Assembly Items
What it is: A set of products that are packaged ahead of time and treated as 1 inventory item.
When to use it: For FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) orders. Amazon needs bundled products to be shipped as 1 complete unit.
Example: A camera and case that are combined into a single bundle and sent to Amazon as 1 product.
Why it's useful:
Boosts the inventory of the bundled item as soon as you build the assembly.
Reduces the stock of the individual parts.
Group Items
What it is: A group of products sold together but tracked separately in inventory. They are only packaged together when the order is placed.
When to use it: Best for FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) orders, where you ship items yourself and bundle them at the time of sale.
Example: A camera and case sold as a set, but picked from inventory separately and packed together when shipping.
Why it's useful:
No need to build assemblies in advance.
Inventory of the parts is updated only when the group is sold.
You can still track each part individually.
Frequently asked questions
Which one should I use for FBA orders?
Assembly items. Amazon needs bundled products to be shipped as 1 complete unit.
When does the stock of the parts go down for a group item?
Only when the group is sold.