So far, Amazon is experiencing its most successful holiday season ever.
In a corporate blog post, the e-tail giant said kicking off the holiday season in October and offering more deals than ever before have helped produce the largest holiday season in company history through Cyber Monday (November 30).
In particular, Amazon cited the success independent businesses selling on its platform, nearly all of which are small-to-medium-sized, have had this holiday season to date. According to Amazon, independent businesses surpassed $4.8 billion in worldwide sales from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, an increase of over 60% from the same period in 2019.
In addition, more than 71,000 small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide have surpassed $100,000 in Amazon sales this holiday season to date, with U.S.-based small- and medium-sized businesses selling an average of 9,500 products per minute. Globally, Amazon says independent sellers on its platform are seeing record customer demand in the U.S. and around the world.
Amazon is now offering faster same-day delivery in two more cities—Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C.—in addition to Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando, and Dallas. Prime members can shop up to 3 million items across 12 categories available for same-day and overnight delivery.
Some of the best sellers so far include the all-new Echo Dot, Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land,” and the REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush. Amazon customers also made Black Friday and Cyber Monday the best-ever for independent businesses selling on Amazon—nearly all of which are small and medium-sized businesses—with worldwide sales growing over 60% year-over-year.
Other highlights from Amazon’s ongoing 2020 holiday season include:
- U.S. best sellers during the holiday season so far include the all-new Echo Dot, Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land,” the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush, Lite-Brite Ultimate Classic, Amazon Smart Plug, and 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service: Personal Genetic DNA Test
- More than twice as many customers asked their Amazon Alexa voice assistant for recipes and cooking advice on Thanksgiving compared to 2019, with some of the most popular recipes being Thanksgiving turkey, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole
- Global Alexa requests for holiday playlists and stations on Amazon Music have increased 90% compared to this time in 2019
“In a holiday season unlike any other, it’s clear that customers still want great deals on gifts for their loved ones or a little something extra for themselves, and we’re glad to help deliver smiles throughout the season,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO, Amazon worldwide consumer. “Thank you to our customers, employees, and selling partners around the world for making this our biggest holiday season to date, and for everything you’re doing to support our communities and each other now and throughout the year…” CSA