LUXEMBOURG: May 03, 2016. Amazon has launched a pan-European ‘Fulfillment By Amazon’ (FBA), logistics service that enables sellers to deliver their inventory to one of 29 Amazon fulfillment centers that is the closest to their customers.

According to the company, sellers begin by enrolling products that are eligible for the FBA; then they ship them to their nearest Amazon fulfillment center; Amazon distributes the inventory across its European network at no extra cost; when buyers place their orders, Amazon picks, packs and ships from their closest fulfillment center; and sellers only pay the local fulfillment fee from where the product was ordered.

Francois Saugier, Amazon director of EU Seller Services said: “[The] FBA program will help sellers export to customers across the EU more efficiently than ever before, whilst allowing customers to benefit from faster delivery times and lower shipping costs.”

By gaining access to millions of new international customers, SMEs are given the opportunity to boost exports and successfully grow their business abroad,” she added.

Amazon says that last year UK sellers exported goods valued at nearly £1.4 billion; in Q1 2016 over 50 percent of EU sellers sold on more than one Amazon marketplace in the EU; and globally, FBA delivered more than 1 billion items in 2015.

In late April the company reported Q1 net sales of US$29.1 billion - up 28 percent from US$22.7 billion in the first quarter 2015. Operating income was US$1.1 billion compared to US$255 million a year earlier. Q1 net income was US$513 million compared to a net loss of US$57 million in the first quarter of 2015.