country’s customs authorities to raise state revenues.

Importer of Record

IOR

An Importer Of Record (IOR) is the party responsible for ensuring that legal goods are imported following the laws and regulations of the importing country. Typically the shipper on a transaction is the IOR unless the shipment is otherwise consigned.

Inventory

These are the products you have listed and available for sale on Amazon and any other e-commerce platform.

Inventory Performance Index

IPI

Inventory Performance Index is a number between 0-1000 used to measure inventory health based on capturing the low inventory and excess inventory level.

J

JungleScout

JS

Jungle Scout (JS) is a software-as-a-service application that helps to scan and sort Amazon’s product catalog. It is a tool to help sellers explore the market and find and validate new product ideas.

K

Keywords

Keywords are words that relate to your product. Using the right keyword helps potential clients find your products.

L

Logistics

Logistics is the process of managing the physical flow of goods through the supply chain, from one place to another.

M

Multi-Country Inventory

MCI

This Amazon fulfillment option allows FBA sellers to choose the countries where they want to send their inventory and have orders for that Amazon store fulfilled by that local fulfillment center.

N

Net Profit

The actual profit after working expenses not included in the calculation of gross profit has been paid.

O

Online Arbitrage

Online arbitrage is the process of sourcing products as cheaply as possible on one e-commerce platform for sale on another e-commerce platform at a higher price.

P

PAN EU

PAN EU is an option for sellers actively selling in Amazon’s European marketplaces that allows them to send their products to one centralized fulfillment center. Then, Amazon ships the items to their fulfillment centers around the continent.

Private Label

Private labeling entails buying products from a manufacturer and then labeling and market them using your own brand.

Q

Q1-4

First through to fourth financial quarter of the year.

R

Retail Arbitrage

It is the process of finding underpriced products in a retail store to sell at a higher price on Amazon or another e-commerce platform.

S

Seller Central

The web interface certain Amazon marketplace sellers use to manage their Amazon Pro or Individual seller accounts. These sellers are considered to be third-party sellers.

Shipping

Shipping is transporting goods from one place to another using air, land, and sea freight.

T

Third-Party Sellers (3P)

A term used to describe merchants unrelated to the “owners” of an e-commerce platform. For example, on Amazon 3P sellers are those who sell FBA or FBM.

V

Value Added Tax

VAT

Value-added Tax (VAT) or Sales Tax is a form of consumption tax applied to purchases of goods or services and other ‘taxable supplies’.

Vendors

In the instance of Amazon, a vendor is an individual or business that sells products to Amazon directly. The vendor also acts as the manufacturer or supplier and is tasked with delivering products to Amazon’s warehouses.

W

White Label

White labeling means a company removes its logo/brand on one of its products and agrees to put the brand/logo of another company on that item.

Z

Zee

Zee is a complete IOR, import & logistics solution for E-commerce sellers expanding into international markets.