The difference is who ships the customer order. With FBM you (or Stow) fulfil it; with FBA, Amazon fulfils it after you send stock in. The operational work Stow does is different for each.
When an Amazon FBM order arrives, it moves through the same pick, check, pack and carrier-handoff operation as a direct order — the detail is on the ecommerce fulfilment page.
FBA prep is the operational preparation before stock reaches Amazon. Units are inspected and prepared, product and shipment labelling is applied where required, stock is cartonised to the shipment plan, and the shipment is dispatched to the fulfilment centre.
*Product labelling (such as an FNSKU barcode) and shipment labelling are applied where the product and shipment requirements call for it — not automatically to every unit. Stow does not guarantee FBA acceptance or Amazon account health; it prepares stock to the requirements agreed with you.
Rather than sending all stock into Amazon at once, buffer stock can be held with Stow and prepared for onward replenishment into FBA when a replenishment requirement arises. That keeps working capital and storage under control while FBA stays topped up.
Replenishment starts from an agreed stock requirement. Stow prepares the required units, applies relevant preparation and labelling rules, and dispatches the shipment for the relevant Amazon FBA inbound plan.
Units removed from Amazon inventory, or returned by customers, are received and inspected, graded, relabelled or reworked where required, and then restocked, held or routed onward. It is the same discipline as returns management and reverse logistics.
A short operational snapshot is enough to map the work and price it — the enquiry form covers the essentials, and these are the inputs that matter.
The wider model: one stock operation serving DTC, Amazon, TikTok Shop and B2B from different routes.
Read →Where Amazon stock is received, stored, counted and held as buffer for replenishment.
Read →The pick, pack and dispatch operation behind FBM orders.
Read →How removals and returned units are inspected, graded and routed back to stock.
Read →FBM (Merchant Fulfilled Network) means the Amazon order is fulfilled by the seller or their fulfilment partner and shipped to the customer — Stow picks, packs and ships it. FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) means stock is sent into Amazon's fulfilment centres and Amazon fulfils the order; Stow's role there is the preparation before that inbound. Many brands use both, from one stock operation.
Yes. FBA prep is the operational work before stock reaches Amazon: inspecting units, preparing them, applying product and shipment labelling where required, cartonising to the shipment plan and dispatching to the fulfilment centre. The exact prep depends on the product and the shipment requirements, agreed with you.
No. Product labelling — such as an FNSKU barcode — is applied where the product and shipment requirements call for it, not automatically to everything. Stow applies product and shipment labelling where required rather than treating labelling as the whole service.
Yes. Stock can be held with Stow outside Amazon and prepared for onward replenishment into FBA. Replenishment starts from an agreed stock requirement: Stow prepares the required units, applies relevant preparation and labelling rules, and dispatches the shipment for the relevant Amazon FBA inbound plan.
Yes. Units removed from Amazon inventory, or returned by customers, can be received, inspected and graded, relabelled or reworked where required, and then restocked, held or routed onward. It is the same reverse-logistics discipline as returns management.
Yes. One stock position with Stow can serve FBM orders, DTC orders and other channels, with the packing, labelling and carrier route that each order needs. FBA prep and replenishment draw on the same held stock. This is the multi-channel model.
No. Stow is an independent third-party logistics provider. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official prep centre for Amazon, and it does not manage your Amazon account, listings, advertising or account health. Its role is operational: fulfilment, preparation, replenishment and returns.
FBM, FBA prep, replenishment, removals or a mix — with your product type, volumes, prep requirements and UK/EU stock needs. We'll map the operation and send back an itemised quote.
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