Amazon (AMZN) on Wednesday said it had a record-breaking holiday season, with the number of orders hitting a new peak. Without specifying the numbers, the e-commerce retailer said tens of millions of people initiated Prime memberships – free and paid – during the December quarter.
Amazon shares opened up 3.9% on Wednesday. Amazon stock has gained 13% so far this year and is the best among FAANG stocks after Netflix (NFLX).
CEO Worldwide Consumer Jeff Wilke said, “This season was our best yet, and we look forward to continuing to bring our customers what they want, in ways most convenient for them in 2019. We are thrilled that in the U.S. alone, more than one billion items shipped for free this holiday with Prime.”
The company said its own products also sold well this holiday season, led by the Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick 4K and Echo. The kids’
editions of Echo Dot and Fire tablets also saw a significant increase in orders, the company stated.
Amazon is thrashing Walmart in the great Indian e-commerce war
Alexa crashes on Christmas day
Meanwhile, taking away the sheen of record sales, many Echo customers from the UK reported that they were unable to control lights or play songs through the device on Christmas Day. According to The Guardian, voice assistant Alexa crashed on Christmas Day as servers were overloaded with commands.
Alexa’s standard response to the users was – “Sorry, I’m having trouble understanding you right now.” The crash occurred around 10 AM GMT.
We’re on Apple News! Follow us to receive the latest stock market, earnings, and financial news at your fingertips
Most Popular
IPO Alert: Here’s what to look for when CaliberCos goes public
The massive slowdown in the IPO market continued in the second half as the challenges posed by high inflation and interest rate hikes weighed on investor confidence. Meanwhile, there is
CarMax (KMX) Stock: Does the current dip offer a buying opportunity?
The automotive sector is one of the worst affected by the combination of high inflation and rising interest rates. Consumers have become more cautious and are prioritizing their purchases with
Ultimax Digital gears up for $10mln IPO. Here’s all you need to know
The IPO market has witnessed muted activity this year, and things don’t seem to have improved in the second half. The upcoming public listing of video game technology firm Ultimax
