Amazon Launches ‘Storefronts,’ Sells US SMB Products

Amazon.com Inc. is reportedly gearing up to launch a new store later Monday (September 17) where consumers can shop the U.S. small and medium sized businesses that sell on the platform.

According to a report in FoxBusiness.com, the store is being called Amazon Storefronts and gives customers access to a more than one million products from close to 20,000 U.S. businesses. The products will run the gamut from back to school to kitchen and housewares, noted the report. “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,” said Nicholas Denissen, vice president for Amazon, in the FoxBusiness.com report. “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. We’re championing their success with this new store as well as a national advertising campaign featuring a successful Michigan business selling on Amazon to customers across the U.S. and worldwide.”

In conjunction with the launch of Amazon Storefronts, the report noted Amazon is launching its first-ever national TV commercial that focuses on businesses that sell on the Amazon platform.

In May, in announcing its first Small Business Impact Report, Amazon said half of all the items purchased on Amazon come from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The company also said in an announcement that SMBs have been on Amazon’s platform for more than 20 years. The eCommerce giant also said millions of SMBs throughout the world are selling on Amazon — and more than a million of those businesses are based in the U.S. Additionally, SMBs selling on Amazon come from all 50 states and more than 130 countries.

In terms of revenue, Amazon said that over 20,000 SMBs on Amazon took in more than $1 million in sales in 2017. And, in terms of jobs, Amazon estimates that SMBs selling on Amazon have created more than 900,000 jobs worldwide. Amazon also reported that it lent more than $1 billion to U.S-based SMBs through the Amazon Lending Program in 2017.