Amazon has informed its fulfillment service users in the United Kingdom and Germany that they can expect an additional holiday season fee. The surcharge applies from mid-October to mid-January and is intended to ensure that delivery speed, fulfillment capacity, and customer service remain at a high level.
The holiday peak fulfillment fee for Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) may vary. In the United Kingdom, the average fee will be 10 pence per parcel item and 5 pence per large or extra-large envelope item, according to Amazon on Seller Central. German FBA users have been informed of an average surcharge of 19 euro cents. The extra fee will not apply to oversize or low-price FBA items.
Increased seasonal costs
The decision is linked to above-average fulfillment and transportation operating costs across the supply chain, Amazon said to FBA users.
‘Similar to major carriers, we will introduce a holiday peak fulfillment fee to cover increased seasonal costs’
The market leader in both the United Kingdom and Germany added that selling partners are “incredibly important” to Amazon. “This is not a decision that we have made lightly. The entire industry experiences increased operational costs over the festive season, and this change enables us to maintain delivery speed, expand fulfillment capacity, and support customer demand during this busy period.”
DHL surcharges
It is not uncommon for logistics providers to charge extra during the busiest period of the year, although Amazon’s holiday window is unusually long. For the past three years, DHL, for example, has been charging German online retailers a surcharge for parcel deliveries in November and December. This year, an additional fee will be applied during two peak weeks. During that period, customers will pay 69 cents more than at other times of the year.
Amazon in Germany and the UK
Last year, Amazon outpaced ecommerce market growth in both Germany and the United Kingdom. Its revenue reached 39.6 billion euros in Germany and 36.7 billion euros in the United Kingdom, following 8.7 percent and 12.7 percent growth respectively.