Many consumers believe they are supporting independent small retailers by shopping on platforms like Etsy and Shopify, but Amazon increasingly handles the logistics and fulfillment for these orders without the shopper's knowledge.

The Conversation

Many online shoppers who order from independent small retailers have no idea who ships their goods. Odds are growing that it's Amazon. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
You did the right thing this morning.
Instead of the one-click default to your laptop’s last opened tab, you opened Etsy and bought a ceramic mug from a maker you’d been following on Instagram. Yesterday, your sister’s birthday gift came from a Shopify store run by a kitchenware designer in Sacramento, California. You felt something whe