Manual Repricing vs. Amazon Repricing Tool: What to Expect

Just when you think that you own an item's Buy Box, someone comes along and undercuts you (once again).

What's worse, you're a busy person with lots of ASINs to manually reprice. Hours pass before you realize what has happened, causing you to miss out on dozens of profitable orders.

Sound familiar?

It's a common challenge that many Amazon sellers struggle with.

In this post, we'll explore whether or not an Amazon repricing tool can help you overcome pricing frustration.

The Case for Manual Repricing

Most professional sellers, in our experience, utilize some type of third-party repricing software (such as our SmartPrice tool). However, a sizeable number of merchants still adjust their prices manually. In our discussions with merchants who manually reprice, motivation for doing so seems to be based on one of the following:

Maintaining full control over the process: Despite recent advancements in repricing technology, some merchants still prefer maintaining "full control" over price adjustments.

Primary focus is on the long term (vs. short term): Some merchants simply do not adjust their prices very often. This may be especially true for those selling less competitive items, such as unique bundles or private label products that have few direct competitors.

Limited product catalog: Just because you only offer a handful of products, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're a "low volume" seller. For instance, there are some private-label merchants that do millions in revenue with just a few ASINs. Manual repricing is more feasible when a product catalog contains a dozen or fewer items.

Focused on cost minimization: Let's be honest - some Amazon repricing tools are really, really expensive. Newer sellers can be especially hesitant to sign up for new monthly expenses, regardless of a tool's potential value.

The Case for an Amazon Repricing Tool

With all of that being said, why do most professional sellers opt for an Amazon repricing tool? Here are a few of the more common reasons that we hear:

Pricing Rules, Applied Real-Time: Some sellers don't realize how repricing software actually works. Generally speaking, Amazon repricers let you set minimum and maximum pricing thresholds, automatically adjusting your prices as competitive forces change. Other tools reprice your items using an optimized algorithm that responds to market conditions. A repricer won't violate your business rules - it just operates within them.

Increased Order Volume Pays Off: Simply stated, a good Amazon repricing tool will pay for itself - and then some. If it doesn't, you might need to think about adjusting your product mix, reassessing your pricing automation rules or finding yourself a more reliable repricing app.

Time is Money: Even though you're not being paid on an hourly basis, there is a cost associated with each hour of your time. If you quit eCommerce and got a "real job," what would your time be worth? $50 per hour? $100? Now, think about how many hours each month you invest in manual repricing. It might be rather eye opening!

More Orders = More Feedback = More Orders: Amazon feedback is a virtuous cycle. It's therefore no surprise that the most successful sellers on the Amazon marketplace have the best feedback scores. The more orders you fulfill, the greater opportunity you have to boost your feedback rating. As your rating improves, you're more likely to win the Buy Box across the board. Therefore, by leveraging a repricer, you put yourself in an optimal spot to boost order volume in the short run and feedback in the long run. It's a win-win.