I remember when Amazon was just an online bookshop. Those days are long gone. Today, the question “is Amazon B2B or B2C?” doesn’t have a simple answer because Amazon has evolved into something far more sophisticated than a traditional retailer.
The short answer is that Amazon operates as both. It’s a hybrid business model that successfully serves individual consumers and business customers simultaneously. Let me explain how this works and why it matters for anyone interested in modern commerce[1][2].
Amazon’s Consumer Business: The B2C Foundation
Amazon’s roots are firmly planted in business-to-consumer retail. The platform that most of us know serves hundreds of millions of individual customers worldwide[3]. This consumer-facing marketplace offers everything from electronics to groceries, delivered with the convenience that has become Amazon’s hallmark.
The B2C side includes Prime membership, which boasts over 200 million subscribers globally[3]. These individual consumers benefit from fast shipping, streaming services, and personalized recommendations powered by sophisticated algorithms[1]. In 2024, Amazon’s overall revenue reached £637.9 billion, with online stores accounting for £247.03 billion[4][5].
What’s particularly interesting is that over 60% of products sold on Amazon now come from third-party sellers rather than Amazon itself[6][7]. These independent businesses use Amazon’s infrastructure to reach consumers, creating a marketplace ecosystem that extends far beyond Amazon’s own inventory. In the second quarter of 2025, third-party sellers accounted for 62% of all units sold[8].
Amazon Business: The B2B Platform
Launched in 2015, Amazon Business represents the company’s dedicated business-to-business marketplace[9]. This platform serves over 6 million business customers, including 97 Fortune 100 companies, and generates £35 billion in annualized sales as of 2023[9][10].
Amazon Business isn’t just the regular Amazon site with a different name. It offers features specifically designed for business buyers, including bulk pricing, business-only products, payment via purchase orders, and VAT invoicing[9][11]. Organizations ranging from small offices to hospitals, schools, and government agencies use the platform for procurement[9][12].
The B2B platform operates in eleven countries: the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, and India[13]. Business customers typically have larger basket sizes and return products less frequently than individual consumers[3][12].
For sellers, Amazon Business provides tools to identify B2B product opportunities, set business-specific pricing, and display certifications that appeal to procurement professionals[13]. This dual capability means sellers can reach both business and consumer customers from a single account[3].
AWS: The Enterprise B2B Giant
Beyond physical products, Amazon Web Services represents perhaps the company’s most significant B2B operation. AWS provides cloud computing solutions to enterprises, governments, and startups worldwide[1]. In 2024, AWS was responsible for 16% of Amazon’s overall revenue[14], making it a substantial component of the company’s business strategy.
AWS serves millions of business customers who rely on its infrastructure for everything from data storage to machine learning capabilities[15]. This enterprise-focused division operates entirely in the B2B space, selling services to organizations rather than individual consumers.
Why the Hybrid Model Works
Amazon’s success with both B2B and B2C models stems from its ability to leverage the same infrastructure for different customer types. The logistics network, technology platform, and fulfillment centres serve both individual shoppers buying a single book and businesses ordering office supplies by the pallet[1][2].
This approach allows Amazon to maximize efficiency whilst diversifying revenue streams. Individual sellers can automatically make their listings available to both consumer and business customers[3]. The platform handles the complexities of different pricing, payment terms, and delivery requirements behind the scenes.
The hybrid model also creates network effects. More consumers attract more sellers, which increases product selection, which attracts more consumers and business buyers. This flywheel effect has helped Amazon dominate e-commerce, capturing nearly 40% of the United States market in 2025[14].
What This Means for Businesses
Understanding Amazon’s dual nature matters if you’re considering selling online or procuring for your organization. As a seller, you can access both markets simultaneously without maintaining separate storefronts[3][13]. As a buyer, you can leverage Amazon’s consumer marketplace for small purchases whilst using Amazon Business for larger procurement needs with appropriate business controls and pricing[11][12].
The company’s evolution from pure B2C to a B2B/B2C hybrid demonstrates how modern commerce increasingly blurs traditional boundaries. Amazon isn’t purely one or the other – it’s built a business model that succeeds by being both.
So next time someone asks whether Amazon is B2B or B2C, you can confidently say it’s both. The company has created a platform that serves individual consumers buying birthday gifts and multinational corporations ordering industrial equipment, often through the same underlying infrastructure. That’s quite remarkable when you think about it.
References and Further Reading
[1] What Business Type is Amazon? B2C, B2B & Hybrid Model Explained. https://www.accio.com/blog/what-business-type-is-amazon-b2c-b2b-hybrid-model-explained
[2] Examples of B2B and B2C Businesses: Amazon, Microsoft. https://www.growleady.io/blog/what-is-an-example-of-a-business-that-is-both-b2b-and-b2c
[3] How to start selling on Amazon: Become an Amazon Seller. https://sell.amazon.co.uk/sell-online
[4] Amazon: Facts and Statistics. https://www.investing.com/academy/statistics/amazon-facts/
[5] Amazon Online Stores Sales 2015-2025. https://www.marketplacepulse.com/stats/amazon-online-stores-sales
[6] How many third-party sellers are on Amazon? (2025 figures). https://redstagfulfillment.com/how-many-third-party-sellers-are-on-amazon/
[7] Amazon Steers Third-Party Seller Share To All-Time High. https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/amazon-steers-third-party-seller-share-to-all-time-high
[8] Amazon Percent of Units by Third-Party Sellers 2004-2025. https://www.marketplacepulse.com/stats/amazon-percent-of-units-by-third-party-sellers
[9] Amazon B2B: A Deep Dive for Beginners . https://www.smartscout.com/blog/amazon-b2b
[10] Amazon Business: What is it, and how does it work? https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/what-is-amazon-business
[11] Amazon Business: What is Amazon’s B2B Procurement Platform. https://procurementmag.com/articles/amazon-business-what-is-amazons-b2b-procurement-platform
[12] Amazon Business | Sell on B2B E-commerce Marketplace. https://sell.amazon.co.uk/programmes/amazon-business
[13] Amazon Business. https://sell.amazon.com/programs/amazon-business
[14] Amazon Marketplace Statistics 2025. https://www.edesk.com/blog/amazon-statistics/
[15] Consumer Goods Solutions in AWS Marketplace. https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/solutions/consumer-goods
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