If you’re an Amazon FBA seller, one of the most important operational decisions you’ll make is choosing the right prep center. It might not seem like a big deal at first—but over time, your prep center’s location can affect your shipping speed, operational costs, customer satisfaction, and even your peace of mind.
A question we hear often:
Is it better to use a prep center on the East Coast or the West Coast?
Let’s break it down.
🌎 East Coast Prep Centers
East Coast prep centers tend to be a popular choice for sellers with customers concentrated in the eastern half of the U.S. Here’s why:
✅ Benefits:
- Proximity to major ports like New York/New Jersey and Savannah makes it easier for importers to receive shipments.
- Closer to Amazon’s East Coast FCs, reducing transit time to those warehouses.
- Access to densely populated areas, which can shorten delivery windows to customers.
⚠️ Things to Consider:
- Labor and storage costs are generally higher in East Coast metro areas.
- During Q4, many East Coast prep centers get overwhelmed with volume, which can lead to slower turnaround times.
- Sellers on the West Coast may experience communication lags due to time zone differences.
🌅 West Coast Prep Centers
West Coast prep centers are often favored by sellers importing from Asia or working with California-based distributors. But there’s more to the story.
✅ Benefits:
- Faster receiving for ocean freight arriving at ports like Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland.
- Ideal for working with domestic suppliers based in the western U.S.
- Often more personalized service, with slightly lower competition and more room for seller-centric processes.
⚠️ Things to Consider:
- Shipping to customers on the East Coast may take slightly longer.
- Some prep centers may struggle with scale during peak times—so it’s important to vet their consistency and communication practices.
🤝 About Proven Prep
At Proven Prep, we’re proud to serve sellers from across the U.S.—and even overseas—from our location in Portland. We’ve built our operations around the things sellers care about most: speed, accuracy, transparency, and support.
- Most shipments are processed within 14–48 hours
- Our team is hands-on and highly responsive
- We tailor our service to match your goals, whether you’re scaling OA, launching bundles, or building out wholesale
We’re not the biggest—and that’s intentional. Our focus has always been on doing things right, not just fast.
🧭 Final Thoughts
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to “East vs. West.” It depends on your sourcing, your customers, and what kind of support you need from your prep team.
But if you’re looking for a prep center that combines West Coast convenience with nationwide reach, and one that actually grows with you—Portland might just be the sweet spot.
We’re always happy to chat or answer any questions you have—no strings attached.
Want to learn more about how we work?
👉
Book a quick call through this link: https://calendly.com/rrachcruz/client-onboarding-call] or contact us here.
