Amazon reports record-breaking holiday

For a company with a burgeoning private label business, considered to be the “most threatening” in a recent survey of consumer goods execs, Amazon's annual holiday sales report is of interest. For one, while the company doesn't share actual sales numbers, the Seattle-based e-commerce giant reported that the number of Prime members who tried grocery delivery for the first time this holiday season increased by more than 80%. 

And Prime members ordered more than double the number of grocery items this holiday season compared with last year, according to Amazon.

“This holiday season has been better than ever thanks to our customers and employees all around the world,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “On behalf of all Amazonians, we wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a fantastic 2020.”

Amazon said that it has delivered millions of grocery items from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh this holiday season. Best-selling items for grocery delivery included avocados, spinach, blueberries and pears.

Overall, Amazon noted that it had a "record-breaking" holiday season because of its "customers all around the world – billions of items were ordered worldwide and tens of millions of Amazon devices were purchased worldwide."

More people tried Prime this holiday season than any previous year – in fact, in one week alone, more than 5 million new customers started Prime free trials or began paid memberships globally.

This holiday season, the number of items that were delivered with Prime Free One-Day and Prime Free Same-Day Delivery nearly quadrupled compared with the same time period last holiday season, the company said.

And more than 100 million items sold by independent third-party sellers – mostly small and medium-sized businesses – were shipped with Prime Free One-Day Delivery over the holidays in the United States.

The New York Times reported in July that Amazon was brainstorming a new type of grocery store that would combine traditional shopping with online pickup. That store is scheduled to open in Woodland Hills, Calif., in 2020.

The company also recently launched one- and two-hour grocery delivery of meat, seafood, eggs, produce and other fresh items in Tampa, Fla.

Gina Acosta writes for sister publication Progressive Grocer.