Nike is or was probably one of the best-selling brands on Amazon until the end of 2019.
This came after a sudden break-up between Amazon and Nike. For one, Nike wanted direct contact with its customer, a move that saw its market sales cross the 30% mark.
However, with all the uncertainties surrounding Amazon and Nike, you may still ask if is possible to sell Nike on Amazon.
It is still possible for new or Amazon FBA sellers to list Nike products on Amazon. However, before reaching this point, there are some conditions to meet to avoid violating Amazon’s business code and selling unauthorized Nike products.
That is why this article gives a clear insight into how to get started with selling Nike on Amazon.
We’ll discuss the facts about how to get ungated in Nike on Amazon, then show how you can sell.
How To Know If Nike Is Gated on Amazon
First, being a multi-billion company, Nike has a wide market space with millions of products in circulation. That means selling Nike products on a third-party ground exposes resellers to a stable market with high demand, higher profit margins, and easy procurement. However, the case may be different when it comes to Amazon due to the harsh rules involved. Being an equally giant company, Amazon requires any reseller to verify the source of their products to minimize fraud and enhance brand reputation. Therefore, before thinking about selling Nike products on Amazon, resellers need to check if the brand is gated on Amazon through the following two primary ways:
Using The Amazon Seller App to Check Nike Restrictions
Resellers can use Amazon Seller App to check Nike restrictions by extracting any Nike product from the platform. For example, one can check the product’s Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) to see if it is restricted. If Amazon has gated the product or entire category, it will say Requires Approval with a blue Request button at the bottom. In this case, resellers can send an approval request to Amazon to ungate the Nike brand or any other specific Nike category.
Using Seller Central to Check Brand Restrictions
The second method is to check overall brands’ restrictions on Amazon using the Seller Central account. The Seller Central accounts act as the parent operational platform for Amazon sellers as it allows both new and FBA sellers to enjoy vast e-commerce opportunities. However, for third-party sellers to maximize these benefits, they must have active Seller Central accounts with Amazon. To check if Amazon restricts the Nike brand using the Seller Central account, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Seller Central account and go to Inventory.
- Click Add Product.
- If you want to sell a specific Nike category or product, enter the ASIN for the Nike product.
If the product, category, or entire brand is restricted, you will see the Apply to Sell button on the next screen. In this case, you can click the drop-down link (show limitations) to see why Amazon restricts the product. You can now proceed to submit an approval request to ungate Nike on Amazon.
How To Ungate Nike on Amazon and Sell Items
Ungating Nike on Amazon is not different from other brands and categories. Generally, a reseller needs to have a healthy Seller Central account with Amazon and an invoice showing 10 units of the same product in the restricted brand or category. However, for a specific brand such as Amazon, one needs to read and meet all the ungating requirements which include one of the following:
- At least one current purchase invoice for products from Nike. The vital details on the invoice should match the seller’s name, address, and bank information as those indicated on the Amazon account in the Tax Entity section.
- One authorization letter from Nike permitting them to sell its products on Amazon.
Having all the requirements at their fingertips, resellers can proceed to request approval and sell Nike products such as shoes, clothes, and sports accessories on Amazon through the following steps:
Step 1: Searching for Nike Products’ ASINs
The first step for sellers to get approved is to indicate the products they intend to sell on Amazon. Whether it is a single product type, category, or entire Nike catalog, Amazon will always require resellers to specify their selling purposes. That means resellers have to source for authentic Nike products they want to sell and extract their Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs). Next, they can use their Professional Seller Central Accounts to request approval.
Step 2: Applying to Sell
After inputting the products’ ASIN in the Add Product search button, Amazon will prompt resellers to indicate the product before selling them.
The conditions include collectible, new, used, or refurbished Nike products. The seller then needs to click the Apply to Sell button which takes them to the Request Approval page.
Due to strict business rules between Amazon and Nike, Amazon often limits resellers to selling only new Nike products on its platform.
Therefore, after requesting approval, sellers will need to provide all the validation documents, which are the current purchase invoice and/or authorization letter from Nike.
However, since Nike does not authorize third-party sellers to list its products on Amazon, it becomes a challenge to use the authorization letter from Nike to sell on Amazon.
Hence, sellers can only rely on purchase invoices from the manufacturer or distributor to get approved to sell Nike on Amazon.
That said, here are some conditions that the purchase invoice must fulfill to maximize approval chances:
- The invoice should be dated within the last 180 days.
- The information indicated on the invoice, including the name and addresses of the seller, must match those mentioned in the Professional Seller Central account.
- The invoice must have the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor.
- The invoice must indicate the bulk purchase of at least 10 units of the same product and its ASIN.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Selling Nike on Amazon
Why does Nike restrict Amazon sellers to sell its products?
Amazon removed third-party sellers from its selling channel to get direct contact with its customers and increase market traction. It also terminated its partnership with Amazon in 2019 to increase its market presence and protect its reputation. Therefore, it does not allow Amazon resellers to sell its products to reduce competition.
Can I get approved to sell Nike products on Amazon?
Although Nike does not directly allow third-party sellers to sell its products on Amazon and eBay, Amazon sellers can still list Nike products on the platform. This is only possible when Amazon sellers use purchase invoices from Nike distributors when applying for approval.
Final Thoughts on Ungating Nike on Amazon
Ungating the entire Nike brand on Amazon allows resellers to sell everything they can think about, including Nike sportswear, clothes, backpack, and shoes.
However, these advantages do not come as easily as most people would think. That is because, unlike other brands, Nike does not allow third-party sellers to list its products on Amazon.
Therefore, the only way resellers can sell Nike products on Amazon is by using the current purchase invoice from distributors or manufacturers.
Luckily, this above guide has uncovered everything new sellers need to know, including ungating Nike on Amazon.
