Competitor Watch

Amazon UK has launched an ‘accelerator programme’ for small and medium sized businesses, providing them with digital tools to help with their economic recovery post-coronavirus.

Launched in partnership with Enterprise Nation, Amazon’s ‘Small Business Accelerator’ will operate a free online educational programme for up to 200,000 UK businesses. The programme is for anyone who wants to start a new online business or grow an existing one.

The online learning is tailored to experience levels, with a comprehensive curriculum covering website building, selling online, social media, marketing, managing cashflow, selling on Amazon, and identifying growth opportunities.

The programme will include a growth diagnosis test and benefits from Amazon Business, Amazon Web Services, and other outlets. As part of the programme, Amazon will also run a week-long bootcamp to help up to 1,000 mostly offline start-ups and small businesses expand digitally and trade online.

Meanwhile, the Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) has approved Amazon’s 16 per cent stake in Deliveroo despite objections from competitors such as Just Eat and Dominos. The competition watchdog said the investment by Amazon ‘is not expected to damage competition in either restaurant delivery or online convenience grocery delivery.’

Deliveroo’s financial situation has improved considerably since the original finding which has led the CMA to conclude that it ‘would no longer be likely to exit the market in the absence of the transaction’. However, should Amazon increase its shareholding in the company, that would trigger a further investigation, the CMA said.