Amazon: Why are there so Few Quebec Entrepreneurs?

It is surprising to see how little Quebec merchants and entrepreneurs use Amazon. Why do we ignore this e-commerce platform? It’s difficult to know the answer for sure. It could be a lack of e-commerce knowledge, a lack of time, a fear that it is too complicated or that it’s too expensive.

Amazon Needs to work on It’s Bad Reputation

We often hear that Quebecers mainly buy products online that do not come from Quebec, and therefore do not encourage the local economy. How to buy only Quebec products, when Quebec merchants and entrepreneurs are not on Amazon? And it is one of the largest e-commerce marketplace platforms in the world!

Is it possible that Amazon is both the virus and the cure for your e-commerce strategy?

Certainly, merchants who are not there are invisible to millions of consumers, while those who are there enjoy better visibility and more sales opportunities.

Just as people go directly to Youtube to search for videos, most online shoppers primarily go to Amazon for their purchases. If your products are not available there, then for those buyers, you don't exist! Dear Quebec entrepreneurs, what are you waiting for?

Amazon, a Complementary Platform for your Sales

Be careful, being on Amazon does not mean dropping your own online sales site! Instead, try to see Amazon as a complementary branch to your business, which will allow you to sell better and / or more.

Amazon is a powerful tool in your e-commerce arsenal. Indeed, the ultimate KPI of online commerce is not having a great site, great content, or lots of visitors, but more importantly, having buyers. And where are the buyers? On Amazon. Here is an opportunity to seize!

Some Statistics to Consider

Without making you feel guilty about not already being on Amazon, here are some statistics that should encourage you to get started on this platform.

In General

• Amazon’s total sales of 118.5 billion were for 5 million merchants.
• As of January 10th, 2018, there were 562 million products available on the platform.

• At the start of 2018, there were over 100 million users of the Prime service.

In the USA

• 300,000 new traders in 2017
• Over 140,000 merchants have sales of over $100,000 per year.

In Canada

• From January 1st, 2018 to June 30th, 2018, there were over 110 million visitors to Amazon.ca.
• In 2016, there were reportedly $3.5 billion in online sales on Amazon in Canada..

In Quebec

According to NETendance 2017 (electronic commerce in Quebec) and CEFRIO which surveyed 6,000 online shoppers: “It is not surprising to see Amazon at the top of the list of websites used by Quebecers, grabbing 15% of the dollars spent by them. In fact, 34% of Quebecers made a purchase there in 2017. "

In 2017, more than a third of Quebecers made a purchase on Amazon!

Further in the study, we can see the strength of Amazon in Quebec: 58% of online shoppers made a purchase there. And finally, Amazon ranks 1st in the top 10 websites according to the dollars spent in 2017 by Quebec online shoppers:

1. Amazon : 15%
2. Air Canada : 5%
3. eBay : 4%
4. Expedia : 3%
5. Costco : 3%
6. Best Buy : 2%
7. Air Transat : 2%
8. La Baie : 2%
9. Walmart : 1%
10. Simons : 1%

The Prime Day Event

Amazon Prime Day took place on July 16th and 17th, a day of discounts reserved exclusively for Prime members. Over 100 million products were sold worldwide during the event. Analysts estimate that $3.4 billion in sales were made in just over 24 hours on the platform.

Considerable Potential Benefits for Quebec Entrepreneurs

Faced with these numbers, it cannot be denied that Amazon remains a key platform for online commerce. It would be a shame if Quebec merchants did without it, especially when Amazon can become a complementary sales platform for their products. Amazon has a large pool of buyers and on your end you have products to sell. This is an ideal match!

The train is coming. Are you going to watch it go by, get on this one, or pretend it isn't there? Certainly, as a Quebec entrepreneur, you have a lot to gain being on Amazon. Finally, if you need help integrating Amazon into your e-commerce strategy, don't hesitate to contact us!