The Amazon Local Shopping Hack

Hello friends!

So you really need to buy a widget. Where do you go to buy this widget? Who has the best price and the type of widget you really need? What about colours and sizes and styles of widgets? The task can be overwhelming and exhausting.

Most of us go online to do the research and go straight to Amazon. Even if we usually support locally owned businesses, our go-to strategy for shopping for any item that we need is to find it on Amazon first.

We know Amazon is often detrimental to many small businesses but could there be an upside to it?

But wait... Here's the Amazon local shopping hack:

On Amazon's platform, you'll find items that are sold and shipped directly by Amazon. You'll also find items that you can order using the Amazon interface but are actually sold by and shipped by third party small businesses. The program is called "Amazon Sellers".

Some small to medium sized business have done exceptionally well selling through the Amazon Sellers platform. By offering their wares on Amazon's website, small businesses get exposure to millions more prospective consumers if they had just relied on their storefronts or their own Websites. In some instances, using Amazon actually helps to support small businesses who do not have a web presence.

We sometimes use Amazon to research the item we need and then go directly to a small business through their own website. Its great for us and if we can support our local shops, its a win win.

So next time you find yourself on Amazon searching for an item, check to see if it's offered by a local business. If it is, see if it is possible to visit their own website to make your purchase. It may not be always possible, but when you can you should support a local business.

Supporting local...
It's the right thing to do
Katie

• Posted On: Dec 10, 2018

Katie... Hi, I'm one of the people who make's Shop-Local Canada tick. I'm a contributor, researcher, editor and a support person. Let me know if I can help.

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