Amazon says the holiday shopping season is the biggest in history as consumers are forced to stay home and shop online due to Covid.
According to a blog post, Amazon said that customers have been shopping early for gifts and seasonal items for families and friends. The observation comes as many retailers that depend on physical stores have been struggling to maintain their businesses.
The most popular items on Amazon are the new Echo Dot, Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” book, and the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Brush, Amazon said. Self-care, “nesting at home”, and “cozy comfort” were among the top trends during the Covid-19 period.
“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 of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, in a statement.
“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.”
Amazon did not reveal actual sales numbers for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, which are usually the two busiest days for Amazon during the holiday shopping season.
However, Amazon has been criticized for advertising its own products above those from independent retailers. The company stressed that the latter had witnessed “record demand” on its platform this year.
Businesses selling on Amazon exceeded $4.8 billion in worldwide sales from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. That number was an increase of 60% from last year. The company added that 71,000 small and medium-sized businesses had recorded sales above $100,000 in this holiday season so far.
Protests during Amazon holiday shopping season
The e-commerce giant is spending an additional $500 million on bonuses for employees as protests against its practices continue.
According to Dave Clark, senior vice president for worldwide operations at Amazon, a $300 bonus will be given to front-line US employees while $150 will be allotted for part-time employees.
Meanwhile, Amazon workers in the UK will receive bonuses of £300 and £150 for full-time and part-time, respectively.
Clark said the e-commerce company will allocate $2.5 billion this year on “special bonuses and incentives” for teams globally, which includes the “thank you” bonus it paid workers in June.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon was one of the few firms that continued to thrive despite the situation. In the fourth quarter, the firm is forecasting revenues of over $100 billion for the first time, increasing its total sales to over $370 billion, which was 33% higher compared to 2019.
This pandemic success has prompted unions and civil society groups to call on Amazon to go beyond its commitments to workers and the environment. Worker compensation and safety, along with the firm’s carbon footprint and tax practices, are among the issues being raised by these groups.
UNI Global Union general secretary Christy Hoffman said: “It is great that workers are getting more this holiday season, [but] it is not enough.” UNI Global Union is among those that signed the “Make Amazon Pay” petition.
“To show it values its workforce, Amazon should collectively bargain wages and conditions with workers throughout its operations, rather than make one time unilateral gestures of appreciation,” she added.
