Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. yesterday said that 37.9 million items were ordered across company-owned sites from Nov. 9 through Dec. 21.
The items counted by the Seattle retailer's self-styled holiday Delight-O-Meter recorded orders on flagship Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de and Amazon.co.jp.
Of the items ordered, more than 10 million came from Amazon's overseas retail sites.
Popular items ordered include the Harry Potter books and merchandise, “Shrek” videos and DVDs, and video gaming systems GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation2.
Also, DVDs topped in electronics and Robbie Williams' “Swing When You're Winning” compact disc was the music best seller.
Other items hot with last-minute shoppers were magazine subscriptions, gift certificates and Circuit City purchases for in-store pickup. Amazon has co-branded Circuit City and Target stores on its site.
Amazon said more than 36,000 items were bought using its last-minute shipping option for orders placed until noon Dec. 22.
In time for Christmas delivery, about half of these offers were shipped to nonbilling addresses. More than 60 percent were gift-wrapped.
Amazon claimed it shipped 99 percent of its orders in time for holiday deadlines.
The retailer will announce its fourth-quarter 2001 fiscal results in a Jan. 22 Webcast of an 8:30 a.m. EST conference call.
