How Amazon's Small Business Day 2019 Helped MSMEs Boost Their SalesAccording to Amazon, handmade products by weavers and artisans were the most popular during Small Business Day which was held on December 14

At a time when the Indian government is trying toboost the salesof MSME-produced goods by leveraging the popularity of e-commerce giants, Amazon is doing its own bit to boost the Indian small and medium industries space in India. According to the US-based e-commerce giant, around 1,200 sellers recorded their highest sales during Small Business Day which was held on December 14.

According to the official statement, 34 sellers on Amazon grew 1000 times compared to their average sale, during Amazon Small Business Day. Apart from this, businesses from over 3,300 pin codes received orders from customers during Small Business Day.

"Through Amazon Small Business Day, we are delighted to have offered thousands of Small Businesses on our marketplace with an opportunity to showcase a wide range of unique and distinct products to customers from various parts of India. Every seller who participated grew significantly during this unique shopping experience that we created for our customers and sellers," said Gopal Pillai, Vice President of seller services at Amazon India.

Impact On Small Businesses

According to Amazon, handmade products by weavers and artisans were the most popular and the sales increased 2.5 times during the event compared to an average business day. Over 41,000 sellers received at least one order out of which over 1,200 sellers witnessed their highest sales.

Start-ups and brands under Amazon Launchpad program grew 1.4 times as compared to their average day sale. Apart from this, women Entrepreneurs from Saheli grew their sales by 1.7 times.

"Some of the top-performing sellers during Amazon Small Business Day were Chandana Ikkat Weaves (50X growth), Euphoria Jewelry (205X), Envias Handbags (14X), Alicia Souza (33.8X), Surprise Someone (10X), and SIRIMIRI (4X)," the statement said.

Focus On Small Businesses

According to Amazon, Small Business Day was part of its efforts to help increase the sales for MSMEs. With this goal in mind, Amazon is also set to host its SMBhav, an SMB summit in India in January 2020.

During this event, Amazon Karigar grew its sales 2.5 times. For the uninitiated, Amazon launched Amazon Karigar in August. This store offers a wide range of authentic crafts from Indian artisans.

This development came at a time when the central government is reportedly considering fee-based arrangements with Amazon and Flipkart to boost sales of MSME products. Following an internal discussion, it was decided to pay a fee to the e-commerce giants for listing these products on their platform. A part of the fee will have to be refunded in case the sellers delists itself from the platform after six months. According to reports, this move comes as a replacement for the original plan of launching a separate e-commerce platformcalled Bharat Craftfor MSME sellers.