BetterVent Amazon Case Study: Switching From MFN to FBA

The Brand

BetterVent® is an indoor dryer vent that uses filters instead of water to keep lint and dust out of the laundry room. It improves air quality, saves energy, and gives renters and homeowners a safer alternative to traditional outdoor venting.

The product had proven utility and a clear market fit. The next step was scaling on Amazon.

The Challenge

BetterVent launched on Amazon using merchant fulfillment (MFN), where the brand handled packing, shipping, and customer service in-house. That worked at first. But as sales grew, the strain showed.

Operational load piled up. Customer questions, order processing, returns, and daily listing management became a full-time job. The team wanted to focus on product development and broader business growth, not Amazon logistics.

Prime eligibility was out of reach. Without FBA or Seller Fulfilled Prime, the listing didn't qualify for the Prime badge. That meant lower conversion rates, weaker Buy Box competitiveness, and no access to Prime members expecting free two-day delivery. For a competitive category like home improvement, that was a structural disadvantage.

Seasonal demand created forecasting pressure. BetterVent is a winter product. Demand spikes in the fall and winter, then drops in spring and summer. Planning inventory months ahead, avoiding stockouts during peak season, and managing storage costs during the off-season required tighter forecasting than the brand could handle internally.

The challenge wasn't that MFN didn't work. It was that MFN couldn't keep up with the growth opportunity.

For brands evaluating Amazon fulfillment options, this is the inflection point. MFN works when volume is low, margins are tight, or the product is bulky and expensive to ship through FBA. But when Prime conversion lift, Buy Box access, and operational bandwidth become the bottleneck, FBA starts making sense.

The Solution

BetterVent partnered with SupplyKick and transitioned to Amazon FBA. That shift unloaded day-to-day Amazon operations and brought Prime eligibility, but the results came from what happened alongside the fulfillment change.

Fulfillment and Prime eligibility

Moving to FBA gave the listing a Prime badge. That unlocked higher conversion rates (industry data suggests 15-30% lift for Prime-eligible listings in competitive categories), stronger Buy Box positioning, and access to Amazon's customer service and returns infrastructure. The brand no longer handled packing, shipping, or individual customer inquiries.

Listing optimization

The product detail page was rebuilt with Amazon SEO in mind: keyword-optimized title and bullets, high-quality product photography, and A+ Content that explained the product's benefits and positioning. The listing started ranking higher in relevant search results.

Paid advertising strategy

SupplyKick launched a targeted advertising campaign that matched the seasonal demand curve. Ad spend ramped up ahead of peak winter demand and scaled back during the off-season. That kept customer acquisition costs in check while capturing high-intent buyers when they were actively searching.

Seasonal forecasting

This was the operational differentiator. BetterVent is a winter product, which means demand planning has to happen months in advance. SupplyKick worked with the brand to forecast production, stage inventory ahead of peak season, and avoid stockouts when conversion rates were highest. That meant monitoring sales velocity, tracking inventory levels, and coordinating supplier lead times to keep the listing in stock through the critical Q4 window.

The combination (Prime eligibility, stronger listing, paid media, and demand planning) turned a good product into a category leader.

The Results

After partnering with SupplyKick and switching to FBA, BetterVent grew year-over-year Amazon sales by 30%.

That growth came from three specific levers:

1. Prime conversion lift. The Prime badge increased the percentage of visitors who became buyers. More visibility in search, stronger Buy Box access, and customer trust in Prime delivery all contributed.

2. Better inventory availability during peak season. Seasonal forecasting kept the listing in stock when demand was highest. Stockouts kill momentum, especially for products with concentrated seasonal windows. BetterVent stayed available when competitors ran out.

3. Paid advertising matched to demand. Ad spend ramped when intent was high and pulled back when it wasn't. That kept acquisition costs efficient and maximized sales during the months that mattered most.

The product earned a "best seller" badge and became the number one listing in its Amazon subcategory.

For more on Amazon supply chain management and inventory planning for seasonal products, SupplyKick's operations team helps brands navigate these tradeoffs.

MFN vs FBA Decision Checklist for Brands

If you're evaluating whether to switch from merchant fulfillment to FBA, here's what to compare:

Margin and fee considerations

• Calculate FBA fees (fulfillment + storage + inbound placement) vs. your current per-unit fulfillment cost
• Factor in the Prime conversion lift (15-30% higher conversion in competitive categories) against the added FBA cost
• Factor in seasonal storage fees if your product has concentrated demand windows

Prime expectations

• Does your category expect Prime eligibility? (Home goods, health/personal care, and fast-moving consumer goods usually do)
• Are you losing Buy Box share to FBA competitors?
• Is Seller Fulfilled Prime a viable middle ground for your fulfillment operation?

Inventory and demand planning

• Can you forecast demand accurately enough to avoid stockouts and excess storage fees?
• Do you have supplier lead times that allow you to stage inventory months ahead of peak season?
• Are you comfortable giving up direct control over fulfillment speed and packaging?

Frequently Asked Questions