Amazon Prime sees subscriber boost from procrastinating shoppers

Online retailer Amazon. com Inc. has been a prime beneficiary of more consumers doing their holiday shopping online and procrastinating. Amazon Prime, the company’s US$ 99- a- year loyalty program that includes unlimited free two-day shipping, gained three million new members in the third week of December alone. Meanwhile, the number of Prime members shopping via mo- bile more than doubled this holiday season, Amazon said Monday. Christmas Eve was the biggest day yet for deliveries by the company’s Prime Now service, which now offers free two-hour delivery to more than 20 metropolitan areas. When Prime Now launched last year, it only delivered within Manhattan. Seattle-based Amazon also said it shipped a record number of items worldwide for the holidays, with items going to 185 countries. Amazon’s report, issued on Monday covers trends and percentage changes in its shipments, but doesn’t give sales figures or the number of items it shipped. Amazon declined to share additional information. The Associated Press