Report: Amazon to Shutter Webstore, Its Ecommerce Platform for Small Businesses Users of Amazon Webstore have received letters from the company stating the service will be ending in July of next year.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Amazon is reportedly in the process of shuttering Amazon Webstore, a service enabling small business owners to create standalone ecommerce websites.

Though the company has yet to confirm its closure, several users of the service noted on an Amazon forum that the company had contacted them last Monday to state that the platform would close next summer.

"We will support the Webstore service until July 1, 2016 to give you 15 months to prepare for the change," the notification letter reportedly reads. "Your ability to sell on Amazon.com and your Selling on Amazon account will not be impacted by this change."

Related: Amazon Launches New Storefront for Shark Tank and Kickstarter Successes

A message on the top of its Amazon Webstore landing page also states that the service is "no longer available to new sellers."

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move comes as the hosting landscape has become increasingly flooded, Re/code reports, with competitors Shopify and Bigcommerce raising boatloads of venture capital to develop more enticing eCommerce tools. eBay said last summer that it would discontinue its Magento Go software, which provides a similar service.

Amazon launched Webstore in 2010.

Related: Who Needs Drones When Amazon Could 3-D Print Your Goods From a Van Parked Outside Your Home?

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Google's CEO Praised AI Rival DeepSeek This Week for Its 'Very Good Work.' Here's Why.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Wednesday.

Business News

OLIPOP Is Now a $1.85 Billion Brand. 'You Can Accomplish Things You Can't Imagine' Says Its Co-Founder.

OLIPOP co-founder Ben Goodwin explains how his idea for a "functional" soda that supports the gut's microbiome found its way onto store shelves and into consumers' hearts.

Side Hustle

This 31-Year-Old Spends 2 Hours Per Week On His $2,000-a-Month Passive Income Side Hustle: 'Trust Your Vision'

Hansel Moore's home office "wasn't cutting it" — so he found another place to be creative.

Marketing

Be Seen Online: Outrank Your Competitors Without Breaking a Sweat

Automate SEO, generate engaging content, and increase visibility—all with SEMAI.

Marketing

Should I Ask Google? SEO Is Changing Fast This Year — Here's What to Watch

SEO in 2025 will focus on adapting to AI-driven changes, voice and visual search, mobile-first design and building trust.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.