February 9, 2005: Seven weeks after it was announced that the much-anticipated Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be published on July 16, 2005, Amazon.co.uk (www.amazon.co.uk) today announced that more than 100,000 customers have already placed orders for the sixth book in JK Rowling's series, which is priced at £9.99 (41% percent discount) on Amazon.co.uk and available for delivery on day of release anywhere in the UK.

Within 24 hours of their appearance in the Amazon.co.uk catalogue, both the children's and adult versions of the sixth Harry Potter book had risen to number one and number two respectively in Amazon.co.uk's Hot 100 sales charts, where the children's version has remained ever since. Amazon.co.uk is offering both the children's and adult versions of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at a saving of £7 on RRP, a 41 percent discount.

More than 18 months ago, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix became Amazon.co.uk's bestselling item ever, with 420,000 pre-orders. The next book in the popular series has generated similar interest among "Muggles" everywhere, who have again taken advantage of Amazon.co.uk's simple, convenient pre-order ability to ensure they're among the first to receive the book on July 16.

"Our customers are clearly incredibly excited about the sixth Harry Potter book, and we're thrilled that more than 100,000 of them have recognised that Amazon.co.uk's easy pre-order system is the best way to save £7 on RRP and get delivery anywhere in the UK on the day of release" * said Robin Terrell, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk.

Highlights of Harry Potter Mania in 2003

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix dominated Amazon.co.uk's bestseller list for most of 2003 and was the biggest event in e-commerce history when it was released on June 21, 2003.
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix went to number one on Amazon.co.uk's Hot 100 within 2 hours of it being available to pre-order on January 15, 2003.
  • Amazon.co.uk delivered over 420,000 pre-ordered copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to customers across the UK and to over 150 countries world-wide, including Barbados, Nepal, Fiji and Tanzania, on Saturday June 21, 2003.
  • Amazon received more than 1.3 million pre-orders at its websites worldwide for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

All the Latest Happenings in Potterville

  • Dedicated Harry Potter shop: Amazon.co.uk's dedicated Harry Potter shop (www.amazon.co.uk/harrypotter) is a one-stop destination for all the latest Harry Potter information and merchandise. In addition to pre-ordering Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) visitors to the shop can save on Harry Potter-related products from across Amazon.co.uk.

Fine Print

* note, delivery on day of release to UK will be via first class delivery and excludes delivery via Amazon.co.uk's free UK delivery on orders over 19 GBP offer where this title is selected as part of an order over 19 GBP - see website for further details.

All prices exclude postage and packing. Subject to change and availability. Information correct at time of issue. See website for further details.

For further information please contact the Amazon.co.uk press office on 020 8636 9280.

About Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, and strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.co.uk and sellers list millions of new and used items in categories such as Books, Music, Video, DVD, Software, PC & Video Games, Electronics & Photo, Home & Garden, and Toys & Games!. Through Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.co.uk's millions of customers. Amazon.co.uk customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading online-shopping technology, such as secure credit-card payment, personalised recommendations, streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click® auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk is also available on mobile phones with WAP technology--see www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details.

Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-looking Statement

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 potential future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions, and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud, 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, 2003, and all subsequent filings.