Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15, and to celebrate, Amazon has launched a dedicated, Hispanic-owned Amazon Handmade storefront as part of its ongoing support for small business selling partners.
More than half of all items purchased on Amazon are sold by small and medium-sized business partners, who help us provide customers with even greater selection, lower prices, and more convenience. Today, we’re highlighting six Hispanic selling partners, who have used Amazon as a springboard to grow their small businesses.
Hot Chocolate Design
The husband-and-wife team of Pablo Martinez and Carolina Aguerrevere started selling mismatched, vintage-inspired Mary Jane flats in 2004—the right shoe was always different from the left, making each pair unique. It may sound like a crazy concept, but it resonated with customers who didn’t fit into a mass-produced mold. To them, it was a way to celebrate their individuality, and they loved it—a lot. To cope with the explosion in demand, Amazon’s Global Selling program helped the couple overcome the challenges of reaching customers overseas.
“During the pandemic, we saw a spike in demand, as many customers found new solutions through ecommerce. However, our shipping and logistics chains were severely affected,” said Martinez and Aguerrevere. “We initially struggled to fulfill customers' orders, experiencing delays we had never experienced before. Amazon helped us move some of our orders through air cargo with very good results, and saved the day.”
Tappas
Sandra Portal-Andreu, an artist and mother of two boys, is inspired to always think big—and encourages her children to do the same. That's how her story began: With a simple dinner table and far too many plates. She thought to herself, "If there could be a container with multiple levels that could hold and display food, one would have fewer plates to wash." Inspired by function and design, she founded Tappas, her company that offers an innovative, patented, and sustainable container that holds and displays everything from food to small household items.
“We launched Tappas on Amazon Launchpad in 2020. I believe that if we had not launched on Amazon, we would have missed out on a large number of customers,” said Portal-Andreu. “I wasn't sure if my product would be liked by customers, but I’m grateful for the overwhelming response; we sold out the initial inventory and in 2021, we introduced the new Bamboo Sphere!”
Botánika Beauty
Aisha Ceballos-Crump struggled with purchasing multiple hair products for her multiracial family. She is Puerto Rican and her husband is African American, and between their five-member family, each of them has a different hair texture. She decided to use her grandmother’s secret hair ingredient, miel (honey in Spanish), to create the first Hispanic-owned hair and skincare line. She wanted to make amazing products for Hispanic women, who are often underrepresented and overlooked in the hair and beauty industry. The Botánika Beauty Goddess Collection is comprised of 10 hair products that celebrate the richness of Hispanic culture, heritage, and beauty through culturally infused ingredients and inclusive formulas.
“Amazon contributes to the reach and distribution of our products to women across the country,” said Ceballos-Crump. “We began selling on Amazon at the height of the global pandemic. Having the ability to sell our products on Amazon during such a difficult time helped in my company’s growth and survival.”
Volcanica Coffee
Maurice Contreras and his family were inspired to start a small business, thanks to frequent trips to their homeland, Costa Rica, where they loved the incredible flavor of the coffee. Coffee has been in his family for generations—his mother and grandfather harvested the coffee beans in the mountains of Costa Rica—so, in 2004, Contreras started Volcanica Coffee in his family garage, and set up the Volcanica Coffee store on Amazon in 2009. The company sells more than 150 different varieties of coffee, including single-origin, estate, peaberry, and decaffeinated, as well as flavored coffees, sourcing the beans from the finest crops in the best volcanic regions from around the world.
“Amazon has provided us with a new avenue of sales, introducing us to many new customers. We started slowly, but the momentum grew stronger with each passing year,” said Contreras. “As we realized the potential, we moved the entire catalog of products to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), resulting in significantly increased sales.”
Sifrimania
Ana Caputo is a Venezuelan immigrant who has always been passionate about crafts and handmade artistry. In early 2013, she decided to turn her hobby into a business by making her work available to customers all over the world through online stores. She enjoys designing and creating handmade jewelry with stones, colors, pendants, and high-quality materials. Her designs are her artistic expression of beauty and feelings.
“We launched Sifrimania on Amazon Handmade in 2015,” said Caputo. “Amazon gave me the opportunity to establish my own brand by providing a dedicated storefront that attracts customers looking for genuine, beautiful, and handcrafted jewelry.”
Rebeca Flott Arts
Growing up in South America, Rebeca Flott discovered her passion for creating and using alternative ways to paint and decorate with limited resources. Her journey as an artist began at a young age, when she challenged herself to find different ways to express herself through painting, but took off when she was in her twenties, when she began to paint on canvas. In her heart, this simple act made her feel like a “real” artist. Now, Flott specializes in custom-painted window screens, and sells original pieces and DIY painting kits through Rebeca Flott Arts.
“Being a part of Amazon Handmade has helped me connect with customers, as well as other artists and makers,” said Flott. “I was able to display my artwork and share my experiences as an artist and business owner. As an Amazon Handmade seller, I get numerous opportunities to grow my business.”
Celebrate Hispanic small business owners
Customers can learn about other Hispanic Handmade entrepreneurs and discover hundreds of products, including jewelry, art, beauty and wellness essentials, and more, from businesses, such as Florama Natural Jewelry, Soap Cauldron, and La Parea Wellness, amongst other handcrafted brands from Amazon Handmade.
Customers can also discover innovative Latinx small businesses on Amazon Launchpad’s Meet the Launchers page. There, they’ll find unique products like Zubi’s Organic Queso, and Buoy’s Natural Electrolyte Drops, and learn more about the Latinx founders behind them.
