Amazon is set to open 10 pop-up stores called Clicks and Mortar in different United Kingdom cities and will give 100 small online businesses an opportunity to sell on the high street for the first time.
The first of the pop ups - which will be called Clicks and Mortar - will open in St Mary's Gate in central Manchester on Monday and will also offer Amazon Lockers for customers to collect Amazon orders.
Indeed, according to Mintel data, 45% of Amazon's own shoppers believe the retail giant is responsible for physical stores closing.
Along with small business support group Enterprise Nation, Direct Line for Business and payments platform Square, Amazon has introduced a new scheme dubbed Clicks and Mortar.
Online-only sellers that will feature in-store for the first time include the adult kick-scooter maker Swifty Scooters, the leather electronic device case seller Torro Cases, and the men's skincare brand Altr for Men.
Small businesses are one of our most important customer groups, and we're thrilled to work with Enterprise Nation to design a comprehensive package to help entrepreneurs across the United Kingdom grow their businesses, both in-store and online.
Online commerce giant Amazon is planning to open ten "pop-up stores" across the United Kingdom, offering a range of goods for sale, as well as Amazon lockers for buyers to collect or return goods.
On that first point, giving emerging online-only brands with a physical presence on the UK high street, we are told that 100 such brands will gain showroom space at the Amazon UK Clicks and Mortar pop-up stores.
The year-long initiative will culminate with results being submitted to the government with a view that politicians can further back the Future High Streets strategy.
But the online retailer said it wanted to support "small businesses, helping them boost the economy and create jobs across the UK".
Amazon is not usually associated with small biz owners.
With that in mind, the company announced a new £1 million ($1.3 million) fund to train 150-plus workers through a mix of in-work, online, and classroom coaching.
The fund is exclusively open to any brand-owning SME registered in England that now sells on Amazon and has a turnover of less than £1 million.
05 June 2019
05 June 2019
05 June 2019
