FLEX. Fulfillment
We provide logistics services to online retailers in Europe: Amazon FBA prep, processing FBA removal orders, forwarding to Fulfillment Centers - both FBA and Vendor shipments.
This guide explains pre-Amazon storage — what it is, why non-EU sellers need it, how the replenishment flow works, and how it compares to sending inventory directly to Amazon FBA. It covers costs, the receiving and inspection process, location choices between Germany and Poland, and how to get started. Written for sellers in the UK, US, Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere who are setting up EU operations for the first time.
What Is Pre-Amazon Storage
Pre-Amazon storage (also called pre-FBA storage or buffer warehousing) means holding your inventory at a third-party warehouse — like FLEX. — before sending portions of it to Amazon fulfilment centres. FBA storage is Amazon's own warehousing inside its FC network. The key differences: pre-Amazon storage is significantly cheaper per unit per month, has no restock limits, and gives you full control over when and how much inventory enters FBA. FBA storage is more expensive, subject to per-ASIN restock limits and aged inventory fees, but makes your products Prime-eligible and handled entirely by Amazon for picking, packing and delivery. Most non-EU sellers use both: bulk storage at FLEX., with regular forwarding runs to FBA as sales velocity requires.
Three main reasons: (1) FBA restock limits — Amazon caps how much inventory a seller can hold per ASIN based on their Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score. New sellers have tight limits that make it impossible to send a full container's worth of inventory directly into FBA. Pre-Amazon storage holds the overflow until FBA limits allow more. (2) Cost — FBA storage rates are significantly higher than third-party warehousing, especially for slow-moving SKUs or large imports. (3) Control — holding buffer stock at a prep centre means you can forward to FBA on your schedule, handle compliance issues before they reach Amazon, and split inventory between FBA and other sales channels from the same location.
Why Use Pre-Amazon Storage
Amazon sets restock limits per ASIN based on the seller's IPI (Inventory Performance Index) score — a metric that reflects sell-through rate, excess inventory levels, and stranded inventory. New sellers and sellers with low IPI scores receive the tightest limits. A new non-EU seller can easily hit restock limits on their first container shipment if they try to send everything to FBA at once. The practical consequence: units above the limit are rejected at the FC inbound stage. Pre-Amazon storage at FLEX. holds the full container receipt; you forward to FBA in batches as your limits allow and as your IPI score improves with sales history.
Amazon charges an aged inventory surcharge for units stored in FBA for more than 180 days — fees vary by product size but add meaningfully to total storage cost for slow-moving SKUs. Non-EU sellers importing large initial quantities are particularly at risk: a full container of a new product with no sales history can accumulate aged inventory fees quickly if the product takes longer to sell than expected. The mitigation: hold the bulk at FLEX. (at significantly lower monthly cost), send to FBA in quantities matched to your actual sales velocity, and avoid the 180-day clock running on units that will not sell for months.
Amazon FBA standard storage in Germany runs approximately EUR 0.51 per cubic foot per month outside peak season, and EUR 1.21 per cubic foot during October to December. FLEX. pre-Amazon storage starts from around EUR 10 per pallet location per month — on a per-unit basis for palletised goods, this is typically 60 to 80 percent less than FBA storage for the same inventory. The saving is largest for bulky or large products, seasonal inventory held pre-peak, and any product with slower-than-expected sell-through. Pre-Amazon storage in Germany at FLEX. can be quoted specifically for your product dimensions and expected volume.
Yes — this is one of the most common use cases. Sellers build inventory at FLEX. from August to October, then forward batches to FBA as Amazon increases inbound quotas ahead of Q4. This approach avoids two Q4 problems: Amazon FC inbound congestion in November and December (when receiving backlogs extend to 2 to 3 weeks), and the risk of hitting FBA storage caps at peak season when Amazon often tightens limits. Having a full buffer at FLEX. means you can respond quickly to sales velocity — if a product is selling faster than expected, you can send additional stock to FBA within days rather than waiting weeks for a new ocean shipment to arrive.
The Replenishment Process
The standard replenishment cycle: you monitor FBA stock levels in Seller Central or your WMS; when inventory reaches your reorder point, you create a replenishment shipment plan in Seller Central to generate the FBA labels and FC assignment; you notify FLEX. of the quantity and SKUs to be forwarded; FLEX. picks from storage, applies FNSKU labels if not already labelled, palletises to EU spec, and books a Carrier Central appointment at the assigned FC; carrier collects and delivers; Amazon receives and makes units available — typically 3 to 10 business days after FC delivery. Pre-Amazon storage in France follows the same replenishment workflow for Amazon.fr.
Most sellers use one of two approaches: manual monitoring (checking FBA stock levels weekly in Seller Central and requesting replenishment from FLEX. when stock drops below a set threshold) or automated triggers via their inventory management software (tools like Sellerboard, Inventory Lab, or Linnworks can alert you when FBA stock hits the reorder point). The reorder point calculation should account for the FLEX.-to-FC forwarding lead time (typically 5 to 10 days including appointment booking) plus a safety buffer. For high-velocity products, weekly replenishment runs make sense; for slower products, bi-weekly or monthly batches are more cost-efficient.
FLEX. uses the myFLEX WMS (Warehouse Management System), which gives you real-time visibility of your inventory: units received, units in storage per SKU, units currently in prep, units shipped to FBA, and current stock levels. You access this through a web portal — no software installation required. The system logs every inbound and outbound movement with timestamps and provides the documentation trail needed for reconciliation with Amazon's receiving records. Inventory discrepancies between myFLEX and Amazon Seller Central are identified early and can be investigated before they accumulate.
Receiving and Inspection
On container arrival: FLEX. arranges unloading (either direct delivery to the dock or drayage from the port terminal), counts cartons and units against the packing list, performs a visual inspection for damage, takes photos of any discrepancies or damage found, scans box weights and dimensions, and logs all units into the WMS. You receive a receipt confirmation — typically within 24 hours of unloading completing — with a discrepancy report if unit counts or condition differ from the advance packing list. Pre-Amazon storage in France at FLEX. follows the same inbound process for shipments entering through French ports.
FLEX. documents damaged units and cartons with photos and sends a discrepancy report to you within 24 to 48 hours. You then decide how to proceed: scrap the damaged units, instruct FLEX. to attempt reconditioning or repackaging where damage is minor, return the units to origin if the damage is the carrier's responsibility and you have cargo insurance, or file a freight insurance claim. FLEX. provides the photographic evidence and unit-level records needed for insurance claims. Damaged units are held separately in the WMS so they do not mix with sellable stock.
At minimum, each box must carry: a scannable SKU or EAN barcode, the quantity of units per box, and your shipment reference number so FLEX. can match the delivery to your advance packing list. FNSKU labels are not required at the pre-Amazon stage — FLEX. applies these before forwarding to Amazon FCs. If boxes arrive without any identifying barcode, FLEX. cannot log them accurately into the WMS, which causes delays and potential misidentification. Always send an advance packing list before your shipment departs origin so FLEX. knows what to expect before the container arrives.
Costs
Storage is billed per pallet location per month for palletised goods, or per cubic metre for loose or non-palletised cargo. There is an inbound handling fee on receiving (per unit or per pallet depending on the service level). Outbound prep services — FNSKU labelling, poly-bagging, palletising — are priced separately per unit or per service. FC forwarding is billed per shipment or per pallet. There are no long-term storage penalties or aged inventory surcharges at FLEX. — storage continues at the same rate regardless of how long goods are held. Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory at FLEX. covers pricing for extended storage programmes.
There is no hard minimum for storage — single-pallet programmes are accommodated. For prep services at the unit level (FNSKU labelling per unit), a minimum of approximately 100 units per SKU per batch is needed for the service to be economically viable. Container shipments are welcome and are the most common inbound format. FLEX.'s warehouse infrastructure is designed for full container receipt — there is no handling surcharge for container arrivals as there can be at smaller prep facilities.
The costs that non-EU sellers typically discover after sending everything directly to FBA: Amazon non-compliance fees (charged per unit when Amazon has to perform prep that should have been done before inbound — labelling, repackaging); aged inventory surcharges (units that sit in FBA beyond 180 days without selling); lost sales from stockouts (when FBA restock limits prevent you from sending enough inventory to meet demand); and higher per-unit FBA storage costs on inventory that could have been held more cheaply outside Amazon. The total of these avoidable costs frequently exceeds the 3PL storage cost that pre-Amazon warehousing would have generated.
Flexibility and Use Cases
Yes. FLEX. handles FBA pre-Amazon storage and B2C or B2B fulfilment from the same warehouse. You can split your inventory — a portion forwarded to Amazon FCs, a portion fulfilled directly to consumers via your Shopify store or other channels, and a portion held for B2B wholesale orders. This unified approach eliminates the need for separate warehousing arrangements per channel and reduces total inventory investment because you are not duplicating safety stock across multiple locations. B2C fulfillment in France is available from FLEX.'s French location alongside pre-Amazon storage.
You can instruct FLEX. at any time to: hold the stock indefinitely at the current storage rate, return it to you (palletised and shipped to any address you specify), forward it to a different destination (another Amazon FC, a B2B customer, a liquidation buyer, or a different fulfilment partner), or dispose of it if the stock has no recoverable value. There are no penalties for changing your plans — FLEX. handles pre-Amazon storage on a flexible basis without requiring advance commitment to a specific outbound destination.
Location: Germany vs Poland
Germany is Amazon EU's primary logistics hub — it has the largest FC network in Europe, Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven give the shortest drayage from container arrival to the prep centre, and most non-EU sellers' primary target market is Amazon.de. FRA3 (Bad Hersfeld), LEJ1/LEJ2 (Leipzig), and DUS2 (Rheinberg) are major FCs with high inbound capacity. Customs clearance infrastructure in Hamburg is highly developed, and FLEX.'s German location gives same-country forwarding to German FCs with no cross-border complexity. Pre-Amazon storage in Europe at FLEX. covers both Germany and Poland under a single account.
Poland is the right choice for sellers prioritising cost efficiency or targeting Amazon.pl and Eastern European markets. Storage and prep costs in Poland are materially lower than Germany — typically 25 to 40 percent cheaper per pallet per month. Wrocław gives direct access to WRO1 and WRO5, Amazon's largest FC complex in Poland. For sellers using Pan-EU FBA, holding a portion of inventory in Poland reduces forwarding distance and cost for Eastern European FC assignments. The Germany vs Poland vs France fulfillment comparison covers the full location decision in detail.
Getting Started
Contact FLEX. with: your SKU list, expected inbound volume in units and pallets, the origin country of your shipment, and the Amazon marketplaces you are targeting. FLEX. confirms available storage capacity, provides a pricing quote, and outlines inbound requirements. Onboarding typically takes 1 to 2 business days — you receive your FLEX. warehouse address, WMS login credentials, and an advance packing list template. Your first shipment can be booked as soon as onboarding is complete. Amazon FBA prep services in Europe at FLEX. covers the full scope of services available alongside pre-Amazon storage.
Related Services
Pre-Amazon storage and connected services across the FLEX. network:
- Pre-Amazon storage in Europe — buffer warehousing in Germany and Poland
- Pre-Amazon storage in Germany — FLEX.'s German location near Hamburg and major FCs
- Pre-Amazon storage in France — buffer warehousing for Amazon.fr inbound
- Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory — extended storage with no aged inventory penalties
- FBA prep centre in Europe — FNSKU labelling, palletising and FC forwarding
Located in the center of Europe, FLEX. Fulfillment provides pre-Amazon buffer storage in Germany and Poland for non-EU sellers managing FBA restock limits, seasonal inventory and multi-channel fulfilment.
Get in touch for a free quote and storage assessment tailored to your inventory volume and EU marketplace requirements.