Galactic Amazon Glossary: Navigating the Amazon Universe

A+ Content: A detail page where the product description has enhanced content and branding, including graphics and images embedded into the page. A+ Content used to be specifically for vendors but has now also replaced Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) for sellers.

AA: Amazon Associate. FC position.

AAP: Amazon Advertising Platform (now known as Amazon DSP). The program advertisers use to buy and create display and video ads.

ACoS: Advertising Cost of Sale. The percentage of attributed sales spent on advertising. The formula for this is total spend / ad sales = ACoS.

ACS: Amazon Creative Services

Affiliates: A program by which referrals earn associates money for driving traffic and sales to Amazon through their marketing.

AGS: Amazon Global Selling

AM: Area Manager. FC position.

AMS: Amazon Marketing Services. Now known as Amazon Advertising.

AMG: Amazon Media Group.

AMZ: Amazon. More specifically, Amazon’s stock abbreviation.

AMZL: Amazon Logistics abbreviation.

Andon or Andon Cord: An Amazon support agent can immediately pull a product from buyable status if they notice a significant issue, especially related to safety and quality. The term refers to a process implemented at Toyota factories in Japan.

API: Application Program Interface.

AR: Amazon Robotics.

ARA: Amazon Retail Analytics. A selection of reports for vendors sometimes referred to as ARA Basic. These are available to all vendors and look at topics like sales and inventory.

ARAP: Amazon Retail Analytics Premium. An add-on option with more detailed and varied reports that look at a vendor’s traffic and customer behavior for vendors.

ARS: Amazon Robotics Sortable.

ARSAW: Amazon Robotics Semi-Automatic Workstation

ASC: Associate Safety Committee. For FC employees.

ASIN: Amazon Standard Info Number. Each Amazon product will have a unique 10-character alphanumeric unique identifier used specifically for and within Amazon.

ASN: Advanced Shipment Notification. Used to communicate a shipment’s tracking number and information to Amazon in advance of delivery.

ASP: Average Selling Price. Calculated by net sales / number of products sold.

Associates: This term refers to the Amazon referral program, now called Amazon Affiliates.

AVN: Amazon Vendor Negotiations.

AWS: Amazon Web Services.

AZ: Amazon.

B

B2B: Business to Business. E-commerce between two businesses, rather than a business and consumer.

B2C: Business to Customer. E-commerce between a business and a customer.

BB: Buy Box. An abbreviation of the Amazon Buy Box, the button customers use to purchase a product on an Amazon detail page.

Best Deal: A time-bound promotional offer type for vendors on Amazon.

BISS: Business Industrial & Scientific Supplies. A specific selling category on Amazon.

Blue Badge: An Amazon full-time employee (as opposed to a temporary or contract worker).

BOGO: Buy One Get One. A type of promotion for sellers.

Brand Analytics: A suite of features available to brands enrolled in the Amazon Brand Registry.

Brand Registry: Amazon’s program for brands to verify and control their brand.

Brand HQ: The system that sellers on the Amazon Brand Incubator and Amazon Exclusives program can access.

Brand Store: Amazon Brand Stores are created using a free, self-service tool to create a customized brand experience within Amazon.

Browse Node: Numerical codes to identify Amazon product categories.

BSR: Best Seller Rank. The order and ranking of a product in the category where it is listed.

Bundle: A group of complementary products sold as one ASIN unit.

Buy Box: The button customers use to purchase a product on an Amazon detail page.

C

CA: Abbreviation for the Canadian marketplace.

CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate.

Category Page: A landing page for a specific group of products within the Amazon website.

CCR: Counterfeit Complaint Rate.

CD: Continuous Deployment.

Child ASIN: A buyable variant of a parent ASIN when the customer must select an option such as size or color to purchase.

Climate Pledge Friendly: An Amazon program launched in 2020 to make it easier for customers to shop eco-friendly, sustainable products on its sites.

CM: Change Management.

CMBR: Change Management Bar Raiser.

COGs: Cost of Goods Sold. The value of goods sold during a certain period of time.

Contra COGs: COGs including all backends, such as Vine, ARAP, etc.

Concessions: Amounts Amazon has refunded to customers related to your products or orders.

Coupon/Voucher: A promotional deal on Amazon where a vendor or seller offers an amount or percentage off for a limited time.

COW: Consumer Order Workflow.

CP: Contribution Profit.

CPC: Cost Per Click. This relates to sponsored ads and the amount Amazon charges the seller or vendors when a customer clicks on their ad.

CPH: Cost Per Head.

CPI: Cost Price Increase.

CPT: Critical Pull Time. The time in which an order is in danger of not shipping in time for customer delivery cut-offs.

CPS: Costs Per Shipment.

CPU: Contacts Per Unit.

CRAP: Can’t Realize a Profit. If, based on Amazon algorithms, a product is deemed CRAP, it means there is a reason it won’t realize a profit.

CTI: Category Type Item.

CTR: Click Through Rate. A metric that measures the number of clicks per impression of an advertisement.

CS: Customer Service.

CWGR: Compound Weekly Growth Rate.

CX: Customer Experience.

D

DEA: Dynamic eCommerce Ads. A component of Amazon DSP, these ads will have eCommerce features built within the display ad.

DEA: Delivery Estimate Accuracy. In relation to Amazon FCs.

DOTD: Deal of the Day. On Amazon’s Gold Box or Deals page, a single item or small set of closely related items discounted for a period of one day only.

DNR: Delivered Not Received. In relation to warehouse delivery queue.

DMG: Damaged abbreviation.

Dropship: A fulfillment method for retailers. When a store or merchant doesn’t physically have or ship the item.

DP: Detail Page. A product page for an ASIN on Amazon.

DPMO: Defects Per Million Opportunities.

DPV: Detail Page Views. A metric showing the number of impressions of a single detail page.

DPVR: Detail Page View Rate.

DSP: Demand Side Platform. Amazon’s display advertising program.

DSP: Delivery Service Provider. For warehouse deliveries.

E

EAN: European Article Number. A 13-digit number system for identifying retail products in Europe.

Early Reviewer Program: An Amazon program that incentivizes customers who have purchased a product to leave an honest review.

ECR: Executive Customer Relations.

EDD: Estimated Delivery Date.

EDI: Electronic Data Interchange. A method for companies and businesses to send digital information to one another digitally.

EFN: European Fulfillment Network. A fulfillment option that allows selling in other EU locales, while logistics and shipping are fulfilled through the home country.

EOD: End of Day. Usually refers to the close of that particular business day.

Existing Customers: Audiences who have purchased or re-purchased your brand or items on Amazon.

EXSD: Expected Ship Date.

F

FBA: Fulfillment by Amazon. When Amazon is responsible for storing your products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers.

FBM: Fulfilled by Merchant. Also known as MF (Merchant Fulfilled).

FC: Fulfillment Center. An Amazon warehouse.

FNSKU: Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit. An Amazon product identifier for products that are fulfilled by Amazon.

FPY: First Pass Yield.

FFP: Frustration-Free Packaging. An Amazon program that eliminates excessive packing and overboxing.

G

Gated Category: Businesses will need prior approval to sell in this category on Amazon. Access is limited.

Glance Views: Similar to DPV. The number of times a detail page has been viewed.

GLN: Global Location Number. Unique identification code of a physical location.

Global SKU: A SKU that is part of a shared inventory pool and is available to be sold and shipped in multiple marketplaces.

GL String: Amazon’s codification system for allocating costs to the correct P&L.

Goldbox: Amazon’s landing page containing Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals, and a selection of categories’ best promotions and savings.

GTIN: Global Trade Item Number. Globally unique 14-digit number to identify items, products, and services.

H

Hazmat: Hazardous materials. These items may be flammable, dangerous, corrosive, pressurized, etc. They require special precautions and regulations when transporting or storing.

Headline Search Ads: Advertisements that are located on top of a search results page. These have been renamed to Sponsored Brands.

Hijacking: When a seller jumps on a brand’s listing to sell a counterfeit product at a lower price.

I

IAT: Inbound Andon Tracker.

IB: Inbound.

ICQA: Inventory Control Quality Assurance.

IDQ: Item Data Quality. Refers to the condition of an item’s information.

Impressions: A measure of views or ad views.

IP: Intellectual Property.

IRDR: Inventory Record Defect Ratio.

ISBN: International Standard Book Number. A 13-digit identity number assigned to individual books by standard book numbering agencies.

J

K

KPI: Key Performance Indicators. A measurable value that determines how well your business or organization is performing against set objectives.

L

LBB: Lost Buy Box.

LD: Lightning Deal. A promotion on Amazon offered in a limited quantity for a short period of time.

Less Than Container Load: Shipment measure that means less than 18 cubic meters.

Less Than Truckload: Shipment measure for ground transport that means more than 30 cartons in a combined load with other merchants.

Lightning Deal: Discount type on Amazon’s Today’s Deals/Goldbox page.

Listing Optimization: The process of improving an Amazon detail page and product information.

Long-Term Storage Fee: Amazon’s chargeback for inventory that has been stored in a fulfillment center for more than 365 days.

M

Marketplace: What locale or domain you are selling in. Refers to a country or overall third-party merchants.

MAP: Minimum Advertised Price. A special note on MAP by locale: In the US, if a retailer buys inventory from a manufacturer that has a MAP policy, they must not sell the product below that price.

MCF: Multi Channel Fulfillment. For sellers who sell on Amazon and other marketplaces.

MF: Merchant Fulfilled. Refers to shipping products directly to the end customer yourself, as opposed to Amazon doing it.

MNR: Manifested Not Received. In relation to warehouse delivery queue.

MOM: Month Over Month.

MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity. The minimum amount Amazon must order.

MTD: Month To Date.

MSRP: Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price.

N

NAFN: North American Fulfillment Network. Vendors in North America may find their products shipped to any of these countries using Amazon’s fulfillment channels.

NDA: Non-Disclosure Agreement.

NIS: New Item Setup. The initial creation of a product.

NP: New Product. A newly listed item.

NR: Non-Replenishable. An item that is not available.

NTB: New to Brand. Amazon’s advertising metric that determines whether an ad-attributed purchase was made by an existing customer or one buying a brand’s product on Amazon for the first time over the prior year.

O

OA: Online Arbitrage. Businesses that purchase products at lower prices to resell them online for a greater price to reap profits.

OB: Obsolete. When referring to stock.

OB: Outbound. When referring to FC scheduling.

ODR: Order Defect Rate. The percentage of orders that have received negative feedback, an A-to-Z Guarantee claim, or a service credit card chargeback.

OLR: Organization and Leadership Review. This review process is done at Amazon during Q1 and Q3.

OM: Operations Manager. FC position.

OOS: Out Of Stock.

OP: Order Picker.

Ops: Operations, abbreviated term.

ORDT: On Road Dynamic Transfer. For warehouse deliveries.

P

P&L: Profit and Loss

PA: Process Assistant. An Amazon warehouse position who works as a supervisor under the Area Manager.

Parent ASIN: An ASIN that serves to group variations on one detail page.

PCOGS: Product Cost of Goods Sold. The formula is shipped units * cost price.

PPC: Pay Per Click. A term often used for Amazon Advertising.

PPE: Personal Protective Equipment. Often required for working in certain positions at an Amazon FC.

PPM: Pure Product Margin. The formula for calculating this is: (Revenue – PCOGS) / Revenue.

PPQA: Process Path Quality Assurance.

PPV: Product Price Variance. When a vendor raises an invoice and the item price on the invoice differs from what Amazon has in the system.

PQV: Product Quantity Variance. When a vendor sends inventory to Amazon and the amount, they shipped differs from the amount Amazon received.

PR: Planned Replenishment (when referring to stock).

Premium A+ content: a top-tier feature that enhances the detail page experience for sellers. It allows sellers to present differentiated content, including videos, interactive hotspot modules, image carousels, and enriched comparative tables.

Prime: Amazon Prime. A paid subscription service for free, fast delivery on millions of items.

Private Label: Products legally owned by a retailer or supplier and sold under their own brand name but made by other manufacturers.

Professional Seller: A selling account on Amazon where a business pays a monthly fee.

Project Zero: An Amazon program for Brand Registry businesses to weed out counterfeits and IP infringement through self-service reporting, serialization, and more.

Q

Q1: First quarter. Jan-March of any given year.

Q2: Second quarter. April – June of any given year.

Q3: Third quarter. July – Sept of any given year.

Q4: Fourth quarter. Oct – Dec of any given year, also notable for containing Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

QA: Quality Assurance

QBR: Quarterly Business Review

R

RA: Retail Arbitrage. Businesses that purchase products at lower prices to resell them for a greater price to reap profits.

RoAS: Return On Ad Spend. Used to determine the effectiveness of an ad campaign.

ROI: Return on Investment. Performance metric to determine success of an investment relative to the costs.

RRP: Recommended Retail Price.

RSP: Robotics Service Platform. In the context of working at the FC.

RSR: Reserve Stow Racks.

S

Sales Rank: Amazon’s internal ranking of products in search and browse.

SB: Sponsored Brands. Keyword-targeted ads that promote a specific brand.

SBC: Simple Bin Count.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization.

Session: One session is a group of interactions/page views/loads that one user takes on a website within a certain time frame.

SFP: Seller Fulfilled Prime. Sellers that stick to the Amazon Prime SLA, but ship from their own warehouses and control their own fulfillment.

SIOC: Ships in Own Container.

SKU: Stock Keeping Unit. A unique code to identify a product.

SLA: Service Level Agreement.

SLAM: Shipping Label Auto Manifest.

SnS: Subscribe and Save. Amazon’s service that allows customers to routinely auto-order delivery on certain products at a discounted price.

Small and Light: An Amazon fulfillment program for smaller items that results in reduced shipping costs.

Sponsored Brands: Keyword-targeted ads that promote a brand with the logo, creative, and a collection of products.

SP: Sponsored Products. Keyword-targeted ads that promote an individual product.

SPN: Service Provider Network.

SPOO/SP00: Shipping Package #

SRC: Simple Record Count.

SRP: Suggested Retail Price.

Storefront: An Amazon brand store, and a mini shop within Amazon curated for your brand.

T

Third-Party Seller: A 3P merchant is a business that sells a product that is not their own brand or product.

TOS: Terms of Service.

TOT: Time Off Task. An FC term used to determine task completion duration.

TTT: Tote Transition Time.

Twister: Amazon’s detail page function for merging ASINs of various colors and sizes onto one page.

U

Unverified Review: A product review from someone who may or may not have actually purchased the item.

UPH: Units Per Hour.

UPC: Universal Product Code. A 12-digit number displayed with the barcode on the vast majority of retail products.

UR: Universal Receive.

URP: Universal Receive Prep.

URS: Universal Receive Sort.

UTA: Unable to Access.

UTL: Unable to Locate.

UX: User Experience.

V

Variation: Many products have one main item with options for size, color, flavor, pack sizes, and more.

VAT: Value Added Tax. For products sold in the UK and EU.

Verified Review: A review obtained from a genuine purchaser of the product in question.

Vendor: A 1P seller, an Amazon Vendor. Sells to Amazon.

Vine: A program where vendors give away products to customers in exchange for reviews.

W

Wareshark: Amazon’s detail page function for checking the impact of changes to a product detail page.

Wholesale: Buying in bulk, often from manufacturers or distributors, to resell.

WHS: Warehouse Support. FC position.

WO: Walkout. In the context of a warehouse.

X

Y

Z

ZBB: Zero-Based Budgeting. A method of budgeting where all expenses must be justified for each new period.