SEATTLE - December 26, 2006 - Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) today announced it has ended its busiest holiday season in the company's four-year history, thanks to an increasing number of Canadians across the country taking advantage of the low prices, vast selection, convenience and holiday gifting features offered by the online retailer.

"At Amazon.ca we are continually working to improve the shopping experience for our customers, not just during the holidays but year-round," said Mark Shumka, manager of Amazon.ca. "We'd like to thank all of our Canadian customers for making this the busiest holiday season ever at Amazon.ca, and look forward to serving each of you in the new year. We are thrilled that more Canadians than ever trusted us to help them delight their friends and loved ones this holiday season."

Among the highlights of Amazon.ca's 2006 holiday season:

  • The last holiday order was placed shortly before midnight on December 18, 2006. The order contained the book Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art and was shipped to Scarborough, Ontario, in time for delivery on December 22.
  • Amazon.ca exported holiday gifts to 135 different countries (up from nearly 100 in 2005) around the world, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Brunei, Congo, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mozambique, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Togo, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
  • Within Canada, Amazon.ca shipped packages as far north as Grise Fiord, Nunavut, as far east as Logy Bay, Newfoundland, and as far west as Beaver Creek, Yukon.


Holiday Top Sellers on Amazon.ca

Amazon.ca's five bestselling items during the holiday season in each product category (based on units ordered since November 1, 2006) were:
Books

  1. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures: Stories by Vincent Lam
  2. The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence by Jim Brown
  3. You: On a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Mehmet C. Oz
  4. America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It by Mark Steyn
  5. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Music

  1. Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan
  2. An Ancient Muse by Loreena McKennitt
  3. Awake by Josh Groban
  4. The Christmas Collection by Il Divo
  5. Siempre by Il Divo

DVD

  1. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Special Edition)
  2. An Inconvenient Truth
  3. 24: Season 5
  4. The Da Vinci Code (Two-Disc Widescreen Special Edition)
  5. Cars (Widescreen Edition)

Video Games

  1. Final Fantasy III (DS)
  2. Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
  3. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
  4. Gears of War (Xbox 360)
  5. Nintendo DS Lite Coral Pink Console

Software

  1. Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave
  2. World of Warcraft 60 Day Pre-Paid Card
  3. The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack
  4. Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe DVD
  5. Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Premier Elements 3.0 Bundle

Most-Wished-For Products on Amazon.ca

The most-wished-for items from Amazon.ca customers for the 2006 holiday season:

Books
 

  1. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt
  2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
  3. The God Delusion (Hardcover)by Richard Dawkins
  4. Night (Paperback) by Elie Wiesel
  5. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Paperback) by Malcolm Gladwell

Music

  1. Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan
  2. An Ancient Muse by Loreena McKennitt
  3. Taking the Long Way by Dixie Chicks
  4. Back to Bedlam by James Blunt
  5. Loose by Nelly Furtado

DVD

  1. Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
  2. Grey's Anatomy: Season One
  3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Widescreen Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)
  4. Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Second Season Uncut
  5. Lost: The Complete Second Season - The Extended Experience

Video Games

  1. Nintendo Wii Console w/Wii Sports
  2. Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
  3. Final Fantasy III (DS)
  4. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
  5. Sony PlayStation 3 (60GB)


About Amazon.ca

Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) is part of the global family of Amazon Web sites that have become known for great prices, selection, and convenience. Amazon.ca customers can find and discover millions of English and French books, CDs, videos, and DVDs as well as a vast array of software, video games, and consoles--all at everyday low prices. Amazon.ca also offers FREE Super Saver Shipping, available on orders of $39 or more delivered to a single Canadian address. Amazon.ca sources products directly from Canadian publishers and distributors, ensuring a rich offering of Canadian titles and content. Features such as original editorial reviews in English and French and product recommendations help Amazon.ca customers find the right products for them among the site's broad selection. Through Amazon Marketplace, Amazon.ca customers can conveniently buy and sell used, new, and collectible merchandise on the same pages where Amazon.ca sells those items new.

To ensure all orders are delivered to customers quickly and efficiently, Amazon.ca works with Canada Post, one of the world's most progressive postal companies. Orders placed at Amazon.ca are fulfilled and shipped from within Canada by Assured Logistics, a part of the Canada Post Group of Companies.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, payments, fraud, consumer trends, and new business areas. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and all subsequent filings.

To arrange an interview with an Amazon.ca representative, please contact:

Margaret Antkowski
NATIONAL Public Relations
416-848-1392

Kendal Lo
NATIONAL Public Relations
416-848-1701