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Interview with Apyforme
"Selling in the UK has become as easy as selling in our domestic market."
Yoann Bonnassieux
CEO of Apyforme
Apyforme is an experienced Amazon selling partner based in France. They have been selling on Amazon.fr since 2018 and decided to expand their business to the United Kingdom in 2023.
Can you tell us about your business and the start of your Amazon journey?
Apyforme is a laboratory specialised in manufacturing nutritional food supplements. We focus on nature, top quality ingredients and the synergy of natural active ingredients. By combining our expertise on the body, plants and nutrients, we use holistic formulas that address both symptoms and their root causes. Our team of aromatherapists, naturopaths, pharmacists and biochemists includes members with over 30 years of experience in the field of natural health.
We have been in business for eight years. We started with Amazon on the French marketplace, as we are based in France, then we continued to expand into neighbouring countries (Spain, Germany, Italy). After trying to sell through other channels, we decided to sell exclusively on the Amazon marketplace.
We have been in business for eight years. We started with Amazon on the French marketplace, as we are based in France, then we continued to expand into neighbouring countries (Spain, Germany, Italy). After trying to sell through other channels, we decided to sell exclusively on the Amazon marketplace.
What inspired you to expand your business to the UK with Amazon?
The UK market has a lot of potential for growth on Amazon, especially in our product category. Despite strong competition in our sector in the UK market, the high potential of customers in our category on Amazon UK motivated us to expand our business there.
We saw the opportunity to reach a wide range of UK customers directly, which would have been much more difficult to achieve without Amazon.
At what point in your growth journey did you decide to expand your business to the United Kingdom and why?
We are part of Amazon's Strategic Account Services programme and had already planned to expand our business to the UK before joining, but the programme gave us more data and accelerated our launch in the UK.
We were already doing well in France, but the trigger for our expansion into the United Kingdom was the post-Brexit support offered by Amazon to facilitate expansion to the United Kingdom again, particularly through the support of Amazon's trusted partners in tax and customs matters.
What is the structure of your company in the United Kingdom? How did you manage taxation and VAT? Did you use Amazon's VAT Services or did you use an external service provider?
Our head office is in France; we do not have a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, but we have a tax registration and VAT number in the United Kingdom, which allows us to store our goods locally with Fulfilment by Amazon and distribute them to our customers.
To manage these administrative aspects after Brexit, we looked at the list of Amazon trusted service providers on Seller Central.
We decided to work with AVASK, who support us with all tax issues. They are a reliable partner and we have been working with them for five years. They helped us get our UK VAT number and manage all aspects of tax compliance. Their location in London and their French-speaking service were key factors in our choice.
To manage these administrative aspects after Brexit, we looked at the list of Amazon trusted service providers on Seller Central.
We decided to work with AVASK, who support us with all tax issues. They are a reliable partner and we have been working with them for five years. They helped us get our UK VAT number and manage all aspects of tax compliance. Their location in London and their French-speaking service were key factors in our choice.
How did you manage UK product-specific requirements and regulations?
Our product category is subject to specific regulations at European and national levels. Our process starts with scientific validation in France, then extends country by country. For the United Kingdom, we ensure that our products meet all local regulatory requirements. We use specialised services, particularly for translation and the final check of the documents required for regulatory approval.
What does your inbound supply/logistics chain look like?
Our entire production cycle is based in France. All our products and packaging are made locally. Part of our range is 100% French thanks to nationally-sourced ingredients. We have optimised our supply chain to be as short as possible: Our manufacturing workshop is located near our logistics base. From there, we ship directly to Amazon warehouses in France.
For the UK market, we ship directly to an Amazon warehouse in the UK and Amazon manages and takes care of the distribution of products across the UK. This structure allows us to maintain optimum quality control while benefiting from Amazon's logistical strength for our international expansion.
Are you using Amazon's customs and shipping solutions to send goods to the UK?
Yes. The solution offers us a highly automated process through Seller Central. For transport, we ship with the Partner Carrier programme with UPS, we receive the labels in Seller Central, and we just have to track the shipment once we've sent it. For customs clearance, AVASK's service is part of the solution. We can send all the customs information to AVASK for the products we ship directly to Seller Central, which saves a lot of time. Once tax compliance is ensured, Amazon takes care of everything else.
This simplification removed 99% of the barriers and selling in the UK has become as easy as selling in France.
Are you using tools to create and manage offers on your UK store? How do you manage translations and content quality?
We do everything manually on Seller Central. We can also add products by template, but we don't use any external tools/software.
When it comes to translations, we prefer to use professional translation services. We sometimes use Amazon's Build International Listings tool, but we find that a thorough review is needed to remove forbidden terms.
When it comes to translations, we prefer to use professional translation services. We sometimes use Amazon's Build International Listings tool, but we find that a thorough review is needed to remove forbidden terms.
What is your advertising and brand strategy? What are the main tools you rely on?
We mainly use Amazon's internal tools and benefit from the expertise of the Strategic Account Service. Our approach is methodical: We conduct extensive keyword research and analyse competitor strategies. We pay particular attention to the linguistic nuances of each country: While 80% of the terms are similar in Europe, some differences are significant. For the UK market, we are currently monitoring our performance every two weeks, almost every week.
Are you seeing significant differences between European and UK customers?
The main difference is in buying behaviour. While French customers prefer domestic products, the British market offers more opportunities for new entrants.
We have a positive brand image and are recognised for our cosmetics expertise. Although the market is competitive, with many mid-range products, we are maintaining our high-end positioning while remaining competitive in terms of price. Our first few months have already brought about loyal customers, with some even asking for products when they are out of stock.
How do you decide which products to offer in the United Kingdom?
Our strategy for entering the UK market focuses on our top-selling products. We focus on our best performing products in France and in the EU. We start with these flagship products before gradually expanding the range. Our approach is data-driven: We observe sales volume and repurchase rates for approximately six months. Since we sell consumables, the repurchase rate is a key indicator of a product's potential on the UK market.
How long did it take you to become profitable? Can you share the key takeaways from your experience?
Our business became profitable after eight months. The main lesson we have learnt is that it is possible to gain market share in the UK despite strong competition and the challenges posed by Brexit.
What are your plans for your Amazon business in the UK over the next 12 months?
We will continue to invest in the UK marketplace and we plan to strengthen our position there through three main actions: adapting packaging to improve competitiveness and efficiency, increasing investments in communication and advertising, and expanding our product range for the UK market.
What are your findings and tips for selling partners starting to expand their business to the UK?
Amazon is now offering great opportunities in the UK market. The processes have become as simple as selling in a neighbouring country. My main advice would be to have trustworthy partners for tax and customs management: The processes are simplified and require little daily management. I highly recommend that you get started; what seemed out of reach is now accessible. Our selling experience within and outside of Amazon has shown a clear difference: Amazon allows you to access new consumers and to test your offering in a market that previously seemed closed after Brexit.
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