Small Businesses Are Embracing a Broad Range of E-Commerce Marketplaces and AI Tools to Expand Reach and Improve Performance

• 91% of Small Business Leaders Say E-Commerce Platforms Help Drive Sales; 89% Say It's Easier to Launch New Products on These Online Marketplaces Than in Physical Stores

• 90% of Business Owners Say They Now Have More Marketplace Options Than When They Started

• 71% of Small and Medium-Sized Business Owners Are Regularly Using AI Tools

Washington, D.C. - TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of tech CEOs and senior executives, today released the results of a recent poll conducted with Morning Consult. As e-commerce sales worldwide continue to grow year over year, America's small businesses report the strong value and benefits they receive from using marketplace platforms to reach customers with their goods and services.* This survey evaluated how small business decision-makers are leveraging e-commerce marketplaces, the benefits they are seeing, and their most widely-used platforms.

"As our survey shows, e-commerce is a valuable tool for small businesses and a key driver of success in a competitive environment," said Linda Moore, President and CEO of TechNet. "Online marketplaces help small businesses drive sales, reach new customers, and launch new products - all of which are critical to growth and long-term success."

Small businesses are also increasingly looking to a diverse range of AI tools and services to help perform business tasks, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Canva AI. These AI tools are helping small businesses compete with larger brands, reduce costs, develop new products, and reach more customers. AI adoption has grown over the last year, and small businesses expect this trend to continue into 2027.

TechNet's diverse membership includes online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Mercari, and Shopify, which help small businesses reach customers and grow every day.

The full survey results can be found here . Key findings include:

E-Commerce Platforms

Small businesses use e-commerce platforms to grow, drive sales, launch products, and run ad campaigns while giving them more ways to reach customers.

• On average respondents indicated they used between 3-4 separate sales channels (online and offline) to sell their products over the past year.
• Nine-in-ten (91%) say online marketplace platforms are effective for sales. 89% say it's easier to launch on these marketplaces than in physical stores.
• 88% of respondents agree these marketplaces provide valuable analytics tools to help them run effective ad campaigns and launch new product lines.
• 90% say there are more channels available now than when they started their businesses.

AI Adoption

AI use among small businesses is rising and expected to grow over the next year, as business owners see real value in the tools, trust them, and are eager to use AI to drive growth.

• 71% of small and medium-sized business owners are regularly using AI tools - 52% are leveraging them daily.
• 81% say AI has helped reach new customers.
• Three-quarters (76%) say AI helps them compete with larger companies and 76% say AI makes them more productive, allowing reinvestment and hiring.
• Nearly 80% say AI has helped them expand and diversify the tools and service providers they use to reach customers.

*Source: The International Trade Administration 2024 eCommerce Size & Sales Forecast

Methodology

TechNet partnered with Morning Consult to conduct a nationwide, self-reported, anonymous survey of small retail business owners, executives, and senior managers who use e-commerce marketplaces to sell their products. The poll was conducted February 25 - March 9, 2026, among a sample of 1,108 small business retailers. The interviews were conducted online. Eligible small business retailers for this survey were owners, operators, executives, and senior sales and marketing professionals at companies with 500 or fewer employees and less than $50 million in total revenue last year who reported using the internet to sell products online. No post-hoc weights were applied to the data, and findings reflect the opinion of these respondents only.

About TechNet

TechNet is the national, bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of American innovation by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the federal and 50-state levels. TechNet's diverse membership includes dynamic American businesses ranging from startups to the most iconic companies on the planet and represents over five million employees and countless customers across information technology, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, advanced energy, transportation, cybersecurity, venture capital, and finance. TechNet has offices in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Harrisburg, Olympia, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C.