Amazon sellers set a record in 2014

The more than 2 million sellers who comprise the Amazon Marketplace sold more than 2 billion items worldwide in 2014, as more and more businesses relied on the retail giant’s fulfillment capabilities.

Marketplace transactions accounted for 40 percent of all products sold through the retail giant last year, the company announced. Also, the number of items sold by Marketplace sellers doubled from 2013 even though the number of Amazon sellers remained the same.

“It’s been a record-setting year for selling on Amazon. We’re seeing strong growth from sellers listing their items across our global marketplaces. In fact, there are now more than a billion offers for customers to browse from sellers who are listing items for sale outside their home country,” said Peter Faricy, VP for Amazon Marketplace. “The growth of mobile and the introduction of the Amazon Seller App have also been a big win for sellers this year. Sellers are constantly telling us they value the flexibility of managing their businesses on-the-go from their tablets and mobile devices.”

The Amazon Marketplace provides a venue for third-party vendors to sell new and used items directly to consumers alongside the retailer's products. These sellers benefit by having Amazon handle the transaction process, while Amazon benefits from the ability to offer more products to the public than it could directly. Amazon collects a commission on each product sold.

In 2014, the number of sellers using the FBA service jumped 65 percent from 2013. Also in 2014, Amazon introduced and expanded services help Marketplace sellers. The Amazon Seller app for iOS and Android allows sellers to list items for sale, handle orders and manage inventory. Amazon also added a Growth Guarantee to its Amazon Payments feature that promises sellers who use the feature a refund in service fees if they don't see an increase in sales.