Overview

In 2018 Ina Klein launched a modest three‑item test run on Amazon FBA. Four years later she manages a catalog of more than 300 SKUs and splits sales between Amazon and her own e‑commerce site, offering a practical roadmap for sellers deciding when to rely solely on FBA and when to add a proprietary storefront.

Key Points

• Rapid catalog growth — Within four years Ina expanded from 3 to over 300 products, covering categories such as home goods, toys, and fitness accessories, which illustrates how quickly a diversified line can be built on a single platform.
• Revenue split — Roughly 65 % of her annual turnover now comes from Amazon FBA, while the remaining 35 % is generated through her independent shop, showing a balanced but still Amazon‑centric income mix.
• Fee comparison — Amazon’s fulfillment and referral fees average about 15 % of the list price, whereas the combined costs of hosting, payment processing, and self‑managed logistics for the private site sit near 8 % of sales.
• Customer‑relationship advantage — The direct‑to‑consumer channel has let her collect a mailing list of 12 000 subscribers; those email contacts produce repeat purchases with an average basket size of €48, a metric unavailable on Amazon.
• Policy risk exposure — Shifts in Amazon’s fee schedule or sudden policy updates can erode profit margins by up to 10 %, while a self‑hosted shop remains insulated from those platform‑specific changes.
• Hybrid scaling benefit — By allocating inventory between Amazon fulfillment centers and her own warehouse, Ina cut overall delivery times by roughly 30 %, delivering faster service to both Prime and non‑Prime customers.

How Amazon FBA vs. Own Online Shop Works

1. Creating an Amazon listing — Ina logs into Seller Central, uploads high‑resolution images, writes a keyword‑rich title, and sets a price (e.g., €39.99 for a new kitchen gadget). The platform’s keyword planner helps her rank for relevant search terms.
2. Shipping stock to Amazon — She packages 500 units and sends them to the nearest fulfillment hub in Leipzig; Amazon then stores, picks, packs, and ships the items, automatically qualifying them for Prime delivery.