Small businesses across the UK missing out on millions, online retail expert warns

Ecomm SME map UK.pngBusinesses across the UK are missing out on millions of pounds as rivals corner the online market, a leading expert has said.

Analysis of data from Amazon, the world’s largest online retail platform, has revealed that over 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) used Amazon, in 2022, generating £3 billion for the UK economy.

More than half of all physical product sales on the Amazon store in the UK are from independent selling partners, most of which are SMEs. SMEs based in Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow selling on Amazon recorded some of the highest average annual revenues, surpassing the average annual revenue of London-based sellers.

But Chris Turton, an online sales expert and founder of specialist Amazon agency Ecommerce Intelligence, said thousands of businesses were losing out to competitors because they were either neglecting their online presence, or ignoring it completely.

And he’s launching a free workshop to help businesses get started selling online, or to improve their online presence.

“Amazon is often seen as the enemy of small business, but the figures speak for themselves,” said Chris. “Around 100,000 UK-based SMEs sell their products with Amazon and last year those businesses recorded over £3 billion in sales in 2022.

“I find it mindblowing how many businesses I have spoken to who think they don’t need Amazon for their business or ecommerce growth.

“They say things to me like: ‘If people want our product they will find it on our website’, but that simply isn’t the case. I would go as far as saying if you’re not on Amazon your brand is not going to be a category leader. Period.

“There are 13.5 million people in the UK alone who pay for a Prime membership – Amazon is their go-to shopping channel and if a business is not on there, a keyword search will lead them to a competitor. They will never find your product, even if your brand has a reputation.”

To help small businesses develop their online presence with Amazon, Ecommerce Intelligence is offering special digital workshops. To find out more and to register, visit www.christurtonecommerce.com/amazon-workshop

Ecommerce Intelligence has supported more than 170 Amazon accounts, helping to optimise their online presence. Clients include Organix, NikWax and Ardo Medical.

But, said Chris, simply having a presence on Amazon is not enough.

“Getting the best out of Amazon can seem like something of a mindfield, but there are plenty of things businesses can do to get this right, from making sure their pages look the part to optimising keywords. Businesses need to be on Amazon, but they also need to make sure they are as committed to it as they would be to a physical shop.”