Will enterprise manufacturers increase stock positions with Amazon in 2025? Whereas a current survey of Amazon sellers doesn’t essentially reply that query, it does level to a now seven-year-old stock program meant to assist manufacturers develop.
Some 41% of U.S.-based enterprise manufacturers and retailers deliberate to make use of an Amazon-sponsored program — corresponding to Vine or Born to Run— to assist drive gross sales in 2025, in keeping with the not too long ago launched “State of the Amazon Vendor 2025” report from Jungle Scout.
In January 2025, Jungle Scout queried practically 1,500 Amazon distributors, market sellers, and people simply getting began with the platform. About 75% of respondents got here from the US, and 47% labored at a “giant model or retailer.” The report displays the sentiment of surveyed sellers however not essentially the general market.
Nonetheless, greater than 4 in 10 respondents from enterprise-level companies ticked the “Born to Run/ Vine / Amazon Applications” field for deliberate progress channels in 2025. Vine is Amazon’s program that invitations trusted reviewers to share their candid product opinions. The unspecified different “Amazon applications” tells us little, however “Born to Run” is attention-grabbing.
What Is Born to Run?
Amazon’s Born to Run program is an unique, invitation-only initiative to assist Amazon distributors speed up gross sales of recent or current merchandise.
Began in 2018, Born to Run lets the seller — an organization promoting on to Amazon, not a market vendor — request buy orders from Amazon and specify the anticipated unit gross sales in 10 weeks of a given product. If accepted, Amazon purchases the requested amount.
Here’s a situation. Think about a model referred to as “Wonderful Gizmos” that sells, nicely, gizmos. The Amazon buying staff orders 400 items for the following 10 weeks. However Wonderful Gizmos is about to launch a marketing campaign on streaming tv, and its advertising and marketing staff expects to promote 1,000 items on Amazon.
With the Born to Run program, Wonderful Gizmos can ask Amazon to extend its order to 1,000 items. Amazon agrees, and — assuming all goes nicely — Wonderful Gizmos stays in inventory and sells 978 items.
Hypothetically, Wonderful Gizmos bought 578 further gizmos (978 minus 400) as a result of Amazon had ample stock. What’s extra, on its subsequent common order, Amazon’s buying staff doubles down on the product with no need a second Born to Run request.
Equally, a brand new vendor might use the Born to Run program to spice up Amazon’s preliminary order. For instance, Amazon says it should purchase 100 of the brand new merchandise, the seller requests 300, and Amazon steps up. Similar to that, the product launch might drive considerably extra gross sales.
The important thing profit in every case is that Amazon gained’t run out on the seller’s merchandise.
Unsold Models
So long as the extra Born to Run gadgets promote, an Amazon vendor ought to take pleasure in progress. If the additional stock doesn’t promote, Amazon has two choices.
- Return the gadgets. Beneath this system phrases, Amazon can return unsold items. The seller refunds 100% of the product value plus a ten% transport and dealing with price.
- Hold the gadgets. Amazon can even retain the unsold items. The seller can pay Amazon a “retention price” equal to 25% of the price of the unsold gadgets — kind of a reduction to Amazon to maintain the gadgets.
In both case, the “penalty” for being overzealous on venture gross sales could be extreme — 10% of the price for returned items and 25% if stored.
Invitation Solely
Sellers can not apply for the Born to Run program. Amazon selects them based mostly, no less than partly, on a couple of necessities.
- Permitted vendor. The vendor have to be enrolled within the Amazon Vendor Central program.
- Permitted product. Solely accepted merchandise with an Amazon Customary Identification Quantity (ASIN) are eligible.
- Product particulars. An merchandise should promote for no less than $5 and never be cumbersome, heavy, or categorized as harmful.
Lastly, taking part in an Amazon advertising and marketing program, corresponding to promoting, might enhance the probability of acceptance.
Survey
Primarily based on Jungle Scout’s survey, sellers (together with enterprises) are interested in Born to Run and comparable Amazon applications. The survey doesn’t reveal precise participation, however it’s a reminder that incentives like Born to Run exist and may fit for some manufacturers.
