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Amazon Launches Store to Promote Small Businesses

Shoppers on Amazon can now buy exclusively from U.S.-based small and medium-sized businesses through a special store the web-retailer unveiled this week. The new platform is called Amazon Storefronts and allows customers to shop more than one million total products from 20,000 businesses.

Nicholas Denissen, Amazon VP

“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, a vice president at Amazon. “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.”

In the Storefronts launch, Amazon is featuring several product categories, including Halloween, Home, Kitchen, Pet Supplies, Toys & Games and Electronics. Each week, it’s also spotlighting one of the thousands of small businesses that sell on Amazon. The first company it’s highlighting is The Little Flower Soap Co. As part of Amazon’s Storefronts rollout, the firm is broadcasting its first-ever national TV commercial to help advertise its link to smaller companies.

Each week, Amazon will profile a small business with a video featuring the company, its founders and its products.

“We’re championing their success with this new store as well as an advertising campaign featuring a successful Michigan business selling on Amazon to customers across the U.S. and worldwide,” said Denissen.

Third-party global merchants account for more than half of products sold on Amazon's sites, according to the company. Several promotional products companies currently sell on Amazon and more industry-related brands continue to populate the site each week. It’s unclear, though, how Amazon is selecting companies to feature on its Storefronts and how it’s specifically ranking them in category searches.

Visit Amazon Storefronts by clicking here.