In 2010, Alexandria, Virginia-based couple Amy and Adam Fazackerley turned a common parental frustration—stepping on scattered LEGO® pieces—into an innovative storage solution. Their company, Lay-n-Go, created drawstring play mats that simplified toy cleanup and storage but soon found unexpected success in a storage solution for cosmetics.
“Our kids were the reason we started it, but then it blew up with the cosmetic bag, and that’s by far our number one seller,” Adam Fazackerley, Lay-n-Go co-founder, explained.
The company began selling in the Amazon store in late 2011, initially working through resellers while focusing on other retail channels. The turning point came in 2021 when Lay-n-Go made a strategic decision to shift to direct-to-consumer sales in the Amazon store. “Selling direct to consumers and having a partner like Amazon has been great,” Fazackerley noted.
This move proved prescient, as the family-run business now generates most of its sales through the Amazon store and expects to see 35% to 45% growth in Amazon sales in 2025.
A crucial element of Lay-n-Go’s success has been their commitment to protecting their intellectual property. With six U.S. utility patents, they worked closely with Amazon’s IP protection programs, becoming early participants in the Amazon Patent Evaluation Express (APEX) program, which handles patent disputes in the Amazon store.
The APEX program provides a streamlined, cost-effective way for patent owners to address potential infringement issues without the need for lengthy and expensive court proceedings. Through APEX, sellers pay a $4,000 fee to have their patent claims evaluated by neutral third-party attorneys. This process typically takes just a few months, compared to traditional patent litigation that can take years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We were one of the first sellers to go through the program, and we really liked the opportunity to help shape it for the next generation,” Fazackerley said. “What good is a patent if you can’t defend it?”
The Fazackerley’s continue to protect the Lay-n-Go brand with Brand Registry, a free program that uses machine learning and expert investigators to prevent the attempted listing of counterfeit or infringing products.
“Brand Registry was an essential stepping stone in our IP protection journey with Amazon,” Fazackerley explained. “While we understood Amazon couldn’t act as a patent lawyer or judge, Brand Registry provided the foundation for protecting our innovations. Combined with the APEX program, it gave us a way to defend our patents without costly court proceedings - something that’s especially crucial for small businesses like ours.”
While protecting the Lay-n-Go brand is a top priority, the business also taps into other Amazon tools to get their products to their customers. For example, they recently started testing out Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD), an integrated low-cost bulk storage solution that provides sellers with pay-as-you-go bulk storage with automated replenishment of their inventory into Prime-ready fulfillment centers.
Lay-n-Go also uses a combination of Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to give them flexibility in delivering their products to customers. FBM enables them to list their products in the Amazon store and handle all storage, packing, and shipping of orders themselves. FBA allows them to have Amazon provide storage, picking, packing, fulfillment and customer service for their orders—at a lower price.
This flexibility in fulfillment helps the company manage both slow and peak sales periods, such as the holiday season when sales between Dec.10-Dec. 20 can sometimes equal three months of sales during slower periods, Fazackerley said.
Looking ahead, Lay-n-Go continues to innovate and expand. They’ve recently launched eight new patterns and colors and collaborated with Year Five, a full-service Amazon brand management agency, to further their overall Amazon growth.
The company remains a true family business, with their children having been involved since the beginning. “They were in every picture and video. They were our models,” Fazackerley shared. As their children grow older—with one approaching high school graduation and two close to finishing college—the family maintains open discussions about the company’s future.
“We are looking to actively grow but not sell,” Fazackerley emphasized. “The focus remains on responsible growth through strategic advertising, delivering the highest quality products, and maintaining strong margins as an Amazon seller.”