More than 60% of German-based businesses selling on Marketplace are now exporting via Amazon.

Half of all items sold on Amazon’s global sites come from Marketplace sellers.

Small businesses can apply for “Entrepreneur of the Future“ – a new support program that equips small businesses for the digital age via www.amazon.de/unternehmerderzukunft .

Luxembourg - Amazon today announced that German-based businesses selling on Amazon Marketplace are expected to achieve export sales of more than €2 billion in 2016, up more than 30% year-on-year. In addition:

  • More than 60% of the tens of thousands German-based businesses selling on Amazon Marketplace are exporting to customers around the world
  • The number of German-based businesses exporting to European customers on Amazon Marketplace increased by more than 20% in the last year
  • Independent research from Keystone Strategy has found that 87,000 people are employed by German-based Marketplace sellers as a result of their business on Amazon
  • In Germany, the number of businesses taking advantage of FBA has increased by more than 70% in the last year
  • 50% of items sold on Amazon’s global sites come from Marketplace sellers

“The days of only being able to sell products to customers in one town, region or country are long gone,” said Francois Saugier, Vice President of EU Seller Services. “Today, businesses of all sizes can easily export their products to customers across Europe and the world, and we are seeing a significant increase in the number of German-based businesses capitalizing on this opportunity.”

“Our aim is provide the tools and services that allow businesses that sell abroad as it is in their home country,” said Dr. Markus Schoeberl, Director Seller Services and responsible for Amazon Marketplace in Germany. “Every day, we are seeing more German-based businesses expanding their horizons by offering their products on a European or global basis, opening themselves up to tens of millions of additional potential customers at the click of a button.”

New Tools and Services Help Increase SME Exports

Amazon has created a suite of support tools to help German businesses to sell their products across Europe and the world, including support with managing currency exchange, VAT registrations, local translations and providing global delivery and distribution. As a result, businesses of all sizes can now sell globally across Amazon’s eleven websites in seven languages to reach hundreds of millions of customers in every corner of the globe.

Until December 31, small businesses can apply for the support program “Entrepreneurs of the Future - Locally and around the World”. The program, initiated by WirtschaftsWoche and Amazon, supports small businesses with up to 20 employees to enter or expand their online business and sell online internationally. Starting in January 2017, a team of digital experts – bloggers of www.wortfilter.de and www.shopanbieter.de as well as experienced Amazon sellers – will provide a free of charge coaching for several months to guide selected business owners to online success. The most successful small businesses will be honored with the “Entrepreneur of the Future” award in spring 2017.

The record export sales follow the April launch of Pan-European Fulfilment by Amazon, a service where Amazon stores, picks, packs and delivers items to customers on behalf of sellers, who in turn can sell across Europe whilst only paying the local fulfilment fee of the destination country. Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) services also help sellers to grow their business by making their products eligible for Amazon Prime, meaning they will have access to millions of Amazon’s most loyal customers, along with Amazon’s trusted and acclaimed customer service. By being part of FBA, Marketplace sellers scale their business and boost overseas sales, whilst incurring lower costs than if they invested in their own warehousing and logistical solutions.

Marc Isemann, who owns the Amazon shop ‘faguru’ for biking and outdoor equipment on the North Sea island Amrum, said: ‘The shipping of the items doesn’t work that easily from an island like Amrum as it does from the main land. But thanks to Amazon, I can reach out to customers from all over Europe, without leaving my island.’

Johannes Schlößer, General Manager of Schlösser Baustoffe, in Meckenheim, said:‘100.000 articles in six months – glue, drilling machines, gavels, safety goggles, screws and cement. With the pan-European FBA- program our construction materials go from Meckenheim to hundreds of constructors and construction sites in France, Spain and even England.’

Jens Wasel of KW- Commerce from Berlin said: ‘The FBA program makes it easy to sell abroad. In 2016 alone we have sold more than 2 Million products via Amazon to more than 2 Million customers in more than 130 countries. We’ve started in 2012 on the Amazon Marketplace with only four employees, today we have a team of 180, whereas 60 of them are responsible for the Amazon orders.’

Read more about Sellers that are building successful businesses on Amazon Marketplace

Businesses interested in selling on Amazon can visit https://services.amazon.de.