It could not be denied anywhere in the world that inventory is undoubtedly the most important part of any business. It is said that inventory is considered the backbone of any business. If your inventory is handled with care, all the levels are examined and managed carefully, your business will surely flourish. Therefore it becomes necessary to take effective care of your Amazon stranded inventory to keep its levels at par and produce fruitful results. But in the case of the opposite situation, you will face some serious problems that could even lead to the shutting down of your business.
In addition to this, if there's any ignorance in terms of the stock of your business, the primary and most critical problem that any business faces is overstock or stranded inventory. It happens when you don't pay attention to the inventory levels and keep buying more and more without trying to keep track of the clients' demands. When you use automated software like Inventooly, it could help you create a relaxing space for maintaining your business's inventory.
However, this problem of stranded inventory is not a unique one because it happens with every business at the time of shipment when the product is stuck and unable to process due to some kind of missing information. However, you need to take important measures and manage each and everything with extreme care so that your time, as well as your effort, is saved from dealing with your inventory stranded on Amazon. As a result, various causes have been identified, as well as remedies for how to resolve stranded inventory on Amazon. That is exactly what we will talk about in this article.
What is Stranded Inventory Amazon?
A stranded inventory could be simply understood as the inventory which is stuck in the fulfillment center due to some kind of issue with the stock. The reason could be anything like: the product fails to fulfill the requirement ordered by the customers. Therefore it is very crucial that all the details even the little ones must be checked carefully before sending your inventory to the fulfillment centers.
Amazon, the world's most trusted and extensive platform, is likewise plagued by this major issue. Amazon FBA storage facilities are brimming with inventory products that have some sort of issue, preventing them from shipping farther and selling out to customers. However, there is a range of options for coping with Amazon's stranded inventory, all it takes is a little concentration.
Furthermore, if your business holds stranded inventory, it portrays a negative impression of your firm's management, implying that you are unconcerned about the sale of your product and are simply doing business for the sake of it. Furthermore, it places a significant burden on warehouses because there is no room for fresh products to enter for transportation to customers. As a result, the smarter way should be done to resurrect the stranded inventory and sell it to the appropriate buyers. As discussed above, Amazon, a huge e-commerce business brand also faces this problem, but at the same time, it knows also how to cope with it.
Why does Stranded Inventory Amazon occur?
When your inventory reaches Amazon FBA centers (Fulfillment by Amazon) for further shipment to the customers, all the details of the products are checked and matched with the customer’s order. Even the slightest error of numbers or colors or size could matter a lot due to which your stock is preserved in Amazon stranded inventory and is not proceeding for sale.
However, using inventory management software like Inventooly could also prevent your inventory from becoming stranded on Amazon. Wonder how? Because this amazing inventory management software guides you in every respect of how you should manage the inventory of your business while keeping an accurate record of the orders and working efficiently to proceed and line those orders with every information. All these things will help to make sure that your company’s inventory is free from any kind of mistake or loss of information.
Let us discuss that what are the major causes of Amazon’s stranded inventory:
- An error of price:
The main error that could get your products in the Amazon stranded inventory area is the pricing error. It is the most common mistake made on the part of the seller. Even the slightest comma or dot in the price listings could turn the whole table upside down due to which your products are left unsold.
We can understand it through an example like if the price of your product is $5.99 but it has been written as $6.99, Amazon considers it as a mistake due to which your inventory is saved in the stranded inventory portion. In addition to this, it creates a tough atmosphere for the FBA because there is no way of knowing what the true initial price is. As a result, it is essential to keep an eye on when items are being transported to storage houses to distribute to the intended customers, as this will assist in resolving stranded inventory.
- Listing Error:
Another error that could list your inventory as Amazon stranded inventory is the listing error. All your items that are sent to the Amazon warehouses (FBA) must be relevant to what is listed on Amazon’s page. Because any other item that proves to be unrelated would name your inventory that is not related to Amazon's listing would leave your inventory stranded in the Amazon warehouses.
The listing errors could also be made by the part of your competitive businessman or enemy who wishes to fail you. Therefore, in the very first place, the goods you transmit to Amazon's warehouses must be linked with an Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN). It would make things difficult, and a new listing modification would be required to correct the stranded inventory Amazon.
- Expired inventory:
Another reason that would create problems for your items and list them as Amazon stranded inventory is the expiration of your products. You must check the date on which the product is manufactured, the date on which it is being sent for shipping, and also the date that could be considered as the time till when the customer could consume your items.
When your inventory is sent to the FBA, Amazon checks all the dates and verifies that after the shipment gap, will your inventory be able to be used by the customers or not. If not then it is listed as Amazon’s stranded inventory.
- Brand not registered with Amazon:
Stranded inventory on Amazon could also be caused if your brand doesn't qualify for sale on Amazon. This could be by mistake and also on the part of your enemy competitor who wants to affect your business.
It is very necessary that all your products are being qualified to sell over Amazon otherwise Amazon itself doesn't give any responsibility for the quality of the product and its shipment.
Amazon is the vastest platform that also faces this huge issue of stranded inventory because any tiny mistake on your part could be struck your inventory in the warehouses. Therefore, when you are working on such a widespread platform it is your core responsibility that all the details of your inventory (size, quantity, labeling, and quality) are verified before transferring to the fulfillment centers. So that you could avoid your products being left in Amazon’s stranded inventory area.
Fixing Amazon Stranded Inventory:
Where there is a problem, there is a solution also. Likewise, if your inventory is labeled as stranded and it is stuck in the warehouses of Amazon, you can take proper actions to recover it.
As we are aware of the fact that a platform like Amazon would never do something like this on its own since it would endanger its customers' trust and reputation. As a result, there are various suggested methods for resolving stranded inventory on Amazon that we would go over in detail:
- Firstly, you have to take a close look regarding the reason due to which your inventory is preserved in the Amazon-stranded inventory area. If there is a listing error, you simply need to go to your Amazon Seller Central account, and there above you will see an Inventory option. After clicking over it it will help you to go and see the details due to which your inventory is being unable to sell to the public.
To fix this problem you can simply verify that your product that is sent to Amazon FBA for shipment must be available and match with that on Amazon’s page. If it does not match, you would have to remove it and take back your inventory by creating a Removal order.
- Secondly, if your inventory is stuck as being stranded inventory on Amazon due to a pricing error, the thing that you need to do is visit your Inventory dashboard and check the original prices and match them with that displayed on the products. Now if there is a mistake on your part, listing maximum and minimum prices would be helpful in such a case.
- Moving on, another thing that will help you to fix your Amazon stranded inventory is that you can create a removal order for the inventory that is struck. Since we all know that there is only a limited amount of time until your inventory is saved as stranded inventory.
- Creating a removal order can benefit both you and your consumer, who will be waiting for his order to arrive without understanding that it will not. You can just explain to your customer and withdraw the order from your Amazon Seller Central account's Manage Inventory area. It would be beneficial to repair the stranded inventory on Amazon as well as create a nice location for future sales.
Above we have discussed that how stranded inventory is caused and how to cope with this huge problem. Once you have dealt with this huge problem, you will then be able to maintain your inventory and update it according to that which will match with the original items stated on Amazon’s page.
Conclusion:
The struck inventory in the warehouses of Amazon FBA due for some reason is termed as Amazon Stranded inventory. The reason could be anything like pricing error, listing error, matching error, etc. therefore it should be monitored that when the inventory is sent to Amazon it should be inspected in terms of every single detail so that your inventory could easily proceed for the shipping to its desired customers.
Stranded inventory has a very bad impact on your business because your items are not being able to sell which creates a situation of overstocking in your business and somehow your all costs are being eaten up to maintain these items in the stranded inventory. Amazon lets you also solve this problem in a very good way because if you are working as a Seller on Amazon, you will be able to visit your inventory from the “Manage Inventory” option in your account.
Amazon FBA offers great services in terms of transporting your inventory towards its destination while making sure that your items are safe and sound. In addition to this, Amazon FBA also handles the returns and refunds of its customers while making sure that every problem is resolved as soon as possible. Furthermore, when your inventory is stranded on Amazon, it is not kept for a long time, but you are informed in terms of every aspect that could help you to keep a close check-up over your inventory and fix every issue that is making your items as stranded in the FBA warehouses.