Irish SMEs exceed €150m in Amazon export sales
In 2022, Irish SMEs on Amazon achieved €150 million in export sales, with €75 million coming from outside Europe. More than 1,200 Irish businesses sell on Amazon, with 200 surpassing €100,000 in sales and around 40 surpassing €1 million.
Two Irish businesses, EarthChamp and Solvotrin Therapeutics, touch on how Amazon has played a pivotal role in their global expansion.
EarthChamp, an organic, vegan protein powder brand based in Dublin, started a decade ago as a small business selling products mostly in Ireland. Today, 90% of its sales are through Amazon.
Dave McGeady, founder and chief executive officer, EarthChamp, said: “One of the first challenges we had as a small business was finding new customers and exporting. We started selling through Amazon in the US, the UK and Germany and suddenly the world opened up to us.
“The second challenge we faced was logistics. It’s very challenging to get a product from right here in Ireland across the world. However, by using Fulfilment by Amazon, we can export our product in bulk to Amazon’s centres in Berlin or Boston, and Amazon take care of all the logistics from that point onwards. It’s been amazing.
“The first thing that I’d say to any brand who’s considering selling on Amazon is have a look around and see the number of people who are buying things online – it’s increasing every day. “From our research, people are looking for more plant-based products and the planet needs more as well, so it’s a really exciting opportunity for us to spread the word about plant-based products and to do that on Amazon” McGeady concluded.
Solvotrin Therapeutics, the Irish brand behind the iron supplement Active Iron, credits its global sales growth to Amazon. The business initially focused on research and development, had its first sales in 2017 and joined Amazon in 2018.
Pat O’Flynn, chief executive officer, Solvotrin Therapeutics, said: “My wife had low iron and felt tired all of the time, but couldn’t tolerate oral iron. Then Active Iron was born. We worked with Trinity College Dublin and the School of Medicine and Medical Science at University College Dublin, to produce a ground-breaking technology that uniquely avoids the common side effects of oral iron, but is clinically proven to increase your iron levels in six weeks.
“When you’re trying to put a product into high-street retail, it can take time. They need to make space for your product, for example. However, when you want to sell on Amazon, once it’s approved, you can get it up immediately.”
Leo Clancy, chief executive officer, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Irish SMEs are economic cornerstones in communities around the country, creating sustainable jobs and driving the Irish economy forward.
“Global online marketplaces, such as Amazon, can provide new exporters with a first step to international sales. The recent Enterprise Ireland Global Marketplaces programme was focused on supporting entrepreneurs to explore these opportunities.”
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