Amazon reports record holiday sales, independent sellers thrive

SEATTLE - Amazon (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:AMZN ) announced that its recent Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday event, spanning from November 21 to December 2, marked the company's most successful holiday shopping period to date in comparison to the same timeframe in previous years. The event witnessed unprecedented sales and the highest number of items sold.

During this 12-day deal event, customers purchased millions of Amazon's Echo and Fire TV devices, including the latest Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick 4K models, which were among the event's top sellers. In the United States, electronics, toys, and beauty products saw significant demand, with items like Beats headphones, Samsung (KS:005930 ) TVs, and Medicube beauty devices being particularly popular.

This year's event was also notably beneficial for independent sellers on Amazon's platform, primarily small and medium-sized businesses. They accounted for over 60% of the sales during this period, with brands such as JLab and Blissy seeing substantial success.

Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, expressed gratitude towards customers for their business during the holiday season and highlighted the company's commitment to providing value through savings and fast, convenient delivery options. Herrington also acknowledged the efforts of Amazon's employees, vendors, and selling partners.

An independent study by Profitero found that Amazon's prices were on average 14% lower than other leading U.S. retailers, marking the eighth consecutive year of Amazon leading in online price competitiveness entering the holiday season.

Amazon's commitment to facilitating customer savings extends throughout December, with millions more deals offered globally. The company's Holiday Shop features trending gifts from top brands and various shopping themes. Additionally, from December 3-14, customers can enjoy up to 40% off on fashion and fitness items from brands like Columbia and Lacoste.

To make holiday shopping even more accessible, Amazon has introduced AI-powered features like Rufus, a conversational shopping assistant, and Amazon Lens, a visual search tool. The company also unveiled a Virtual Holiday Shop, offering a 3D shopping experience with over 300 top gift items.

Amazon reassures customers of a secure shopping experience with its A-to-z Guarantee and offers fast, free delivery for Prime members, including a convenient Amazon Day for receiving packages. The extended holiday returns window allows most items purchased from November 1 to December 31 to be returned until January 31, providing additional flexibility for customers.

This report is based on a press release statement from Amazon.

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Source: Investing.com