Independent sellers now account for 60% of all sales on Amazon’s store, according to new figures shared by the company on Tuesday (May 20), underscoring the growing role of small businesses within the e-commerce giant’s ecosystem.
The figures, released as part of Amazon’s annual Small Business Empowerment Report, highlight strong performance among third-party sellers.
In 2024, these sellers averaged over $290,000 in annual sales, up 16% year over year, and employed more than 2 million people across the United States, an 11% increase from the previous year.
More than 55,000 independent sellers generated over $1 million in sales during the year, the report noted.
“It’s a partnership that’s providing customers with amazing selection while creating opportunities for entrepreneurs across America,” said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of Worldwide Selling Partner Services.
Since opening its platform to third-party sellers in 2000, Amazon says those businesses have generated more than $2.5 trillion in total sales and exported over 2 billion items globally.
The Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program, launched in 2006, has been instrumental in enabling growth, with sellers having shipped more than 80 billion items through the service.
“What began as a bold idea in 2000 has grown into one of the most powerful economic engines for small businesses in the world,” Mehta said.
Amazon also emphasized how independent sellers are increasingly adopting the AI and tech tools the company has developed to enhance their businesses.
These include generative AI-powered tools for creating product listings, analyzing customer loyalty, optimizing supply chains, and more.
One such tool, Enhance My Listing, launched May 8, helps sellers optimize product pages using generative AI. According to Amazon, over 900,000 sellers have already used the company’s generative AI listing tools.
“Sellers are embracing these technologies to improve efficiency, reach new customers, and stay competitive,” Mehta said.
Amazon previously highlighted the growing importance of generative AI during its Accelerate seller conference last September, where it introduced new tools for product support, returns management, and warehouse-based resale of returned goods.
With independent sellers now forming the backbone of Amazon’s marketplace, the company continues to position itself as a critical growth engine for small businesses leveraging digital tools at scale.
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