SMALL and medium-sized businesses in Lancashire sold £50million worth of goods through Amazon last year according to a new report.

The 2020 Amazon UK SME Impact Report, commissioned by the multi-national company, also found that the county was home to more than 1,500 companies that sell their wares through Amazon.

These figures were gathered before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, during which demand for Amazon deliveries is likely to have expanded due to shops being closed for much of 2020.

Amazon vice-president for EU seller services Francois Saugier said: “Empowering small and medium-sized businesses is at the core of everything we do.

“We will continue to invest in logistics, tools, and people to support small and medium-sized businesses," he added.

“Despite this challenging period, selling partners have continued to grow with Amazon.

“When customers shop on our stores, more than 50% of the products they buy are sold by small businesses.”

The findings show that Lancashire has the sixth-highest number of businesses that sell through the company, and that of the 1,500 companies, two-thirds also exported products abroad through Amazon.

However, Amazon has continued to face questions over its business practices, particularly where conditions for employees at its warehouses, one of which is in Leyland, are concerned.

The company has also faced questions about its tax affairs, having been accused by campaign group Fair Tax Mark of ‘aggressively avoiding’ up to £75billion worth of tax worldwide over the last decade.

Blackburn and District Trades Council has joined with a national Make Amazon Pay campaign, also supported by the GMB union, various MPs and the War on Want charity.