How to create virtual bundles on Amazon

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16 May, 2022
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4 minute read
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Do you sell complementary products in your catalogue on Amazon? Have you ever wanted to sell them together to customers who might want them? Thanks to Amazon virtual bundling, brand owners can do just that. And the best part? Sellers may do this virtually, without creating a new physical SKU or packaging the products together. This allows you to avoid all the hassles that come with listing new products on Amazon. This blog will guide you through the basics of virtual bundling on Amazon, such as what it is, when it is beneficial, eligibility requirements and how to set this up in your account. Feeling like you’ve got two peas in a pod? Read on for our virtual bundling tips!

What is a virtual bundle and how it works on Amazon

Until 2020, if a business wanted to create a custom set of items, they would have to physically package them together, create a new SKU, label and send them to the warehouse, and create a listing on Amazon for this set. This was complicated and inefficient for certain products. Now, Amazon has made a convenient way to do this in the form of virtual bundles. 

What makes a good virtual bundle?

Virtual bundles save time for sellers and benefit customers who may want to purchase certain products together.

Benefits for merchants:

  • It takes only a few minutes to set up a virtual bundle, versus all the hassle of physically packaging products together.
  • There is no need to create a new UPC or SKU. Create bundles from existing products in your catalogue.
  • Virtual bundles increase a seller’s average order value.
  • The ease of purchasing complementary products increases brand loyalty, brand awareness, and helps you sell a wider range of products to customers.
  • Decreases the odds that customers will go searching for a similar product and end up purchasing from a competitor’s brand.
  • FBA benefits and shipping apply. Fast, easy, and simple to ship to customers.
  • No additional fees apply.
  • You can run advertising campaigns on virtual bundles.
  • You can create unique A+ Content for your virtual bundle.
  • The detail page experience is seamless, with a bundle widget appearing automatically.
  • Setting up a virtual bundle only takes a few minutes!
  • You can use Brand Analytics to see what customers are already buying together.
  • If you are launching a new product, you can use an existing product to help the new item gain traction.

Benefits for customers:

  • Customers may get ideas about complementary products they wouldn’t have thought of.
  • Grouping best selling products together is a great way for customers to easily shop your brand and see your offerings.
  • Customers can add both products to their basket/cart at once.
  • Detail pages are easy and quick to navigate.
  • Brand owners may choose to offer a discount on the bundle (not mandatory, but encouraged) to entice customers and help them get a good deal.
  • Cuts down on search and browse time on Amazon.
Who is eligible for virtual bundles on Amazon?

Ready to start creating your first virtual bundle? Not so fast. There are some requirements that must be met before you can set up a virtual bundle. This feature is available only to brand owners through the Amazon Brand Registry. If you do not have access to the “Brands” tab under your account, you will need to check that you are a registered agent on behalf of your registered brand. There are a lot of Brand Registry benefits and Amazon is always rolling out new features. It’s worth it to ensure your brand is set up correctly to receive these benefits.

Virtual Bundles are also currently only available in North America.

There are also some requirements for the included products.

  • Each bundle may include between 2 and 5 items.
  • Each item in the virtual bundle must already be buyable on its own.
  • You can include multiple units of an ASIN in the same bundle.
What makes a good virtual bundle on Amazon?

The options are endless for virtual bundles, as they span across most product categories. Examples include:

  • A tennis racquet and a sleeve of tennis balls.
  • Shampoo and conditioner from the same haircare range.
  • A camera and tripod that was purpose-built for the camera.
  • Foot cream and hand lotion from the same scent.
  • A smart phone and a 3-pack of screen protectors.

Much like variations on Amazon, there are clear use-cases where a virtual bundle is a good idea. It should not be used to upsell customers just any random item from your range. It should be utilised when there is a clear link or is something that customers are likely to purchase together. 

How to set up a virtual bundle

It only takes a few minutes to create a virtual bundle, and doesn’t require a promotion or pricing change. Visit the “Brands” tab in Seller Central and choose “Virtual Bundles” from the drop-down. The following screens will allow you to select the products for bundling.

Choose between 2 and 5 products to bundle from your existing catalogue. As the brand owner, you can create a new listing page for the virtual bundle, which includes specific content and up to 8 images. We recommend creating a clear SEO-friendly title.

You can also set a new price for the item. It’s important the price be less or equal to the price a customer would get if they purchased the products on their own.

Complete the set up and save products to finish your virtual bundle listing.

Need more help?

There are a number of benefits outlined in this blog for virtual bundles. The creation. Obviously the biggest benefit of creating virtual bundles is that there is no need for logistics hurdles or changes with your catalogue and product setup. However, that doesn’t mean that your bundle will work well. Bundles will require some experimentation and testing. For example, we’ve seen bundles work best when the products have a large discount and are different but complementary. Rather than two flavours of the same chewing gum, a more successful virtual bundle might be a yoga mat and a towel. Hopefully, virtual bundles will continue to roll-out across the rest of the world and we’ll have more data to compare how they work around the globe and across Amazon’s varied product categories. 

If you need help with virtual bundles, we recommend Amazon’s Seller University. If you need assistance with Brand Registry benefits and account management, check out our services and contact us. 

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Katy Luxem

Katy Luxem

Katy Luxem is the senior content manager for eCommerce Nurse and Vendor Society. She has worked for Amazon in both Seattle and London, delivering results for multiple different teams and product lines across the U.S. and Europe. Katy's experience is centered on making sure customers have a best-in-class experience. She enjoys helping businesses and brands succeed and grow with next-level content.

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