Amazon’s Prime Day is set to be biggest in its history for sales, the e-commerce giant announced yesterday as its fleet of Prime Air aircraft took to the skies.
The annual event took place for 30 hours from Monday, 10 July and is one of the biggest online retail days in the US shopping calendar.
Third-party sellers sold over 50 per cent more items on the site by noon local time than in the same timeframe last year, Amazon said. The company has not disclosed sales figures, but it was estimated last year’s event brought in well over $500 million.
During Prime Day, Amazon Prime members received unlimited free two-day, one-day and same day shipping on over 50 million items in more than 5,000 cities and towns, and two-hour delivery with Prime Now across 30 major cities.
Ahead of the Prime Day sale Amazon announced: “Prime Air cargo planes are fuelled and ready to support Prime Day in the United States for the first time.”
Amazon’s Prime Air fleet is made up of of 25 aircraft including Boeing 767-300s and 767-200s which are leased from Atlas Air and ATSG, and has another 15 more on order.
Amazon is also expanding its fulfillment centres in the US and announced on 10 July it would be opening an 850,000 square foot facility in Orlando, Florida.
This comes after the online retailer said on 5 July it would open its first Utah fulfillment centre in Salt Lake City. The facility will be spread over 855,000 square feet.
