Amazon Prime - statistics & facts
Since Amazon Prime was first introduced to U.S. shoppers in 2005, it has expanded to over 20 other countries and raised the global number of Prime members to more than 200 million. The fee-based membership program provides customers with a wide range of exclusive offers. Benefits include free premium delivery, exclusive deals and discounts, and subscriber-only digital and streaming media content that Prime users can access for a monthly or annual fee.
With Prime, Amazon has set a higher standard of online purchase experience, introducing the exclusivity of shopping services. As a result, Prime users might expect other retailers to improve their customer experience, too. A glance at the net promoter score they assigned to most of Amazon’s competitors showed that the gap in provided services is still broad.
How big is Amazon Prime?
In the United States, industry sources estimated a subscriber count of 180 million in 2024, slightly up from the previous year. That year, roughly 75 percent of all U.S. Amazon shoppers were Prime members, reflecting the service’s strong appeal to platform users. Even though the price of a Prime membership has increased over the years, the variety of shipping options and services remains unchallenged. Besides free deliveries and tailored deals, Prime users can also benefit from exclusive discounts over Amazon Prime Days, the annual shopping event generating increasing sales worldwide. In the United States, Amazon dominates the promising market of retail memberships, with other competitors generating only a fraction of Amazon’s revenue.It is not just about Prime Day
Prime Day is among the least-important reasons for shoppers to subscribe to Amazon Prime; only 23 percent of U.S. consumers named the sales event as a leading factor. Free shipping and access to Amazon Prime Video were much more sought-after, with roughly 80 and 50 percent of consumers mentioning the two factors. Moreover, Prime Day is just one of the sale events that Prime members can enjoy. Once called Prime Early Access Sale, Amazon’s sale event held over two days in October has now been renamed Big Deal Days and opens the holiday season. Tempted by convenient deals, nearly 60 percent of U.S. Prime members shopped both during Prime Day and Big Deal Days in 2024.With Prime, Amazon has set a higher standard of online purchase experience, introducing the exclusivity of shopping services. As a result, Prime users might expect other retailers to improve their customer experience, too. A glance at the net promoter score they assigned to most of Amazon’s competitors showed that the gap in provided services is still broad.
