Selling on Amazon in an RV

Create Your Own Small Business with Retail Arbitrage

By Nikki Kirk

WHEN I INITIALLY decided to travel full time in the summer of 2017, I had some savings, but I knew I needed to earn money while traveling. I set out to find a job in the ecommerce and affiliate marketing space, but while searching for jobs I could do, I realized I didn’t want to work for someone else anymore.

Luckily for me, shortly before quitting my job in Los Angeles to hit the road, I’d heard about people who earn a living by selling on Amazon. Through Amazon FBA, or Fulfilled By Amazon, people were creating their own small businesses and replacing their incomes from regular jobs, and in some cases even doubling or tripling what they had previously earned. I was familiar with selling on Amazon, having sold some old textbooks in college, but hadn't really thought about it as a way to make a real income.

Retail arbitrage was a term I had never heard of before, and when I found out about it, I was hooked. I head into any local store, wherever I am—think stores like Walmart, Target, Big Lots, Ross, or Marshalls. I scan items with my Amazon Seller app, which is tied to my selling account. I identify what will make a profit, purchase it, and package it all up in large boxes. I drop the boxes off at the nearest UPS store, and they’re on their way to the Amazon warehouses— from wherever I choose to be that week!

The beauty of FBA and why it’s ideal for anyone, including RVers, is that we ship everything to Amazon and they hold it in their warehouses until a customer orders it. By sending it in to be fulfilled by Amazon, customers are seeing my inventory as Prime eligible. This gives me the perk of selling it with two-day Prime shipping without having to pay that shipping price myself. Once a customer buys it, Amazon ships it to them and then gives me my portion of the proceeds. If there are ever any customer service issues, Amazon handles them.

I started my Amazon selling business in August of 2017 with an investment of just $1,000—$500 for supplies and training, and $500 for my inventory. By December of 2017, I had made that money back plus was paying myself a salary through my profits—the same salary I had made at the old desk job! The best part is that I only have to work part time. With just two to three days of work each week, I’ve been able to support my travel lifestyle, earn a salary, and get out of debt, all from my RV.

Naturally, I started telling everyone about it. While it really is so easy that anyone can do it from anywhere, there is a steep learning curve. Amazon makes it easy to get started, but learning all the ins and outs of the business is like learning another language.

As I began to help friends, family members, and other sellers get started, I created Facebook groups and guides dedicated to helping new sellers. I wanted to help as many people as I could to create their own business, set their own hours, and enjoy the freedoms I had come to enjoy. In 2021, after selling and turning a profit for four years, I created my own Beginner FBA Amazon training course.

Now, after five years of selling, I have officially run my business from all the lower 48 states, entirely from my fifth wheel! I’ve helped hundreds of new sellers quit their 9 to 5 jobs or earn extra money as a side hustle. You will still see me out in the stores every week, or buried in the RV dinette under all the products I found as I pack them up to send to Amazon. I still have big plans for my own personal Amazon selling business, but now I get to help others grow theirs as well.

Retail arbitrage has been the perfect way for me to travel the country and explore new places while earning an income doing something I love—shopping!

To learn more about selling on Amazon, you can check out my website or take the Beginner FBA Course at YourSellingGuide.com. I also have weekly Amazon videos on YouTube youtube.com/nikkikirk.

To hear more from Nikki, listen to Rootless Living Podcast Episode 53 at rootlessliving.com/rootless-living-podcast.