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Amazon says it shipped a billion items via Prime network over peak

Cities with the most last-minute deliveries on Christmas Eve were San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Springfield, Va.

Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
By Supply Chain Quarterly StaffDec 26, 2018
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
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E-commerce megalith Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday that its customers had ordered more items worldwide than ever before this holiday peak season, including more than one billion items shipped with the retailer's Prime subscription shipping plan in the U.S. alone.

That total included the season's final Prime Now delivery, made at 11:30 pm on Christmas Eve in Berkeley, Calif., including Lego Super Heroes Captain America Building Kit, a Hallmark card, Greek yogurt, and shampoo.

The five cities that had the most last-minute Prime Now deliveries on Christmas Eve were San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Springfield, Va., the company said.

According to Amazon, some of the best-selling products this season included:

  • the Echo Dot voice-operated digital assistant,
  • L.O.L. Surprise! Glam Glitter Series Doll,
  • fashion items from Carhartt, and
  • Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones.

In addition to the doll, the best-selling toys in the U.S. and worldwide included: the Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster, Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Rainbow Mini Notes with Wooden Stylus, Crayola Inspiration Art Case, and Lego Creator Mighty Dinosaurs Toy.

In the electronics category, the best-selling items were: the Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, the Samsung Flat 65-inch 4K UHD 8 Series Smart LED TV, Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 32GB) in Space Gray, Wemo Mini Smart Plug, Blue Yeti USB Microphone in Blackout, Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera, and HP Sprocket Photo Paper.

In addition to acting as an online marketplace for retailers, Amazon also sells inventory made and marketed under its own private brands. The top sales in that category for peak season this year included: Amazon Essentials Men's Long-Sleeve Plaid Flannel Shirts, Goodthreads Men's Short-Sleeve Crewneck Cotton T-Shirts, Daily Ritual Women's Skinny Stretch Jeggings, the Stone & Beam Ceramic Geometric Table Lamp, Pinzon Faux Fur Throw Blankets, AmazonBasics Multipurpose Scissors, Amazon Elements Baby Wipes, Presto! Toilet Paper, and Solimo Dark Roast Coffee K-Cup Pods.

"We are thrilled that in the U.S. alone, more than one billion items shipped for free this holiday with Prime," Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer, said in a release. "Thank you to our employees all around the world who are committed to bringing our customers the widest selection of products with low prices and fast and free delivery options throughout the holidays and all year long."

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