(6.4) Product Characteristics & FBA Fees by Product Type – Key Factors for Choosing Potential Products

Product Characteristics & FBA Fees – Key Factors for Choosing Potential Products.

Eazyppc welcomes you to the article ‘Product Characteristics & FBA Fees by Product Type – Key Factors for Choosing Potential Products.’ – You should read and thoroughly understand the previous articles, as Eazyppc uses terms and concepts that were explained in earlier lessons.

Articles you should review before reading this one:

• (1.4) Types of Market Trends
• (3.2) Estimated Advertising Costs
• (3.3) Financial Plan for a Product

In addition to market demand factors (Search Volume), keyword bid prices, and competition levels (number of competitors) as Eazyppc covered in previous articles, you also need to carefully assess the physical & legal characteristics of a product. Below are the product characteristic criteria that Eazyppc considers essential for effective product research.

1/ Product Size:

One of the first factors you should consider is product size, as it directly affects the shipping cost to Amazon’s US warehouse, FBA fees – delivery to the buyer, storage fees, restocking lead time, and initial capital investment. Especially for new sellers, here are the 2 size options you should consider:

• Small Standard Size
• Large Standard Size

You can use the Helium 10 > Extension > Profit Calculator tool to check the size of a similar product and the fees associated with that size. Once you have the specific dimensions, you can take an additional step by visiting the Amazon Revenue Calculator to verify FBA fees, Inbound fees, and re-enter the size data for a more accurate final check.

Prioritize Small Standard Size:

• Faster shipping: Products can be sent by air freight (1–2 weeks shipping time), instead of 2–3 months by sea.
• Easier to test multiple products: Simple to test the market with a small quantity (100–200 units as a trial run).
• Faster restocking: If the test product performs well, you can quickly restock because the small size and light weight make shipping faster.
• Low capital – low risk: Lower sourcing costs, easier cash flow management, and reduced losses if the product does not sell as expected.

-> However, the absolute profit is usually small because the product value is also low.

2/ Product Types to Watch Out For (for New Sellers)

⚠️ Not every product is suitable to start with, especially when a seller has no experience handling legal issues or high return rates (how to check return rates). Below are the product categories Eazyppc recommends avoiding or considering very carefully (conversely, for experienced sellers and brand/factory sellers, these very barriers become competitive advantages that keep new competitors out of the market):

• Products that are ingested or applied to the skin
  There is a real risk of user health issues, which can lead to lawsuits in case of incidents. Additionally, these products require certifications, lab testing documentation, manufacturing facility records, packaging supplier certifications, container certifications, etc. — as well as Private Label seller documentation.
• Children’s products
  Safety certifications and quality testing are required — any product related to children must provide various testing documents (typically costing $1,000–$2,000 per product).

• Women’s fashion (clothing, accessories)
  High return rates (customer behavior: buy to try, wear once or a few times, then return within the 14-day refund window for any reason), many variants (size, color, style) → high traffic but low conversion due to extensive browsing. For jewelry, only start with plated items; avoid selling real gold, silver, or gemstones.
• Generic decorative products (Decor)
  Examples include vases, decorative figurines, etc. The search keywords are often very vague, with no specific characteristics, leading to diverse and unpredictable buying behavior → conversion rates tend to be low.

• Products with electronic components or that require assembly/setup to use
  Prone to damage during transit, especially over long distances. If you want to sell these, carefully verify impact resistance and packaging design to ensure it is sturdy enough to withstand drops without breaking.
  • If the product requires assembly, customers may struggle to assemble it (even if it is straightforward) → leaving negative reviews about difficulty or missing parts → a risk that sellers cannot easily control.

3/ Recommended Product Characteristics for New Sellers

If you are a new seller, prioritize products that are simple, durable, and easy to ship and do not require deep industry-specific knowledge (a bonus if you have it). Some product selection criteria to follow:

1. Evergreen – Sells year-round: Avoid seasonal products; choose products with stable, year-round demand that are not dependent on seasonal cycles.
2. Low sourcing cost, easy capital turnover: Easy to test the market and adjust or drop the product if it does not perform.
3. Not easily damaged during shipping: Reduces risk and avoids losses from goods damaged in transit to the US or from the Amazon warehouse to the customer (leading to returns).