Small business sellers are stepping up during the COVID-19 pandemic

Small business sellers are stepping up during the COVID-19 pandemic

Small business sellers are stepping up during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19,Sellers,Small business ,Amazon Marketplace

In the face of significant change and disruption, our selling partners have remained steady in their commitment to support our customers. The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of confusion, but one thing has been very clear—many people want to help and support those impacted the most.

Our millions of small business selling partners are going above and beyond in the midst of uncertainty to deliver essential supplies, entertainment, and products customers need.

I’ve been inspired to hear from many of our selling partners who have been working hard to support their communities, employees and customers during this difficult time. Here are some of their stories.

Amazon seller miles at the camera, they are being profiled as one of the companies stepping up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zachary Lewis.jpg "Our team has always been dedicated to supporting the heroes of our country and community. We give back every chance we can with hopes of making someone’s life better and making the United States a better place."Zachary Lewis - CEO, Integrity Bottles

Amazon seller miles at the camera, they are being profiled as one of the companies stepping up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Colin McIntosh Headshot 2020 square.jpg "I founded this company to do good, help others, have fun, and positively contribute to the world." Colin McIntosh - Founder & CEO, Sheets & Giggles

A woman smiles at the camera; she is being profiled as one of the companies stepping up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sara Mader - Business Owner - Palouse Brand.jpg "Our family has a passion for putting families to work and helping them be more independent. I’m so proud that we were able to add jobs and help other businesses in our community during this difficult time."Sara Mader - Owner, Palouse Brand

Amazon seller miles at the camera, they are being profiled as one of the companies stepping up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yun.jpg "Now, as small businesses close across the state of Washington… we decided to lend a hand in the most direct way we knew how: contributing to peace of mind"Yun Zhang - Co-Founder and CEO, Wyze

Amazon seller miles at the camera, they are being profiled as one of the companies stepping up to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Corrigan CEO_ TRTL.jpg "This may be the biggest challenge we will ever face as a generation and how we react as individuals collectively could define us in the years to come… supporting these teams in any way we can is what’s important right now."Michael Corrigan - CEO, Trtl

A woman small business owner smiles at the camera as she leans against a tabletop. melissa-swd-3.jpg "As soon as stay-at-home orders were put in place, we wanted to help. We looked at our Let's Stay Home candle and knew it was the perfect product to help remind people to stay home during this time."Melissa Horvath - Owner, Sweet Water Décor

From spirits to sanitizerAs COVID-19 continues to spread, hand sanitizer has been in high demand but short supply. The Integrity Bottles team, which makes handcrafted glassware and has a partnership with Liberty Call Distilling Co., has jumped in to assist, switching from producing craft spirits to medical-grade hand sanitizer. The team is donating bottles of hand sanitizer to first responders, military personnel, and medical teams across California. They are also donating all proceeds from select glasses and sanitizer sales to the ZTActive Hero Project.

Comfort in times of chaosSheets & Giggles, a sustainable bedding brand out of Colorado, has donated hundreds of sheet sets to healthcare workers, Denver-area emergency shelters preparing for overflow, and respite housing for symptomatic individuals. The team also donated $40,000 to the Colorado COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.

Meeting a growing needUnfortunately, many people have been laid off as a result of the pandemic. Palouse Brand, a family farm operation in Washington State that sells dried beans, peas, grains, other food products is offering help. The company has experienced a surge in demand for their non-perishable goods and has increased hiring to keep up with production. The team has hired 50 new employees and is focused on hiring single mothers and those who are newly unemployed.

Masks and monitoringWyze Labs, makers of smart home products, started its contribution by donating more than 2,000 protective masks to the University of Washington’s Medicine COVID-19 Response team. They followed up by donating free Wi-Fi cameras to small business owners across the state of Washington to assist with monitoring now vacant businesses during shelter-in-place orders

Compassion through compressionNurses and medical professionals are on the front lines helping to fight this pandemic. Standing for any significant period of time, as this job requires, can lead to discomfort and swelling. Trtl, headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, donated 5,000 pairs of compression socks to nurses at The Glasgow Royal Infirmary, The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dundee Ninewells Hospital. The team also donated 5,000 pairs to nurses at the Royal Free Hospital in London and 3,000 pairs to nurses at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Stay home and chillMany people have found ways to make their homes more comfortable as they comply with stay-at-home orders. Sweet Water Décor—a Pittsburgh-based maker of handcrafted home goods, candles and stationary—launched a Stay at Home-themed candle shortly before COVID-19 and has donated 100 percent of profits from its sales to the World Health Organization.

This isn’t business as usual, but the unwavering sense of community and support within the small business network has been comforting in these unusual times.

If you’d like to help those affected by COVID-19, you can support charities. Get the latest information about Amazon’s response to COVID-19 and follow @AmazonNews on Twitter.

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