Though Amazon has long worked with small merchants and mid-size sellers (SMBs), it’s now organizing that activity into an effort it’s calling Storefronts.
Through the Storefronts landing page, Amazon customers can shop 25 product categories from U.S. SMBs stretched across all 50 states.
“We’ve created a custom, one-stop shopping experience for customers looking for interesting, innovative and high quality products from American businesses from all across the country,” Amazon vice president Nicholas Denissen said. “Amazon first invited businesses to sell on Amazon nearly two decades ago, and today, small and medium-sized businesses are a vital part of Amazon’s large selection and commitment to customers.
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With Storefronts, Amazon is “championing” the success of these SMBS, Denissen added.
Amazon said the Storefronts shop offers in excess of 1 million products sold by roughly 20,000 businesses, with curated categories for traditional shopping moments like back to school and Halloween, as well as areas like kitchen goods, pet supplies and more.
According to Amazon’s Small Business Impact Report released earlier this year, more than 300,000 domestic SMBs began selling on the e-commerce platform in 2017, and the company estimates that as a result of selling through Amazon, small and mid-size players have helped to generate 900,000 jobs. However, Amazon doesn’t specify how it arrived at these numbers.
Third-party sellers, including SMBs, have been instrumental in Amazon’s meteoric growth, as 50 percent of products purchased on the platform come from these small merchants, according to the report. Apparel is among the top categories for domestic SMBs, alongside home, beauty, health and personal care, and toys, the report noted.
Amazon is promoting Storefronts with a national TV ad campaign highlighting a Michigan-based business, The Little Flower Soap Co. Since it first began selling on Amazon close to two years ago, sales are up nearly twofold, company co-founder Holly Rutt said.
“Due to our success, we have been able to hire new team members from our community, including full and part time jobs,” Rutt added, reinforcing the job-creation storyline. “We believe that customers like to know the story behind what they’re buying. When there is worry about creating jobs, it’s reassuring for customers to know their purchases are helping sustain jobs in the U.S.”
Amazon, too, will help shoppers “know the story behind what they’re buying” with “Storefront of the Week,” which will feature a video highlighting one small business weekly. In “Meet the Business Owner,” customers can get to know the people behind the brand in a “rotating exploratory” format, Amazon said.
