Exciting news: Lavolio is on the BBC 1 Amazon documentary! A while back, a film crew from the BBC came to my London store Lavolio to give us the chance to share our experience as a small business on Amazon. And now, Lavolio was on the BBC One Panorama documentary. It was aired live on Monday, 17 of February 2020, on BBC One.

How my chocolate business arrived on Amazon

A few years ago, I was working at a pop-up in Old Street station, among all places. It was close to Valentine's Day and you can never go wrong with chocolate on Valentine's Day. And, my Italian sweets are very unique, I was getting some attention. One gentleman stopped by to buy a chocolate box for his girlfriend. He had an American accent. I thought it was quite nice! He wanted to bring some of my Italian chocolates to his girlfriend back in the US. I did not think any more of it after he was gone. Lo and behold, he contacted me afterwards, saying how much they loved them. He said he should have bought more. And, as it turns out, he worked for Amazon. He was the one who helped me set up my confectionery business on Amazon.

Why does it help my confectionery business to be on Amazon?

My Italian chocolate business is really small. We are also relatively young. And, of course, we have had plenty of success and things to celebrate. At the same time, it is very hard to reach new customers when you are a small business. How can anyone know about a small handmade confectionery brand when it is so easy to just buy a chocolate box at the supermarket? However, being on Amazon really helps. Almost overnight, we had the potential to reach millions of customers. And, Amazon has been quite supportive in terms of marketing and helping us get some exposure. Now, if you are looking for a luxury chocolate gift, you can buy it online both on my Lavolio website and on Amazon, depending on what works best for you.

My business is still my business

That said, I am very grateful to have had Amazon work as a platform for my chocolate business. Many small businesses will try it, and find that it does not quite suit their brand. It might be surprising that a luxury chocolate brand fits well on one of the largest online platforms of the world. Actually, it is because we offer such a unique gift. People go on Amazon looking for gifts all the time. And sometimes, they find Lavolio. What an amazing experience having the opportunity to share my story on the BBC 1 Panorama Amazon documentary. And I am so thankful for everyone who has supported me and my business and has written to us or has bought a chocolate tin from us after watching it!

What is the documentary you can find on the BBC iPlayer?

In a quarter of a century, Amazon has propelled Jeff Bezos from online bookseller to tech titan. He's the richest man on the planet, and the company he founded is one of the most powerful. Panorama investigates Amazon's rise to corporate superpower and asks whether there is a dark side to our love affair with the company. Former high-level insiders describe Amazon's huge, obsessive data-gathering operation, which enables the company to use what it knows about us to shape not only the future of retail but the workplace and technology too. On both sides of the Atlantic, politicians and regulators are beginning to question Amazon's power and to explore ways to rein it in. But some of Amazon's most senior executives say the company is a force for good, inventing new ways to serve customers and maintain their trust.

Where can you watch?

You can still watch the replay on BBC iPlayer here.
Or on youtube here
Watch me talk about Lavolio on BBC 1 Amazon documentary on minute 22:45. Grazie, Lavinia