Amazon to host Small Business Day on June 27 to help SME sellers

PTI, Jun 21, 2020, 4:22 PM IST

New Delhi: E-commerce major Amazon on Sunday said it will host the third edition of its sale event – Small Business Day (SBD) 2020 – on June 27 to help small businesses, artisans, weavers, micro-entrepreneurs and start-ups rebound from economic disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sale, which will coincide with the Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day, will offer customers the opportunity to discover and purchase unique and hard-to-find products from start-ups, women entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers under its various programs such as Local Shops, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli, and Amazon Karigar, a statement said.

Products across categories including work from home essentials, regional weaves in fashion, handcrafted accessories and footwear, wall decor and hangings, idols and figurines, kitchenware, and sports essentials will be available on several theme stores like ‘India Bazaar,’ ‘Budget Buys’ and ‘Bestsellers’ among others, it added.

“SMBs are the backbone of the Indian economy who also make the most unique selection of products. These businesses were on a consistent growth trajectory until COVID-19 disrupted many of them,” Amazon India Vice President Seller Services Gopal Pillai said.

“We are committed to support them and help generate customer demand for their products,” he added.

“Hence, this year, Amazon is organizing Small Business Day on June 27 with several themes,” Pillai said.

“Customers will be able to discover some hidden gems from these theme stores on the marketplace while also empowering millions of lives across India through their purchase on Small Business Day,” he added.

During the second edition of SMB in December last year, over 1,200 sellers witnessed their highest single-day sales ever, Amazon said.

Artisans and weavers who were part of Amazon’s ‘Karigar’ program witnessed a 2.5X growth on Amazon after the event, while women entrepreneurs selling as part of ‘Amazon Saheli’ program witnessed a growth of 1.7X, it said.

Sales for start-up brands under ‘Amazon Launchpad’ program had grown by 1.4X, it added.