When the pandemic forced people inside, it also sent them online for all kinds of purposes, including shopping.
A new report from Amazon shows that UK small and medium-sized businesses earned more than $4.8 billion in export sales last year, representing a 20 percent spike compared to the year before.
As reported by City AM, more than 14,000 UK SMBs that did business on Amazon in 2020 sold more than $138,000 worth of goods and services, while more than 1,000 hit $1 million in sales for the first time.
The top performing categories last year included home, health & personal care, toys, apparel and beauty.
By selling through the Amazon platform, SMBs are said to have created an additional 175,000 jobs in the country. In total, the number of products sold on the platform hit 750 million, up from 550 million the year before.
Sales generated by SMBs also benefited Amazon handsomely; the company's UK revenue spiked by more than 50 percent last year, hitting $26.5 billion last year.
As the Covid-19 pandemic forced the country into lockdown, shops were closed left and right. Businesses were forced to turn to the digital realm for salvation.
“2020 was a challenging year for many small businesses, and we’ve continued to provide business owners, startups and entrepreneurs with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed,” said John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon.