Amazon announced that Illinois-based Iya Foods has expanded its gluten-free product line and has seen significant growth through the Amazon store. The brand offers a range of gluten-free items, including sauces, baking mixes, and baked goods inspired by its African heritage.

Iya Foods, founded by Toyin Kolawole in 2015, began as a business selling Nigerian-influenced sauces and spices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for home-cooking and gluten-free products increased, leading to the expansion of the product line to include cassava, corn, and tapioca-based baking mixes. According to Amazon, the use of Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) supported the company's ability to scale by managing order fulfillment and delivery.

"So, we take advantage of Fulfillment by Amazon, where we pack our products, send it to Amazon, and customers are able to get it really, really fast, much faster than we could do on our own as a small business," said Kolawole.

Through Amazon, Iya Foods reached a wider customer base with products like its sweet corn and coconut cornbread mix becoming available to more consumers. Since joining Amazon, Iya Foods has grown from a startup into a multi-million-dollar business with plans for continued growth.

"I can look at the Amazon reviews, and I can look at competitor reviews. I can see what customers don’t like; I can see what they like," said Kolawole. "And then I [add my products to Amazon’s store] at a slightly lower cost, and we’re able to grow market share really fast. And that’s something that has been instrumental."

In 2023, independent sellers in the U.S. sold over 4.5 billion items on Amazon, averaging $250,000 in annual sales according to Amazon's 2023 Small Business Empowerment Report. Amazon has been supporting independent sellers for 24 years by providing access to a global customer base. More than 60% of Amazon’s sales come from independent sellers, including many small and medium-sized businesses. These sellers have created over 1.8 million jobs in the U.S.