How To Ungate Your Amazon Account To Sell in Sweden
On October 28, 2020, Amazon.se launched in Sweden, and was instantly embraced by both domestic and global sellers. While there was a lot of bureaucracy involved for Amazon to create the first-ever nationalized marketplace in a Scandinavian country, the e-commerce giant finally delivered, presenting an exciting opportunity for SMEs (small and medium enterprises), startups, and well-recognized brands to target Sweden’s thriving e-commerce market.
Sweden is Amazon’s 18th global market, and its eighth e-retail outlet in Europe besides Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, and France. Sweden, with an estimated population of 11 million, is Amazon’s smallest e-commerce market in terms of GDP and overall spending.
On the flip side, the country is Amazon’s 18th largest e-retail market, which is bolstered by its central location in the Nordic region, as well as its population that embraces online shopping. If you are looking to expand your online business to Sweden, here is a complete guide on how to sell on Amazon Sweden marketplace, including the requirements needed to register and set up your online store.
Ungating Amazon in Sweden
Sweden’s central location in Scandinavia made the country an excellent choice for Amazon to set up shop.
According to Statista, Sweden enjoys the fourth highest online population globally with 95%. Additionally, the country is ranked second (after South Korea) in terms of internet speed.
Sweden has long been associated mail mail-order merchandise, and this tradition was engraved in its society long before e-commerce came into play.
This online culture, bolstered by the country’s extensive digital infrastructure, makes ungating Amazon in Sweden such a lucrative proposition.
As is always the case, sellers want to be sure beforehand if their products can generate sufficient demand in a foreign marketplace. According to Amazon’s analytics, the five most popular product categories on Sweden’s Amazon marketplace include:
- Food & Personal Care
- Toys & DIY accessories
- Fashion and apparel
- Consumer electronics
- Furniture & Home Appliances
In the context of the Amazon marketplace, ungating refers to the process of getting Amazon’s approval to sell in certain restricted categories, subcategories, or brands. While sellers have access to some general categories, some like Beauty, Health, Grocery, etc., require additional approval from Amazon for sellers to list products.
To become ungated in such categories, therefore, sellers typically need to have certain documents or meet specific criteria, including:
- Documents such as invoices that demonstrate the legitimacy of suppliers, as well as product quality and authenticity.
- Proof of additional training or certification for sellers that deal with specialty goods or services.
- Certain performance metrics on the Seller Central Account Sweden dashboard, including order defect rate, per-fulfillment cancel rate, etc.
Sellers who meet Amazon’s ungating criteria get to tap into more profitable and less competitive markets, hence unlocking improved revenue potential. On the flip side, Amazon’s purpose for ungating is to maintain product quality, prevent counterfeiting, and promote marketplace integrity – key aspects that enhance customer experience.
How to Become a Seller on Amazon Sweden
The first and perhaps the most important step on how to become a seller on Amazon Sweden marketplace is to create a seller account. Sellers are required to register an Amazon seller account and provide accurate information for verification and compliance. Ensure you have all the necessary legal and personal documentation to complete this process. To register an account, use the guide below:
- Navigate to the Swedish version of the Amazon marketplace Amazon.se to create a seller account.
- Choose a selling plan – either the Individual or Professional plan. The former charges 10 kr (approx. €0.99) per item sold while the latter charges 410 kr (approx. €39) regardless of your sales volume.
- To successfully verify your account, ensure you have an existing Amazon customer account or a business email address, a chargeable credit card (international credit cards are also accepted), a valid passport or ID card, company registration details (including a VAT number), a bank account, and a phone number.
- Create a product listing and tailor your products to the Swedish market using relevant keywords and detailed product descriptions. Given that Sweden is a non-English country, you may want to consider translating your product descriptions into the Swedish language to enhance customer experience.
- Be sure all your products feature relevant identifiers like the SKU, EAN, UPC, ISBN, price, quantity, bar codes, and fulfillment options.
- Choose a fulfillment method – either Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) or Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
- Use the Amazon Seller Central Sweden account dashboard to track sales, fulfill orders, and meet all the performance metrics as you grow your business to ensure your account is in good standing.
Can I Sell in Amazon Sweden in English?
Yes, Amazon provides sellers with numerous marketing and sponsorship tools to help manage their businesses more efficiently. One of the most important tools especially for non-English countries like Sweden is Amazon Translate.
Thanks to this feature, sellers outside Sweden can localize content for the diverse Swedish customer base. With this tool, sellers on Amazon Sweden can translate their product pages and descriptions into numerous languages, including English and Swedish
Is there a Warehouse in Sweden?
Amazon.se launched in Sweden in October 2020 with a substantive amount of investment to enable Swedish SMEs to reach a wider domestic and global audience. To do so, the e-commerce giant invested 300 million Euros in building FBA warehouses across the country, all of which can be shipped to using pallets and parcels.
An Amazon Web Services hub was developed in Stockholm, as well as other logistics centers in Solna. So the answer to this question is yes. Amazon has several FBA warehouses in Sweden.
Is Amazon Prime in Sweden?
Amazon Prime launched in Sweden on September 21, 2021. So yes, Amazon Prime is also available in Sweden, and its benefits are country-specific. In Sweden, Prime membership is a renewable program that charges 59 kr per month or 549 kr per year. This is a premium service that allows Swedish customers with Prime membership to enjoy additional feature perks such as:
- Fast And Free Delivery
- Prime Day Deals
- Prime Music
- Prime Video
- Prime Reading
What Are Amazon Restricted Or Gated Categories?
Amazon gated or restricted categories are those with strict selling rules that no seller is allowed to sell freely. These categories, brands, and ASINs have specific approval guidelines, and any seller who meets the standards can enjoy a vast market with less competition.
That means Amazon only has the power to draw the rules and open gates for more sellers to access the categories. The good news, however, is that Amazon does not always restrict the entire category, like in the previous gating practices.
Instead, it gates subcategories, leaving some products open, even though they might be under gated categories. This explains why there is a short list of gated categories and a long list of restricted products or subcategories.
Generally, any seller who wants to sell within a gated category must apply for Amazon to let them in.
Also, enlisting the services of third-party ungating companies is another way on how to get ungated in Sweden for Amazon.se.
To get a broader picture of ungating categories and brands, here is a big guide to read.
Why Does Amazon Gate Its Categories?
Most multi-million investments are built on trust, customer satisfaction, and a healthy working environment, and Amazon is no exception. Being a huge marketplace with millions of users globally, Amazon strives to maintain a good relationship with both buyers and sellers by ensuring only high-quality products are in circulation.
It achieves this by gating some categories, brands, and ASINs. Therefore, among others, here are the main reasons why Amazon gates its categories:
To Be Able To Monitor Product Standards
One of the first missions of the company is to ensure buyers are offered both high-quality and safe products. It does this by allowing only sellers whose products have undergone stringent quality assessment steps to access highly-demanded categories.
Since the platform is home to millions of brands and buyers, there are high chances of buyers getting counterfeit products.
Hence, it is Amazon’s responsibility to block such products by setting up strict selling rules. That is why ungating service for Sweden requires sellers to show authorization and necessary documentation from agencies that oversee all safety standards concerning ingredients or raw materials, packaging, product labeling, and expiry dates.
For the Protection of Every Brand’s Reputation
Amazon also works jointly with big brands to ensure that only authorized resellers can list products from certain brands.
Therefore, to protect the brand’s reputation, Amazon asks sellers to provide legit documentation from these brands to show they are allowed to list their products.
Resellers who do not provide proof of authorization are locked out of certain categories. Many large and well-known brands require pre-approval with them directly, before even applying to Amazon.
This is true for both seasoned sellers, and individuals new to the platform.
To Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Besides ensuring buyers can get high-quality products, Amazon also restricts some categories to prevent sellers from exploiting buyers. That means only sellers with a positive track record can access the categories and reach buyers.
This enhances customer satisfaction and a positive rating. The company may also limit or dictate maximum pricing to ensure buyers are not being fleeced.
Adherence to the MPA Regulations
Many items require the approval of the Medical Products Agency (MPA). This is Sweden’s main agency that is responsible for the regulation and surveillance of the development, manufacturing, and retail of drugs, personal care & cosmetics, and medical devices.
No retail platform, website, or other selling venue is permitted to offer any product that is not previously rubber-stamped by the MPA. The obvious reason for this is safety because specific laws exist to ensure that end users are not harmed.
Categories And Products That Require Amazon Approval in Sweden
As stated earlier, Amazon has a long list of gated products and a short list of restricted categories. That is because one category can have more subcategories, which can add up to tens of products.
Therefore, when applying for approval, sellers need to consider three ungating levels; category, brand, and product ungating. They should also differentiate between category and product unlocking.
General Guidelines to Get Ungated on Amazon Sweden
Whether you are a new reseller or an established FBA seller, utilizing the vast market space offered by Amazon should never be a challenge again.
Two of the most common questions new sellers seek answers to are; can you do Amazon FBA from Sweden? And is FBA profitable in Sweden?
The answer to both is yes. You can create an account, get ungated, scale your business, and enjoy the benefits that come with Fulfillment by Amazon such as storage spaces, returns, and world-class customer service. Amazon’s mission is to see its users grow, and thus, increase sales and profitability. And this does not matter if you are listing your products in a locked or unrestricted category.
As a result, if you want to expand your selling portfolio by accessing restricted categories, here are the general guidelines to get ungated on Amazon:
Sign Up for A Professional Amazon Seller Account
Professional Amazon Seller Account is the backbone of any seller as it records all the activities conducted by the seller on the platform. It is through this account that Amazon can tell your business position and determine whether you meet all the quality standards or not.
Analyze And Verify Your Account Health
Creating a professional Seller Account is not enough. You still need to maintain its health to maximize your chances of getting approved. Maintaining a healthy account includes meeting your customers’ expectations and adhering to Amazon’s business code. That means you should have a timely shipping record, good customer relations, competitive pricing, and avoid violating Amazon’s policies. To check your account health, go to the Account Health section on the Seller Central Account and click on the Performance menu.
Check Specific Category Ungating Guidelines
Each category has specific ungating instructions, and you need to check them before requesting approval. Some categories are complicated, while others have simple instructions that even new sellers can unlock easily. For example, some categories like CA Grocery & Gourmet ungating service may require sellers to have at least three years of selling experience and running websites.
Choose A Reputable Supplier
Getting a reliable supplier is also a vital step, especially as your demand curve grows. Amazon will also ask you to provide legitimate invoices from trusted suppliers whose products fall under gated categories. After choosing a supplier, you need to place at least three orders, with each order having at least ten pieces of the restricted product. Retailers are not considered suppliers. You cannot go down to your local store and purchase a bunch of items for resale. The products need to come from verified wholesalers and distributors.
Prepare All Documents
Before submitting your approval request, you need to prepare your documents, which include recent purchase invoices from reputable wholesalers. These scanned copies of individual invoices should have all the ASINs written next to the product name. Price and other confidential information should be locked for wholesaler privacy.
Request Approval
With all the documents and other requirements ready, you can proceed to request approval from Amazon.
Final Thoughts on How to Sell on Amazon Sweden Marketplace
By being a seller on Amazon’s Swedish marketplace, Amazon.se can unleash great revenue potential, given the country’s excellent location in the Nordic region and its thriving e-commerce marketplace.
As a rule of thumb, Amazon requires sellers to follow the due process to ungate into its restricted categories. However, doing so will only help sellers access more profitable but less competitive markets.
