Six products per minute. This was the pace – almost mechanical – at which Portuguese small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) sold on Amazon last year. In total, more than 3 million articles reached customers inside and outside Europe, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year that helped push these companies’ exports to a new historic high: 145 million eurossurpassing this bar for the first time. The data was released this Tuesday by Amazon itself.
The strong export dynamics explains a large part of this performance. More than 95% of Portuguese SMEs present on the platform sent products to international markets, reaching customers in more than 110 countries and territories. The European Union continues to concentrate the majority of sales: 85% of exports go to the Single Market, with emphasis on Spain, France and Germanywhich remain the main destinations. For these countries alone, Portuguese companies achieved more than 125 million euros in export sales.
This robust presence places Portugal among the European countries with the greatest export intensity on Amazon. Integrated into the group Digital 9+ (D9+) – “an informal group of ‘digital leaders’ in Europe who collaborate to shape the EU’s digital agenda” – Portugal has an export participation rate well above average: more than 95% of Portuguese SMEs that are on Amazon export, while in the EU27 as a whole this percentage is 84%.
In addition to allowing the opening of new markets, the platform guarantees that it has had a relevant impact outside large urban centers. About 35% of small and medium-sized Portuguese companies that sell on Amazon are located in rural or low population density areas. Together, these companies added more than 60 million euros in export sales last year, demonstrating how digital trade contributes to blurring territorial inequalities.
Amazon recently reinforced its commitment to the Portuguese market with the launch of a personalized store on Amazon.esdesigned to facilitate navigation for national consumers and give greater visibility to Portuguese companies. The new area brings together Portuguese books, national content on Prime Video, recommendations from influencers and a section dedicated to national brands, also highlighting success stories from Portuguese sellers.
Portuguese SMEs ensure that investing in digital is decisive to compete in foreign markets
But, after all, what is behind these numbers? At the conference where Amazon presented new data on the impact of Portuguese SMEs on the platform, two national brands were invited to share their direct experience on the ground. The conclusions converge: product quality, specialization and a firm commitment to digital are among the decisive factors for growing – and competing – in an increasingly global market.
And both reveal how quality, specialization and a well-defined digital strategy can completely transform the direction of a business.
“Our product is not the cheapest, but we have a differentiating factor, which is quality”, he summarizes Cristiano Carmostrategic e-commerce consultant at Happy MeowPortuguese brand of vegetable litter for cats. Produced with 100% vegetable materials, the sand stands out for its sustainability, odor control and absence of dust – factors that, he says, have created “a giant snowball” of loyal customers.
In just a year and a half, the brand grew “at three digits per year” and has already 500 subscriptions through the Subscribe & Save program. Spain was the first expansion market, but France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are already on the company’s route until 2026.
For the Science4Youthe transformation was even more profound. Used to physical retail, the brand had to reinvent itself to compete online. In 2019, only 4% of turnover came from the digital area. Five years later, this weight rose to 50%com 80% of sales online happening on Amazon.