SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ:AMZN) – Today, Amazon introduced the Small Business Impact Report highlighting new details about the millions of small and medium-sized businesses that have chosen to grow their business on Amazon. Like the larger U.S. economy, small and medium-businesses are the backbone of Amazon’s stores, providing customers with millions of unique products – from handmade artisanal products to electronics they invented with friends. These businesses in turn support not only their employees and families, but also their local communities, from creating jobs to supporting local schools, charities, and other organizations.
In 2017, Amazon invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and technical services that help small and medium-sized businesses reach customers around the world. According to the report, more than a million U.S.-based small and medium-sized businesses are selling on Amazon, generating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the U.S. To view the report, visit: aboutamazon.com/supporting-small-businesses.
“Amazon first invited small businesses to sell on Amazon nearly two decades ago, and today small businesses and entrepreneurs are a vital part of Amazon’s continued growth and commitment to customers,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer, Amazon. “We’re excited to share more about these entrepreneurs and their success in our inaugural Amazon Small Business Impact Report.”
According to findings in the Small Business Impact Report:
- Millions of small and medium-sized businesses from around the world are selling on Amazon and more than a million of them are based in the U.S.
- Small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon come from all 50 states and more than 130 countries
- More than 20,000 small and medium-sized businesses worldwide on Amazon surpassed $1M in sales in 2017
- Amazon estimates that small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon have created more than 900,000 jobs worldwide
- In 2017, Amazon lent more than $1B to U.S-based small and medium-sized businesses through the Amazon Lending Program
- Half the items purchased on Amazon come from small and medium-sized businesses
“Here I am in my house in a rural Idaho, selling vinyl wall decals to people in New York or Pennsylvania, and even the UK. I never dreamed that I would be able to expand my business like this and live in the area that I love,” said Jodi Lewis, founder of LucyLews, based in Caldwell, Idaho. “Beyond my family, I’m now able to support other local businesses. I have a local guy that makes frames for me and a photographer that takes pictures for me, we’re all part of this growing business community in rural Idaho.”
"I've been selling my handmade prints on Amazon since the launch of Amazon Handmade in 2015. Using Fulfillment by Amazon, I've been able to focus on creating products, growing my business by 500 percent in just three years, while Amazon handles the order fulfillment,” said Chris Guiher, founder of Vintage Book Art Co., based in Columbus, Ohio. “Thus Amazon has allowed me to grow my business much faster than I would be able to otherwise."
To learn more about small businesses on Amazon or to view the small business impact report, visit: aboutamazon.com/supporting-small-businesses.
In addition to investing on behalf of the small businesses that sell on Amazon, we have developed technology, devices and services, such as Kindle Direct Publishing and Amazon Web Services, that benefit authors and developers who operate as small businesses.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
