Amazon thinks small with new e-commerce tools and services

Amazon is providing new assistance to small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) selling on its platform.

So far this year, Amazon released 50 new tools and services to help SMBs grow their businesses in its stores. Amazon invests billions of dollars each year to help enable SMBs to reach new customers and sell their products online.

The most recent investments encompass solutions and services across functions such as fulfillment, selling and advertising. These include:

• Brand analytics: Enhanced brand analytics provide brand owners with information on popular search terms and comparable products.

• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) monthly storage and removal fee waiver: With the monthly FBA storage and removal fees waived, sellers in select regions can now test out limited quantity new-to-Amazon products for a promotional period.

• Global registration experience: A new sell across the world (SAW) workflow provides personalized guidance to help sellers expand globally.

• Interactive Seller University content: Refreshed Seller University interactive e-learning content offers SMBs live practice opportunities to help them better operate an Amazon store.

More than half of all units sold in Amazon’s stores are from SMBs. According to Amazon data, there are more than one million U.S.-based SMBs selling in its stores. Amazon has also launched other efforts to aid SMB merchants. These include Selling Partner Summits, a series of six ongoing conferences for SMBs to help them build their business in Amazon’s stores. Each summit features an Amazon-led educational track, experts lounge and product labs designed to help small businesses build and grow their sales in Amazon’s stores.

In addition, Amazon recently introduced Project Zero, a program enabling brands of all sizes selling on Amazon stores to remove counterfeit listings and also receive automated counterfeit protection.