Overview

Amazon has introduced the Apollo pilot program, an invitation-only initiative designed to test regional inventory fulfillment for low-priced products. The program offers participating sellers a fulfillment fee discount in exchange for allowing Amazon to manage how inventory is distributed and fulfilled across geographic regions. Understanding how this pilot works is essential for invited sellers weighing whether the trade-offs make sense for their business.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Participation is voluntary — The Apollo pilot is entirely opt-in. Sellers who receive an invitation are under no obligation to join, and no action is required if they choose not to participate.
• Amazon selects the products — Rather than letting sellers choose freely, Amazon curates a recommended list of low-priced products eligible for the pilot. Sellers can then decide which items from that list to enroll.
• Fulfillment fee discounts apply — Enrolled products receive a reduced fulfillment fee on customer orders for the duration of the pilot, which ran from approximately mid-January through mid-July 2024.
• Regional stock-outs are possible — Products can go out of stock in specific regions even when overall inventory levels appear healthy, due to natural fluctuations in regional demand.
• Offer suppression may affect rankings — When an enrolled product is out of stock in a particular region, the listing may be suppressed in that area, which can impact search rankings both regionally and nationally.

How the Program Works

The Apollo pilot focuses on regional fulfillment optimization for low-priced items. Amazon expands enrolled inventory across different geographic regions based on factors like expected customer demand, regardless of the inbound placement option a seller chooses. Sellers continue to send inventory to Amazon using the same process they already follow — Amazon handles the regional distribution on the back end. The program includes a recommended product list shared via a survey link in the invitation email, and sellers retain the ability to choose which specific products from that list to include.