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Calling Amazon a giant among retailers would be an understatement, especially with $469 billion in net sales last year. And over the years, the company has grown from a novel online bookseller into a bit of a behemoth, selling on average more than 4,000 items per minute. Due to the size, small businesses can get lost in the traffic and find it difficult to grab any of that market share from larger companies.
In 2015, Amazon made a big move to change all of that, and attract startup businesses — enter Amazon Launchpad. The goal is to let products from small businesses get discovered by shoppers and build some momentum. The latter is accomplished by offering sales, along with making marketing tools and support available as well.
With more than 6,000 start-ups featured so far, shoppers can access small businesses. Launchpad allows customers to shop based on causes they believe in, showcasing black- and Latinx-owned companies, as well as women- and family-owned businesses. You can also search for companies focused on sustainability and social issues, and learn more about each maker and their mission.
And since we couldn’t decide on the best of all of these wonderful products, we decided to focus on Launchpad vendors with unique ideas and interesting stories to show the depth and breadth of products available on Launchpad. Read on to see some of our favorites.
Black-owned businesses Inklings Math and Memory Card Game for Kids ($18.99; amazon.com)Inklings uses simple techniques of memory and counting to teach math skills for young learners. Kids as young as five years old can start playing and better prepare for elementary school. Created in 2020, Inklings is the brainchild of siblings Lauren and Joshua Dixon, just kids themselves, who created the game to help pandemic learning and bring families together. In 2021, 5% of profits from Inklings went to support LearnServe International.
Mother’s Shea by EuGenia (starting at $12.59; amazon.com)Raw shea butter is one of nature’s miracle moisturizers, and is great for use on skin of all kinds as well as dry and damaged hair. In addition, it boosts collagen growth, improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Owned by a mother-daughter duo, Mother’s Shea purchases all of their nuts directly from organically trained and fairly paid farmers in Ghana, and 15% of their profits go back to those communities in Ghana.
Latinx-owned businesses HummingBee Bee Pollen Bundle ($29.99, originally $35.98; amazon.com)Raw bee pollen is considered one of nature’s superfoods, packed with protein, amino acids, Omega 3’s, vitamins and minerals all necessary for immune support. This bundle includes HummingBee’s Bee Pollen Supplement for a daily antioxidant boost, and Propolis Throat Spray which is ideal for soothing sore throats. Owned by a husband and wife team, HummingBee pollen is produced in a high plateau of the Andes in Colombia and sourced from local small-scale beekeepers.
Tech-Life Boss Portable Bluetooth Speaker ($179.99; amazon.com)Tailgating, camping, family backyard barbecues — what can’t be made more fun with a little music to liven things up? The Tech-Life Boss portable speaker is made for life outdoors, with crystal clear sound and ten hours of playtime. It’s also got a wide range of connectivity and can be linked to up to 100 other Boss speakers for maximum coverage of sound. Created by two life-long friends, Allan and Nick, who wanted to marry their knowledge of audio technology and design with their love of adventure.
Women-owned businesses Fresh Monster 2-in-1 Kids Shampoo & Body Wash ($15.99; amazon.com)Scroll to Continue
Two moms met working at a major personal product care corporation, and noticed that none of the products for kids were toxin-free. They decided parents shouldn’t have to choose between keeping kids safe and keeping them clean and Fresh Monster was born. This gentle and tear-free formula serves as both hair and body cleanser. Plant based, it’s also paraben, sulfate, dye, and phthalate free with natural fragrance.
Kaylee’s Culture Healthy Sparkling Probiotic Water ($27.99; amazon.com)Tired of all the sugar-laden kids drinks on the market, Kaylee took to making her own water kefir in her home, and has since expanded into Kaylee’s Culture, a line of probiotic and delicious sparkling waters with zero added sugar, probiotics, and immune-boosting properties. A 12-pack comes with three flavors — Strawberry/Lemon, Watermelon, and Elderberry — to hydrate your family and keep their guts healthy and happy.
2021 Innovation Grant Award Winners 2021 Innovator of the Year Winner – Prepdeck Recipe Prep & Storage Station ($129; amazon.com)If you are anything like us, prepping and cooking a meal can make for a disastrous mess in the kitchen, with knives here, ends of Brussels sprouts there, and a whole lot of garbage in between. The folks behind Prepdeck think we should be making meals, not messes, so they invented this all-in-one station that allows you to chop, grate, peel, and zest your ingredients and store them in handy containers, using a built-in cutting board and tools.
Thrive Natural Moisturizing Mineral Face Sunscreen ($24.95; amazon.com) This mineral sunscreen from Thrive is good for you, your skin, and our precious coral reefs, so you can feel good while using it. The plant-based formula is developed from farms that practice regenerative farming, which is an approach that concentrates on sustainable agriculture techniques that protect the land and support biodiversity.
Cool products MAYU Swirl Water Pitcher ($178; amazon.com)This just looks like it’s fun to have out on the counter. MAYU’s Swirl Water Pitcher uses a swirling motion to naturally aerate water, and says that it also positively enhances the chemical characteristics of tap water. The hand-blown carafe sits on a porcelain base that generates the swirling motion. And, because it’s glass and refillable, it cuts down on plastic filtration systems, and is dishwasher safe.
Revolution InstaGLO R270 Touchscreen Toaster ($399; amazon.com)Some of us are picky about our toast. Really picky. It should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And you can’t cook a toaster strudel the same way you cook sourdough bread. And this touchscreen toaster from Revolution understands the nuances of great toast. It even has a gluten-free setting to adjust cooking temps to the physical characteristics of gluten-free bread. And it turns into a panini press! What more could you ask of a toaster.
How Does Amazon Launchpad Work?Amazon Launchpad was designed as a supplemental program to kickstart small and innovative businesses on the Amazon selling platform. In exchange for a 5% increase in the business’s referral fees paid to the retailer, Amazon Launchpad promises to help products get discovered by customers faster, offer sales and marketing tools and support, and build sales.
The program is open to current Amazon sellers, but only if the company has been on Amazon for less than four years and generated less than $5 million in gross sales on the platform. According to Amazon, they are looking for innovative and unique products to feature in the Launchpad storefront, and are particularly interested in Climate Pledge Friendly products and Certified Black-owned businesses.
Sellers must make a 12-month commitment to Launchpad, which Amazon says allows those sellers to appear at least once in Amazon Prime Day and the Holiday gift guides. Sellers also have to maintain certain standards to be included in Launchpad’s marketing campaigns, like keeping at least 3.5 stars, have at least five reviews (not just ratings), and be enrolled in Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program, which guarantees the best delivery experience for Amazon consumers.
The return on the investment for sellers varies, of course, but some of Amazon’s highlighted case studies show real promise for sellers using Launchpad. Prepdeck, an all-in-one kitchen organizing solution, joined Amazon Launchpad in 2019, and saw revenue increase 264% year-over-year. They also went on to win Amazon’s 2021 Innovator of the Year.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.