Customer voting opens for the Small Business of
the Year, Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year, and Small
Business Owner Under 30 of the Year, with 18 finalists in the
running
A year after launch, Amazon Storefronts –
Amazon’s store to exclusively shop American businesses – has grown
to more than 2.5 million items from nearly 30,000 small and
medium-sized businesses from all 50 states, with more than 250
million items sold to more than 70 million unique customers
To help American small businesses reach even
more customers, Amazon is hosting Small Business Spotlight events
in Nashville and Washington D.C. to connect selling partners and
customers in person
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced the finalists for its
first-ever Small Business Spotlight Awards, an awards program
established this year to honor and celebrate top entrepreneurs and
small businesses across the country selling in Amazon’s stores.
Amazon customers will select the Small Business of the Year,
Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year, and Small Business Owner
Under 30 of the Year by voting now through November 8.
Since September 20, more than 1,300 U.S. small businesses have
nominated themselves for the awards. Six finalists have been
selected per category, based on their origin story and company
vision; customer centricity; and product innovation, selection and
value. The finalists are:
Small Business of the Year:
- Ayoba-Yo, a South African-style meat snacks company based in
Fairfax, VA.
- Baking Steel Company, which produces pizza baking steels and
griddles, based in Cohasset, MA.
- Damhorst Toys & Puzzles, maker of wooden toys, based in
Hermann, MO.
- EcoBark Pet Supplies, a sustainable pet products company based
in Largo, FL.
- nutpods, which makes non-dairy, unsweetened creamers, based in
Bellevue, WA.
- Ravenox, a ropes and hardware company based in Mount Vernon,
WA.
Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year:
- 1818 Farms, which produces bath and beauty products, based in
Mooresville, AL.
- EazyHold, maker of grip cuffs for people with disabilities,
based in Simi Valley, CA.
- Nerdbugs, which makes organ-shaped plush toys, based in
Madison, WI.
- OBIA Naturals, a natural hair and skin care company based in
Dallas, TX.
- Soul Insole, which makes foot rehabilitation products, based in
San Diego, CA.
- Ultimation Industries, manufacturer of conveyor systems, based
in Roseville, MI.
Small Business Owner Under 30 of the Year:
- Bedtime Bulb, maker of sleep light bulbs, based in
Philadelphia, PA.
- Habit Nest, which makes journals to build good habits, based in
Los Angeles, CA.
- Joe Chocolate Co., which produces caffeine-infused chocolates,
based in Seattle, WA.
- Player Ten Games, a party games company, based in Austin,
TX.
- Renova Medical Wear, maker of clothing for postoperative
patients, based in Weehawken, NJ.
- Watex Green Living, which makes urban garden products, based in
Lake Forest, CA.
Winners from each category will receive a prize package
including six months of dedicated Amazon account management,
Sponsored Products advertising credits, promotion on Amazon.com,
and a trip to Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. Winners will be
announced later this year.
Amazon also announced today that Amazon Storefronts, its curated
destination to shop exclusively from American small and
medium-sized businesses, has surpassed 2.5 million products from
nearly 30,000 companies across a variety of product categories,
ranging from Home & Kitchen, Lawn & Gardening, Electronics,
Beauty & Grooming, Pet Supplies, Handmade Artisan products, and
more. In the last twelve months, U.S. small and medium-sized
businesses with products in Storefronts have sold more than 250
million items to more than 70 million unique customers.
The company is hosting Small Business Spotlight markets today in
Nashville at the historic Acme Feed & Seed venue and in
Washington, D.C. at the popular District Wharf. The events will
give dozens of small business selling partners the opportunity to
interact in-person with thousands of visitors and to sell their
products. The markets are free to the public, open 12:00 – 6:00
p.m. CDT in Nashville and 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. EDT in Washington D.C.
Customers nationwide will be able to participate in the events by
watching small business interviews and presentations on Amazon
Live. Additionally, as part of the day’s focus on small businesses,
the Amazon Treasure Truck will be in more than twenty cities today,
featuring a special offer on a wine preservation system from
Coravin, a Massachusetts-based small business found in Amazon
Storefronts.
“Small businesses across America and around the world are both
our partners and our customers,” said Nicholas Denissen, Amazon
Vice President of Small Business. “They are at the heart of our
business and key to our success. That’s why we continue to invest
billions in the infrastructure, tools and programs, such as
Storefronts and these awards, to help them reach more customers and
grow.”
Altogether, U.S.-based small and medium-sized businesses sell on
average more than 4,000 items per minute in Amazon’s stores.
Overall, independent third-party sellers – primarily small and
medium-sized businesses – made up 58% of all physical gross
merchandise sold in Amazon’s stores last year and their sales far
exceeded $2 billion on Prime Day in July this year.
“Amazon has helped us reach customers all over the country and
our business has grown tremendously, as a result,” said John
Spalding, founder of Brittle Brothers, a gourmet brittle candy
maker participating in the Spotlight market in Nashville. “With
Amazon, we are a national brand, not just a local one, and we are
thrilled to have this opportunity to meet more customers in the
real world.”
“As a very small business, we don’t have a lot of budget to
manage and market our handmade soy candles,” said Usa Leckenby of
Pure Palette, an Amazon Handmade business participating in the
Spotlight market in Washington, D.C. “Amazon provides me with a
national market opportunity on a very lean budget, and with
Fulfillment by Amazon I can operate like a bigger company.”
Amazon has released more than 150 tools and services in 2019 to
help its independent small and medium-sized businesses grow their
sales online, which is part of the more than $15 billion the
company is on track to invest this year in the success of selling
partners. The company also hosts a variety of events to educate
small and medium-sized business selling partners, including Amazon
Academy events across Europe and Selling Partner Summits across the
U.S.
To learn more about the millions of small and medium-sized
businesses selling in Amazon’s stores, visit:
https://www.aboutamazon.com/supporting-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.
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