SINGAPORE - Media OutReach^[1] - 4 August 2020 -To commemorate Singapore's 55^th birthday, Amazon aims to recognize home-grown businesses and celebrate their journeys by launching today dedicated "Shop Local" storefront^[2] on Amazon.sg^[3]. The curated page features four local brands' founding stories and a plethora of products from local businesses in categories such as home and home improvement, electronics, kitchen and dining, health and personal care, toys and games, groceries and more.

"As Singaporeans come together to celebrate the nation's 55^th birthday, we hope to help shoppers discover and expand the support for local businesses through this new initiative. We invite customers to learn more about the entrepreneurs behind these homegrown businesses and check out their great products," says Bernard Tay, Country Leader, Amazon.sg Seller Services and Head of Amazon Global Selling Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. "We are pleased to welcome more local business onto Amazon.sg and look forward to helping them expand their customer base and reach a global audience through our online stores worldwide."

Notable local brands featured on "Shop Local" include: manufacturer of premium quality bedding with compostable and bio-degradable fibers -- EASVEN;local manufacturer of  plant-based products for babies with sensitive skin -- Happyganics; personal care brand for those aspiring to enjoy clear and beautiful skin -- Porcelain Skin; andnon-medicated solutions provider for menstrual cramps -- Blood.

Getting to know the local retailers on Amazon.sg

EASVEN

Singaporean founder Chen Yan started her career with her family's bedding and household goods business but soon left to study Design in Arts in the UK before moving to Singapore in 2004. In 2019, Yan returned to her passion and love for textile, fabric, and the environment to start EASVEN, a purpose-built brand which manufactures premium quality bedding using TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers that are certified compostable and bio-degradable. Amidst COVID-19, Yan started selling on Amazon to reach a global audience with low shipment costs.

"With Amazon, we're not only selling products, but a service, building our brand reputation, growing our community, and connecting with our customers. As a young brand dealing with the pandemic, selling online has been essential. We've been able to continue the business, adapt quickly, and maintain the high quality and service of our products," said Yan, founder of EASVEN.

Happyganics

Happyganics was founded in 2015 in Singapore by parents Dawn Teh and Leslie Wou after their baby daughter started suffering from skin allergies. With pure plant-based ingredients and natural products, ranging from detergent to hand sanitizer, Happyganics manufactures locally and sells in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Dawn from Happyganics said: "With Amazon, we have been able to reach many more customers without increasing our operations cost. The warehousing and logistical support has allowed us to streamline operations and offer same-day delivery to meet customer expectations. Furthermore, joining Amazon through the E-Commerce Booster Package has meant that we can leverage its global footprint without having to rent retail space -- a huge cost saver to grow rapidly!"

Porcelain Skin

Started by mother-daughter duo Jenny Teng and Pauline Ng, Porcelain is a home-grown brand that grew swiftly fueled by the mutual love for skincare and passion to correct, not conceal, skin troubles. Over the last 10 years, since 2009, Porcelain Skin has received more than 80 beauty awards for both service and products and has plans to expand across Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia.

Daughter and Managing Director Pauline Ng said: "While we grow as a company, we are constantly looking for ways to continue listening to customer feedback and improve our service to build long-term relationships. We've just joined Amazon in June and are looking forward to connecting with consumers domestically and internationally to address their needs quickly."

Blood

Frustrated by the lack of good quality non-medicated solutions for menstrual cramps, Singaporeans Tan Peck Ying and Caleb Leow developed MenstruHeat -- the flagship product of Blood -- to help and support women across the world through their period cycles. They started selling on Amazon in 2015 and have since grown their business on Amazon across the US, UK, EU, Canada, Japan, Australia with plans to expand in India.

"Selling internationally with Amazon has given us exposure beyond our shores -- this has been really important for our brand building and awareness. In fact, more than 50% of our online sales come through Amazon today. Thanks to Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), since our initial days, we have not had to worry about distribution and shipment costs and can focus on managing inventory and growing the business," said Peck Ying, co-founder of Blood.

Discover the wide range of selection from local retailers on Amazon.sg here^[4].

Beyond the "Shop Local" showcase, Amazon has launched Seller University so local businesses in Singapore can access complimentary online tools and personalized support to better operate on Amazon's store. This is in addition to the E-Commerce Booster Package collaboration with Enterprise Singapore where local retailers who sign up to sell on Amazon.sg can avail a one-time grant of up to S$9,000 to enhance their E-Commerce capabilities and reach more customers.  Interested local retailers can find out more information and sign up by 30 September 2020 here: https://services.amazon.sg/esg-e-commerce-booster-package.html^[5]

To find out more about selling on Amazon, visit: https://www.amazon.sg/sell^[6].

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} dedicated "Shop Local" storefront (amzn.to)
3. ^{^} Amazon.sg (www.amazon.sg)
4. ^{^} here (amzn.to)
5. ^{^} https://services.amazon.sg/esg-e-commerce-booster-package.html (services.amazon.sg)
6. ^{^} https://www.amazon.sg/sell (www.amazon.sg)