Amazon released its annual U.S. Small Business Empowerment Report, detailing how the company’s investments, innovations, and initiatives on behalf of independent sellers help small and medium-sized businesses across the country increase their product sales and create jobs. More than 60 percent of sales in Amazon’s store are from independent sellers—most of which are small and medium-sized businesses—providing a vast selection of amazing products, competitive prices, and great convenience for consumers.

According to the report, independent sellers sold more products year-over-year in Amazon’s store and broadened their customer reach beyond the U.S. through increased international export sales. The data signifies the powerful partnership between U.S. small and medium-sized businesses and Amazon, as well as the resiliency of entrepreneurs as they continue to successfully navigate and thrive in a challenging economic climate.

Amazon’s Small Business Empowerment Report shows that in 2022, independent sellers in the U.S. sold more than 4.1 billion products — an average of 7,800 every minute — in Amazon’s store and exported over 260 million products. Sellers in rural areas, including parts of Rhode Island, Illinois, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Wyoming, collectively achieved more than 40 percent year-over-year sales growth in Amazon’s store, demonstrating the opportunity Amazon unlocks for small businesses across the country. Selling in Amazon’s store has also enabled independent sellers to create an estimated 1.5 million jobs in the U.S., including jobs that are responsible for managing, operating, and supporting sellers’ efforts to sell through Amazon’s store, which continued to fuel economic opportunities in local communities around the country.

“Small businesses are the heart of our local communities and the backbone of the U.S. economy,” said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of Worldwide Selling Partner Services at Amazon. “Amazon invests billions of dollars annually to provide entrepreneurs with a constantly improving set of valuable tools and resources to help them gain access to capital, quickly launch in our store, build their brands, and rapidly scale and reach more customers. Amazon is committed to the success of small businesses, and we are excited to continue innovating on their behalf and help them grow into thriving success stories.”

The most-shopped categories from U.S. independent sellers in Amazon’s store:

  1. Health & Personal Care
  2. Home
  3. Beauty
  4. Grocery
  5. Apparel

The five states with the most independent sellers in Amazon’s store:

  1. California
  2. Florida
  3. New York
  4. Texas
  5. New Jersey

The five states with the most independent sellers per capita in Amazon’s store:

  1. Wyoming
  2. Delaware
  3. Florida
  4. Utah
  5. New Jersey

Top five states with largest percentage growth of independent sellers:

  1. Wyoming
  2. Delaware
  3. Florida
  4. Utah
  5. Texas

The five states and district with the fastest-growing number of independent sellers in Amazon’s store:

  1. Alaska
  2. Washington, D.C.
  3. Mississippi
  4. Maine
  5. Wyoming

To read the full report, go here.