Amazon FBM
Businesses for Sale

What an Amazon FBM Business Means for Buyers

An Amazon FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) business sells on Amazon but arranges fulfillment itself. The owner, or a 3PL warehouse the owner hires, stores the stock, packs each order and ships it. You get more control over where inventory sits, more choice of suppliers and carriers, and a way to lower the cost of running an Amazon business, while you still sell to Amazon’s customers.

FBM vs FBA in an Acquisition

Many FBM sellers also run their own online store from the same stock, because owning fulfillment makes it easier to keep inventory in one place. If you want both channels, also browse ecommerce businesses for sale. If you prefer Amazon to handle fulfillment, compare Amazon FBA businesses for sale.

What to Verify Before You Buy an FBM Business

In an FBM deal you take over the fulfillment operation, not just the Amazon listings. Unlock the listing and check these points before you make an offer:

• Fulfillment setup: who packs and ships today, from where, with which carriers, and whether any 3PL contract transfers to you.
• Customer service load: who answers buyer messages and handles returns, and how many hours a week it takes.
• Account or listing transfer: whether you receive the whole Seller Central account or only the product listings.
• Account health: the Performance Over Time report in the Account Health tab of Seller Central.
• Inventory: stock on hand, where it is stored and what it is worth. Wholesale inventory is not included in the list price and is agreed separately with the seller.
• Suppliers: lead times, quality control, material costs, price breaks and whether a supplier contract exists.
• Ad spend: the last 90 days of advertising data and the cost trend.
• Owner workload and risks: the “work and skills required” and “risks” sections of the listing.

Inventory, Shipping and Margins

In an FBM business, storage and shipping sit on the profit and loss statement instead of inside Amazon’s fees. Check the postage, packaging, warehouse and labor lines month by month, and confirm the shipping rates will stay the same after handover. The “opportunities” section of each listing shows where the seller sees room to grow, such as a website for search traffic, an email list or pay-per-click ads.

For the full Amazon checklist, read how to buy an Amazon business.

Buying an Amazon FBM Business from Canada

Buyers in Canada and other countries use the same process as US buyers. You verify your ID with a passport, driver’s license or other government ID, and you verify funds by uploading a bank statement, stock portfolio, CPA letter, HELOC or retirement account statement dated within the last 3 months. The instant bank connection works only with US bank accounts, so non-US buyers upload documents, which are reviewed within 24 hours. See how to verify your funds.

Before you close an FBM deal from Canada, also check:

• which Amazon marketplaces the business sells on and where the seller account is registered
• how stock reaches customers, and whether cross-border shipping or duties change the margins
• that you can open your own Amazon seller account, if the deal is a listing transfer
• sales tax and import questions with your own accountant, before you send funds

How Empire Flippers Vets FBM Listings

Our vetting team reviews every business that applies, and most applicants are rejected. A business needs at least 12 months of earnings history and at least $24,000 in yearly net profit to be listed. Each listing shows the price, net profit, revenue, multiple and 12-month trends for profit, revenue and traffic, plus the work required, the risks and the growth opportunities, without revealing the business’s identity.

Most businesses are priced at 1.7x to 5x or more of their last 12 months of net profit, depending on age, trend, owner workload and risk. Empire Flippers has helped people buy and sell $600M+ in online businesses.

How to Buy an Amazon FBM Business on Empire Flippers

1. Register for a free account and use the Amazon FBM filter to narrow listings by niche or price.
2. Verify your ID and funds. You can then unlock listings up to 1.5x your verified amount, and you start with 100 unlocks. See how the unlock process works.
3. Unlock listings and review the full data: profit and loss, traffic, work required, risks and opportunities.
4. Ask questions. For listings over $100,000 you can request a call with the seller; for smaller listings, ask through the listing page or our sales team.
5. Click Buy It Now and send a bank wire. The first wire in secures the deal, and later wires are refunded.
6. Our team migrates the business assets into your name.

Need help paying for a deal? Read about seller financing for online businesses, or browse all online businesses for sale.

Register Free to Unlock Listings Book a Call with an Advisor

Amazon FBM Businesses for Sale: Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Amazon FBM business?

An Amazon FBM business sells on Amazon but ships its own orders instead of using Amazon’s warehouses. FBM stands for Fulfilled by Merchant: the owner, or a 3PL the owner hires, stores the stock, packs each order and ships it. This gives the owner more control over inventory and more choice of suppliers and carriers. See how it compares in our Amazon FBA business model guide.

Which is better to buy, an FBA or an FBM business?

Neither is better in every case: FBM suits buyers who want control over storage and shipping, and FBA suits buyers who want Amazon to handle fulfillment, customer service and eligible returns. An FBM business avoids Amazon’s fulfillment and storage fees but pays for its own storage, packing, postage and labor. Compare net profit, owner workload and the risks section of each listing, and look at Amazon FBA businesses for sale side by side.

What shipping setup should I expect with an FBM business?

Most FBM businesses either ship from the owner’s own space or use a 3PL warehouse that stores and ships the stock. The “work and skills required” section of the listing shows what the current owner does. Ask which carriers are used, the average handling time and whether the 3PL contract can move to you. A documented 3PL setup is easier to take over than shipping from home.

Do FBM deals include customer-service obligations?

Usually yes. With FBA, Amazon handles customer service and eligible returns; with FBM, the merchant runs fulfillment, so order questions, delivery issues and returns stay with the business. Check the listing for the hours this takes each week and whether an assistant or 3PL handles it today.

Is inventory included in the asking price?

No. Wholesale inventory is not included in the list price on Empire Flippers; the buyer and seller agree on the inventory value separately. Budget for stock on top of the price and confirm where it is stored and how it will be counted at handover. See the Buyers FAQ for the full buying terms.

Do I get the Amazon seller account or only the product listings?

It depends on the deal, and the listing tells you which. Most Amazon businesses sold on Empire Flippers are account transfers, where the seller hands over the whole Seller Central account with its listings. In a listing transfer, the seller keeps the account and you set up your own seller account, then add the ASINs and ad settings. Read more in how to buy an Amazon business.

How are Amazon FBM businesses priced?

Most businesses on Empire Flippers are priced at 1.7x to 5x or more of their last 12 months of net profit. The multiple depends on the business’s age, trend, owner workload, risk and how diversified its income is. Each listing shows its price, net profit, revenue and multiple, so you can compare deals directly. For Amazon benchmarks, see how to value an Amazon business.

Can I buy an Amazon FBM business from Canada?

Yes. Canadian and other non-US buyers register, verify their ID with a passport or other government ID, and verify funds by uploading a bank statement, stock portfolio, CPA letter or similar document dated within the last 3 months. The instant bank connection works only with US bank accounts, and uploaded documents are reviewed within 24 hours. Details: how to verify your funds.

What should Canadian buyers check before closing?

Check the Amazon marketplaces the business sells on, how the seller account transfers, how stock reaches customers and your own tax position. Confirm whether you get the account or only the listings, where inventory is stored, and whether shipping costs in the profit and loss still hold after handover. Ask your own accountant about sales tax and import duties before you wire funds, because all sales are final.

Can I finance the purchase of an FBM business?

Yes, in some deals. Seller financing is one of the most common deal structures on the marketplace, and buyers should expect to pay about 60% to 70% of the price upfront. Deals under $100K rarely use a deal structure, and some listings carry a Private Lender Approved badge. See seller financing for online businesses.

Can I speak with the seller before I buy?

Yes, for listings over $100,000. After you unlock such a listing you can request a call with the seller; for listings under $100,000 you ask questions through the listing page. Our sales team can also answer questions about any listing.