How to Use Keepa For Amazon FBA Product Research

Analyzing Amazon products effectively is crucial for any seller looking to maximize profits and minimize risks. One of the most powerful tools available for this purpose is Keepa. Keepa provides detailed historical data on product prices, sales ranks, and other key metrics, allowing sellers to make informed decisions.

This blog post will guide you through the process of analyzing Amazon products using Keepa, from understanding its features to interpreting its charts.

What is Keepa?

Keepa is a comprehensive Amazon price tracking tool that offers a wealth of data on millions of products across various Amazon marketplaces. It provides historical data on prices, sales ranks, Buy Box prices, and more, all presented in easy-to-read charts. This data is invaluable for Amazon sellers engaged in online arbitrage, retail arbitrage, wholesale, and private label businesses.

Key Features of Keepa

Price History: Track the historical prices of products, including those sold by Amazon and third-party sellers.

Sales Rank: Monitor the sales rank history to understand a product's popularity over time.

Buy Box Price: See the historical Buy Box prices, which indicate the price at which most customers purchase the product.

Offer Count: Track the number of sellers offering the product over time.

Review Count and Rating: Monitor the number of reviews and average rating of a product.

Setting Up Keepa

To get started with Keepa, you need to install the Keepa browser extension, available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. Once installed, Keepa will automatically display its charts on Amazon product pages.

Subscription Plans

Keepa offers both free and paid subscription plans. The free plan provides basic price history data, while the paid plan (approximately $20 per month) unlocks additional features such as sales rank history, Buy Box prices, and more detailed analytics.

Understanding Keepa Charts

Keepa charts are the heart of the tool, providing a visual representation of a product's historical data. Here’s a breakdown of the key elements you’ll find on a Keepa chart:

Color Key

Orange: Represents Amazon's price.
Blue Squares: Prices offered by third-party sellers fulfilling orders themselves (FBM).
Orange Triangles: Prices offered by third-party sellers using Amazon's fulfillment service (FBA).
Green Line: Sales rank history.
Pink Line: Buy Box price.
Lavender Squares: Lowest price offered by third-party sellers in new condition.
Black Line: Prices for used products.

Customizing Your View

On the right side of the Keepa chart, you can customize which data points to display - click on the specific category to deactivate/activate in realtime. This allows you to focus on the most relevant information for your analysis.

Analyzing Product Data with Keepa

Price History

The price history is one of the most critical aspects of Keepa. By analyzing the price trends, you can determine the best times to buy and sell a product. Look for patterns such as:

Price Stability: A stable price indicates a consistent market, which is ideal for long-term investments.
Price Drops: Sudden price drops can signal opportunities to buy low and sell high.
Seasonal Trends: Some products have seasonal price fluctuations. Understanding these trends can help you time your purchases and sales effectively.

Sales Rank

The sales rank indicates how well a product is selling relative to others in its category. A lower sales rank means higher sales volume. When analyzing sales rank:

Consistent Low Rank: Indicates a high-demand product.
Fluctuating Rank: May suggest seasonal demand or inconsistent sales.
Increasing Rank: Could indicate a decline in popularity or increased competition.

Buy Box Analysis

The Buy Box is the section on an Amazon product page where customers can directly add items to their cart. Winning the Buy Box is crucial for high sales volume. Keepa’s Buy Box data helps you understand:

Buy Box Price Trends: Analyze how the Buy Box price has changed over time.
Competition: See how often different sellers win the Buy Box.
Amazon’s Presence: If Amazon frequently wins the Buy Box, it may be challenging to compete.

Offer Count

The number of sellers offering a product can impact its price and sales rank. A high offer count often leads to price competition, which can drive prices down. Conversely, a low offer count can mean less competition and higher prices.

Review Count and Rating

Customer reviews and ratings are critical indicators of a product’s quality and customer satisfaction. Products with high ratings and numerous reviews are generally more reliable and sell better. Keepa tracks these metrics over time, allowing you to see how a product’s reputation has evolved.

Practical Steps to Analyze a Product with Keepa

Step 1: Identify Potential Products

Start by identifying products you are interested in selling. This can be done through various methods such as:

Manual Search: Browse Amazon categories and look for products with low sales ranks and good reviews.
Product Finder: Use Keepa’s Product Finder tool to filter products based on criteria such as sales rank, price, and category.
Sourcing Software: Use ProfitPath to identify good selling products with good profit margin, check the Keepa Graph with the metrics we talked above to make sure the product is good to purchase.

Step 2: Check Price History

Once you have identified a potential product, check its price history on Keepa. Look for:

Stable Prices: Indicates a reliable market.
Frequent Price Drops: Opportunities to buy low.
Seasonal Trends: Plan your inventory around peak seasons.

Step 3: Analyze Sales Rank

Examine the sales rank history to understand the product’s demand. A consistently low sales rank is a good sign, while a fluctuating or increasing rank may require further investigation.

Step 4: Evaluate Buy Box Data

Check the Buy Box price history and see how often different sellers win the Buy Box. If Amazon frequently wins, it may be challenging to compete. Look for opportunities where third-party sellers win the Buy Box.

Step 5: Assess Competition

Review the offer count history to gauge the level of competition. A high number of sellers can lead to price wars, while a low number of sellers can mean higher profit margins.

Step 6: Review Customer Feedback

Analyze the review count and average rating. Products with high ratings and numerous reviews are generally safer bets. Look for trends in customer feedback to identify potential issues or advantages.

Step 7: Make an Informed Decision

Based on your analysis, decide whether to invest in the product. Consider factors such as:

Profit Margins: Can you sell the product at a competitive price while maintaining a healthy profit margin?
Demand: Is there consistent demand for the product?
Competition: Can you compete effectively with other sellers, including Amazon (if they are on the listing)?

Advanced Keepa Features

Product Finder

Keepa’s Product Finder allows you to search for products based on specific criteria. This tool is invaluable for discovering new products to sell. You can filter by:

Sales Rank: Find products within a specific sales rank range.
Price: Search for products within a certain price range.
Category: Narrow down your search to specific categories.
Amazon Stock: Filter out products where Amazon is frequently in stock.

Data Export

For more advanced analysis, Keepa allows you to export data to CSV files. This feature is useful for bulk analysis and can be integrated with other tools such as Excel or Google Sheets.

Alerts

Keepa offers price drop alerts, which notify you when a product’s price falls below a certain threshold. This feature helps you capitalize on buying opportunities without constantly monitoring prices.

Case Study: Analyzing a Product with Keepa

Let’s walk through a real-world example of analyzing a product using Keepa.

Product: XYZ Bluetooth Speaker

Step 1: Price History

The price history shows that the XYZ Bluetooth Speaker has had stable prices over the past year, with occasional price drops during major sales events like Black Friday and Prime Day. This indicates a reliable market with opportunities to buy low during sales.

Step 2: Sales Rank

The sales rank history reveals that the product consistently ranks within the top 1,000 in the Electronics category, indicating strong demand. There are occasional spikes in sales rank, likely corresponding to stockouts or increased competition.

Step 3: Buy Box Analysis

The Buy Box price history shows that third-party sellers frequently win the Buy Box, even when Amazon is in stock. This suggests that it is possible to compete with Amazon for the Buy Box.

Step 4: Offer Count

The offer count history indicates that the number of sellers fluctuates between 10 and 20. This level of competition is manageable, but it’s important to monitor for any significant increases.

Step 5: Review Count and Rating

The product has over 1,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars. This high rating and large number of reviews suggest that the product is well-received by customers.

Step 6: Decision

Based on the analysis, the XYZ Bluetooth Speaker appears to be a good investment. The stable price history, strong demand, manageable competition, and positive customer feedback all point to a profitable product.

Advanced Techniques for Using Keepa

Leveraging Keepa for Seasonal Products

Seasonal products can be highly profitable if you time your inventory correctly. Keepa’s historical data allows you to identify seasonal trends and plan your purchases accordingly. For example, if you notice that a particular product’s sales rank improves significantly during the holiday season, you can stock up in advance to meet the increased demand.

Identifying Private Label Opportunities

Keepa can also help you identify opportunities for private label products. By analyzing the price and sales rank history of similar products, you can gauge the potential demand and competition for a new private label product. Look for gaps in the market where there is high demand but limited competition.

Monitoring Competitor Activity

Keepa’s data can provide insights into your competitors’ strategies. By tracking the price and offer count history of competing products, you can identify patterns in their pricing and inventory management. This information can help you adjust your own strategies to stay competitive.

Using Keepa with Other Tools

Keepa can be used in conjunction with other Amazon seller tools to enhance your analysis. For example:

ProfitPath: Use ProfitPath to identify Arbitrage opportunities to make profit, check Keepa for further competitive details and purchase the product later.
Jungle Scout: Use Jungle Scout to identify potential products, then analyze them in detail with Keepa.
Helium 10: Combine Helium 10’s keyword research and listing optimization tools with Keepa’s historical data for a comprehensive product strategy.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Over-Reliance on Sales Rank

While sales rank is an important metric, it should not be the sole factor in your decision-making process. A product with a low sales rank may still have low profit margins or high competition. Always consider other factors such as price history, Buy Box data, and customer reviews.

Ignoring Amazon’s Presence

If Amazon frequently sells a product and wins the Buy Box, it can be difficult to compete. Pay close attention to Amazon’s presence in the market and consider whether you can offer a competitive price and still make a profit.

Failing to Monitor Trends

The Amazon marketplace is constantly changing, and trends can shift quickly. Regularly monitor Keepa data for your products and adjust your strategies as needed. Set up alerts to stay informed about significant changes in price or sales rank.

Not Considering Fulfillment Costs

When analyzing potential products, don’t forget to factor in fulfillment costs. FBA fees, shipping costs, and storage fees can significantly impact your profit margins. Use tools like the Amazon FBA Revenue Calculator to estimate these costs and ensure that your products remain profitable.

Conclusion

Keepa is an indispensable tool for Amazon sellers, providing detailed historical data that can help you make informed sourcing and pricing decisions. By understanding how to read and interpret Keepa charts, you can identify profitable products, avoid costly mistakes, and stay ahead of the competition.

Whether you are a seasoned seller or just starting, mastering Keepa will give you a significant advantage in the competitive world of Amazon selling. Take the time to explore its features, practice analyzing different products, and integrate Keepa into your daily workflow. With Keepa, you can turn data into actionable insights and drive your Amazon business to new heights.

Additional Resources

Keepa YouTube Channel: Offers video tutorials on how to use Keepa’s features.
Keepa Blog: Provides articles and case studies on using Keepa for Amazon selling.

By leveraging Keepa and integrating it with other tools and resources, you can build a successful and profitable Amazon business. Happy selling!