East Coast or West Coast? Where to Send Your First FBA Stock in Australia

A first-time seller creating a Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) shipment expects to pick the warehouse, but Amazon assigns the destination in Send to Amazon. Most advice still says to ship stock to the East Coast, because New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Queensland are home to more than 75% of Australia’s population as of March 2026. 

This guide explains where to send your first FBA stock, and what you control when Amazon picks the warehouse.

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Where to Send FBA Stock First: The Quick Answer

• Plan for the East Coast first. NSW, Victoria and Queensland hold 77.2% of Australia’s population, and Amazon operates several fulfilment centres in both Sydney and Melbourne.
• Expect Amazon to name the destination. Send to Amazon decides which fulfilment centres it offers for each shipment.
• Control what you can. You choose where the stock ships from, how many cartons you send and which placement option you accept.
• Keep a small first order to one destination where the options allow, so you book freight once.
• Accept Perth (PER4) when your stock starts in Western Australia (WA) or most of your customers are there.

Book interstate courier delivery with Couriers & Freight to ship your first FBA stock to its Amazon-assigned destination.

Can You Choose Where Amazon Sends Your First FBA Stock?

Not directly. When you create a shipment in Send to Amazon, Amazon names the fulfilment centre, or centres, for that shipment. The options on offer depend on the products and quantities in your plan, your inventory already in Amazon’s network and where customer demand is located.

A placement option sets how many fulfilment centres your stock goes to. Amazon can charge a placement fee for sending stock to fewer locations and reduce or waive it for splitting stock across more. Eligibility decides which options appear.

The ship-from location sets the freight distance to whichever centre Amazon chooses. A Melbourne supplier booked to a Melbourne centre ships a short domestic leg. The same supplier booked to Perth ships across the country.

East Coast vs West Coast: Which is Better For Your First Shipment?

Population figures are based on the ABS's March 2026 population release. Amazon's delivery statements reflect its published information for eligible Prime and FBA products. Delivery availability depends on product eligibility and postcode.

Book each replenishment shipment to the destination shown in Send to Amazon, and weigh customer concentration against replenishment distance. Sellers with strong eastern-state demand face fewer long east-west movements when their supply chain aligns with eastern destinations. WA-focused sellers may do better keeping stock within an established WA network.

4 Questions to Answer Before You Create Your First Shipping Plan

1. Where is your supplier based?

A supplier in Melbourne, a prep centre in Sydney or the port of Fremantle sets the first freight leg. Imported stock clears customs first, then ships from the port or from a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.

2. How many units and cartons are you shipping? 

Under 300 small or standard-size units can fit in a handful of cartons. That is a carton shipment, not a pallet, as the carton or pallet guide explains.

3. Where are your customers?

Nationwide demand points to the East Coast. WA-heavy demand is the one case where a Perth destination is worth wanting from day one.

4. What is the total cost? 

Add the freight booking to any placement fee shown for the option you pick. The cheapest freight quote does not always give the lowest total, and placement fees are separate from FBA fulfilment fees.

Sample Shipment Plan for First-Time FBA Sellers

The table below applies those four questions to four common first-shipment situations. Treat each row as a starting point, because the best first step depends on where your stock starts and the destination Amazon assigns.

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Confirm the destination in Send to Amazon before you book anything, because the shipment labels carry the address the freight must reach. If Amazon assigns BWU2 at Kemps Creek to a Melbourne supplier, that supplier needs one interstate delivery of cartons packed to the FBA preparation requirements.

Book your first FBA shipment with Couriers & Freight as soon as Amazon confirms the destination.

Frequently Asked Questions on Sending Your First FBA Stock

Can I choose which Amazon fulfilment centre my first FBA stock goes to?

Not directly. Send to Amazon offers the destinations and placement options for your shipment, and you pick from those.

Is it worth splitting my first shipment across several fulfilment centres?

For a small first order, one destination keeps freight to a single booking. Compare the freight and any placement fee for each option before you split.

What if Amazon assigns a warehouse far from my supplier?

Get a freight quote to that address first. If the total looks too high, compare the other options that Send to Amazon offers before you confirm the plan.

Book Interstate Courier Delivery to an Amazon Fulfilment Centre

Interstate courier delivery for cartons from your supplier to your Amazon-assigned fulfilment centre.

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