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Hundreds of millions of customers shop for products in Amazon’s store. Those products are sold by many sellers, including Amazon Retail and nearly 2 million small and medium-sized businesses that are our third-party selling partners.

We made a bet that bringing selling partners into our store would not only be a win for customers ... but it would also be a win for small businesses ...

Dave Clark, CEO Worldwide Consumer, Amazon

Over 20 years ago, we made the decision to open our store’s virtual shelves to third-party sellers. At the time, big-box retailers had been pushing small businesses out of the retail market. But we made a bet that bringing selling partners into our store would not only be a win for customers who want vast product selection, low prices, and fast delivery, but it would also be a win for small businesses that want to reach more customers, increase their revenue and profits, and create good jobs.

It proved to be a great bet. Today, products from small and medium-sized businesses account for more than half of everything sold in our store.

Our decision kicked off an industry trend that has resulted in small businesses having a range of options when deciding how and where to sell their products. Small businesses now have the opportunity to sell to customers through the sites of major retailers, their own sites, and third-party-only marketplaces, and through the top social media and search services. We know sellers have lots of options, and we work hard to make Amazon the best partner to help drive their success.

Every day, we see our selling partners provide great product selection, low prices, and convenience for customers. That’s why Amazon invested more than $18 billion in selling partner success last year.

More information here.