This article is a contribution from Brooks Golba, VP, Fulfillment & Logistics Solutions at Qualfon.
Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) has become one of the most misunderstood levers in ecommerce.
For brand leaders under pressure from rising Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees, tightening storage limits, and increasingly complex inbound logistics, SFP offers a compelling proposition. It preserves Prime eligibility while restoring control over inventory placement, transportation strategy, and unit economics.
For the wrong operator, it becomes a margin trap and an operational liability, but for the right one, it becomes a strategic advantage.
This article is written for founders, operators, and supply chain leaders evaluating how fulfillment strategy fits into long-term growth. My goal is to cover why brands pursue SFP, why so many struggle to execute it, which companies are best positioned to succeed, and how the right fulfillment architecture changes the outcome entirely.
Why Strategic Brands Are Reconsidering FBA Dependency
Amazon continues to reward speed. At the same time, the economics behind FBA have become increasingly complex.
Oversized products face meaningful fee pressure. Slower-moving SKUs create storage exposure, and peak season caps introduce planning risk. Inbound appointment delays can disrupt entire promotional calendars.
For many scaled brands, the issue is not Amazon demand. It is operational leverage.
Seller Fulfilled Prime allows operators to:
- Maintain Prime eligibility without concentrating inventory in one network
- Reposition product closer to customers
- Reduce exposure to storage penalties
- Optimize parcel routing and carrier mix
- Support multiple sales channels from a shared inventory pool
SFP is particularly attractive for brands selling bulky products, running kitting programs, or managing volatile demand curves. These products often suffer the most inside a purely FBA-driven model.
Why Seller Fulfilled Prime Is Difficult at Scale
Amazon enforces strict service levels across delivery speed, cancellations, and customer response times, and unfortunately, those same metrics expose every weakness in a supply chain.
Two-day delivery from a single warehouse rarely works nationally. Transportation costs escalate quickly without multi-node positioning. Inventory imbalances create either service failures or excess working capital, and peak season magnifies small planning errors into sizable performance risk.
Add in cversized and heavy SKUs, and now you have even more complexity. These products strain parcel economics, require specialized handling, and complicate warehouse slotting. Yet those same products often drive the business case for SFP in the first place!
Seller-Fulfilled Prime is not a fulfillment tactic. It is an inventory placement strategy.
This is why many SFP pilots fail. Not because demand is insufficient, but because the underlying fulfillment model was never designed for Prime-level performance.
Who Should Evaluate SFP
Seller Fulfilled Prime tends to work best for brands that:
- Generate meaningful Amazon volume
- Operate nationally rather than regionally
- Carry large, heavy, or complex products
- Run omnichannel businesses
- View fulfillment as a strategic investment
- Have leadership alignment around network optimization
Smaller sellers or teams without operational depth often find SFP difficult to sustain once volumes scale. The brands that win treat SFP as part of a long-term distribution strategy, not a short-term workaround.
Why Fulfillment Architecture Matters More Than Rates
Most SFP discussions start with pricing, and that is a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, rates matter, but network design matters more.
High-performing programs are built around:
- Multi-node coverage that supports two day transit
- Carrier strategies that protect margin
- Labor models that flex with demand
- Real-time visibility into inventory and exceptions
- Contingency planning for service disruptions
- Facilities equipped for oversized and complex SKUs
At Qualfon, the strongest SFP outcomes we see are tied to deliberate network orchestration. Taking advantage of our multi-node fulfillment locations in Las Vegas, Nevada; Detroit, MI, and Landisville, PA, inventory is placed strategically to balance speed and capital efficiency. The same stock supports Amazon, DTC, Walmart, and emerging marketplaces. Data guides replenishment decisions continuously.
This is a key difference between running SFP as a compliance exercise and using it as a strategic lever.
Many providers can ship orders quickly when volumes are stable. Far fewer can engineer a network that holds Prime-level performance during promotions, seasonal surges, and demand shocks.
Stronger Together
Amazon drives traffic, but brands build differentiation.
A sophisticated fulfillment strategy ensures reliability, margin protection, and resilience behind the scenes. When those pieces align, Seller Fulfilled Prime stops being a risk mitigation tool and becomes a growth accelerator.
Bottom Line
Seller Fulfilled Prime is not a universal replacement for FBA. For the right brands, it is a powerful complement that unlocks flexibility, protects margin, and strengthens omnichannel operations.
The companies that succeed with SFP approach fulfillment as a strategic discipline. They design for scale, invest ahead of demand, and partner with operators who understand how to engineer Prime-level performance across a national network.
About the Author
Brooks Golba is Vice President of Fulfillment & Logistics Solutions at Qualfon, where he helps ecommerce brands design multi-node fulfillment strategies across Amazon and direct-to-consumer channels. His work focuses on improving delivery speed, strengthening unit economics, and building resilient supply chains that support long-term growth.
Connect with Brooks on LinkedIn.
