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Amazon.com Announces Sales Impact from New Search Inside the Book Feature

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Announces-Sales-Impact-from-New-Search-Inside-the-Book-Feature/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Announces-Sales-Impact-from-New-Search-Inside-the-Book-Feature

10/30/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces Sales Impact from New Search Inside the Book Feature

10/30/2003

2003

1-Click(TM) Integration Drives 9 Percent Sales Increase for Books Included in Search Inside SEATTLE, Oct 30, 2003 -- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the initial results of its new feature, Search Inside the Book, which launched on October 23. In the first five days, sales growth for titles included in Search Inside the Book outpaced growth for titles not in the program by 9 percent. This is a large, statistically significant sample (120,000 titles) with a large valid control group, consisting of the remaining titles that do not have Search Inside treatment. "Search Inside the Book is driving increased sales," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We're truly excited by the positive response from customers." The increased sales are a direct result of Search Inside the Book's deep integration with Amazon.com's easy-to-use 1-Click(TM) payment system, and Amazon.com's millions of pre-registered, active customers. Search Inside the Book launched with 190 publishers, and since the launch of the program, 37 additional publishers have contacted Amazon.com requesting to participate. From customers: "During the past weekend, I entered a search for a favorite author, Jean Pierre de Caussade, and was surprised to find that, instead of the usual thirteen listings I usually find, there were eighty-one listings. These listings included not only books authored by Caussade, but also books by other authors that reference him. I was able to access pages in these books that refer to Caussade. You could see all the pages on which his name appeared. I thought this was a wonderful innovation by Amazon.com. I was able to find three books, which I have already ordered, that I would not have found without this new searching capability."- Vancouver, Washington "I could see the cover of the book, I remembered the story, but I could not come up with the title and wanted to recommend it to a friend as a choice for her book club. So...I typed in "savannah" and there it was...Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil...of course!"- Reston, Virginia "I just wanted to thank you VERY much for your new "Search Inside the Book" feature. For the past 10 years I've been searching high and low for a book I read in high school. The book contained a poem I really liked, but I couldn't remember the name of the book or the name of the poet...all I could remember was the first line "There are wolves in the next room waiting." I've searched the Internet (over and over) and every poetry anthology I've come across. No luck. However, I happened to stop by Amazon.com today and noticed your new feature...not only did my search get a hit, I got to see the page in the book containing the poem -- "The Wolves", by Allen Tate, by the way -- and order it, too). You guys really made my day. :-)"- San Carlos, California "I have been looking for years for any reference in a book about the big earthquake that shook Oriental Mindoro, an island-province in the Philippines, in 1994. I grew up in that island, and I was there during the quake. And so I typed "Mindoro earthquake" and voila! - first on the list is a book by Greg Bankoff with reference on it! It is good to know that that event, though it happened in a relatively insignificant place, was chronicled. And thanks to your new feature - now I can buy the exact book."- Los Angeles, California "Faroese language? Who in their right mind would look that up? Who even knows where it derives from? Me and me. Nevertheless Amazon managed to scrounge up the few results there was on the subject. This amazing inside the book feature even gave me some very interesting excerpts from the book that contained information I picked up right away. So do you know where the Faroese comes from? I didn't think so. Excuse me, I have a purchase to make. :)"- Washington Township, New Jersey About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. 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, consumer acceptance of new services, risks related to potential future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, competition, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>1-Click(TM) Integration Drives 9 Percent Sales Increase for Books Included in Search Inside</p><p>SEATTLE, Oct 30, 2003 -- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the initial results of its new feature, Search Inside the Book, which launched on October 23.</p><p>In the first five days, sales growth for titles included in Search Inside the Book outpaced growth for titles not in the program by 9 percent. This is a large, statistically significant sample (120,000 titles) with a large valid control group, consisting of the remaining titles that do not have Search Inside treatment.</p><p>"Search Inside the Book is driving increased sales," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We're truly excited by the positive response from customers."</p><p>The increased sales are a direct result of Search Inside the Book's deep integration with Amazon.com's easy-to-use 1-Click(TM) payment system, and Amazon.com's millions of pre-registered, active customers.</p><p>Search Inside the Book launched with 190 publishers, and since the launch of the program, 37 additional publishers have contacted Amazon.com requesting to participate.</p><p>From customers:</p><ul><li>"During the past weekend, I entered a search for a favorite author, Jean Pierre de Caussade, and was surprised to find that, instead of the usual thirteen listings I usually find, there were eighty-one listings. These listings included not only books authored by Caussade, but also books by other authors that reference him. I was able to access pages in these books that refer to Caussade. You could see all the pages on which his name appeared. I thought this was a wonderful innovation by Amazon.com. I was able to find three books, which I have already ordered, that I would not have found without this new searching capability."- Vancouver, Washington</li><li>"I could see the cover of the book, I remembered the story, but I could not come up with the title and wanted to recommend it to a friend as a choice for her book club. So...I typed in "savannah" and there it was...Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil...of course!"- Reston, Virginia</li><li>"I just wanted to thank you VERY much for your new "Search Inside the Book" feature. For the past 10 years I've been searching high and low for a book I read in high school. The book contained a poem I really liked, but I couldn't remember the name of the book or the name of the poet...all I could remember was the first line "There are wolves in the next room waiting." I've searched the Internet (over and over) and every poetry anthology I've come across. No luck. However, I happened to stop by Amazon.com today and noticed your new feature...not only did my search get a hit, I got to see the page in the book containing the poem -- "The Wolves", by Allen Tate, by the way -- and order it, too). You guys really made my day. :-)"- San Carlos, California</li><li>"I have been looking for years for any reference in a book about the big earthquake that shook Oriental Mindoro, an island-province in the Philippines, in 1994. I grew up in that island, and I was there during the quake. And so I typed "Mindoro earthquake" and voila! - first on the list is a book by Greg Bankoff with reference on it! It is good to know that that event, though it happened in a relatively insignificant place, was chronicled. And thanks to your new feature - now I can buy the exact book."- Los Angeles, California</li><li>"Faroese language? Who in their right mind would look that up? Who even knows where it derives from? Me and me. Nevertheless Amazon managed to scrounge up the few results there was on the subject. This amazing inside the book feature even gave me some very interesting excerpts from the book that contained information I picked up right away. So do you know where the Faroese comes from? I didn't think so. Excuse me, I have a purchase to make. :)"- Washington Township, New Jersey</li></ul><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>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, consumer acceptance of new services, risks related to potential future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, competition, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com Announces Partial Redemption of 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Announces-Partial-Redemption-of-4.75-Convertible-Subordinated-Notes/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Announces-Partial-Redemption-of-4.75-Convertible-Subordinated-Notes

10/24/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces Partial Redemption of 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes

10/24/2003

2003

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that on November 24, 2003, it will redeem $200 million in principal amount of its outstanding 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2009. The CUSIP numbers for the Notes are 023135AD8 and 023135AF3. The Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 102.850% of the principal amount at maturity, plus accrued and unpaid interest from August 1 through November 23, 2003. The Notes to be redeemed will be selected by lot in accordance with the procedures of The Depository Trust Company, the registered holder of the Notes. After completion of the redemption of $200 million in principal amount of the Notes, there will be approximately $1.05 billion aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding. The right to convert the Notes to be redeemed into common stock of Amazon.com will expire on November 21, 2003. The current conversion price for the Notes is $78.0275. Copies of the notice of redemption may be obtained from The Bank of New York, the trustee and paying agent for the Notes, by calling Bondholder Relations at 1-800-254-2826. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. CONTACT:Amazon.com Public RelationsBill Curry206-266-7180

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that on November 24, 2003, it will redeem $200 million in principal amount of its outstanding 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2009. The CUSIP numbers for the Notes are 023135AD8 and 023135AF3.</p><p>The Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 102.850% of the principal amount at maturity, plus accrued and unpaid interest from August 1 through November 23, 2003. The Notes to be redeemed will be selected by lot in accordance with the procedures of The Depository Trust Company, the registered holder of the Notes. After completion of the redemption of $200 million in principal amount of the Notes, there will be approximately $1.05 billion aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding.</p><p>The right to convert the Notes to be redeemed into common stock of Amazon.com will expire on November 21, 2003. The current conversion price for the Notes is $78.0275.</p><p>Copies of the notice of redemption may be obtained from The Bank of New York, the trustee and paying agent for the Notes, by calling Bondholder Relations at 1-800-254-2826.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>CONTACT:Amazon.com Public RelationsBill Curry206-266-7180</p>

Amazon.Com Launches "Search Inside the Book" Enabling Customers to Discover Books by Searching and Previewing the Text Inside

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.Com-Launches-Search-Inside-the-Book-Enabling-Customers-to-Discover-Books-by-Searching-and-Previewing-the-Text-Inside/default.aspx

Amazon.Com-Launches-Search-Inside-the-Book-Enabling-Customers-to-Discover-Books-by-Searching-and-Previewing-the-Text-Inside

10/23/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.Com Launches "Search Inside the Book" Enabling Customers to Discover Books by Searching and Previewing the Text Inside

10/23/2003

2003

Leading-Edge Search Technology Delivers a Book-Buying Experience Previously Unavailable in the Physical or Online Worlds SEATTLE--Oct. 23, 2003-- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the launch of its latest innovation for customers, Search Inside the Book, an entirely new way for customers to find and discover books by searching the full text inside them, not just matches to author or title keywords. In collaboration with publishers, Amazon.com is enabling customers to find books at Amazon.com based on every word inside more than 120,000 books -- more than 33 million pages of searchable text. Customers can also preview the inside text of these books. Search Inside the Book is integrated into Amazon.com's standard search and includes books from all genres. "Innovation drives customer experience, and Search Inside the Book is a great example," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, Amazon.com. "With the help of publishers, we're offering a completely new way for people to find the books they want." "The customer in me loves this," said Maureen Egen, president of Time Warner Book Group. Through Search Inside the Book, customers can find, discover and buy titles from more than 190 publishers, including the industry's largest: Wiley, Time Warner Book Group, Simon & Schuster, Inc., Random House, Inc., Publishers Group West, Incorporated, McGraw-Hill Professional, Holtzbrinck Publishers and HarperCollins Publishers. Here's how it works: Customers interested in resistojet propulsion can search for "resistojet" and will automatically see a list of the many books at Amazon.com that contain this term in the text, in addition to those books that contain the term in the title. Books with "resistojet" in the text will display an excerpt including that word or phrase and a link that says "See more references to 'resistojet' in this book." By clicking on this link, customers will see a list of excerpts from all pages on which "resistojet" appears in the book they selected, as well as a link to view the full page from the book on which the excerpt appears. Once customers have clicked on the link to a specific page and signed in with their Amazon.com user name and password, they can preview relevant pages, including the page they selected, and search for other terms of interest within the book. Additional examples include: Those looking to explore the scenic Multnomah Falls can search for this term to discover a wide range of related titles ranging from lodging and hiking guidebooks, to Leslie Carraway's "Land Mammals of Oregon." Searching for "Curse of the Bambino" provides baseball lovers and Red Sox fans with a variety of books on the subject -- everything from "Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within" to "Uncle John's Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader." Customers who search for "product price elasticity" will discover more than 100 titles, including Michael Porter's "Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors," and David Besanko's "Economics of Strategy, 2nd Edition," which includes 32 references to this exact subject. Customers are encouraged to type words and phrases of interest into the new search box, and enjoy whatever surprises they might find. To encourage customers to share their experiences using Search Inside the Book, Amazon.com is running a contest that will award one grand prize winner a Segway Human Transporter. Ten additional customers will each win a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate. Visit our "How It Works" page (www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/10197021/) to enter the contest, learn more about the new feature, and see more sample searches. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. CONTACT:Amazon.com, SeattlePublic Relations, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Leading-Edge Search Technology Delivers a Book-Buying Experience Previously Unavailable in the Physical or Online Worlds</p><p>SEATTLE--Oct. 23, 2003-- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the launch of its latest innovation for customers, Search Inside the Book, an entirely new way for customers to find and discover books by searching the full text inside them, not just matches to author or title keywords.</p><p>In collaboration with publishers, Amazon.com is enabling customers to find books at Amazon.com based on every word inside more than 120,000 books -- more than 33 million pages of searchable text. Customers can also preview the inside text of these books. Search Inside the Book is integrated into Amazon.com's standard search and includes books from all genres.</p><p>"Innovation drives customer experience, and Search Inside the Book is a great example," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, Amazon.com. "With the help of publishers, we're offering a completely new way for people to find the books they want."</p><p>"The customer in me loves this," said Maureen Egen, president of Time Warner Book Group.</p><p>Through Search Inside the Book, customers can find, discover and buy titles from more than 190 publishers, including the industry's largest: Wiley, Time Warner Book Group, Simon &amp; Schuster, Inc., Random House, Inc., Publishers Group West, Incorporated, McGraw-Hill Professional, Holtzbrinck Publishers and HarperCollins Publishers.</p><p>Here's how it works:</p><ul><li>Customers interested in resistojet propulsion can search for "resistojet" and will automatically see a list of the many books at Amazon.com that contain this term in the text, in addition to those books that contain the term in the title.</li><li>Books with "resistojet" in the text will display an excerpt including that word or phrase and a link that says "See more references to 'resistojet' in this book." By clicking on this link, customers will see a list of excerpts from all pages on which "resistojet" appears in the book they selected, as well as a link to view the full page from the book on which the excerpt appears.</li><li>Once customers have clicked on the link to a specific page and signed in with their Amazon.com user name and password, they can preview relevant pages, including the page they selected, and search for other terms of interest within the book.</li></ul><p>Additional examples include:</p><ul><li>Those looking to explore the scenic Multnomah Falls can search for this term to discover a wide range of related titles ranging from lodging and hiking guidebooks, to Leslie Carraway's "Land Mammals of Oregon."</li><li>Searching for "Curse of the Bambino" provides baseball lovers and Red Sox fans with a variety of books on the subject -- everything from "Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within" to "Uncle John's Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader."</li><li>Customers who search for "product price elasticity" will discover more than 100 titles, including Michael Porter's "Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors," and David Besanko's "Economics of Strategy, 2nd Edition," which includes 32 references to this exact subject.</li></ul><p>Customers are encouraged to type words and phrases of interest into the new search box, and enjoy whatever surprises they might find.</p><p>To encourage customers to share their experiences using Search Inside the Book, Amazon.com is running a contest that will award one grand prize winner a Segway Human Transporter. Ten additional customers will each win a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate. Visit our "How It Works" page (www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/10197021/) to enter the contest, learn more about the new feature, and see more sample searches.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>CONTACT:Amazon.com, SeattlePublic Relations, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com Announces Third-Quarter Financial Results; Expects Record Holiday Shopping Season

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Announces-Third-Quarter-Financial-Results-Expects-Record-Holiday-Shopping-Season/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Announces-Third-Quarter-Financial-Results-Expects-Record-Holiday-Shopping-Season

10/21/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces Third-Quarter Financial Results; Expects Record Holiday Shopping Season

10/21/2003

2003

Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Operations Pro Forma Statement of Operations Segment Information Supplemental Revenue Information Balance Sheets Supplemental Financial Information Operational Highlights AMZN Q3, 2003Financial Results Download WordVersion 1.21MB Download PDFVersion 224KB AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES THIRD-QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS; EXPECTS RECORD HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON SEATTLE—(BUSINESS WIRE)—October 21, 2003—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2003. Operating cash flow was $284 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $151 million for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2002. Free cash flow was $239 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $120 million for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2002. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 433 million at September 30, 2003, an increase of 1% compared with a year ago. Net sales were $1.13 billion in the third quarter, compared with $851 million in third quarter 2002, an increase of 33%. Net sales benefited by $29 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with third quarter 2002. Operating income was $52 million in the third quarter, or 5% of net sales, compared with an operating loss of $10 million in third quarter 2002. Consolidated segment operating income improved $46 million to $74 million, or 6% of net sales, compared with $27 million, or 3% of net sales, in third quarter 2002. Net income was $16 million in the third quarter, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $35 million, or $0.09 per share, in third quarter 2002. Pro forma net income in the third quarter grew to $48 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, compared with $0 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, in third quarter 2002. "Thanks to free shipping and low prices, we expect more customers to turn to us for their holiday gifting needs this year—producing our biggest holiday shopping season ever," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. The Company currently offers Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com and free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and continues to lower prices every day across its product offerings including electronics, tools and bestselling CDs and DVDs. To encourage customers to try its newest stores, the Company is currently offering promotional discounts in apparel and sporting goods. See "Financial Measures" for additional information. Quarterly Highlights Worldwide unit growth was 36% compared with third quarter 2002. Third-party seller units (new, used and refurbished items sold on the Company's Websites by businesses and individuals) grew to 22% of worldwide units in the third quarter, compared with 17% of units a year ago. North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, grew 21% to $709 million in the third quarter and segment operating income grew 137% to $63 million, or 9% of net sales compared with third quarter 2002. International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 61% to $425 million in the third quarter and benefited by $28 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with third quarter 2002. International segment operating income was $11 million, or 3% of net sales. Inventory turns for the trailing twelve months were 19, consistent with a year ago. The Company expanded selection by launching a sporting goods store in the U.S. and an electronics store in Japan. Financial Guidance The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of October 21, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. Fourth Quarter 2003 Guidance  Fourth quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.76 billion and $1.91 billion, or grow between 23% and 34%, compared with fourth quarter 2002. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $125 million and $155 million. Operating income is expected to be between $110 million and $140 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2003 is identical to the closing price of $48.43 on September 30, 2003. Full Year 2004 Expectations Net sales are expected to be between $5.75 billion and $6.25 billion. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $375 million and $475 million. Operating income is expected to be between $315 million and $415 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2004 is identical to the closing price of $48.43 on September 30, 2003. A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available at least through December 31, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. Financial Measures The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures. Free Cash Flow Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets including internal-use software and Website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating cash flow—is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics." Consolidated Segment Operating Income Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Amortization of other intangibles, and Restructuring-related and other. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." Pro Forma Net Income Pro forma net income excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Amortization of other intangibles, Restructuring-related and other, Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—net income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as sporting goods, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby and home and garden. Amazon.com operates six Websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.    Back to top of Page Statement of Cash Flows    Back to top of Page Statement of Operations    Back to top of Page Pro Forma Statement of Operations Back to top of Page Segment Information Back to top of Page  Supplemental Revenue Information  Back to top of Page Balance Sheets    Back to top of Page Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics    Back to top of Page Operational Highlights AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited) Third Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year, unless otherwise stated) Net Sales Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $77 million, up 5% from $73 million. Worldwide unit growth was 36%, compared with 41% in second quarter 2003, and third-party units as a percentage of worldwide units were 22%, compared with 19% in second quarter 2003. Gross Profit Gross profit benefited by approximately $6 million, and consolidated segment operating income by approximately $1 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with third quarter 2002. Shipping loss was approximately $27 million, up from a loss of $10 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results and intend to continue providing our customers with free shipping offers. Fulfillment Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions represent a significant percentage relative to commission amounts earned, and as a result, negatively affect fulfillment as a percentage of net sales. Stock-Based Compensation We granted less than a half million stock awards during the quarter with vesting periods generally ranging from three to six years. At September 30, 2003, there were 33 million stock awards outstanding, which are excluded from common stock outstanding, consisting of 28 million stock options ($12 average exercise price) and 5 million restricted stock units. There are also 1 million shares of restricted stock, which are included in common stock outstanding. Since October 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units, under fixed accounting, are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. At September 30, 2003, 1 million stock awards were subject to variable accounting. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002 are subject to variable accounting treatment. Under variable stock award accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of awards that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations. "Stock-based compensation" consisted of $10 million for stock awards under variable accounting and $10 million for stock awards under fixed accounting. "Stock-based compensation" includes matching stock contributions under our 401(k) program but excludes payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards. Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our September 30, 2003 closing price of $48.43, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended September 30, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts):  Percentage Difference Closing Price (1) Hypothetical Market Price per Share (1) Hypothetical  Stock-Based Compensation Expense Hypothetical vs.Actual Stock-BasedCompensation Expense (25)% $36.32 $ 14 $  (7) (10)%   43.59    18     (3)   0 %   48.43          21 (2)     — 10 %   53.27    24     3 25 %   60.54    29     8 ___________(1) Hypothetical—not a prediction of future quoted prices of our common stock.(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for third quarter 2003. Restructuring-Related and Other In first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary. Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $3 million, compared with $8 million in third quarter 2002. We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $2 million in the remainder of 2003, $11 million in 2004, and $20 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $45 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $15 million in future income) on gross lease and other obligations of $79 million. Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other" primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $12 million, compared with $0 million in third quarter 2002. Other includes a $2 million gain on sale of our mail order toy catalog business, for $5 million in cash. Income Taxes At September 30, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.9 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.6 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes—to the extent that any of this amount is realized for tax purposes but not financial reporting purposes, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations. Net Income (Loss) Although we reported net income for third quarter of 2003, we believe that this positive net income result should not be viewed as a material positive event and is not predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation associated with variable accounting treatment and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange. These items represented significant charges during the first, second and third quarters of 2003 and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods. Cash Flows and Balance Sheet Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, and vendor payment terms. Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.1 billion, at fair value, primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term securities, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds and asset-backed and agency securities. We have pledged approximately $106 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $135 million at September 30, 2002. "Unearned revenue" includes amounts received from third parties in advance of us providing the associated service. "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" includes, among other things, liabilities for gift certificates, marketing activities, and workforce costs, including accrued payroll, vacation, and other benefits. "Long-term debt and other" primarily includes the following (in millions):  Principalat Maturity Interest Rate PrincipalDue Date Convertible Subordinated Notes........ $1,250 (1) 4.750% February 2009 PEACS......................................... 805 (2) 6.875% February 2010 $2,055(3) ___________(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.85% of the principal, which decreases to 100% over time, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.(2) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest, and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the €690 million, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. Because we do not hedge any portion of the PEACS, we have interest expense exposure to fluctuations in the Euro/US dollar exchange ratio.(3) The "if converted" number of shares associated with each of our convertible debt instruments (approximately 24 million total shares) are excluded from diluted shares as their effect is anti-dilutive. Certain Definitions and Other We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which is not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com, mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. We provide supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media," "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software, video games and video game consoles. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics and office, kids and baby, home and garden, apparel and sporting goods. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Websites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide—such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp—and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.

<table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</p></td></tr><tr><td>Segment Information</td></tr><tr><td>Supplemental Revenue Information</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><div>AMZN Q3, 2003Financial Results</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Download WordVersion 1.21MB</p></td><td><div>Download PDFVersion 224KB</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><div><h5>AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES THIRD-QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS; EXPECTS RECORD HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON</h5></div><p>SEATTLE—(BUSINESS WIRE)—October 21, 2003—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2003.</p><p>Operating cash flow was $284 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $151 million for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2002. Free cash flow was $239 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $120 million for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2002.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 433 million at September 30, 2003, an increase of 1% compared with a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were $1.13 billion in the third quarter, compared with $851 million in third quarter 2002, an increase of 33%. Net sales benefited by $29 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with third quarter 2002.</p><p>Operating income was $52 million in the third quarter, or 5% of net sales, compared with an operating loss of $10 million in third quarter 2002. Consolidated segment operating income improved $46 million to $74 million, or 6% of net sales, compared with $27 million, or 3% of net sales, in third quarter 2002.</p><p>Net income was $16 million in the third quarter, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $35 million, or $0.09 per share, in third quarter 2002. Pro forma net income in the third quarter grew to $48 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, compared with $0 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, in third quarter 2002.</p><p>"Thanks to free shipping and low prices, we expect more customers to turn to us for their holiday gifting needs this year—producing our biggest holiday shopping season ever," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO.</p><p>The Company currently offers Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com and free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and continues to lower prices every day across its product offerings including electronics, tools and bestselling CDs and DVDs. To encourage customers to try its newest stores, the Company is currently offering promotional discounts in apparel and sporting goods.</p><p>See "Financial Measures" for additional information.</p><p>Quarterly Highlights</p><ul><li>Worldwide unit growth was 36% compared with third quarter 2002.</li><li>Third-party seller units (new, used and refurbished items sold on the Company's Websites by businesses and individuals) grew to 22% of worldwide units in the third quarter, compared with 17% of units a year ago.</li><li>North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, grew 21% to $709 million in the third quarter and segment operating income grew 137% to $63 million, or 9% of net sales compared with third quarter 2002.</li><li>International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 61% to $425 million in the third quarter and benefited by $28 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with third quarter 2002. International segment operating income was $11 million, or 3% of net sales.</li><li>Inventory turns for the trailing twelve months were 19, consistent with a year ago.</li><li>The Company expanded selection by launching a sporting goods store in the U.S. and an electronics store in Japan.</li></ul><p>Financial Guidance</p><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of October 21, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p><p>Fourth Quarter 2003 Guidance</p><ul><li> Fourth quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.76 billion and $1.91 billion, or grow between 23% and 34%, compared with fourth quarter 2002.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $125 million and $155 million.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $110 million and $140 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2003 is identical to the closing price of $48.43 on September 30, 2003.</li></ul><p>Full Year 2004 Expectations</p><ul><li>Net sales are expected to be between $5.75 billion and $6.25 billion.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $375 million and $475 million.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $315 million and $415 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2004 is identical to the closing price of $48.43 on September 30, 2003.</li></ul><p>A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available at least through December 31, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.</p><p><em>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</em></p><p>Financial Measures</p><p>The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures.</p><p><em>Free Cash Flow</em></p><p>Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets including internal-use software and Website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating cash flow—is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics."</p><p><em>Consolidated Segment Operating Income</em></p><p>Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of other intangibles, and</li><li>Restructuring-related and other.</li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p><em>Pro Forma Net Income</em></p><p>Pro forma net income excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of other intangibles,</li><li>Restructuring-related and other,</li><li>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other,</li><li>Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and</li><li>Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle.</li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—net income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p>For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as sporting goods, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p></td></tr><tr><td>   Back to top of Page<div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page<div>Statement of Operations</div></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page<div>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</div></div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Segment Information</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><div> Supplemental Revenue Information</div></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><div>Balance Sheets</div></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><div>Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics</div></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited)</div><p>Third Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year, unless otherwise stated)</p><p><em>Net Sales</em></p><ul><li>Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $77 million, up 5% from $73 million.</li><li>Worldwide unit growth was 36%, compared with 41% in second quarter 2003, and third-party units as a percentage of worldwide units were 22%, compared with 19% in second quarter 2003.</li></ul><p><em>Gross Profit</em></p><ul><li>Gross profit benefited by approximately $6 million, and consolidated segment operating income by approximately $1 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with third quarter 2002.</li><li>Shipping loss was approximately $27 million, up from a loss of $10 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results and intend to continue providing our customers with free shipping offers.</li></ul><p><em>Fulfillment</em></p><ul><li>Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations.</li><li>Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment.</li><li>Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions represent a significant percentage relative to commission amounts earned, and as a result, negatively affect fulfillment as a percentage of net sales.</li></ul><p><em>Stock-Based Compensation</em></p><ul><li>We granted less than a half million stock awards during the quarter with vesting periods generally ranging from three to six years.</li><li>At September 30, 2003, there were 33 million stock awards outstanding, which are excluded from common stock outstanding, consisting of 28 million stock options ($12 average exercise price) and 5 million restricted stock units. There are also 1 million shares of restricted stock, which are included in common stock outstanding.</li><li>Since October 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units, under fixed accounting, are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation.</li><li>At September 30, 2003, 1 million stock awards were subject to variable accounting. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002 are subject to variable accounting treatment. Under variable stock award accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of awards that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations.</li><li>"Stock-based compensation" consisted of $10 million for stock awards under variable accounting and $10 million for stock awards under fixed accounting. "Stock-based compensation" includes matching stock contributions under our 401(k) program but excludes payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards.</li><li>Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our September 30, 2003 closing price of $48.43, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended September 30, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts): <table><tbody><tr><td><div>Percentage Difference <u>Closing Price (1)</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical Market <u>Price per Share (1)</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical  Stock-Based <u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical vs.Actual Stock-Based<u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(25)%</div></td><td><div>$36.32</div></td><td><div>$ 14</div></td><td><div>$  (7)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(10)%</div></td><td><div>  43.59</div></td><td><div>   18</div></td><td><div>    (3)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>  0 %</div></td><td><div>  48.43</div></td><td><div>         21 (2)</div></td><td><div>    —</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>10 %</div></td><td><div>  53.27</div></td><td><div>   24</div></td><td><div>    3</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>25 %</div></td><td><div>  60.54</div></td><td><div>   29</div></td><td><div>    8</div></td></tr></tbody></table>___________(1) Hypothetical—not a prediction of future quoted prices of our common stock.(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for third quarter 2003.</li></ul><p><em>Restructuring-Related and Other</em></p><ul><li>In first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary.</li><li>Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $3 million, compared with $8 million in third quarter 2002.</li><li>We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $2 million in the remainder of 2003, $11 million in 2004, and $20 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $45 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $15 million in future income) on gross lease and other obligations of $79 million.</li></ul><p><em>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other</em></p><ul><li>"Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other" primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $12 million, compared with $0 million in third quarter 2002.</li><li>Other includes a $2 million gain on sale of our mail order toy catalog business, for $5 million in cash.</li></ul><p><em>Income Taxes</em></p><ul><li>At September 30, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.9 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.6 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes—to the extent that any of this amount is realized for tax purposes but not financial reporting purposes, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations.</li></ul><p><em>Net Income (Loss)</em></p><ul><li>Although we reported net income for third quarter of 2003, we believe that this positive net income result should not be viewed as a material positive event and is not predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation associated with variable accounting treatment and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange. These items represented significant charges during the first, second and third quarters of 2003 and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods.</li></ul><p><em>Cash Flows and Balance Sheet</em></p><ul><li>Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, and vendor payment terms.</li><li>Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.1 billion, at fair value, primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term securities, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds and asset-backed and agency securities.</li><li>We have pledged approximately $106 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $135 million at September 30, 2002.</li><li>"Unearned revenue" includes amounts received from third parties in advance of us providing the associated service.</li><li>"Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" includes, among other things, liabilities for gift certificates, marketing activities, and workforce costs, including accrued payroll, vacation, and other benefits.</li><li>"Long-term debt and other" primarily includes the following (in millions): <table><tbody><tr><td><div>Principal<u>at Maturity</u></div></td><td><div>Interest <u>Rate</u></div></td><td><div>Principal<u>Due Date</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Convertible Subordinated Notes........</td><td><div>$1,250 (1)</div></td><td><div>4.750%</div></td><td><div>February 2009</div></td></tr><tr><td>PEACS.........................................</td><td><div><u>805</u> (2)</div></td><td><div>6.875%</div></td><td><div>February 2010</div></td></tr><tr><td><u>$2,055</u>(3)</td></tr></tbody></table>___________(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.85% of the principal, which decreases to 100% over time, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.(2) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest, and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the €690 million, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. Because we do not hedge any portion of the PEACS, we have interest expense exposure to fluctuations in the Euro/US dollar exchange ratio.(3) The "if converted" number of shares associated with each of our convertible debt instruments (approximately 24 million total shares) are excluded from diluted shares as their effect is anti-dilutive.</li></ul><p><em>Certain Definitions and Other</em></p><ul><li>We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which is not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates.</li><li>The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com, mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements.</li><li>The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca.</li><li>We provide supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media," "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software, video games and video game consoles. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics and office, kids and baby, home and garden, apparel and sporting goods. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities.</li><li>All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Websites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order.</li><li>All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide—such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp—and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

Amazon.com Launches Sporting Goods Store; Teams with Leading Merchants to Offer More Than 3,000 Brands Covering More Than 50 Sports

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Launches-Sporting-Goods-Store-Teams-with-Leading-Merchants-to-Offer-More-Than-3000-Brands-Covering-More-Than-50-Sports/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Launches-Sporting-Goods-Store-Teams-with-Leading-Merchants-to-Offer-More-Than-3000-Brands-Covering-More-Than-50-Sports

09/22/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Launches Sporting Goods Store; Teams with Leading Merchants to Offer More Than 3,000 Brands Covering More Than 50 Sports

09/22/2003

2003

Amazon.com Joins L.A. Clippers' Elton Brand and Sporting Goods Merchants to Support Boys & Girls Clubs of America SEATTLE----Sept. 22, 2003-- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today launched its new Sporting Goods store (www.amazon.com/sportinggoods) -- a single destination offering vast and deep selection across dozens of sports. Amazon.com has teamed with leading sporting goods merchants to offer more than 3,000 popular brands covering more than 50 sports, from archery to basketball to paintball to skateboarding, and everything in-between. As an introductory offer, customers will receive a $10 promotional certificate toward a future Amazon.com purchase for every $50 they spend in the Sporting Goods store. For more details, visit www.amazon.com/sportinggoods. The company also announced it has teamed up with Los Angeles Clipper Elton Brand and sporting goods merchants to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a national network of more than 3,300 neighborhood-based facilities that annually serves some 3.6 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Shopping for Sporting Goods the Amazon Way With the launch of Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store, customers can now find and discover hundreds of thousands of sporting goods products in one easy-to-use destination and shop for these products the Amazon way -- with low prices, easy navigation, a single shopping cart, and their ordering and payment information already on file. The Amazon.com Sporting Goods store also provides all of the tools and helpful information Amazon.com customers have come to expect, such as customer reviews and rankings, similarities, top sellers, and buying guides covering everything from "Learn to Take a Powerful Wrist Shot" in hockey to "Learn More About Custom Fitting Golf Clubs," to educate and assist customers in making informed purchase decisions. Additionally, Amazon.com customers will find special low prices on both popular and hard-to-find sporting goods merchandise. Among the great values currently featured in Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store are: Bowflex Power Pro (XTLU) for $1,397 (normally priced at $1,597); Huffy Men's & Women's 26" 18 speed Bikes from SportsLine.com for $47.99 (normally priced at $69.99); Majestic Athletic New York Yankees 2003 Authentic Collection Premiere Jacket from Sportsrus.com for $79.99 (normally priced at $109.99); Personalized Precept MC Ladies Golf Balls (dozen) from Golfballs.com for $10.95 (normally priced at $19.95); Spalding Official NBA Basketballs from eSportsonline.com for $60.79 (normally priced at $79.99) Spartan Sports FS101 Electric Scooter from Sportsrus.com for $159.99 (normally priced at $299.99); Tachikara Indoor SV5W Gold Volleyballs from Volley Hut for $31.16 (normally priced at $43.65); and Wilson Triad 4.0 (110) Tennis Racquets from SportsLine.com for $89.59 (normally priced at $139.99). "Amazon.com's goal is to offer customers breadth and depth of selection across dozens of sports, as well as the easiest way for everyone from weekend warriors to sports enthusiasts to find, discover, and buy sporting goods at great prices," said Stu Haas, senior category manager, Amazon.com Sporting Goods. "We'd also like to thank our customers and trusted merchant partners for helping us support Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the tremendous work they do for young people nationwide." Supporting Boys & Girls Clubs of America Starting today and through January 31, 2004, Amazon.com customers can donate to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) through Amazon.com's new Sporting Goods store. For every $100 donated by Amazon.com customers, select sporting goods merchants, including Altrec.com, Baseball Warehouse, Eastbay, eSportsonline.com, Sportsrus.com and Sports n' More, Inc., will donate a "shopping cart" filled with sports equipment such as basketball, baseball, golf and fishing gear to help outfit Boys & Girls Clubs across the country with needed sports equipment. "Sports, fitness and recreation are vital to our overall program offerings," said Roxanne Spillett, president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "As many communities continue to face serious financial cutbacks, Boys & Girls Clubs are often the only affordable resource providing fun with a purpose. This generous donation from Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store will enable us to continue to do so." "Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides millions of children with support and guidance to help them pursue their dreams with dedication and commitment, and the contributions made through Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store by customers and merchants will help Boys & Girls Clubs continue this important work," said L.A. Clipper and NBA All-Star Elton Brand. More information about how to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America through Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store can be found at www.amazon.com/sportinggoods. Vast Sporting Goods Selection Visitors to Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store will find and discover deep selection and great prices from leading merchants in the following sports: -- Airsoft -- Basketball -- Archery -- Billiards -- Badminton -- Boating -- Baseball & Softball -- Bowling -- Boxing -- Paintball -- Camping & Hiking -- Racquetball & Squash -- Cheerleading -- Rugby -- Climbing -- Running -- Cricket -- Skateboarding -- Cycling & Wheel Sports -- Skating -- Darts -- Snow Skiing -- Disc Sports -- Snowboarding -- Diving -- Snowshoeing, Snowmobiling & -- Equestrian Sports Sledding -- Exercise & Fitness -- Soccer -- Field Hockey -- Surfing -- Fishing -- Swimming -- Football -- Table Games -- Golf -- Tennis & Racquet Sports -- Gymnastics -- Track & Field -- Hockey -- Volleyball -- Hunting -- Water Sports -- Kayaking -- Windsurfing -- Lacrosse -- Wrestling -- Lawn Games -- Yoga -- Martial Arts The store, which has launched as a beta (test), also features sports fan shops for Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, NASCAR, and the NCAA, as well as sports apparel and footwear, coaches' and referees' gear, and more. In addition to continually expanding selection, during the beta phase Amazon.com will be testing different features and gathering input from customers to ensure the best possible customer experience for online sports shopping. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About Boys & Girls Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 3,300 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 3.6 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation.

<p>Amazon.com Joins L.A. Clippers' Elton Brand and Sporting Goods Merchants to Support Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America</p><p>SEATTLE----Sept. 22, 2003-- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today launched its new Sporting Goods store (www.amazon.com/sportinggoods) -- a single destination offering vast and deep selection across dozens of sports. Amazon.com has teamed with leading sporting goods merchants to offer more than 3,000 popular brands covering more than 50 sports, from archery to basketball to paintball to skateboarding, and everything in-between.</p><p>As an introductory offer, customers will receive a $10 promotional certificate toward a future Amazon.com purchase for every $50 they spend in the Sporting Goods store. For more details, visit www.amazon.com/sportinggoods.</p><p>The company also announced it has teamed up with Los Angeles Clipper Elton Brand and sporting goods merchants to support Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America, a national network of more than 3,300 neighborhood-based facilities that annually serves some 3.6 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances.</p><p>Shopping for Sporting Goods the Amazon Way</p><p>With the launch of Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store, customers can now find and discover hundreds of thousands of sporting goods products in one easy-to-use destination and shop for these products the Amazon way -- with low prices, easy navigation, a single shopping cart, and their ordering and payment information already on file. The Amazon.com Sporting Goods store also provides all of the tools and helpful information Amazon.com customers have come to expect, such as customer reviews and rankings, similarities, top sellers, and buying guides covering everything from "Learn to Take a Powerful Wrist Shot" in hockey to "Learn More About Custom Fitting Golf Clubs," to educate and assist customers in making informed purchase decisions.</p><p>Additionally, Amazon.com customers will find special low prices on both popular and hard-to-find sporting goods merchandise. Among the great values currently featured in Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store are:</p><ul><li>Bowflex Power Pro (XTLU) for $1,397 (normally priced at $1,597);</li><li>Huffy Men's &amp; Women's 26" 18 speed Bikes from SportsLine.com for $47.99 (normally priced at $69.99);</li><li>Majestic Athletic New York Yankees 2003 Authentic Collection Premiere Jacket from Sportsrus.com for $79.99 (normally priced at $109.99);</li><li>Personalized Precept MC Ladies Golf Balls (dozen) from Golfballs.com for $10.95 (normally priced at $19.95);</li><li>Spalding Official NBA Basketballs from eSportsonline.com for $60.79 (normally priced at $79.99)</li><li>Spartan Sports FS101 Electric Scooter from Sportsrus.com for $159.99 (normally priced at $299.99);</li><li>Tachikara Indoor SV5W Gold Volleyballs from Volley Hut for $31.16 (normally priced at $43.65); and</li><li>Wilson Triad 4.0 (110) Tennis Racquets from SportsLine.com for $89.59 (normally priced at $139.99).</li></ul><p>"Amazon.com's goal is to offer customers breadth and depth of selection across dozens of sports, as well as the easiest way for everyone from weekend warriors to sports enthusiasts to find, discover, and buy sporting goods at great prices," said Stu Haas, senior category manager, Amazon.com Sporting Goods. "We'd also like to thank our customers and trusted merchant partners for helping us support Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America and the tremendous work they do for young people nationwide."</p><p>Supporting Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America</p><p>Starting today and through January 31, 2004, Amazon.com customers can donate to Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) through Amazon.com's new Sporting Goods store. For every $100 donated by Amazon.com customers, select sporting goods merchants, including Altrec.com, Baseball Warehouse, Eastbay, eSportsonline.com, Sportsrus.com and Sports n' More, Inc., will donate a "shopping cart" filled with sports equipment such as basketball, baseball, golf and fishing gear to help outfit Boys &amp; Girls Clubs across the country with needed sports equipment.</p><p>"Sports, fitness and recreation are vital to our overall program offerings," said Roxanne Spillett, president, Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America. "As many communities continue to face serious financial cutbacks, Boys &amp; Girls Clubs are often the only affordable resource providing fun with a purpose. This generous donation from Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store will enable us to continue to do so."</p><p>"Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America provides millions of children with support and guidance to help them pursue their dreams with dedication and commitment, and the contributions made through Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store by customers and merchants will help Boys &amp; Girls Clubs continue this important work," said L.A. Clipper and NBA All-Star Elton Brand.</p><p>More information about how to support Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America through Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store can be found at www.amazon.com/sportinggoods.</p><p>Vast Sporting Goods Selection</p><p>Visitors to Amazon.com's Sporting Goods store will find and discover deep selection and great prices from leading merchants in the following sports:</p><pre> -- Airsoft -- Basketball -- Archery -- Billiards -- Badminton -- Boating -- Baseball &amp; Softball -- Bowling -- Boxing -- Paintball -- Camping &amp; Hiking -- Racquetball &amp; Squash -- Cheerleading -- Rugby -- Climbing -- Running -- Cricket -- Skateboarding -- Cycling &amp; Wheel Sports -- Skating -- Darts -- Snow Skiing -- Disc Sports -- Snowboarding -- Diving -- Snowshoeing, Snowmobiling &amp; -- Equestrian Sports Sledding -- Exercise &amp; Fitness -- Soccer -- Field Hockey -- Surfing -- Fishing -- Swimming -- Football -- Table Games -- Golf -- Tennis &amp; Racquet Sports -- Gymnastics -- Track &amp; Field -- Hockey -- Volleyball -- Hunting -- Water Sports -- Kayaking -- Windsurfing -- Lacrosse -- Wrestling -- Lawn Games -- Yoga -- Martial Arts</pre><p>The store, which has launched as a beta (test), also features sports fan shops for Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, NASCAR, and the NCAA, as well as sports apparel and footwear, coaches' and referees' gear, and more. In addition to continually expanding selection, during the beta phase Amazon.com will be testing different features and gathering input from customers to ensure the best possible customer experience for online sports shopping.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America</p><p>Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 3,300 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 3.6 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys &amp; Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation.</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Third Quarter 2003 Financial Results Conference Call

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Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Third-Quarter-2003-Financial-Results-Conference-Call

09/19/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Third Quarter 2003 Financial Results Conference Call

09/19/2003

2003

SEATTLE, Sep 19, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will webcast its third quarter 2003 financial results conference call on October 21, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The audio of this event will be webcast live and will be archived at least through December 31, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. SOURCE: Amazon.com Amazon.comMedia Relations, 206-266-7180 http://www.businesswire.com Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page.

<p>SEATTLE, Sep 19, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will webcast its third quarter 2003 financial results conference call on October 21, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>The audio of this event will be webcast live and will be archived at least through December 31, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.comMedia Relations, 206-266-7180</p><p>http://www.businesswire.com</p><p>Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page.</p>

SkyBox by Maytag Customizable Personal Beverage Vendor Now Available For Pre-Order Exclusively at Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2003/SkyBox-by-Maytag-Customizable-Personal-Beverage-Vendor-Now-Available-For-Pre-Order-Exclusively-at-Amazon.com/default.aspx

SkyBox-by-Maytag-Customizable-Personal-Beverage-Vendor-Now-Available-For-Pre-Order-Exclusively-at-Amazon.com

09/15/2003 00:00:00

SkyBox by Maytag Customizable Personal Beverage Vendor Now Available For Pre-Order Exclusively at Amazon.com

09/15/2003

2003

NEWTON, Iowa & SEATTLE, Sep 15, 2003 -- Maytag (NYSE:MYG) and Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that the SkyBox(TM) by Maytag(TM) personal beverage vendor is now available for pre-order exclusively at Amazon.com through December 31, 2003. The one-of-a-kind, highly-anticipated personal beverage vendor will be available in limited quantities in the Amazon.com Home and Garden store (www.amazon.com/home). Customers will have the option to have SkyBox delivered via Free Super Saver Shipping beginning February 1, 2004. "SkyBox is the ultimate trophy gift for the serious sports fanatic. Just fill it with your favorite cans or bottles, make a selection and you can serve your guests with ice-cold refreshment," said Fred Lowery, product director of strategic initiatives for Maytag. "Amazon.com offers the best shopping experience on the Web, making it the ideal launch partner for SkyBox." Unlike industrial vending machines, the SkyBox personal beverage vendor is smaller in height and width and operates without coins or dollar bills. It holds 66 12-ounce cans, 33 12-ounce bottles, or a combination, and dispenses beverages from four selection buttons. Available in pitch black, the SkyBox vendor can be customized on the front or side panels with interchangeable backlit logos, such as NFL teams, college, NASCAR drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and even personal family photographs. As each new sports season begins, simply change out panels. It also includes exchangeable beverage cards for labeling the selections and a fast and simple child lock-out. The lock-out feature works on individual selections, enabling the operator to free up only the soda slots for the kids' birthday parties without having to restock. A low indicator light appears when a selection runs low. The unit comes with an optional SkyBase(TM) stand -- a room-temperature lower shelving area and the perfect place to store snacks, extra cans, bottles or whatever you want. "Amazon.com is thrilled to be the exclusive destination for customers to pre-order the SkyBox, especially Early Adopters eager to get their hands on what is sure to be a staple in homes across the country," said Glenn Cunningham, Amazon.com director of home and garden. About Maytag For the better part of a century, Maytag(R) brand appliances have been synonymous with dependability and quality. Today, Maytag remains one of America's most trusted appliance manufacturers. Based in Newton, Iowa, Maytag Appliances offers a full line of high-performance appliances, including the Maytag(R) Gemini(R) double-oven range, Neptune(R) and Atlantis(R) washers and dryers, Wide-by-Side(TM) refrigerator with ClimateZone(TM) technology, and Jetclean(R) II, the world's first three-rack dishwasher. For more information on any Maytag appliance or to purchase an appliance online, visit www.maytag.com. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>NEWTON, Iowa &amp; SEATTLE, Sep 15, 2003 -- Maytag (NYSE:MYG) and Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that the SkyBox(TM) by Maytag(TM) personal beverage vendor is now available for pre-order exclusively at Amazon.com through December 31, 2003. The one-of-a-kind, highly-anticipated personal beverage vendor will be available in limited quantities in the Amazon.com Home and Garden store (www.amazon.com/home). Customers will have the option to have SkyBox delivered via Free Super Saver Shipping beginning February 1, 2004.</p><p>"SkyBox is the ultimate trophy gift for the serious sports fanatic. Just fill it with your favorite cans or bottles, make a selection and you can serve your guests with ice-cold refreshment," said Fred Lowery, product director of strategic initiatives for Maytag. "Amazon.com offers the best shopping experience on the Web, making it the ideal launch partner for SkyBox."</p><p>Unlike industrial vending machines, the SkyBox personal beverage vendor is smaller in height and width and operates without coins or dollar bills. It holds 66 12-ounce cans, 33 12-ounce bottles, or a combination, and dispenses beverages from four selection buttons. Available in pitch black, the SkyBox vendor can be customized on the front or side panels with interchangeable backlit logos, such as NFL teams, college, NASCAR drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and even personal family photographs. As each new sports season begins, simply change out panels.</p><p>It also includes exchangeable beverage cards for labeling the selections and a fast and simple child lock-out. The lock-out feature works on individual selections, enabling the operator to free up only the soda slots for the kids' birthday parties without having to restock. A low indicator light appears when a selection runs low. The unit comes with an optional SkyBase(TM) stand -- a room-temperature lower shelving area and the perfect place to store snacks, extra cans, bottles or whatever you want.</p><p>"Amazon.com is thrilled to be the exclusive destination for customers to pre-order the SkyBox, especially Early Adopters eager to get their hands on what is sure to be a staple in homes across the country," said Glenn Cunningham, Amazon.com director of home and garden.</p><p>About Maytag</p><p>For the better part of a century, Maytag(R) brand appliances have been synonymous with dependability and quality. Today, Maytag remains one of America's most trusted appliance manufacturers. Based in Newton, Iowa, Maytag Appliances offers a full line of high-performance appliances, including the Maytag(R) Gemini(R) double-oven range, Neptune(R) and Atlantis(R) washers and dryers, Wide-by-Side(TM) refrigerator with ClimateZone(TM) technology, and Jetclean(R) II, the world's first three-rack dishwasher. For more information on any Maytag appliance or to purchase an appliance online, visit www.maytag.com.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Secret Madonna Audio Message Made Available Exclusively to Amazon.Com Customers

/news/news-details/2003/Secret-Madonna-Audio-Message-Made-Available-Exclusively-to-Amazon.Com-Customers/default.aspx

Secret-Madonna-Audio-Message-Made-Available-Exclusively-to-Amazon.Com-Customers

09/03/2003 00:00:00

Secret Madonna Audio Message Made Available Exclusively to Amazon.Com Customers

09/03/2003

2003

SEATTLE, Sep 3, 2003 -- Inspired by the upcoming worldwide release of "The English Roses," an illustrated children's storybook written by Madonna, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Callaway Editions today announced that beginning immediately, Amazon.com customers will be given access to an exclusive audio message pertaining to the book and recorded by Madonna specifically for Amazon.com's millions of customers. Madonna is poised to make publishing history when her book, "The English Roses," the first in a series of five illustrated storybooks for young readers, is published in hardcover and distributed worldwide on September 15, 2003. With initial publication plans that include more than 30 language editions in more than 100 countries, "The English Roses" is expected to be the widest, simultaneous multi-language release in publishing history. Each of Madonna's books will feature a different internationally acclaimed illustrator. While the target readership is aged six and older, these superbly illustrated books will appeal to book lovers of all ages. Madonna's first storybook, "The English Roses," is a story for young readers about friendship, jealousy, sleepover parties and fairy godmothers with full-color illustrations throughout. "Madonna is a big fan of Amazon.com and feels this is a perfect partnership for her series of children's books," said Madonna's manager, Caresse Henry. "From the storyline to the identity of its world famous illustrator to the cover art, readers everywhere are in for many delightful revelations and announcements over the next 12 days," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com's director of Books, Music, Video, and DVD. "We are excited to team with Madonna and Callaway Editions to provide our customers with the first opportunity to listen to Madonna speak about her highly anticipated book." "We are thrilled to kick off this global publishing event with Amazon," says Nicholas Callaway, president of Callaway Editions. "The name of Amazon and the name of Madonna have comparable worldwide recognition and a truly devoted fan base. Both are as bold and spirited as each other in everything they do, cutting across demographic and geographic boundaries. The combination of the two will be amazing to observe." In addition to the U.S. Web site, Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.de; Amazon.co.jp; and Amazon.fr will also be making this exclusive audio message available to customers. Amazon.com is currently taking pre-orders for "The English Roses." Amazon.com is offering "The English Roses" for $13.97, a 30 percent discount off the list price of $19.95. Amazon.com also offers a variety of deeply discounted Madonna products, ranging from CDs and DVDs to toys from partner Toysrus.com To learn more about this worldwide exclusive, or to pre-order "The English Roses," visit: www.amazon.com/childrens. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206-266-7180; Emily Glassman (glassman@amazon.com). About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About Callaway Editions Callaway Editions, founded in 1980 by Nicholas Callaway, is the book publishing division of Callaway Arts & Entertainment, which produces creative content in all media for the entire family. Its bestselling Miss Spider titles by David Kirk will debut as a computer-animated television series on Nickelodeon in June 2004. Its Sunny Patch (TM) brand of gardening and home products is featured at Target Stores nationwide. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>SEATTLE, Sep 3, 2003 -- Inspired by the upcoming worldwide release of "The English Roses," an illustrated children's storybook written by Madonna, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Callaway Editions today announced that beginning immediately, Amazon.com customers will be given access to an exclusive audio message pertaining to the book and recorded by Madonna specifically for Amazon.com's millions of customers.</p><p>Madonna is poised to make publishing history when her book, "The English Roses," the first in a series of five illustrated storybooks for young readers, is published in hardcover and distributed worldwide on September 15, 2003. With initial publication plans that include more than 30 language editions in more than 100 countries, "The English Roses" is expected to be the widest, simultaneous multi-language release in publishing history.</p><p>Each of Madonna's books will feature a different internationally acclaimed illustrator. While the target readership is aged six and older, these superbly illustrated books will appeal to book lovers of all ages. Madonna's first storybook, "The English Roses," is a story for young readers about friendship, jealousy, sleepover parties and fairy godmothers with full-color illustrations throughout.</p><p>"Madonna is a big fan of Amazon.com and feels this is a perfect partnership for her series of children's books," said Madonna's manager, Caresse Henry.</p><p>"From the storyline to the identity of its world famous illustrator to the cover art, readers everywhere are in for many delightful revelations and announcements over the next 12 days," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com's director of Books, Music, Video, and DVD. "We are excited to team with Madonna and Callaway Editions to provide our customers with the first opportunity to listen to Madonna speak about her highly anticipated book."</p><p>"We are thrilled to kick off this global publishing event with Amazon," says Nicholas Callaway, president of Callaway Editions. "The name of Amazon and the name of Madonna have comparable worldwide recognition and a truly devoted fan base. Both are as bold and spirited as each other in everything they do, cutting across demographic and geographic boundaries. The combination of the two will be amazing to observe."</p><p>In addition to the U.S. Web site, Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.de; Amazon.co.jp; and Amazon.fr will also be making this exclusive audio message available to customers.</p><p>Amazon.com is currently taking pre-orders for "The English Roses." Amazon.com is offering "The English Roses" for $13.97, a 30 percent discount off the list price of $19.95. Amazon.com also offers a variety of deeply discounted Madonna products, ranging from CDs and DVDs to toys from partner Toysrus.com</p><p>To learn more about this worldwide exclusive, or to pre-order "The English Roses," visit: www.amazon.com/childrens.</p><p>For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206-266-7180; Emily Glassman (glassman@amazon.com).</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About Callaway Editions</p><p>Callaway Editions, founded in 1980 by Nicholas Callaway, is the book publishing division of Callaway Arts &amp; Entertainment, which produces creative content in all media for the entire family. Its bestselling Miss Spider titles by David Kirk will debut as a computer-animated television series on Nickelodeon in June 2004. Its Sunny Patch (TM) brand of gardening and home products is featured at Target Stores nationwide.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com and Warner Bros. Records Offer an Exclusive Seal Interview and Multiple Tracks from the Grammy Award-Winning Musician's Upcoming CD

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-and-Warner-Bros.-Records-Offer-an-Exclusive-Seal-Interview-and-Multiple-Tracks-from-the-Grammy-Award-Winning-Musicians-Upcoming-CD/default.aspx

Amazon.com-and-Warner-Bros.-Records-Offer-an-Exclusive-Seal-Interview-and-Multiple-Tracks-from-the-Grammy-Award-Winning-Musicians-Upcoming-CD

08/28/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com and Warner Bros. Records Offer an Exclusive Seal Interview and Multiple Tracks from the Grammy Award-Winning Musician's Upcoming CD

08/28/2003

2003

SEATTLE--Aug. 28, 2003--In anticipation of the September 9, 2003 release of Grammy(R) Award-winning musician Seal's latest CD, "Seal IV," Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Warner Bros. Records are giving fans the opportunity to view an exclusive twenty minute Seal interview and listen to three, full length tracks from Seal's not-yet-released album. Beginning today, Amazon.com customers who pre-order "Seal IV" will be given immediate access, via a video stream, to an in-depth interview with Seal. Pre-order customers will also be able to listen to three full length songs from the upcoming album, two of which are exclusives. Conducted this month in Beverly Hills, the exclusive, intimate interview, which will be available to customers who pre-order "Seal IV," features the musician discussing his experiences writing and recording the new album, including his fruitful creative partnership with long-standing producer Trevor Horn. Seal also addresses his passion for technology and favorite hi-tech gadgets, his musical evolution, the recording artists who inspire him, and the reason behind his unusual creative choice to name three albums "Seal." "It's been five years since my last album was released, and I'm eager to share my thoughts and inspirations for 'Seal IV,'" said the British-born musician. "Amazon.com provides an innovative way for me to speak directly with music lovers and to share not-yet-released tracks with fans who pre-order my new CD," said Seal. "This is a great example of how artists, labels, and retailers can join forces to create a rewarding music buying experience," said Bill Carr, director of Books, Music, Video and DVD for Amazon.com. "Together we are offering music fans the instant gratification that comes from hearing full length cuts from not-yet-released albums by their favorite artists." Beginning today, Amazon.com customers who pre-order "Seal IV" will receive immediate access to the following content: An exclusive twenty minute interview with Seal, available via video stream. Streams of two exclusive tracks off the new album, "Loneliest Star" and "Tinsel Town," as well as a stream of the song "Heavenly . . . (Good Feeling)." A downloadable version of "Heavenly . . . (Good Feeling)" will also be available to all Amazon.com customers. In keeping with its commitment to offering everyday low prices on the hottest new releases, Amazon.com is offering "Seal IV" to customers for $12.98, a 32 percent discount off the list price of $18.98. To learn more about this exclusive promotion, or to pre-order "Seal IV," visit: www.amazon.com/seal. About "Seal IV" "Seal IV" features eleven new songs. Produced by Trevor Horn, the album marks the extraordinary reunion of one of the most successful studio collaborations in recent musical memory. Together, Seal and Horn have accounted for worldwide album sales of over twelve million units, as well as such era-defining hits as "Crazy," "Prayer For The Dying," and "Kiss From A Rose," the 1996 Grammy(R) winner for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>SEATTLE--Aug. 28, 2003--In anticipation of the September 9, 2003 release of Grammy(R) Award-winning musician Seal's latest CD, "Seal IV," Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Warner Bros. Records are giving fans the opportunity to view an exclusive twenty minute Seal interview and listen to three, full length tracks from Seal's not-yet-released album.</p><p>Beginning today, Amazon.com customers who pre-order "Seal IV" will be given immediate access, via a video stream, to an in-depth interview with Seal. Pre-order customers will also be able to listen to three full length songs from the upcoming album, two of which are exclusives.</p><p>Conducted this month in Beverly Hills, the exclusive, intimate interview, which will be available to customers who pre-order "Seal IV," features the musician discussing his experiences writing and recording the new album, including his fruitful creative partnership with long-standing producer Trevor Horn. Seal also addresses his passion for technology and favorite hi-tech gadgets, his musical evolution, the recording artists who inspire him, and the reason behind his unusual creative choice to name three albums "Seal."</p><p>"It's been five years since my last album was released, and I'm eager to share my thoughts and inspirations for 'Seal IV,'" said the British-born musician. "Amazon.com provides an innovative way for me to speak directly with music lovers and to share not-yet-released tracks with fans who pre-order my new CD," said Seal.</p><p>"This is a great example of how artists, labels, and retailers can join forces to create a rewarding music buying experience," said Bill Carr, director of Books, Music, Video and DVD for Amazon.com. "Together we are offering music fans the instant gratification that comes from hearing full length cuts from not-yet-released albums by their favorite artists."</p><p>Beginning today, Amazon.com customers who pre-order "Seal IV" will receive immediate access to the following content:</p><ul><li>An exclusive twenty minute interview with Seal, available via video stream.</li><li>Streams of two exclusive tracks off the new album, "Loneliest Star" and "Tinsel Town," as well as a stream of the song "Heavenly . . . (Good Feeling)."</li></ul><p>A downloadable version of "Heavenly . . . (Good Feeling)" will also be available to all Amazon.com customers.</p><p>In keeping with its commitment to offering everyday low prices on the hottest new releases, Amazon.com is offering "Seal IV" to customers for $12.98, a 32 percent discount off the list price of $18.98.</p><p>To learn more about this exclusive promotion, or to pre-order "Seal IV," visit: www.amazon.com/seal.</p><p>About "Seal IV"</p><p>"Seal IV" features eleven new songs. Produced by Trevor Horn, the album marks the extraordinary reunion of one of the most successful studio collaborations in recent musical memory. Together, Seal and Horn have accounted for worldwide album sales of over twelve million units, as well as such era-defining hits as "Crazy," "Prayer For The Dying," and "Kiss From A Rose," the 1996 Grammy(R) winner for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.com Teams with Jamie Oliver and T-Fal to Launch Cookware Line, Boutique and ``15-for-Fifteen'' Fundraiser

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Teams-with-Jamie-Oliver-and-T-Fal-to-Launch-Cookware-Line-Boutique-and-15-for-Fifteen-Fundraiser/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Teams-with-Jamie-Oliver-and-T-Fal-to-Launch-Cookware-Line-Boutique-and-15-for-Fifteen-Fundraiser

08/27/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Teams with Jamie Oliver and T-Fal to Launch Cookware Line, Boutique and ``15-for-Fifteen'' Fundraiser

08/27/2003

2003

SEATTLE--Aug. 27, 2003--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that Jamie Oliver's Professional cookware series from T-Fal will be available for pre-order exclusively at Amazon.com until September 15, 2003. Amazon.com will also feature a boutique (www.amazon.com/jamieoliver) with a wide-selection of Oliver's cookware, books, videos and CDs. Amazon.com will contribute 15 percent of sales from the cookware to Fifteen, Oliver's London restaurant that provides career opportunities for youth. "The first step to good cooking is a great pan," said Jamie Oliver, British culinary sensation and celebrity chef. "My new cookware line and products are designed to make cooking easier. From the heavy-bottomed pans to the large white platters and easy-to-follow recipes in my books, it all makes it easy for you to get stuck in." Customers who purchase items from Oliver's Professional Series by T-Fal will have access to a personal video message from Jamie Oliver, thanking them and offering valuable insight into his cookware and philosophy. Oliver's T-Fal cookware includes a variety of products, including a nine-piece stainless steel set featuring a 10" saute pan, one quart and 2.4 quart covered sauce pans, 3.5 quart non-stick deep saute pan, 5.6 quart covered Dutch oven, tongs and a bonus CD. "We are thrilled to be the first and premiere destination for customers who want to discover and buy Jamie Oliver's Professional cookware series from T-Fal," said Glen Cunningham, Amazon.com director of home and garden. "Amazon.com is proud to team with Jamie Oliver in support of aspiring chefs everywhere." About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. About Jamie Oliver International culinary phenomenon and celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, has been getting people all over the world excited about cooking since his first cooking show, "The Naked Chef," debuted in 1999. His "strip it bare and make it work in the kitchen" philosophy has been embraced by millions. Jamie currently has two television series running in the U.S. -- "Oliver's Twist" on Food Network and "Jamie's Kitchen," which debuts on October 13, 2003. He has written four books: THE NAKED CHEF, THE NAKED CHEF TAKES OFF, HAPPY DAYS WITH THE NAKED CHEF and JAMIE'S KITCHEN (due in October) along with a new DVD of Oliver's Twist. For more information visit www.JamieOliver.com. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>SEATTLE--Aug. 27, 2003--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that Jamie Oliver's Professional cookware series from T-Fal will be available for pre-order exclusively at Amazon.com until September 15, 2003. Amazon.com will also feature a boutique (www.amazon.com/jamieoliver) with a wide-selection of Oliver's cookware, books, videos and CDs. Amazon.com will contribute 15 percent of sales from the cookware to Fifteen, Oliver's London restaurant that provides career opportunities for youth.</p><p>"The first step to good cooking is a great pan," said Jamie Oliver, British culinary sensation and celebrity chef. "My new cookware line and products are designed to make cooking easier. From the heavy-bottomed pans to the large white platters and easy-to-follow recipes in my books, it all makes it easy for you to get stuck in."</p><p>Customers who purchase items from Oliver's Professional Series by T-Fal will have access to a personal video message from Jamie Oliver, thanking them and offering valuable insight into his cookware and philosophy. Oliver's T-Fal cookware includes a variety of products, including a nine-piece stainless steel set featuring a 10" saute pan, one quart and 2.4 quart covered sauce pans, 3.5 quart non-stick deep saute pan, 5.6 quart covered Dutch oven, tongs and a bonus CD.</p><p>"We are thrilled to be the first and premiere destination for customers who want to discover and buy Jamie Oliver's Professional cookware series from T-Fal," said Glen Cunningham, Amazon.com director of home and garden. "Amazon.com is proud to team with Jamie Oliver in support of aspiring chefs everywhere."</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>About Jamie Oliver</p><p>International culinary phenomenon and celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, has been getting people all over the world excited about cooking since his first cooking show, "The Naked Chef," debuted in 1999. His "strip it bare and make it work in the kitchen" philosophy has been embraced by millions. Jamie currently has two television series running in the U.S. -- "Oliver's Twist" on Food Network and "Jamie's Kitchen," which debuts on October 13, 2003. He has written four books: THE NAKED CHEF, THE NAKED CHEF TAKES OFF, HAPPY DAYS WITH THE NAKED CHEF and JAMIE'S KITCHEN (due in October) along with a new DVD of Oliver's Twist. For more information visit www.JamieOliver.com.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.com Teams with New York Attorney General to Combat Email Forgeries

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Teams-with-New-York-Attorney-General-to-Combat-Email-Forgeries/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Teams-with-New-York-Attorney-General-to-Combat-Email-Forgeries

08/26/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Teams with New York Attorney General to Combat Email Forgeries

08/26/2003

2003

Eleven U.S. and Canadian Lawsuits Seek Millions in Punitive Damages from Email Forgers Who Disguise Their Emails to Impersonate Amazon.com SEATTLE, Aug 26, 2003 -- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today and Monday filed federal lawsuits in the United States and Canada seeking to restrain 11 online marketers from sending email forgeries falsely labeled as coming from Amazon.com. As a deterrent to others, the suits also seek millions of dollars in punitive damages. Simultaneously, the New York Attorney General's office has announced a settlement of civil fraud charges with one of the email forgers identified by Amazon.com. The agreement followed an investigation conducted with Amazon.com's cooperation. The settlement agreement prohibits Cyebye.com from using third parties' names to market, unless the company obtains authority to do so. The company is also required to keep records of all commercial emails during the next two years and provide the Attorney General's office with regular updates of its compliance with the settlement. Cyebye.com must pay $10,000 in penalties to the State of New York. Amazon.com has also reached a settlement in principle with Cyebye.com. The agreement prohibits Cyebye.com from sending e-mail messages of any kind that include the Amazon.com name in any way without specific authorization from Amazon.com. The agreement also includes payment by Cyebye.com of monetary damages. The Amazon.com lawsuits are only part of a broader company initiative to crack down on and eliminate email forgeries, also known as "spoofing," that affect the company. Spoofing is an illegal, deceptive online marketing ploy that conceals the true identity of an email sender and instead falsely identifies someone else as the sender. "Spoofers lie about who's really sending these emails," said David Zapolsky, Amazon.com Vice President and Associate General Counsel. "Spoofing is forgery, and we're going after spoofers to the full extent of the law." Zapolsky said the company has set up a special email account, stop-spoofing@amazon.com, for consumers to report suspected spoofing involving Amazon.com or to turn in email forgers posing as amazon.com. Amazon.com is not the only trusted domain name that spoofers have abused with their email forgeries. According to Zapolsky, "Spoofing is a problem faced by any company with a trusted domain name that uses e-mail to communicate with its customers. It's not just spam; it's consumer fraud. And the actions taken today by Amazon.com and by the state of New York will send a strong message to anyone engaged in this conduct that it will not be tolerated." The lawsuits filed in seven Federal district courts in the United States and in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada make claims against: E.B.A. Wholesale Corp. (d/b/a Cyebye.com), an appliance retailer in Brooklyn, NY, which promoted its home appliances through email appearing to come from "Amazon.Com (cyebye@cyebye.com)." This lawsuit has been settled as described above. Several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising "Healthproductsnow.net," which advertises a "human growth hormone" to treat a variety of ills, via email supposedly originating from "Keith Tori" (YBCOt5fmD@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Rockin Time Holdings, Inc., a Miami Beach, Florida-based operation touting "Gain Pro Penile Pills" through email designed to appear from "Andrea C. Valenzuela" (andrea.cvalenzuela3@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Royal Responder, a Fort Collins, Colorado, company, and Jay Unzicker of Arizona who advertised tools for creating and sending spam through email appearing to originate at "Jay U" (tifqixcnti@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Cyberpower Pty., Ltd., and several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising GrantGiveaways.com, a website offering "Free Cash Grants, Never Repay," through unsolicited email supposedly sent by "Eddy" (HfCdnGUDBdt9A9@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising ImmunoShield, an immune system enhancing liquid spray created by Enzymatic Therapy, Inc., a Green Bay, Wisconsin, company, through emails appearing to come from "Marie" (2c4O446r@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. 1505820 Ontario, Inc., an Ontario, Canada, corporation operating "Jsuati.com," which collects email addresses of consumers who attempt to opt out of receiving spoofed messages designed to appear as if they originated at "Fran K. Stuart" (fstuart_47@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising "Cheapfilter.com," a website offering a device that purportedly allows the consumer to receive Pay-Per-View channels "completely free," through emails appearing to originate at "Douglas" (evAdt@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Edward Davidson, an individual residing in Florida who advertised "VP-RX" penile pills through emails appearing to be sent by "Connor Long" (connorlong68@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Matrix Consulting Group, LLC, a Wisconsin company that participated in an email scheme advertising "GainPro" penile pills through unsolicited emails supposedly sent by "Katherine Anderson" (kanderson@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. Daniel Byron Black, a California resident who sent emails advertising extended automobile warranties through unsolicited emails supposedly sent by "Arnold Jeff" (fr0QiseghgaWh@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses. The lawsuits will be available online at www.amazon.com/stopspoofing. In addition to the lawsuits, Amazon.com: Will continue to investigate and take legal action against those who use Amazon.com's name to send deceptive email. Has begun working with several internet service providers and other owners of trusted domain names in an attempt to explore and promote technical solutions that would make it more difficult to deliver a spoofed e-mail message to unsuspecting consumers. Will continue to support federal anti-spam legislation that would impose tough penalties against spoofing and similar deceptive email practices. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Eleven U.S. and Canadian Lawsuits Seek Millions in Punitive Damages from Email Forgers Who Disguise Their Emails to Impersonate Amazon.com</p><p>SEATTLE, Aug 26, 2003 -- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today and Monday filed federal lawsuits in the United States and Canada seeking to restrain 11 online marketers from sending email forgeries falsely labeled as coming from Amazon.com. As a deterrent to others, the suits also seek millions of dollars in punitive damages.</p><p>Simultaneously, the New York Attorney General's office has announced a settlement of civil fraud charges with one of the email forgers identified by Amazon.com. The agreement followed an investigation conducted with Amazon.com's cooperation. The settlement agreement prohibits Cyebye.com from using third parties' names to market, unless the company obtains authority to do so. The company is also required to keep records of all commercial emails during the next two years and provide the Attorney General's office with regular updates of its compliance with the settlement. Cyebye.com must pay $10,000 in penalties to the State of New York.</p><p>Amazon.com has also reached a settlement in principle with Cyebye.com. The agreement prohibits Cyebye.com from sending e-mail messages of any kind that include the Amazon.com name in any way without specific authorization from Amazon.com. The agreement also includes payment by Cyebye.com of monetary damages.</p><p>The Amazon.com lawsuits are only part of a broader company initiative to crack down on and eliminate email forgeries, also known as "spoofing," that affect the company. Spoofing is an illegal, deceptive online marketing ploy that conceals the true identity of an email sender and instead falsely identifies someone else as the sender.</p><p>"Spoofers lie about who's really sending these emails," said David Zapolsky, Amazon.com Vice President and Associate General Counsel. "Spoofing is forgery, and we're going after spoofers to the full extent of the law."</p><p>Zapolsky said the company has set up a special email account, stop-spoofing@amazon.com, for consumers to report suspected spoofing involving Amazon.com or to turn in email forgers posing as amazon.com.</p><p>Amazon.com is not the only trusted domain name that spoofers have abused with their email forgeries.</p><p>According to Zapolsky, "Spoofing is a problem faced by any company with a trusted domain name that uses e-mail to communicate with its customers. It's not just spam; it's consumer fraud. And the actions taken today by Amazon.com and by the state of New York will send a strong message to anyone engaged in this conduct that it will not be tolerated."</p><p>The lawsuits filed in seven Federal district courts in the United States and in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada make claims against:</p><ul><li>E.B.A. Wholesale Corp. (d/b/a Cyebye.com), an appliance retailer in Brooklyn, NY, which promoted its home appliances through email appearing to come from "Amazon.Com (cyebye@cyebye.com)." This lawsuit has been settled as described above.</li><li>Several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising "Healthproductsnow.net," which advertises a "human growth hormone" to treat a variety of ills, via email supposedly originating from "Keith Tori" (YBCOt5fmD@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Rockin Time Holdings, Inc., a Miami Beach, Florida-based operation touting "Gain Pro Penile Pills" through email designed to appear from "Andrea C. Valenzuela" (andrea.cvalenzuela3@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Royal Responder, a Fort Collins, Colorado, company, and Jay Unzicker of Arizona who advertised tools for creating and sending spam through email appearing to originate at "Jay U" (tifqixcnti@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Cyberpower Pty., Ltd., and several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising GrantGiveaways.com, a website offering "Free Cash Grants, Never Repay," through unsolicited email supposedly sent by "Eddy" (HfCdnGUDBdt9A9@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising ImmunoShield, an immune system enhancing liquid spray created by Enzymatic Therapy, Inc., a Green Bay, Wisconsin, company, through emails appearing to come from "Marie" (2c4O446r@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>1505820 Ontario, Inc., an Ontario, Canada, corporation operating "Jsuati.com," which collects email addresses of consumers who attempt to opt out of receiving spoofed messages designed to appear as if they originated at "Fran K. Stuart" (fstuart_47@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Several unidentified defendants who participated in an email scheme advertising "Cheapfilter.com," a website offering a device that purportedly allows the consumer to receive Pay-Per-View channels "completely free," through emails appearing to originate at "Douglas" (evAdt@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Edward Davidson, an individual residing in Florida who advertised "VP-RX" penile pills through emails appearing to be sent by "Connor Long" (connorlong68@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Matrix Consulting Group, LLC, a Wisconsin company that participated in an email scheme advertising "GainPro" penile pills through unsolicited emails supposedly sent by "Katherine Anderson" (kanderson@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li><li>Daniel Byron Black, a California resident who sent emails advertising extended automobile warranties through unsolicited emails supposedly sent by "Arnold Jeff" (fr0QiseghgaWh@amazon.com) and similar nonexistent amazon.com email addresses.</li></ul><p>The lawsuits will be available online at www.amazon.com/stopspoofing. In addition to the lawsuits, Amazon.com:</p><ul><li>Will continue to investigate and take legal action against those who use Amazon.com's name to send deceptive email.</li><li>Has begun working with several internet service providers and other owners of trusted domain names in an attempt to explore and promote technical solutions that would make it more difficult to deliver a spoofed e-mail message to unsuspecting consumers.</li><li>Will continue to support federal anti-spam legislation that would impose tough penalties against spoofing and similar deceptive email practices.</li></ul><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Jeff Bezos and Anna Kournikova Hold Court in Grand Central Terminal

/news/news-details/2003/Jeff-Bezos-and-Anna-Kournikova-Hold-Court-in-Grand-Central-Terminal/default.aspx

Jeff-Bezos-and-Anna-Kournikova-Hold-Court-in-Grand-Central-Terminal

08/22/2003 00:00:00

Jeff Bezos and Anna Kournikova Hold Court in Grand Central Terminal

08/22/2003

2003

Celebrity Tennis Event Introduces New Sports Bra Available Exclusively at Amazon.com's Apparel Store; Portion of Sales Will Benefit Harlem Junior Tennis Program SEATTLE--Aug. 22, 2003-- The Anna Kournikova Multiway sports bra, specially designed for the tennis superstar, makes its U.S. debut today at Amazon.com's Apparel & Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel), where the product is exclusively available through September 19. Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos and Anna Kournikova are inviting the public to watch them play a charity hit-around at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall from 1 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. today, the day Amazon.com starts selling the Anna Kournikova Multiway sports bra and the week leading up to the U.S. Open. Through September 7, Amazon.com's Apparel store will donate 10 percent of the $38.50 purchase price of every Anna Kournikova Multiway sports bra to the Harlem Junior Tennis Program, a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing tennis instruction and educational programs to over 400 kids annually, ages 7 to 18. Amid the buzz of Grand Central Terminal, Jeff and Anna will engage in a light-hearted tennis rally during the TENNIS Magazine Grand Slam. Jeff and Anna will kick off the event by introducing the product and offering opening remarks. Having last won a tennis match at age 13, Jeff has also challenged Anna to a typing tournament -- her choice of keyboard. The Anna Kournikova Multiway Bra was designed by Shock Absorber to meet the athlete's personal needs, including maximum comfort for high-impact sports. The seamless bra is invisible under clothes, the straps can be worn as a racer back or regular back, and contains Coolmax -- a fabric that wicks away moisture to help keep users cool and dry. Like all sports bras in the Shock Absorber line, Anna's is designed to help prevent stress on the Cooper's Suspensory ligaments, helping to minimize long-term damage. In addition to the Anna Kournikova Multiway Bra, Amazon.com will carry other products from the Shock Absorber line through Figleaves.com, which recently joined Amazon's Apparel store. About Amazon.com's Apparel & Accessories Store Amazon.com's Apparel & Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel), which launched in November 2002, is one of the largest on-line apparel shopping destinations, featuring more than 1,000 brands together in one, easy-to-use destination. The site offers a vast selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories the Amazon.com way, with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, customer reviews, and other helpful information. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About Shock Absorber Shock Absorber is one of Europe's no. 1 selling brands for women's performance wear, owned by Sarah Lee Corporation. With over 5,000 points of distribution throughout Europe, Shock Absorber delivers the highest level of performance in sportswear that today's modern, active women demand. Shock Absorber was launched in 1995, by the British lingerie brand Berlei, as a result of research carried out showing that wearing a sports bra during exercise delays long-term damage and sagging. Shock Absorber's Technical Design Team has a unique understanding of women's bodies -- they have applied the technical principles used in designing lingerie to ensure that Shock Absorber performance wear delivers the best fit and performance for women. Shock Absorber became a major sponsor of Anna Kournikova in 1997. As a high-performance athlete who knows the importance of taking care of her body, she is a perfect ambassador for the brand. "As an international tennis player, the right sports equipment helps me compete at my highest level. With Shock Absorber, performance and design are never compromised." -- Anna Kournikova. About Figleaves.com Figleaves.com is a one-stop shop for branded intimate apparel. From Aubade to Calvin Klein, to La Perla Glamour to Zimmermann, it offers an A to Z of lingerie, swimwear, hosiery, sportswear and sleepwear for men and women. With bra sizes ranging from AA to JJ and prices from $15 to $150, it has something for everyone, and with free shipping, offers a value-for-money shopping experience.

<p>Celebrity Tennis Event Introduces New Sports Bra Available Exclusively at Amazon.com's Apparel Store; Portion of Sales Will Benefit Harlem Junior Tennis Program</p><p>SEATTLE--Aug. 22, 2003-- The Anna Kournikova Multiway sports bra, specially designed for the tennis superstar, makes its U.S. debut today at Amazon.com's Apparel &amp; Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel), where the product is exclusively available through September 19.</p><p>Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos and Anna Kournikova are inviting the public to watch them play a charity hit-around at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall from 1 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. today, the day Amazon.com starts selling the Anna Kournikova Multiway sports bra and the week leading up to the U.S. Open.</p><p>Through September 7, Amazon.com's Apparel store will donate 10 percent of the $38.50 purchase price of every Anna Kournikova Multiway sports bra to the Harlem Junior Tennis Program, a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing tennis instruction and educational programs to over 400 kids annually, ages 7 to 18.</p><p>Amid the buzz of Grand Central Terminal, Jeff and Anna will engage in a light-hearted tennis rally during the TENNIS Magazine Grand Slam. Jeff and Anna will kick off the event by introducing the product and offering opening remarks. Having last won a tennis match at age 13, Jeff has also challenged Anna to a typing tournament -- her choice of keyboard.</p><p>The Anna Kournikova Multiway Bra was designed by Shock Absorber to meet the athlete's personal needs, including maximum comfort for high-impact sports. The seamless bra is invisible under clothes, the straps can be worn as a racer back or regular back, and contains Coolmax -- a fabric that wicks away moisture to help keep users cool and dry. Like all sports bras in the Shock Absorber line, Anna's is designed to help prevent stress on the Cooper's Suspensory ligaments, helping to minimize long-term damage.</p><p>In addition to the Anna Kournikova Multiway Bra, Amazon.com will carry other products from the Shock Absorber line through Figleaves.com, which recently joined Amazon's Apparel store.</p><p>About Amazon.com's Apparel &amp; Accessories Store</p><p>Amazon.com's Apparel &amp; Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel), which launched in November 2002, is one of the largest on-line apparel shopping destinations, featuring more than 1,000 brands together in one, easy-to-use destination. The site offers a vast selection of clothing, shoes, and accessories the Amazon.com way, with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, customer reviews, and other helpful information.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About Shock Absorber</p><p>Shock Absorber is one of Europe's no. 1 selling brands for women's performance wear, owned by Sarah Lee Corporation. With over 5,000 points of distribution throughout Europe, Shock Absorber delivers the highest level of performance in sportswear that today's modern, active women demand. Shock Absorber was launched in 1995, by the British lingerie brand Berlei, as a result of research carried out showing that wearing a sports bra during exercise delays long-term damage and sagging. Shock Absorber's Technical Design Team has a unique understanding of women's bodies -- they have applied the technical principles used in designing lingerie to ensure that Shock Absorber performance wear delivers the best fit and performance for women.</p><p>Shock Absorber became a major sponsor of Anna Kournikova in 1997. As a high-performance athlete who knows the importance of taking care of her body, she is a perfect ambassador for the brand. "As an international tennis player, the right sports equipment helps me compete at my highest level. With Shock Absorber, performance and design are never compromised." -- Anna Kournikova.</p><p>About Figleaves.com</p><p>Figleaves.com is a one-stop shop for branded intimate apparel. From Aubade to Calvin Klein, to La Perla Glamour to Zimmermann, it offers an A to Z of lingerie, swimwear, hosiery, sportswear and sleepwear for men and women. With bra sizes ranging from AA to JJ and prices from $15 to $150, it has something for everyone, and with free shipping, offers a value-for-money shopping experience.</p>

Amazon.com Extends E-Commerce Agreement with Target Corporation to 2008

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Extends-E-Commerce-Agreement-with-Target-Corporation-to-2008/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Extends-E-Commerce-Agreement-with-Target-Corporation-to-2008

08/12/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Extends E-Commerce Agreement with Target Corporation to 2008

08/12/2003

2003

SEATTLE--Aug. 12, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced an extension of its e-commerce agreement with Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT). This amended contract extends the original five-year agreement to August 2008. Under the agreement, Amazon.com provides a comprehensive e-commerce solution of technology services, order fulfillment and customer service for the Target Store at Amazon.com and Target's online properties, which include Target.com, MarshallFields.com, and Mervyns.com. "For the past two years, Target Corporation's relationship with Amazon.com has provided our guests with superior service and an engaging online shopping experience," said Target Corporation Vice Chairman Jerry Storch. "As a result of our association with Amazon.com, we increased sales significantly year-over-year for our online properties in the first two quarters of 2003, and look forward to continuing this success." "We're excited that Target chose to extend our partnership," said Amazon.com Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. "We've worked hard on our e-commerce platform and look forward to continue bringing a best-of-breed e-commerce experience to Target's guests." Amazon.com and Target unveiled Target.com last summer, integrating offerings from Target, Marshall Field's, Mervyn's and Amazon.com. The site includes Amazon.com's personalization, product recommendations, search functionality, 1-Click(R) shopping, and a single checkout. Earlier this year, Amazon.com and Target integrated baby and wedding registries from Target's stores with its online properties and the Amazon.com platform. Additionally, Amazon.com provided enhanced tools that enable Target to better manage site content and merchandising. Amazon.com and Target opened the Target Store at Amazon.com in October of 2001. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>SEATTLE--Aug. 12, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced an extension of its e-commerce agreement with Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT). This amended contract extends the original five-year agreement to August 2008. Under the agreement, Amazon.com provides a comprehensive e-commerce solution of technology services, order fulfillment and customer service for the Target Store at Amazon.com and Target's online properties, which include Target.com, MarshallFields.com, and Mervyns.com.</p><p>"For the past two years, Target Corporation's relationship with Amazon.com has provided our guests with superior service and an engaging online shopping experience," said Target Corporation Vice Chairman Jerry Storch. "As a result of our association with Amazon.com, we increased sales significantly year-over-year for our online properties in the first two quarters of 2003, and look forward to continuing this success."</p><p>"We're excited that Target chose to extend our partnership," said Amazon.com Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. "We've worked hard on our e-commerce platform and look forward to continue bringing a best-of-breed e-commerce experience to Target's guests."</p><p>Amazon.com and Target unveiled Target.com last summer, integrating offerings from Target, Marshall Field's, Mervyn's and Amazon.com. The site includes Amazon.com's personalization, product recommendations, search functionality, 1-Click(R) shopping, and a single checkout. Earlier this year, Amazon.com and Target integrated baby and wedding registries from Target's stores with its online properties and the Amazon.com platform. Additionally, Amazon.com provided enhanced tools that enable Target to better manage site content and merchandising. Amazon.com and Target opened the Target Store at Amazon.com in October of 2001.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.co.uk Lowers Threshold On Free Super Saver Delivery To £25

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.co.uk-Lowers-Threshold-On-Free-Super-Saver-Delivery-To-25/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-Lowers-Threshold-On-Free-Super-Saver-Delivery-To-25

07/23/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk Lowers Threshold On Free Super Saver Delivery To £25

07/23/2003

2003

Company Cites Customers' "Favorable Response" to Free Super Saver Delivery LONDON, July 23, 2003 – As a result of the popularity of its free Super Saver Delivery option and its ongoing commitment to lowering prices for customers, Amazon.co.uk today announced it is lowering the order size threshold for free Super Saver Delivery to £25 from £39. This announcement was made in conjunction with Amazon.com's financial results for the second quarter of 2003 and comes just six months after Amazon.co.uk launched free Super Saver Delivery for qualifying orders over £39. Free Super Saver Delivery is not a seasonal or limited-time promotion, but an indefinite, everyday, 365-days-a-year offer. "We have been impressed by the customer response to our free delivery option," said Robin Terrell, Managing Director for Amazon.co.uk. "Quite simply it is working extremely well both for our customers and for the business and we are delighted to lower the delivery threshold further to just £25. With our combination of low product prices available across the site and our free Super Saver Delivery option, it is easier than ever for customers to make significant savings in both time and money when they shop at Amazon.co.uk." Today's announcement marks Amazon.co.uk's fourth significant price decrease so far this year. In January, Amazon.co.uk launched free Super Saver Delivery as an everyday delivery option for qualifying orders over £39 and dramatically lowered the price of chart CDs to just £8.49. In February, the company introduced 30% off tens of thousands of books over £15, and in May, Amazon.co.uk launched 25% off hundreds of new and future PC & Video Game releases. In recent months Amazon.co.uk has also reduced product prices on many bestselling items in its Electronics & Photo and recently launched Kitchen & Home stores, furthering the company's long-term strategy of finding ways to continually lower prices for customers. Great deals in Electronics & Photo include the Toshiba SD330 Multi-region DVD Player, available for just £79.99 (a 20% saving) and the Russell Hobbs 10007 Juice Lady Commercial-quality Juice Extractor for £77.47 (a 20% saving) in Kitchen & Home. Free Super Saver Delivery is 3-5 days slower than standard delivery and is free on qualifying orders over £25. For more details visit www.amazon.co.uk/supersaverdelivery. For further information please contact:Rachel Silk on 020 8636 9252 / 07768 695759 / rsilk@amazon.co.ukNatalie Jim or Eileen McGuinness at Red Consultancy on 0207 009 2808 Editors note Free Super Saver Delivery applies on orders of £25 and over of eligible product (which is to be delivered to a single UK address), placed on the Amazon.co.uk Web site (excluding third-party sites and sellers) on or after 22 July 2003. Discounts, unless otherwise indicated, refer to savings on the RRP for books, DVDs, videos, software products and PC and video games and on Amazon.co.uk's previous price for electronics, music and toys. "Chart" refers to Top 40 official UK artist albums chart – eligible titles may vary from time to time, but will have appeared within the preceding three weeks. Delivery restrictions apply to certain products. See Amazon.co.uk Web site for further details, terms and conditions. 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics & photo, kitchen & home, and toys. 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 operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com International Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfilment centre optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>Company Cites Customers' "Favorable Response" to Free Super Saver Delivery</p><p>LONDON, July 23, 2003 – As a result of the popularity of its free Super Saver Delivery option and its ongoing commitment to lowering prices for customers, Amazon.co.uk today announced it is lowering the order size threshold for free Super Saver Delivery to £25 from £39. This announcement was made in conjunction with Amazon.com's financial results for the second quarter of 2003 and comes just six months after Amazon.co.uk launched free Super Saver Delivery for qualifying orders over £39.</p><p>Free Super Saver Delivery is not a seasonal or limited-time promotion, but an indefinite, everyday, 365-days-a-year offer.</p><p>"We have been impressed by the customer response to our free delivery option," said Robin Terrell, Managing Director for Amazon.co.uk. "Quite simply it is working extremely well both for our customers and for the business and we are delighted to lower the delivery threshold further to just £25. With our combination of low product prices available across the site and our free Super Saver Delivery option, it is easier than ever for customers to make significant savings in both time and money when they shop at Amazon.co.uk."</p><p>Today's announcement marks Amazon.co.uk's fourth significant price decrease so far this year. In January, Amazon.co.uk launched free Super Saver Delivery as an everyday delivery option for qualifying orders over £39 and dramatically lowered the price of chart CDs to just £8.49. In February, the company introduced 30% off tens of thousands of books over £15, and in May, Amazon.co.uk launched 25% off hundreds of new and future PC &amp; Video Game releases.</p><p>In recent months Amazon.co.uk has also reduced product prices on many bestselling items in its Electronics &amp; Photo and recently launched Kitchen &amp; Home stores, furthering the company's long-term strategy of finding ways to continually lower prices for customers. Great deals in Electronics &amp; Photo include the Toshiba SD330 Multi-region DVD Player, available for just £79.99 (a 20% saving) and the Russell Hobbs 10007 Juice Lady Commercial-quality Juice Extractor for £77.47 (a 20% saving) in Kitchen &amp; Home.</p><p>Free Super Saver Delivery is 3-5 days slower than standard delivery and is free on qualifying orders over £25. For more details visit www.amazon.co.uk/supersaverdelivery.</p><p>For further information please contact:Rachel Silk on 020 8636 9252 / 07768 695759 / rsilk@amazon.co.ukNatalie Jim or Eileen McGuinness at Red Consultancy on 0207 009 2808</p><p>Editors note</p><p>Free Super Saver Delivery applies on orders of £25 and over of eligible product (which is to be delivered to a single UK address), placed on the Amazon.co.uk Web site (excluding third-party sites and sellers) on or after 22 July 2003. Discounts, unless otherwise indicated, refer to savings on the RRP for books, DVDs, videos, software products and PC and video games and on Amazon.co.uk's previous price for electronics, music and toys. "Chart" refers to Top 40 official UK artist albums chart – eligible titles may vary from time to time, but will have appeared within the preceding three weeks. Delivery restrictions apply to certain products. See Amazon.co.uk Web site for further details, terms and conditions.</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics &amp; photo, kitchen &amp; home, and toys. 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.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com International Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfilment centre optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.com Announces Free Shipping and Low Prices Fuel 42% Unit Growth

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Announces-Free-Shipping-and-Low-Prices-Fuel-42-Unit-Growth/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Announces-Free-Shipping-and-Low-Prices-Fuel-42-Unit-Growth

07/22/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces Free Shipping and Low Prices Fuel 42% Unit Growth

07/22/2003

2003

Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Operations Pro Forma Statement of Operations Segment Information Supplemental Revenue Information Balance Sheets Supplemental Financial Information Operational Highlights AMZN Q2, 2003Financial Results Download WordVersion 1.21MB Download PDFVersion 224KB AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES FREE SHIPPING AND LOW PRICES FUEL 42% UNIT GROWTH SEATTLE—(BUSINESS WIRE)—July 22, 2003—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2003. Operating cash flow was $285 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $48 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2002. Free cash flow was $245 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $16 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2002. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 433 million at June 30, 2003, an increase of 1% compared with a year ago. Net sales were $1.1 billion in the second quarter, compared with $806 million in the second quarter 2002, an increase of 37%. Net sales benefited by $55 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with the second quarter 2002. Operating income was $42 million, or 4% of net sales, compared with $1 million in the second quarter 2002. Consolidated segment operating income improved $41 million to $67 million, or 6% of net sales, compared with $26 million in the second quarter 2002. Net loss was $43 million, or $(0.11) per share, in the second quarter, compared with $94 million, or $(0.25) per share, in the second quarter 2002. Pro forma net income in the second quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $46 million to $42 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $4 million, or $(0.01) per share, in the second quarter 2002. "In January, we shifted money from TV and print advertising to customers through lower prices and free shipping," said Amazon.com founder and chief executive officer Jeff Bezos. "We're pleased with the results." Today the Company also announced it is lowering its Free Super Saver Delivery threshold in the U.K. to £25 from £39. The Company currently offers Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com and free shipping options at its German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significant savings on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs. "Amazon.com customers continue to respond in record numbers to our everyday low prices and free shipping," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "Our strategy of offering low prices and free shipping, combined with the inherent advantages of online shopping, is allowing us to raise our guidance."See "Financial Measures" for additional information. Highlights of Second Quarter 2003 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2002) Worldwide unit growth was 42% in the second quarter. In June 2003, the Company sold over 1.4 million units worldwide of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on the Company's product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 20% of worldwide units in the second quarter, compared with 14% of units a year ago. North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, grew 20% to $703 million in the second quarter and segment operating income grew 53% to $55 million, or 8% of net sales. International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 81% to $397 million in the second quarter and benefited by $54 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with the second quarter 2002. International segment operating income was $13 million, a $22 million improvement. Inventory turns for the trailing four quarters improved to 20 for the second quarter, up from 19. On May 28, 2003, the Company redeemed all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008, for $277 million, a redemption price of 105% of the $264 million principal amount. Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of July 22, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. Third Quarter 2003 Guidance Third quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.075 billion and $1.15 billion, or grow between 26% and 35%, compared with third quarter 2002. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $55 million and $70 million. Operating income is expected to be between $40 million and $55 million, assuming among other things that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on September 30, 2003 is identical to the closing price of $36.32 on June 30, 2003. Full Year 2003 Expectations Net sales are expected to be between $4.9 billion and $5.1 billion, or grow between 25% and 30%, compared with 2002. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $300 million and $340 million. Operating income is expected to be between $215 million and $255 million, assuming among other things that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2003 is identical to the closing price of $36.32 on June 30, 2003. A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available at least through September 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. Financial Measures The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures. Free Cash Flow Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets including internal-use software and Website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating cash flow—is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics." Consolidated Segment Operating Income Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and Restructuring-related and other. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating income (loss)—is included in "Segment Information" in the attached financial statements. Pro Forma Net Income (Loss) Pro forma net income (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, Restructuring-related and other, Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—net income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. Back to top of Page Statement of Cash Flows Back to top of Page Statement of Operations Back to top of Page Pro Forma Statement of Operations Back to top of Page Segment Information Back to top of Page Supplemental Revenue Information Back to top of Page Balance Sheets Back to top of Page Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics Back to top of Page Operational Highlights AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited) Second Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year) Net Sales Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $80 million, down from $81 million. Gross Profit Gross profit benefited by approximately $12 million, and consolidated segment operating income by approximately $3 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with second quarter 2002. Shipping loss was approximately $26 million, down from income of $2 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that free shipping offers are an effective marketing tool. We intend to continue offering our customers free shipping alternatives, which will reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins. Fulfillment Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions represent a significant percentage relative to commission amounts earned, and as a result, negatively affect fulfillment as a percentage of net sales. Stock-Based Compensation Stock based compensation consisted of $15 million for stock awards under variable accounting and $10 million for stock awards under fixed accounting. Stock based compensation includes matching contributions under our 401(k) program but excludes payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards. We granted 2 million stock awards during the quarter with vesting periods generally ranging from three to six years. At June 30, 2003, outstanding stock awards consisted of 32 million stock options ($12 average exercise price), 4 million restricted stock units and 1 million shares of restricted stock. Restricted stock is included in common stock outstanding; restricted stock units are not. Since the fourth quarter 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. At June 30, 2003, 2 million stock awards are subject to variable accounting, of which less than 1 million options granted under the January 2001 exchange offer are scheduled to expire in the third quarter of 2003. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002 are subject to variable accounting treatment. Under variable stock award accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of awards that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations. Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our June 30, 2003 closing price of $36.32, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended June 30, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts): Percentage DifferenceClosing Price (1) Hypothetical Market Price per Share (1) HypotheticalStock-BasedCompensation Expense Hypothetical vs.Actual Stock-BasedCompensation Expense (25)% $27.24 $15 $(10) (10)% 32.69 20 (4) 0% 36.32 24 (2) — 10% 39.95 29 4 25% 45.40 35 11 ______________(1) Hypothetical—not a prediction of future performance of quoted prices of our common stock.(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for the second quarter 2003. Restructuring-Related and Other As previously disclosed, in the first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary. Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $4 million, compared with $13 million in the second quarter 2002. We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $6 million in the remainder of 2003, $12 million in 2004, and $19 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $10 million in future income) on gross lease obligations of $83 million. Other Income, Net Other income, net primarily consisted of net gains on sales of marketable securities. Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $38 million, compared with $71 million in the second quarter 2002. In connection with our May 28, 2003 redemption of our 10% Senior Discounts Notes, we recorded a charge of $15 million representing a 5% premium and $2 million of remaining deferred issuance costs. Additionally, we paid $2 million for interest accrued between May 1, 2003 and May 28, 2003 which was recorded to "Interest expense." During the second quarter of 2003, we terminated our cross-currency swap agreement that hedged a portion of principal and interest payments on our PEACS. No cash was paid or received to terminate the swap agreement, however we recorded a charge of $6 million to "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other," representing the remaining fair value of the swap asset. At June 30, 2003, the balance of the cumulative losses related to the swap agreement, included in "Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)" on our consolidated balance sheets, was $14 million, which will be amortized to "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other" over the remaining life of the PEACS. If we redeem or otherwise restructure our PEACS prior to maturity, any remaining cumulative unrealized loss resulting from the swap agreement would be recognized as a charge to "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other." Income Taxes At June 30, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.7 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.3 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes—to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations. Net Loss Although we reported a $50 million improvement in our net loss, we believe that this improvement is not necessarily predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation associated with variable accounting treatment and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These items represented significant charges during the first and second quarters of 2003 and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods. Cash Flows and Balance Sheet Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, and vendor payment terms. For example, our second quarter 2003 trailing twelve month operating cash flow and free cash flow were positively impacted by approximately $20 million because, as previously reported, a credit card service provider unintentionally failed to make a scheduled quarter-end payment to us until the third quarter 2002, and in the second quarter 2003 we purchased and received customer payment for over 1.4 million units of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, for which payment was generally not due to our vendors until after the second quarter of 2003. Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $989 million are estimated fair value and primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term obligations, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds and asset-backed and agency securities. We have pledged approximately $104 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $124 million at June 30, 2002.Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions): Principalat Maturity Interest Rate PrincipalDue Date Convertible Subordinated Notes......... $1,250 (1) 4.750% February 2009 PEACS.......................................... 792 (2) 6.875% February 2010 $2,042 —————————(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.85% of the principal, which decreases to 100% over time, plus any unaccrued and unpaid interest.(2) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest, and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the €690 million, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. Because we have terminated our cross-currency swap agreement relating to the PEACS, we have additional interest expense exposure to fluctuations in the Euro/US dollar exchange ratio. Certain Definitions and Other We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that exclude stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which is not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com, and mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. We have also provided supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media," "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software and video games. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics, toys, home improvement, home and garden, and apparel. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide—such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp—and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.

<table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</p></td></tr><tr><td>Segment Information</td></tr><tr><td>Supplemental Revenue Information</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><div>AMZN Q2, 2003Financial Results</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Download WordVersion 1.21MB</p></td><td><div>Download PDFVersion 224KB</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><div>AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES FREE SHIPPING AND LOW PRICES FUEL 42% UNIT GROWTH</div><p>SEATTLE—(BUSINESS WIRE)—July 22, 2003—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2003.</p><p>Operating cash flow was $285 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $48 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2002. Free cash flow was $245 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $16 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2002.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 433 million at June 30, 2003, an increase of 1% compared with a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were $1.1 billion in the second quarter, compared with $806 million in the second quarter 2002, an increase of 37%. Net sales benefited by $55 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with the second quarter 2002.</p><p>Operating income was $42 million, or 4% of net sales, compared with $1 million in the second quarter 2002. Consolidated segment operating income improved $41 million to $67 million, or 6% of net sales, compared with $26 million in the second quarter 2002.</p><p>Net loss was $43 million, or $(0.11) per share, in the second quarter, compared with $94 million, or $(0.25) per share, in the second quarter 2002. Pro forma net income in the second quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $46 million to $42 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $4 million, or $(0.01) per share, in the second quarter 2002.</p><p>"In January, we shifted money from TV and print advertising to customers through lower prices and free shipping," said Amazon.com founder and chief executive officer Jeff Bezos. "We're pleased with the results."</p><p>Today the Company also announced it is lowering its Free Super Saver Delivery threshold in the U.K. to £25 from £39. The Company currently offers Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com and free shipping options at its German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significant savings on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs.</p><p>"Amazon.com customers continue to respond in record numbers to our everyday low prices and free shipping," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "Our strategy of offering low prices and free shipping, combined with the inherent advantages of online shopping, is allowing us to raise our guidance."See "Financial Measures" for additional information.</p><p>Highlights of Second Quarter 2003 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2002)</p><ul><li>Worldwide unit growth was 42% in the second quarter.</li><li>In June 2003, the Company sold over 1.4 million units worldwide of <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.</em></li><li>Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on the Company's product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 20% of worldwide units in the second quarter, compared with 14% of units a year ago.</li><li>North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, grew 20% to $703 million in the second quarter and segment operating income grew 53% to $55 million, or 8% of net sales.</li><li>International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 81% to $397 million in the second quarter and benefited by $54 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with the second quarter 2002. International segment operating income was $13 million, a $22 million improvement.</li><li>Inventory turns for the trailing four quarters improved to 20 for the second quarter, up from 19.</li><li>On May 28, 2003, the Company redeemed all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008, for $277 million, a redemption price of 105% of the $264 million principal amount.</li></ul><p>Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations</p><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of July 22, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p><blockquote><p>Third Quarter 2003 Guidance</p><ul><li>Third quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.075 billion and $1.15 billion, or grow between 26% and 35%, compared with third quarter 2002.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $55 million and $70 million.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $40 million and $55 million, assuming among other things that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on September 30, 2003 is identical to the closing price of $36.32 on June 30, 2003.</li></ul><p>Full Year 2003 Expectations</p><ul><li>Net sales are expected to be between $4.9 billion and $5.1 billion, or grow between 25% and 30%, compared with 2002.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $300 million and $340 million.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $215 million and $255 million, assuming among other things that the Company does not record any revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2003 is identical to the closing price of $36.32 on June 30, 2003.</li></ul></blockquote><p>A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available at least through September 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.</p><p><em>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</em></p><p>Financial Measures</p><p>The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures.</p><p><em>Free Cash Flow</em></p><p>Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets including internal-use software and Website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating cash flow—is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics."</p><p><em>Consolidated Segment Operating Income</em></p><p>Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and</li><li>Restructuring-related and other.</li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating income (loss)—is included in "Segment Information" in the attached financial statements.</p><p><em>Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)</em></p><p>Pro forma net income (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles,</li><li>Restructuring-related and other,</li><li>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other,</li><li>Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and</li><li>Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle.</li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—net income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p>For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p></td></tr><tr><td>Back to top of Page<div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Back to top of Page<div>Statement of Operations</div></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Back to top of Page<div>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</div></div></td></tr><tr><td>Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Segment Information</div></td></tr><tr><td>Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><div>Supplemental Revenue Information</div></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td>Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><div>Balance Sheets</div></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td><div>Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><div>Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics</div></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td><div>Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited)</div><p>Second Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year)</p><p><em>Net Sales</em></p><ul><li>Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $80 million, down from $81 million.</li></ul><p><em>Gross Profit</em></p><ul><li>Gross profit benefited by approximately $12 million, and consolidated segment operating income by approximately $3 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with second quarter 2002.</li><li>Shipping loss was approximately $26 million, down from income of $2 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that free shipping offers are an effective marketing tool. We intend to continue offering our customers free shipping alternatives, which will reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins.</li></ul><p><em>Fulfillment</em></p><ul><li>Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment.</li><li>Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions represent a significant percentage relative to commission amounts earned, and as a result, negatively affect fulfillment as a percentage of net sales.</li></ul><p><em>Stock-Based Compensation</em></p><ul><li>Stock based compensation consisted of $15 million for stock awards under variable accounting and $10 million for stock awards under fixed accounting. Stock based compensation includes matching contributions under our 401(k) program but excludes payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards.</li><li>We granted 2 million stock awards during the quarter with vesting periods generally ranging from three to six years. At June 30, 2003, outstanding stock awards consisted of 32 million stock options ($12 average exercise price), 4 million restricted stock units and 1 million shares of restricted stock. Restricted stock is included in common stock outstanding; restricted stock units are not.</li><li>Since the fourth quarter 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation.</li><li>At June 30, 2003, 2 million stock awards are subject to variable accounting, of which less than 1 million options granted under the January 2001 exchange offer are scheduled to expire in the third quarter of 2003. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002 are subject to variable accounting treatment.</li><li>Under variable stock award accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of awards that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations.</li><li>Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our June 30, 2003 closing price of $36.32, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended June 30, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts):</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Percentage Difference<u>Closing Price (1)</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical Market Price per<u> Share (1)</u></div></td><td><div>HypotheticalStock-Based<u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical vs.Actual Stock-Based<u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(25)%</div></td><td><div>$27.24</div></td><td><div>$15</div></td><td><div>$(10)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(10)%</div></td><td><div>32.69</div></td><td><div>20</div></td><td><div>(4)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>0%</div></td><td><div>36.32</div></td><td><div>24 (2)</div></td><td><div>—</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>10%</div></td><td><div>39.95</div></td><td><div>29</div></td><td><div>4</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>25%</div></td><td><div>45.40</div></td><td><div>35</div></td><td><div>11</div></td></tr></tbody></table>______________(1) Hypothetical—not a prediction of future performance of quoted prices of our common stock.(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for the second quarter 2003.<p><em>Restructuring-Related and Other</em></p><ul><li>As previously disclosed, in the first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary.</li><li>Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $4 million, compared with $13 million in the second quarter 2002.</li><li>We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $6 million in the remainder of 2003, $12 million in 2004, and $19 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $10 million in future income) on gross lease obligations of $83 million.</li></ul><p><em>Other Income, Net</em></p><ul><li>Other income, net primarily consisted of net gains on sales of marketable securities.</li></ul><p><em>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other</em></p><ul><li>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $38 million, compared with $71 million in the second quarter 2002.</li><li>In connection with our May 28, 2003 redemption of our 10% Senior Discounts Notes, we recorded a charge of $15 million representing a 5% premium and $2 million of remaining deferred issuance costs. Additionally, we paid $2 million for interest accrued between May 1, 2003 and May 28, 2003 which was recorded to "Interest expense."</li><li>During the second quarter of 2003, we terminated our cross-currency swap agreement that hedged a portion of principal and interest payments on our PEACS. No cash was paid or received to terminate the swap agreement, however we recorded a charge of $6 million to "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other," representing the remaining fair value of the swap asset. At June 30, 2003, the balance of the cumulative losses related to the swap agreement, included in "Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)" on our consolidated balance sheets, was $14 million, which will be amortized to "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other" over the remaining life of the PEACS. If we redeem or otherwise restructure our PEACS prior to maturity, any remaining cumulative unrealized loss resulting from the swap agreement would be recognized as a charge to "Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other."</li></ul><p><em>Income Taxes</em></p><ul><li>At June 30, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.7 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.3 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes—to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations.</li></ul><p><em>Net Loss</em></p><ul><li>Although we reported a $50 million improvement in our net loss, we believe that this improvement is not necessarily predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation associated with variable accounting treatment and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These items represented significant charges during the first and second quarters of 2003 and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods.</li></ul><p><em>Cash Flows and Balance Sheet</em></p><ul><li>Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, and vendor payment terms. For example, our second quarter 2003 trailing twelve month operating cash flow and free cash flow were positively impacted by approximately $20 million because, as previously reported, a credit card service provider unintentionally failed to make a scheduled quarter-end payment to us until the third quarter 2002, and in the second quarter 2003 we purchased and received customer payment for over 1.4 million units of <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em>, for which payment was generally not due to our vendors until after the second quarter of 2003.</li><li>Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $989 million are estimated fair value and primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term obligations, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds and asset-backed and agency securities.</li><li>We have pledged approximately $104 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $124 million at June 30, 2002.Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions):</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Principal<u>at Maturity</u></div></td><td><div>Interest <u>Rate</u></div></td><td><div>Principal<u>Due Date</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Convertible Subordinated Notes.........</td><td><div>$1,250 (1)</div></td><td><div>4.750%</div></td><td><div>February 2009</div></td></tr><tr><td>PEACS..........................................</td><td><div><u>792</u> (2)</div></td><td><div>6.875%</div></td><td><div>February 2010</div></td></tr><tr><td><div><u>$2,042</u></div></td></tr></tbody></table><em>—————————</em>(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.85% of the principal, which decreases to 100% over time, plus any unaccrued and unpaid interest.(2) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest, and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the €690 million, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. Because we have terminated our cross-currency swap agreement relating to the PEACS, we have additional interest expense exposure to fluctuations in the Euro/US dollar exchange ratio.<p><em>Certain Definitions and Other</em></p><ul><li>We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that exclude stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which is not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates.</li><li>The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through <em>www.amazon.com</em> and <em>www.amazon.ca</em> (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as <em>www.cdnow.com</em>, and mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements.</li><li>The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through <em>www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr</em> and <em>www.amazon.co.jp</em> (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from <em>www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr</em> and <em>www.amazon.co.jp</em> (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from <em>www.amazon.com</em> and <em>www.amazon.ca.</em> We have also provided supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media," "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software and video games. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics, toys, home improvement, home and garden, and apparel. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities.</li><li>All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order.</li><li>All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide—such as <em>www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de </em>and <em>www.amazon.co.jp</em>—and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at <em>www.target.com</em>. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

Amazon.co.jp Launches Electronics Store

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.co.jp-Launches-Electronics-Store/default.aspx

Amazon.co.jp-Launches-Electronics-Store

07/01/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.co.jp Launches Electronics Store

07/01/2003

2003

Tens of Thousands of the Hottest Products from Top Manufacturers Now Available SEATTLE--July 1, 2003--Leading online retailer Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/), today announced the launch of its new Electronics store (http://www.amazon.co.jp/electronics/) offering consumers the very latest in digital cameras, DVD players, home and portable electronics, and much more. The new store features tens of thousands of products in 12 product categories and includes products from leading manufacturers such as Apple, Canon, Fujifilm, Matsushita, Olympus, Victor, Sony and other top brands. Amazon.co.jp offers customers the easiest way to shop for Electronics, and provides detailed specs on thousands of products. With features such as Advanced Search and Browse; a Comparison Engine that can compare several products and key features at the same time; and Recommendations for related accessories, peripherals and software to accompany electronics purchases, Amazon.co.jp is the one-stop shop for Electronics enthusiasts. And Amazon's famous Editorial and Customer reviews -- plus expert commentary from ASCII and Nikkei Zero One -- give customers the power to make an informed purchase decision. "We're delighted to offer customers the very best in Electronics," said Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan KK. "Amazon.co.jp's proven formula of providing great value, outstanding selection, and unparalleled convenience will ensure that customers find exactly what they're looking for in Electronics, whether it's the latest MP3 player, or a state-of-the-art digital camera." In addition to offering great prices on the best items every day, shoppers who purchase 5,000 JPY or more worth of Electronics from Amazon.co.jp will receive an Amazon.co.jp promotional certificate worth up to 15 percent of the purchase price, redeemable on a future Amazon.co.jp order. For further details, visit www.amazon.co.jp/electronics Amazon.co.jp also offers free delivery to anywhere in Japan for purchases of 1,500 JPY or more, as well as convenient cash on delivery payment options, with many products available for shipment within 24 hours. Today's launch marks the fourth Electronics store for Amazon. The company also offers Electronics items on Amazon.com (www.amazon.com), Amazon.co.uk (www.amazon.co.uk) and Amazon.de (www.amazon.de). About Amazon.co.jp Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games and electronics. Through Amazon Anywhere(TM), Amazon's leading mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode and EZweb wireless devices at http://amazon.co.jp. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalized recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click® ordering. Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN - News), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. Amazon.co.jpMegumi Miyazaki, 03-4288-4020 (media)press@amazon.co.jporPublicis K.K.Toshihiro Kishi/Junko Hara, 03-3350-8409toshihiro.kishi@publicis.co.jpjunko.hara@publicis.co.jp --> Source: Amazon.co.jp

<p>Tens of Thousands of the Hottest Products from Top Manufacturers Now Available</p><p>SEATTLE--July 1, 2003--Leading online retailer Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/), today announced the launch of its new Electronics store (http://www.amazon.co.jp/electronics/) offering consumers the very latest in digital cameras, DVD players, home and portable electronics, and much more.</p><p>The new store features tens of thousands of products in 12 product categories and includes products from leading manufacturers such as Apple, Canon, Fujifilm, Matsushita, Olympus, Victor, Sony and other top brands.</p><p>Amazon.co.jp offers customers the easiest way to shop for Electronics, and provides detailed specs on thousands of products. With features such as Advanced Search and Browse; a Comparison Engine that can compare several products and key features at the same time; and Recommendations for related accessories, peripherals and software to accompany electronics purchases, Amazon.co.jp is the one-stop shop for Electronics enthusiasts. And Amazon's famous Editorial and Customer reviews -- plus expert commentary from ASCII and Nikkei Zero One -- give customers the power to make an informed purchase decision.</p><p>"We're delighted to offer customers the very best in Electronics," said Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan KK. "Amazon.co.jp's proven formula of providing great value, outstanding selection, and unparalleled convenience will ensure that customers find exactly what they're looking for in Electronics, whether it's the latest MP3 player, or a state-of-the-art digital camera."</p><p>In addition to offering great prices on the best items every day, shoppers who purchase 5,000 JPY or more worth of Electronics from Amazon.co.jp will receive an Amazon.co.jp promotional certificate worth up to 15 percent of the purchase price, redeemable on a future Amazon.co.jp order. For further details, visit www.amazon.co.jp/electronics</p><p>Amazon.co.jp also offers free delivery to anywhere in Japan for purchases of 1,500 JPY or more, as well as convenient cash on delivery payment options, with many products available for shipment within 24 hours.</p><p>Today's launch marks the fourth Electronics store for Amazon. The company also offers Electronics items on Amazon.com (www.amazon.com), Amazon.co.uk (www.amazon.co.uk) and Amazon.de (www.amazon.de).</p><p>About Amazon.co.jp</p><p>Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games and electronics. Through Amazon Anywhere(TM), Amazon's leading mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode and EZweb wireless devices at http://amazon.co.jp. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalized recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click® ordering.</p><p>Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN - News), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>Amazon.co.jpMegumi Miyazaki, 03-4288-4020 (media)press@amazon.co.jporPublicis K.K.Toshihiro Kishi/Junko Hara, 03-3350-8409toshihiro.kishi@publicis.co.jpjunko.hara@publicis.co.jp</p><p>--&gt;</p><p>Source: Amazon.co.jp</p>

ADVISORY/Amazon.com and Warner Home Video to Offer ER Fans an Exclusive Sneak Peek at the Upcoming DVD, Featuring Castmember Sherry Stringfield

/news/news-details/2003/ADVISORY-Amazon.com-and-Warner-Home-Video-to-Offer-ER-Fans-an-Exclusive-Sneak-Peek-at-the-Upcoming-DVD-Featuring-Castmember-Sherry-Stringfield/default.aspx

ADVISORY-Amazon.com-and-Warner-Home-Video-to-Offer-ER-Fans-an-Exclusive-Sneak-Peek-at-the-Upcoming-DVD-Featuring-Castmember-Sherry-Stringfield

06/23/2003 00:00:00

ADVISORY/Amazon.com and Warner Home Video to Offer ER Fans an Exclusive Sneak Peek at the Upcoming DVD, Featuring Castmember Sherry Stringfield

06/23/2003

2003

Jun 23, 2003 -- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) WHAT: In anticipation of the Aug. 26 release of ER: The Complete First Season on DVD, Amazon.com and Warner Home Video are offering customers who pre-order this highly anticipated DVD at Amazon.com exclusive access to a video stream made exclusively for Amazon.com and hosted by ER castmember Sherry Stringfield, who plays Dr. Susan Lewis on the show. ER is currently one of Amazon.com's top 40 most-requested DVDs. In a personal message to Amazon.com customers who have been eagerly awaiting the DVD's release, Stringfield reminisces about her experiences on the ER set during the first season of the critically-acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning series. "As an original ER castmember, I'm delighted to give a sneak peek to Amazon.com customers, who are such passionate fans of the show and who have made season one among the most in-demand DVDs ever," said Sherry Stringfield, ER castmember. "On this exclusive video stream, which we filmed on the set of ER, I share my memories from the filming of season one, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any actor." WHY: Amazon.com enables customers to sign up to be notified when highly anticipated DVDs are made available for pre-order. Amazon.com's tally of these sign-ups offers unique insight into which not-yet-released DVDs are of most interest to movie fans worldwide: To date, more than 10,000 Amazon.com customers have asked to be notified when ER: The Complete First Season becomes available on DVD. Anticipation for the title was so great, that when it was announced for pre-order sale on June 9, ER: The Complete First Season shot into Amazon.com's DVD Top 25 Sellers within 24 hours. In keeping with Amazon.com's commitment to offering everyday low prices on the most popular DVDs, Amazon.com is offering customers a 25% discount on ER: The Complete First Season. WHEN: Beginning today, Amazon.com customers who pre-order ER: The Complete First Season will receive access to the exclusive clip. This promotion will be available exclusively at Amazon.com for six weeks thereafter. WHERE: To learn more about this exclusive promotion, or to preorder ER: The Complete First Season, visit: www.amazon.com/er-interview. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206/266-7180; Emily Glassman (glassman@amazon.com). About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About Warner Home Video With operations in 78 international territories Warner Home Video Inc., commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., Turner Entertainment Co., Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment. ER was created by Michael Crichton. Executive producers are Jack Orman, Michael Crichton and John Wells. ER is produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Jun 23, 2003 -- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN)</p><p>WHAT: In anticipation of the Aug. 26 release of ER: The Complete First Season on DVD, Amazon.com and Warner Home Video are offering customers who pre-order this highly anticipated DVD at Amazon.com exclusive access to a video stream made exclusively for Amazon.com and hosted by ER castmember Sherry Stringfield, who plays Dr. Susan Lewis on the show.</p><p>ER is currently one of Amazon.com's top 40 most-requested DVDs. In a personal message to Amazon.com customers who have been eagerly awaiting the DVD's release, Stringfield reminisces about her experiences on the ER set during the first season of the critically-acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning series.</p><p>"As an original ER castmember, I'm delighted to give a sneak peek to Amazon.com customers, who are such passionate fans of the show and who have made season one among the most in-demand DVDs ever," said Sherry Stringfield, ER castmember. "On this exclusive video stream, which we filmed on the set of ER, I share my memories from the filming of season one, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any actor."</p><p>WHY: Amazon.com enables customers to sign up to be notified when highly anticipated DVDs are made available for pre-order. Amazon.com's tally of these sign-ups offers unique insight into which not-yet-released DVDs are of most interest to movie fans worldwide:</p><ul><li>To date, more than 10,000 Amazon.com customers have asked to be notified when ER: The Complete First Season becomes available on DVD.</li><li>Anticipation for the title was so great, that when it was announced for pre-order sale on June 9, ER: The Complete First Season shot into Amazon.com's DVD Top 25 Sellers within 24 hours.</li><li>In keeping with Amazon.com's commitment to offering everyday low prices on the most popular DVDs, Amazon.com is offering customers a 25% discount on ER: The Complete First Season.</li></ul><p>WHEN: Beginning today, Amazon.com customers who pre-order ER: The Complete First Season will receive access to the exclusive clip. This promotion will be available exclusively at Amazon.com for six weeks thereafter.</p><p>WHERE: To learn more about this exclusive promotion, or to preorder ER: The Complete First Season, visit: www.amazon.com/er-interview.</p><p>For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206/266-7180; Emily Glassman (glassman@amazon.com).</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About Warner Home Video</p><p>With operations in 78 international territories Warner Home Video Inc., commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., Turner Entertainment Co., Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.</p><p>ER was created by Michael Crichton. Executive producers are Jack Orman, Michael Crichton and John Wells. ER is produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com Makes E-Commerce History with Release-Day Delivery of Highly-Anticipated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Makes-E-Commerce-History-with-Release-Day-Delivery-of-Highly-Anticipated-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Makes-E-Commerce-History-with-Release-Day-Delivery-of-Highly-Anticipated-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix

06/23/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Makes E-Commerce History with Release-Day Delivery of Highly-Anticipated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

06/23/2003

2003

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" Amazon's Largest New Product Release Ever, with More Than 789,000 Advance Orders Placed on Amazon.com and More Than 1.3 Million Advance Orders Placed on Amazon Sites Worldwide SEATTLE, Jun 23, 2003 -- In one of the largest sales and distribution events in e-commerce history, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) (www.amazon.com) teamed up with FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver more than 789,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to eager fans across the country starting on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book was available to the public. As of midnight on Friday, June 20, more than 1.3 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" had been advance-ordered on Amazon sites worldwide, making the title the retailer's largest new product release ever. This record was previously held by "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)," for which Amazon received more than 410,000 advance orders worldwide. More than 789,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" were advance-ordered on Amazon.com, more than double the 350,000 advance orders received for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Amazon.com provided complimentary Saturday delivery upgrades to customers who ordered the book between January 15 and June 17, 2003, and selected Standard shipping, to deliver the books to their doorsteps on the same day it was released. Customers also had the option to have their books shipped free via Amazon.com's everyday Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 for delivery starting Monday, June 23. "We are thrilled we were able to delight hundreds of thousands of Harry Potter fans by delivering 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' to their doorsteps as early as Saturday, June 21 -- the first day it was available," said Bill Carr, director of Books, Music, Video and DVD for Amazon.com. "We would like to thank those customers who chose to pre-order the book from Amazon.com and receive a 40 percent discount, as well the option to receive the book on its release date through our special delivery offer." Following are some highlights of this distribution event: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" weighs 2.8 pounds per copy. To date, Amazon.com has processed more than 2.2 million pounds (more than 1,100 tons) -- nearly 5 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty -- of Harry Potter magic for delivery to customers across the country starting on Saturday, June 21. At 9 inches in length, the books ordered on Amazon.com as of midnight on Friday, June 20 would be 112 miles high if stacked end-to-end -- more than 405 times as high as the Empire State Building. On Sunday, June 22, the day after the book's release, five of Amazon.com's 10 bestselling books were Harry Potter products, including the standard and deluxe editions of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," as well as the audio cassette and CD versions of the book, and the "Harry Potter Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-4)." "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" shot to No. 1 on Amazon.com's Books bestseller list within just two hours of becoming available for advance order on January 15, 2003, and has been the online retailer's best selling book since that time. Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" Amazon's Largest New Product Release Ever, with More Than 789,000 Advance Orders Placed on Amazon.com and More Than 1.3 Million Advance Orders Placed on Amazon Sites Worldwide</p><p>SEATTLE, Jun 23, 2003 -- In one of the largest sales and distribution events in e-commerce history, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) (www.amazon.com) teamed up with FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver more than 789,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to eager fans across the country starting on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book was available to the public.</p><p>As of midnight on Friday, June 20, more than 1.3 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" had been advance-ordered on Amazon sites worldwide, making the title the retailer's largest new product release ever. This record was previously held by "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)," for which Amazon received more than 410,000 advance orders worldwide. More than 789,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" were advance-ordered on Amazon.com, more than double the 350,000 advance orders received for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."</p><p>Amazon.com provided complimentary Saturday delivery upgrades to customers who ordered the book between January 15 and June 17, 2003, and selected Standard shipping, to deliver the books to their doorsteps on the same day it was released. Customers also had the option to have their books shipped free via Amazon.com's everyday Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 for delivery starting Monday, June 23.</p><p>"We are thrilled we were able to delight hundreds of thousands of Harry Potter fans by delivering 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' to their doorsteps as early as Saturday, June 21 -- the first day it was available," said Bill Carr, director of Books, Music, Video and DVD for Amazon.com. "We would like to thank those customers who chose to pre-order the book from Amazon.com and receive a 40 percent discount, as well the option to receive the book on its release date through our special delivery offer."</p><p>Following are some highlights of this distribution event:</p><ul><li>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" weighs 2.8 pounds per copy. To date, Amazon.com has processed more than 2.2 million pounds (more than 1,100 tons) -- nearly 5 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty -- of Harry Potter magic for delivery to customers across the country starting on Saturday, June 21.</li><li>At 9 inches in length, the books ordered on Amazon.com as of midnight on Friday, June 20 would be 112 miles high if stacked end-to-end -- more than 405 times as high as the Empire State Building.</li><li>On Sunday, June 22, the day after the book's release, five of Amazon.com's 10 bestselling books were Harry Potter products, including the standard and deluxe editions of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," as well as the audio cassette and CD versions of the book, and the "Harry Potter Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-4)."</li></ul><p>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" shot to No. 1 on Amazon.com's Books bestseller list within just two hours of becoming available for advance order on January 15, 2003, and has been the online retailer's best selling book since that time.</p><p>Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix":</p><p>Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

ADVISORY/Amazon Receives More Than 1.3 Million Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" at Its Web Sites Worldwide

/news/news-details/2003/ADVISORY-Amazon-Receives-More-Than-1.3-Million-Advance-Orders-for-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-at-Its-Web-Sites-Worldwide/default.aspx

ADVISORY-Amazon-Receives-More-Than-1.3-Million-Advance-Orders-for-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-at-Its-Web-Sites-Worldwide

06/21/2003 00:00:00

ADVISORY/Amazon Receives More Than 1.3 Million Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" at Its Web Sites Worldwide

06/21/2003

2003

Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) WHAT: It's just hitting the streets today, but "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth book in the captivating Harry Potter series, is already Amazon.com's largest new product release ever and is shattering records on Amazon's Web sites worldwide. Cumulatively, more than 1.3 million copies of the book have been ordered on Amazon's Web sites worldwide. This is nearly three times the worldwide advance orders the online retailer received for "Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire," which previously held the record for largest new product release. More than 760,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have been ordered at www.amazon.com -- more than twice the advance orders received for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which was the site's previous largest new product release. Over 420,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have been ordered on www.amazon.co.uk by customers in more than 150 countries. And more than 80,000 orders for the English-language version of the book were placed on the company's German Web site, www.amazon.de. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the best-selling product ever on Amazon's Canadian-oriented Web site, www.amazon.ca. Amazon.ca has received more orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" this year to date than all other Harry Potter products combined by a factor of 10 to 1. The English-language version of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the best selling book in the history of the company's French Web site (www.amazon.fr ), and is the largest pre-order for any book (Japanese or foreign-language) on its Japanese Web site, www.amazon.co.jp . JUNE 21 - THE BIG DAY: In the U.S., Amazon.com has teamed with FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country today -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what is expected to produce the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com offered this special delivery, at no additional cost, to customers who selected Standard shipping when ordering the book. Amazon also offered release-date delivery to its customers of www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.de through Canada Post, the Royal Mail and Deutsche Post, respectively. GET HOURLY UPDATES: Amazon.com's "Harry Potter Meter," viewable on the Books store home page, tracks the approximate number of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" books ordered from the Amazon.com site and from syndicated store sites, such as Borders.com, but excludes all third-party seller arrangements. The Harry Potter Meter is updated frequently but is not adjusted for items ordered that are subsequently canceled. The Harry Potter Meter should not be viewed or used as a predictor or indicator of revenue or other financial information relating to Amazon.com. To see the Harry Potter Meter, visit www.amazon.com/books or go to www.amazon.com and click on the "Books" tab. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206/266-7180, Jani Baker (jani@amazon.com) or Kristin Schaefer Mariani (kristins@amazon.com). Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN)</p><p>WHAT: It's just hitting the streets today, but "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth book in the captivating Harry Potter series, is already Amazon.com's largest new product release ever and is shattering records on Amazon's Web sites worldwide.</p><ul><li>Cumulatively, more than 1.3 million copies of the book have been ordered on Amazon's Web sites worldwide. This is nearly three times the worldwide advance orders the online retailer received for "Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire," which previously held the record for largest new product release.</li><li>More than 760,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have been ordered at www.amazon.com -- more than twice the advance orders received for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which was the site's previous largest new product release.</li><li>Over 420,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have been ordered on www.amazon.co.uk by customers in more than 150 countries. And more than 80,000 orders for the English-language version of the book were placed on the company's German Web site, www.amazon.de.</li><li>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the best-selling product ever on Amazon's Canadian-oriented Web site, www.amazon.ca. Amazon.ca has received more orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" this year to date than all other Harry Potter products combined by a factor of 10 to 1.</li><li>The English-language version of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the best selling book in the history of the company's French Web site (www.amazon.fr ), and is the largest pre-order for any book (Japanese or foreign-language) on its Japanese Web site, www.amazon.co.jp .</li></ul><p>JUNE 21 - THE BIG DAY: In the U.S., Amazon.com has teamed with FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country today -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what is expected to produce the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com offered this special delivery, at no additional cost, to customers who selected Standard shipping when ordering the book.</p><p>Amazon also offered release-date delivery to its customers of www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.de through Canada Post, the Royal Mail and Deutsche Post, respectively.</p><p>GET HOURLY UPDATES: Amazon.com's "Harry Potter Meter," viewable on the Books store home page, tracks the approximate number of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" books ordered from the Amazon.com site and from syndicated store sites, such as Borders.com, but excludes all third-party seller arrangements. The Harry Potter Meter is updated frequently but is not adjusted for items ordered that are subsequently canceled. The Harry Potter Meter should not be viewed or used as a predictor or indicator of revenue or other financial information relating to Amazon.com. To see the Harry Potter Meter, visit www.amazon.com/books or go to www.amazon.com and click on the "Books" tab.</p><p>For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206/266-7180, Jani Baker (jani@amazon.com) or Kristin Schaefer Mariani (kristins@amazon.com).</p><p>Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix":</p><p>Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Second Quarter 2003 Financial Results Conference Call

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Second-Quarter-2003-Financial-Results-Conference-Call/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Second-Quarter-2003-Financial-Results-Conference-Call

06/20/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Second Quarter 2003 Financial Results Conference Call

06/20/2003

2003

SEATTLE--June 20, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will webcast its second quarter 2003 financial results conference call on July 22, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The audio of this event will be webcast live and will be archived at least through September 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--June 20, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will webcast its second quarter 2003 financial results conference call on July 22, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>The audio of this event will be webcast live and will be archived at least through September 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</p>

Amazon.Com Inc. Launches Amazon Services Subsidiary to Connect Retailers to the Web's Leading E-Commerce Technology, Service and Customer Experience

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.Com-Inc.-Launches-Amazon-Services-Subsidiary-to-Connect-Retailers-to-the-Webs-Leading-E-Commerce-Technology-Service-and-Customer-Experience/default.aspx

Amazon.Com-Inc.-Launches-Amazon-Services-Subsidiary-to-Connect-Retailers-to-the-Webs-Leading-E-Commerce-Technology-Service-and-Customer-Experience

06/10/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.Com Inc. Launches Amazon Services Subsidiary to Connect Retailers to the Web's Leading E-Commerce Technology, Service and Customer Experience

06/10/2003

2003

SEATTLE, Jun 10, 2003 -- Amazon.com Inc. (NASD:AMZN) today announced the launch of a new subsidiary, Amazon Services Inc., to make the technology and services that power Amazon.com available to retailers seeking a world-class, cost-effective e-commerce offering for their customers. Amazon Services offers its merchant partners use of Amazon's leading e-commerce Web site technology, best-in-class fulfillment and customer service, and access to tens of millions of visitors per month. The creation of Amazon Services now allows the company to focus additional resources on helping more retailers. Amazon Services provides retailers a turnkey, outsourced e-commerce solution that incorporates Amazon.com's widely recognized shopping features and technology, while still allowing retailers to entirely control the look and feel of their Web sites. Amazon technology already powers www.target.com and www.toysrus.com, among other sites. Amazon Services also helps retailers offer their merchandise to millions of Amazon.com customers through the Amazon.com site. "Amazon Services offers retailers the opportunity to tap into our industry-leading shopping experience," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com Inc. "These retailers can grow their online businesses faster and less expensively by taking advantage of what we've learned and built over the past eight years, while still preserving 100% of their own branded look and feel." Amazon.com invests more than $200 million per year in improving its technology and Web site. This investment directly benefits Amazon Services' merchant partners. In addition to Target.com and Toysrus.com, Amazon.com's e-commerce technology powers Web sites, including www.borders.com, www.cdnow.com, as well as the online stores of www.nba.com and www.wnba.com. Additionally, such leading retailers as Gap, Office Depot, Nordstrom, Circuit City, Eddie Bauer and Lands' End have partnered with Amazon.com to offer their leading brands on the Amazon.com Web site. In the most recent survey conducted for the American Customer Satisfaction Index, customers rated Amazon.com 88 for customer satisfaction -- the highest score ever recorded by the ACSI in any service industry, online or offline. Merchants interested in learning more about Amazon Services can contact Mark Stabingas, Amazon.com Vice President of Worldwide Business Development and Services Sales, at marks@amazon.com. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com Inc.

<p>SEATTLE, Jun 10, 2003 -- Amazon.com Inc. (NASD:AMZN) today announced the launch of a new subsidiary, Amazon Services Inc., to make the technology and services that power Amazon.com available to retailers seeking a world-class, cost-effective e-commerce offering for their customers.</p><p>Amazon Services offers its merchant partners use of Amazon's leading e-commerce Web site technology, best-in-class fulfillment and customer service, and access to tens of millions of visitors per month. The creation of Amazon Services now allows the company to focus additional resources on helping more retailers.</p><p>Amazon Services provides retailers a turnkey, outsourced e-commerce solution that incorporates Amazon.com's widely recognized shopping features and technology, while still allowing retailers to entirely control the look and feel of their Web sites. Amazon technology already powers www.target.com and www.toysrus.com, among other sites. Amazon Services also helps retailers offer their merchandise to millions of Amazon.com customers through the Amazon.com site.</p><p>"Amazon Services offers retailers the opportunity to tap into our industry-leading shopping experience," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com Inc. "These retailers can grow their online businesses faster and less expensively by taking advantage of what we've learned and built over the past eight years, while still preserving 100% of their own branded look and feel."</p><p>Amazon.com invests more than $200 million per year in improving its technology and Web site. This investment directly benefits Amazon Services' merchant partners. In addition to Target.com and Toysrus.com, Amazon.com's e-commerce technology powers Web sites, including www.borders.com, www.cdnow.com, as well as the online stores of www.nba.com and www.wnba.com. Additionally, such leading retailers as Gap, Office Depot, Nordstrom, Circuit City, Eddie Bauer and Lands' End have partnered with Amazon.com to offer their leading brands on the Amazon.com Web site.</p><p>In the most recent survey conducted for the American Customer Satisfaction Index, customers rated Amazon.com 88 for customer satisfaction -- the highest score ever recorded by the ACSI in any service industry, online or offline.</p><p>Merchants interested in learning more about Amazon Services can contact Mark Stabingas, Amazon.com Vice President of Worldwide Business Development and Services Sales, at marks@amazon.com.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com Inc.</p>

Amazon.CA Expands Selection With The Launch Of Two New Stores: Software And Computer & Video Games

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.CA-Expands-Selection-With-The-Launch-Of-Two-New-Stores-Software-And-Computer--Video-Games/default.aspx

Amazon.CA-Expands-Selection-With-The-Launch-Of-Two-New-Stores-Software-And-Computer--Video-Games

06/06/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.CA Expands Selection With The Launch Of Two New Stores: Software And Computer & Video Games

06/06/2003

2003

SEATTLE—June 6, 2003—Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) today launched two new stores – Software and Computer & Video Games. These new stores mark the first expansion of Amazon.ca's product offering beyond books, music, videos and DVDs, allowing customers to now also find and discover a broad selection of software and computer and video games titles, as well as video game consoles and accessories, at Amazon.ca. In addition to making it simple for customers to shop a wide range of hot new releases and hard-to-find titles from the comfort of their home or office, these new stores feature the same low prices customers have come to expect from Amazon.ca. Software and computer and video game products are also eligible for Amazon.ca's everyday Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $39. "Software and computer and video games are the most requested new product categories by Amazon.ca customers, and we're thrilled to respond by launching two new stores dedicated to offering deep selection, helpful content and great prices in these categories," said Marven Krug, general manager for Amazon.ca. "We have added thousands of software titles, computer games, and video games and consoles to our selection, all with low prices and free shipping on orders over $39." The new Amazon.ca Software store offers a vast selection of titles for several operating systems – including Linux, Unix, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, DOS and OS2 – in categories ranging from Business and Office, Personal Finance, and Software for Handhelds to Language and Travel, Children's, Home and Hobbies. Visitors can browse the store by category, bestsellers, platform, or new and future releases to find such titles as Backyard Hockey, Finding Nemo, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade, and Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional Upgrade, among others. Amazon.ca's Computer & Video Games store offers customers video game consoles as well as thousands of games and accessories for both personal computers and all of the major video game platforms, including Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Sony PlayStation2, and Xbox. Customers looking to purchase their first gaming system can peruse Amazon.ca's Video Game Guide, which outlines the features, functionality, and pros and cons of each platform. More advanced gamers can browse the store by system to easily find all of the games and accessories for each platform. Both stores feature Amazon.ca editorial reviews, customer reviews, system requirements and features, and content in English and French, as well as areas dedicated to topsellers, new and future releases, and kids and family products. Additionally, customers can place advance orders for not-yet-released titles such as Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku II, and Harpoon 4. 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 over 2 million English and French books, CDs, videos and DVDs, software titles, and computer and video games – all at everyday low prices. 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 within the site's broad selection. 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. Through Amazon.ca Associates (www.amazon.ca/associates), third-party Web sites can link to Amazon.ca and earn referral fees on sales generated from those links. Amazon.ca is the trading name of Amazon.com.ca, Inc., an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>SEATTLE—June 6, 2003—Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) today launched two new stores – Software and Computer &amp; Video Games. These new stores mark the first expansion of Amazon.ca's product offering beyond books, music, videos and DVDs, allowing customers to now also find and discover a broad selection of software and computer and video games titles, as well as video game consoles and accessories, at Amazon.ca.</p><p>In addition to making it simple for customers to shop a wide range of hot new releases and hard-to-find titles from the comfort of their home or office, these new stores feature the same low prices customers have come to expect from Amazon.ca. Software and computer and video game products are also eligible for Amazon.ca's everyday Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $39.</p><p>"Software and computer and video games are the most requested new product categories by Amazon.ca customers, and we're thrilled to respond by launching two new stores dedicated to offering deep selection, helpful content and great prices in these categories," said Marven Krug, general manager for Amazon.ca. "We have added thousands of software titles, computer games, and video games and consoles to our selection, all with low prices and free shipping on orders over $39."</p><p>The new Amazon.ca Software store offers a vast selection of titles for several operating systems – including Linux, Unix, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, DOS and OS2 – in categories ranging from Business and Office, Personal Finance, and Software for Handhelds to Language and Travel, Children's, Home and Hobbies. Visitors can browse the store by category, bestsellers, platform, or new and future releases to find such titles as Backyard Hockey, Finding Nemo, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade, and Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional Upgrade, among others.</p><p>Amazon.ca's Computer &amp; Video Games store offers customers video game consoles as well as thousands of games and accessories for both personal computers and all of the major video game platforms, including Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Sony PlayStation2, and Xbox. Customers looking to purchase their first gaming system can peruse Amazon.ca's Video Game Guide, which outlines the features, functionality, and pros and cons of each platform. More advanced gamers can browse the store by system to easily find all of the games and accessories for each platform.</p><p>Both stores feature Amazon.ca editorial reviews, customer reviews, system requirements and features, and content in English and French, as well as areas dedicated to topsellers, new and future releases, and kids and family products. Additionally, customers can place advance orders for not-yet-released titles such as Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku II, and Harpoon 4.</p><p>About Amazon.ca</p><p>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 over 2 million English and French books, CDs, videos and DVDs, software titles, and computer and video games – all at everyday low prices.</p><p>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 within the site's broad selection.</p><p>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.</p><p>Through Amazon.ca Associates (www.amazon.ca/associates), third-party Web sites can link to Amazon.ca and earn referral fees on sales generated from those links.</p><p>Amazon.ca is the trading name of Amazon.com.ca, Inc., an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Harry Potter et l'ordre du Phénix en V.F. sortira le 3 décembre prochain

/news/news-details/2003/Harry-Potter-et-lordre-du-Phnix-en-V.F.-sortira-le-3-dcembre-prochain/default.aspx

Harry-Potter-et-lordre-du-Phnix-en-V.F.-sortira-le-3-dcembre-prochain

06/05/2003 00:00:00

Harry Potter et l'ordre du Phénix en V.F. sortira le 3 décembre prochain

06/05/2003

2003

Il est déjà disponible en précommande sur Amazon.fr ! Paris, le 5 juin 2003 Nous venons de l'apprendre ! Le cinquième tome des aventures du petit sorcier, Harry Potter et l'ordre du Phénix, sortira le 3 décembre 2003 ! Tous les mordus d'Harry peuvent d'ores et déjà le précommander sur Amazon.fr, au prix de 26,60 euros, pour le recevoir tranquillement chez eux au moment de sa sortie. « Nous voulions permettre à nos clients, fans d'Harry, de le précommander aussitôt la nouvelle connue. Nous sommes heureux de voir que ce service, très attendu des fans, connaît un engouement instantané », explique Stéphane Jauffret, directeur Livres, Logiciels et Jeux vidéo. Amazon a déjà reçu plus d'un million de précommandes pour Harry Potter 5 en version anglaise dans le monde… La frénésie arrive en France ! Une boutique spéciale Harry Potter Pour tous les fans qui désirent se fondre dans l'univers de l'apprenti sorcier, Amazon.fr propose une boutique spéciale Harry Potter dans laquelle ils pourront découvrir l'ensemble des livres, en français et en anglais, mais aussi les jeux vidéo et les DVD du petit sorcier – boutique colorée avec les couvertures des livres, des chroniques éditoriales, des commentaires de nos clients mais aussi une bande-annonce et un extrait vidéo du jeu. Le saviez-vous ? Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Au sujet du site Amazon.fr Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-ClickTM. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise. Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr Cet avis repose sur des projections, telles que les ont anticipées la section 27A du « Securities Act » de 1933 et la section 21E du « Securities Exchange Act » de 1934. Les résultats à date peuvent différer de manière significative des prévisions de la direction. Ces projections sont soumises aux risques et aux incertitudes, qui incluent, notamment, les variables suivantes : éventualité de pertes futures ; montant d'endettement significatif ; effets liés à la concurrence, aux accords commerciaux et aux alliances stratégiques, à la saisonnalité ainsi qu'aux fluctuations potentielles des résultats opérationnels et des taux de croissance, des taux de change, de la gestion de croissance potentielle ; interruption du système ; expansion internationale ; tendances de la consommation ; état des stocks ; optimisation des centres de distribution ; durée de l'historique d'exploitation ; réglementation et fiscalité gouvernementales ; fraude ; nouveaux domaines d'activité. De plus amples informations concernant les facteurs qui peuvent potentiellement affecter les résultats financiers d'Amazon.com figurent dans les dossiers enregistrés auprès de la « Securities and Exchange Commission », y compris le rapport annuel « on Form 10-K » pour l'année se terminant le 31 décembre 2002, ainsi que tous les dossiers ultérieurs.

<p>Il est déjà disponible en précommande sur Amazon.fr !</p><p>Paris, le 5 juin 2003</p><p>Nous venons de l'apprendre ! Le cinquième tome des aventures du petit sorcier, Harry Potter et l'ordre du Phénix, sortira le 3 décembre 2003 !</p><p>Tous les mordus d'Harry peuvent d'ores et déjà le précommander sur Amazon.fr, au prix de 26,60 euros, pour le recevoir tranquillement chez eux au moment de sa sortie.</p><p>« Nous voulions permettre à nos clients, fans d'Harry, de le précommander aussitôt la nouvelle connue. Nous sommes heureux de voir que ce service, très attendu des fans, connaît un engouement instantané », explique Stéphane Jauffret, directeur Livres, Logiciels et Jeux vidéo.</p><p>Amazon a déjà reçu plus d'un million de précommandes pour Harry Potter 5 en version anglaise dans le monde… La frénésie arrive en France !</p><p>Une boutique spéciale <em>Harry Potter</em></p><p>Pour tous les fans qui désirent se fondre dans l'univers de l'apprenti sorcier, Amazon.fr propose une boutique spéciale Harry Potter dans laquelle ils pourront découvrir l'ensemble des livres, en français et en anglais, mais aussi les jeux vidéo et les DVD du petit sorcier – boutique colorée avec les couvertures des livres, des chroniques éditoriales, des commentaires de nos clients mais aussi une bande-annonce et un extrait vidéo du jeu.</p><p><em>Le saviez-vous ?</em></p><p>Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement.</p><p><em>Au sujet du site Amazon.fr</em></p><p>Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click^TM.</p><p>Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.</p><p>Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr</p><p>Cet avis repose sur des projections, telles que les ont anticipées la section 27A du « Securities Act » de 1933 et la section 21E du « Securities Exchange Act » de 1934. Les résultats à date peuvent différer de manière significative des prévisions de la direction. Ces projections sont soumises aux risques et aux incertitudes, qui incluent, notamment, les variables suivantes : éventualité de pertes futures ; montant d'endettement significatif ; effets liés à la concurrence, aux accords commerciaux et aux alliances stratégiques, à la saisonnalité ainsi qu'aux fluctuations potentielles des résultats opérationnels et des taux de croissance, des taux de change, de la gestion de croissance potentielle ; interruption du système ; expansion internationale ; tendances de la consommation ; état des stocks ; optimisation des centres de distribution ; durée de l'historique d'exploitation ; réglementation et fiscalité gouvernementales ; fraude ; nouveaux domaines d'activité. De plus amples informations concernant les facteurs qui peuvent potentiellement affecter les résultats financiers d'Amazon.com figurent dans les dossiers enregistrés auprès de la « Securities and Exchange Commission », y compris le rapport annuel « on Form 10-K » pour l'année se terminant le 31 décembre 2002, ainsi que tous les dossiers ultérieurs.</p>

ADVISORY/Amazon Receives More Than 1 Million Advance Orders for ``Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' at Its Web Sites Worldwide

/news/news-details/2003/ADVISORY-Amazon-Receives-More-Than-1-Million-Advance-Orders-for-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-at-Its-Web-Sites-Worldwide/default.aspx

ADVISORY-Amazon-Receives-More-Than-1-Million-Advance-Orders-for-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-at-Its-Web-Sites-Worldwide

06/04/2003 00:00:00

ADVISORY/Amazon Receives More Than 1 Million Advance Orders for ``Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' at Its Web Sites Worldwide

06/04/2003

2003

Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN) WHAT: The newest installment in the spell-binding Harry Potter series continues to shatter records for online retailer with more than 1 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)" ordered to-date at Amazon's Web sites worldwide. With 17 days remaining before the book's June 21 release, Amazon has already received more than twice the worldwide advance orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" that it received for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)," making the fifth book Amazon's largest new product release ever. Highlights include: To-date more than 550,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have been ordered at www.amazon.com. At 2.8 pounds a piece, that's more than 770 tons of Harry Potter magic - nearly 3.5 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty - ordered on Amazon.com since January 15, 2003. If the 300,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" that have been pre-ordered on www.amazon.co.uk were stacked one on top of the other, the books would be 18,000 meters tall, more than twice the height of Mt. Everest, the world's tallest peak, at 8,850 meters. And if the 300,000 books were laid end-to-end, they would cover 50 miles -- nearly the distance from London to Oxford. Amazon's Canadian-oriented Web site, www.amazon.ca, has received more orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" than all other Harry Potter products combined by a factor of 8-to-1. The title is already Amazon.ca's bestselling book ever. WHEN: In the U.S., Amazon.com has teamed with FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what is expected to produce the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com is offering this special delivery, at no additional cost, to customers who select Standard shipping when ordering the book. More information about how to receive "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on Saturday, June 21 can be found at www.amazon.com/hp5_help. Amazon is also offering release-date delivery on Saturday, June 21 to its customers in Canada and the U.K. Details can be found at www.amazon.ca and www.amazon.co.uk, respectively. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206/266-7180; Kristin Schaefer (kristins@amazon.com) / Jani Baker (jani@amazon.com). Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN)</p><p>WHAT: The newest installment in the spell-binding Harry Potter series continues to shatter records for online retailer with more than 1 million copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)" ordered to-date at Amazon's Web sites worldwide.</p><p>With 17 days remaining before the book's June 21 release, Amazon has already received more than twice the worldwide advance orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" that it received for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)," making the fifth book Amazon's largest new product release ever.</p><p>Highlights include:</p><ul><li>To-date more than 550,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have been ordered at www.amazon.com. At 2.8 pounds a piece, that's more than 770 tons of Harry Potter magic - nearly 3.5 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty - ordered on Amazon.com since January 15, 2003.</li><li>If the 300,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" that have been pre-ordered on www.amazon.co.uk were stacked one on top of the other, the books would be 18,000 meters tall, more than twice the height of Mt. Everest, the world's tallest peak, at 8,850 meters. And if the 300,000 books were laid end-to-end, they would cover 50 miles -- nearly the distance from London to Oxford.</li><li>Amazon's Canadian-oriented Web site, www.amazon.ca, has received more orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" than all other Harry Potter products combined by a factor of 8-to-1. The title is already Amazon.ca's bestselling book ever.</li></ul><p>WHEN: In the U.S., Amazon.com has teamed with FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what is expected to produce the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com is offering this special delivery, at no additional cost, to customers who select Standard shipping when ordering the book. More information about how to receive "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on Saturday, June 21 can be found at www.amazon.com/hp5_help.</p><p>Amazon is also offering release-date delivery on Saturday, June 21 to its customers in Canada and the U.K. Details can be found at www.amazon.ca and www.amazon.co.uk, respectively.</p><p>For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206/266-7180; Kristin Schaefer (kristins@amazon.com) / Jani Baker (jani@amazon.com).</p><p>Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Annual Stockholder Meeting and Investor Conference Presentation

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Annual-Stockholder-Meeting-and-Investor-Conference-Presentation/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Annual-Stockholder-Meeting-and-Investor-Conference-Presentation

05/23/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Annual Stockholder Meeting and Investor Conference Presentation

05/23/2003

2003

SEATTLE--May 23, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will Webcast live its 2003 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in Seattle on May 28, 2003, at 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET. The audio of this presentation will also be available through May 14, 2004, at www.amazon.com/ir. Amazon also said it will be speaking at a Deutsche Bank Conference in New York on June 4, 2003, at 6:00 a.m. PT/9:00 a.m. ET. The audio of this presentation will be Webcast live and be available for three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir. SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--May 23, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will Webcast live its 2003 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in Seattle on May 28, 2003, at 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET. The audio of this presentation will also be available through May 14, 2004, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p><p>Amazon also said it will be speaking at a Deutsche Bank Conference in New York on June 4, 2003, at 6:00 a.m. PT/9:00 a.m. ET. The audio of this presentation will be Webcast live and be available for three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</p>

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' Now Amazon.com's Largest New Product Release Ever, with More Than 500,000 Copies Ordered To-Date

/news/news-details/2003/Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-Now-Amazon.coms-Largest-New-Product-Release-Ever-with-More-Than-500000-Copies-Ordered-To-Date/default.aspx

Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-Now-Amazon.coms-Largest-New-Product-Release-Ever-with-More-Than-500000-Copies-Ordered-To-Date

05/21/2003 00:00:00

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' Now Amazon.com's Largest New Product Release Ever, with More Than 500,000 Copies Ordered To-Date

05/21/2003

2003

Special Release-date Delivery Option on Saturday, June 21 will Produce Largest Single E-commerce Distribution Event in History SEATTLE, May 21, 2003 -- With one month remaining before its release, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)" has already surpassed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)" as Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) largest new product release ever, with more than 500,000 copies ordered in just four months on www.amazon.com. Amazon has received more than 875,000 orders for the book on all of its Web sites worldwide (including www.amazon.com ). Previously "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was Amazon.com's largest new product release, with more than 350,000 orders placed on www.amazon.com in the five months leading up to its July 8, 2000 release, and 410,000 copies ordered in advance of its release on Amazon sites worldwide. "We're thrilled so many customers have chosen to order 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' at Amazon.com and receive 40 percent off the list price, as well as the option to have the book delivered to their doors on the day it is released," said Steve Kessel, vice president, North American media products. "Amazon.com is always working to delight customers, and we're excited to see such a positive response to the low price and day-of-release delivery option we're offering for this eagerly anticipated book." Amazon.com has teamed with FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what will be the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com is offering this special delivery for the same price as Standard shipping. More information can be found at www.amazon.com/hp5_help. MORE HARRY POTTER FACTS: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" has 896 pages and weighs 2.8 pounds. Based on orders received to-date at www.amazon.com, Amazon.com could be shipping as many as 1,400,000 pounds (700 tons) and 448,000,000 pages of Harry Potter magic to hundreds of thousands of eager customers across the country. At nine inches in length, the copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" ordered to-date at Amazon.com would be 71 miles high if stacked end-to-end, more than 257 times as high as the Empire State Building. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" became Amazon.com's No. 1 bestselling book within two hours of becoming available for pre-order on January 15, 2003. Amazon.com has taken more orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" than for any book in all of calendar 2002. Orders for all "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" products on Wednesday, April 16 -- the day Amazon.com announced its special release-date delivery offer -- increased 475 percent compared to the average daily orders received for the same products in the previous 14 days. This includes orders for the regular and deluxe editions of the book, as well as the audiobook. Orders for the deluxe edition alone increased 1,250 percent over the previous day. Harry Potter has also been a bestseller in Amazon.com's video and DVD stores. Amazon.com has sold more than 100,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the second Harry Potter film, which became available for advance order in February and was released on April 11. Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Special Release-date Delivery Option on Saturday, June 21 will Produce Largest Single E-commerce Distribution Event in History</p><p>SEATTLE, May 21, 2003 -- With one month remaining before its release, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)" has already surpassed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)" as Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) largest new product release ever, with more than 500,000 copies ordered in just four months on www.amazon.com.</p><p>Amazon has received more than 875,000 orders for the book on all of its Web sites worldwide (including www.amazon.com ).</p><p>Previously "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was Amazon.com's largest new product release, with more than 350,000 orders placed on www.amazon.com in the five months leading up to its July 8, 2000 release, and 410,000 copies ordered in advance of its release on Amazon sites worldwide.</p><p>"We're thrilled so many customers have chosen to order 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' at Amazon.com and receive 40 percent off the list price, as well as the option to have the book delivered to their doors on the day it is released," said Steve Kessel, vice president, North American media products. "Amazon.com is always working to delight customers, and we're excited to see such a positive response to the low price and day-of-release delivery option we're offering for this eagerly anticipated book."</p><p>Amazon.com has teamed with FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what will be the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com is offering this special delivery for the same price as Standard shipping. More information can be found at www.amazon.com/hp5_help.</p><p>MORE HARRY POTTER FACTS:</p><ul><li>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" has 896 pages and weighs 2.8 pounds. Based on orders received to-date at www.amazon.com, Amazon.com could be shipping as many as 1,400,000 pounds (700 tons) and 448,000,000 pages of Harry Potter magic to hundreds of thousands of eager customers across the country. At nine inches in length, the copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" ordered to-date at Amazon.com would be 71 miles high if stacked end-to-end, more than 257 times as high as the Empire State Building.</li><li>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" became Amazon.com's No. 1 bestselling book within two hours of becoming available for pre-order on January 15, 2003.</li><li>Amazon.com has taken more orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" than for any book in all of calendar 2002.</li><li>Orders for all "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" products on Wednesday, April 16 -- the day Amazon.com announced its special release-date delivery offer -- increased 475 percent compared to the average daily orders received for the same products in the previous 14 days. This includes orders for the regular and deluxe editions of the book, as well as the audiobook. Orders for the deluxe edition alone increased 1,250 percent over the previous day.</li><li>Harry Potter has also been a bestseller in Amazon.com's video and DVD stores. Amazon.com has sold more than 100,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the second Harry Potter film, which became available for advance order in February and was released on April 11.</li></ul><p>Note about Amazon.com's Advance Orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix": Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.com include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web sites with Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.S. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on Amazon's five internationally-focused sites (www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca), as well as Waterstones.co.uk and Virginmega.co.jp.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX n° 1 des ventes d'Amazon dans le monde avec plus de 875 000 livres précommandés

/news/news-details/2003/HARRY-POTTER-AND-THE-ORDER-OF-THE-PHOENIX-n-1-des-ventes-dAmazon-dans-le-monde-avec-plus-de-875-000-livres-prcommands/default.aspx

HARRY-POTTER-AND-THE-ORDER-OF-THE-PHOENIX-n-1-des-ventes-dAmazon-dans-le-monde-avec-plus-de-875-000-livres-prcommands

05/21/2003 00:00:00

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX n° 1 des ventes d'Amazon dans le monde avec plus de 875 000 livres précommandés

05/21/2003

2003

Paris, le 21 mai 2003 Alors qu'il ne reste plus que quelques semaines avant la sortie de Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, ce 5e volume des aventures du petit sorcier dépasse sans conteste Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – volume 4, qui avait totalisé les 410 000 livres vendus sur Amazon dans le monde pendant les cinq mois de précommande avant sa sortie officielle, le 8 juillet 2000. Ainsi, le dernier tome est désormais LA meilleure vente d'Amazon dans le monde, et ce avec plus de 875 000 précommandes en seulement quatre mois. Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, qui était n° 1 des ventes sur Amazon.fr 2 heures après sa mise en ligne, sortira le 21 juin prochain en anglais. Il est déjà disponible en précommande au prix incroyable de 16,80 euros, soit une économie de 35 % par rapport au prix recommandé pour la vente par les éditeurs anglais et américains. Il sera livré chez vous dès le jour de sa sortie ! « Nous remercions vivement nos clients d'avoir fait de ce livre la plus grosse sortie d'Amazon dans le monde, et sommes heureux de pouvoir leur proposer ce service de précommande qu'ils sont de plus en plus nombreux à utiliser », commente Stéphane Jauffret, directeur du Livre, Logiciel et Jeu vidéo. Le tome 5 des aventures du petit sorcier fait 896 pages et pèse à peu près 1,4 kg. En se basant sur le nombre des précommandes à ce jour, Amazon, dans le monde, pourrait livrer plus de 1 225 000 kg, soit plus de 1 225 tonnes et 784 000 000 pages d'Harry Potter à plusieurs centaines de milliers de clients impatients ! La boutique spéciale Harry Potter est sur Amazon.fr Pour tous les Moldus qui souhaitent se plonger plus encore dans l'univers du personnage, Amazon.fr a créé une boutique spéciale Harry Potter dans laquelle ils pourront découvrir l'ensemble des livres en anglais et en français, mais aussi les jeux vidéo et les DVD du petit sorcier – boutique colorée avec les couvertures de livres, des chroniques éditoriales, des commentaires de nos clients ainsi qu'une bande-annonce et un extrait vidéo du jeu. Parmi les best-sellers, retrouvez : Le DVD à ne pas manquer : Harry Potter II, Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets à 24,99 euros, qui sortira le 5 juin prochain mais déjà disponible en précommande. Le Jeu vidéo du moment : Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets à 43,99 euros, pour PC. Le saviez-vous ? La livraison est gratuite à partir de 20 euros d'achats seulement ! Au sujet du site Amazon.fr Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels que le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-ClickTM. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise. Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr Cet avis repose sur des projections, telles que les ont anticipées la section 27A du « Securities Act » de 1933 et la section 21E du « Securities Exchange Act » de 1934. Les résultats à date peuvent différer de manière significative des prévisions de la direction. Ces projections sont soumises aux risques et aux incertitudes, qui incluent, notamment, les variables suivantes : éventualité de pertes futures ; montant d'endettement significatif ; effets liés à la concurrence, aux accords commerciaux et aux alliances stratégiques, à la saisonnalité ainsi qu'aux fluctuations potentielles des résultats opérationnels et des taux de croissance, des taux de change, de la gestion de croissance potentielle ; interruption du système ; expansion internationale ; tendances de la consommation ; état des stocks ; optimisation des centres de distribution ; durée de l'historique d'exploitation ; réglementation et fiscalité gouvernementales ; fraude ; nouveaux domaines d'activité. De plus amples informations concernant les facteurs qui peuvent potentiellement affecter les résultats financiers d'Amazon.com figurent dans les dossiers enregistrés auprès de la « Securities and Exchange Commission », y compris le rapport annuel « on Form 10-K » pour l'année se terminant le 31 décembre 2002, ainsi que tous les dossiers ultérieurs.

<p>Paris, le 21 mai 2003</p><p>Alors qu'il ne reste plus que quelques semaines avant la sortie de Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, ce 5e volume des aventures du petit sorcier dépasse sans conteste Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – volume 4, qui avait totalisé les 410 000 livres vendus sur Amazon dans le monde pendant les cinq mois de précommande avant sa sortie officielle, le 8 juillet 2000. Ainsi, le dernier tome est désormais LA meilleure vente d'Amazon dans le monde, et ce avec plus de 875 000 précommandes en seulement quatre mois.</p><p>Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, qui était n° 1 des ventes sur Amazon.fr 2 heures après sa mise en ligne, sortira le 21 juin prochain en anglais. Il est déjà disponible en précommande au prix incroyable de 16,80 euros, soit une économie de 35 % par rapport au prix recommandé pour la vente par les éditeurs anglais et américains. Il sera livré chez vous dès le jour de sa sortie !</p><p>« Nous remercions vivement nos clients d'avoir fait de ce livre la plus grosse sortie d'Amazon dans le monde, et sommes heureux de pouvoir leur proposer ce service de précommande qu'ils sont de plus en plus nombreux à utiliser », commente Stéphane Jauffret, directeur du Livre, Logiciel et Jeu vidéo.</p><p>Le tome 5 des aventures du petit sorcier fait 896 pages et pèse à peu près 1,4 kg. En se basant sur le nombre des précommandes à ce jour, Amazon, dans le monde, pourrait livrer plus de 1 225 000 kg, soit plus de 1 225 tonnes et 784 000 000 pages d'Harry Potter à plusieurs centaines de milliers de clients impatients !</p><p>La boutique spéciale Harry Potter est sur Amazon.fr</p><p>Pour tous les Moldus qui souhaitent se plonger plus encore dans l'univers du personnage, Amazon.fr a créé une boutique spéciale Harry Potter dans laquelle ils pourront découvrir l'ensemble des livres en anglais et en français, mais aussi les jeux vidéo et les DVD du petit sorcier – boutique colorée avec les couvertures de livres, des chroniques éditoriales, des commentaires de nos clients ainsi qu'une bande-annonce et un extrait vidéo du jeu.</p><p>Parmi les best-sellers, retrouvez :</p><p>Le DVD à ne pas manquer : Harry Potter II, Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets à 24,99 euros, qui sortira le 5 juin prochain mais déjà disponible en précommande.</p><p>Le Jeu vidéo du moment : Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets à 43,99 euros, pour PC.</p><p>Le saviez-vous ?</p><p>La livraison est gratuite à partir de 20 euros d'achats seulement !</p><p>Au sujet du site Amazon.fr</p><p>Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels que le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click^TM.</p><p>Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.</p><p>Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr</p><p>Cet avis repose sur des projections, telles que les ont anticipées la section 27A du « Securities Act » de 1933 et la section 21E du « Securities Exchange Act » de 1934. Les résultats à date peuvent différer de manière significative des prévisions de la direction. Ces projections sont soumises aux risques et aux incertitudes, qui incluent, notamment, les variables suivantes : éventualité de pertes futures ; montant d'endettement significatif ; effets liés à la concurrence, aux accords commerciaux et aux alliances stratégiques, à la saisonnalité ainsi qu'aux fluctuations potentielles des résultats opérationnels et des taux de croissance, des taux de change, de la gestion de croissance potentielle ; interruption du système ; expansion internationale ; tendances de la consommation ; état des stocks ; optimisation des centres de distribution ; durée de l'historique d'exploitation ; réglementation et fiscalité gouvernementales ; fraude ; nouveaux domaines d'activité. De plus amples informations concernant les facteurs qui peuvent potentiellement affecter les résultats financiers d'Amazon.com figurent dans les dossiers enregistrés auprès de la « Securities and Exchange Commission », y compris le rapport annuel « on Form 10-K » pour l'année se terminant le 31 décembre 2002, ainsi que tous les dossiers ultérieurs.</p>

PRE-POTTER MANIA REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH - Amazon.co.uk takes a record-breaking figure of over 250,000 pre-orders for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Amazon worldwide takes over 875,000 pre-orders

/news/news-details/2003/PRE-POTTER-MANIA-REACHES-ALL-TIME-HIGH---Amazon.co.uk-takes-a-record-breaking-figure-of-over-250000-pre-orders-for-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-Amazon-worldwide-takes-over-875000-pre-orders/default.aspx

PRE-POTTER-MANIA-REACHES-ALL-TIME-HIGH---Amazon.co.uk-takes-a-record-breaking-figure-of-over-250000-pre-orders-for-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-Amazon-worldwide-takes-over-875000-pre-orders

05/21/2003 00:00:00

PRE-POTTER MANIA REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH - Amazon.co.uk takes a record-breaking figure of over 250,000 pre-orders for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Amazon worldwide takes over 875,000 pre-orders

05/21/2003

2003

London. May 21, 2003: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced that it has received more than a quarter of a million (250,000) pre-orders for the latest instalment in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5). With just over a month until the book's publication on June 21, this is already nearly four times as many pre-orders as were taken for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4), when it broke all records in July 2000 by taking 65,000 pre-orders on Amazon.co.uk. In addition, Amazon has announced its first global pre-order figure for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix--Amazon has received more than 875,000 orders for the book on all its Web sites worldwide. With so many pre-orders for a specific book, delivery of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is set to be the largest distribution of any single item in e-commerce history. So just how many books are we talking about? If the 250,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that have been pre-ordered from Amazon.co.uk were laid end-to-end they would cover over 40 miles--the distance from London to Reading. And if stacked one on top of each other the books would be 150 times as high as Big Ben. Greg Hart, Amazon.co.uk's director for media products, commented: "We always knew demand for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would be phenomenal, especially after we took 30,000 pre-orders in the first 24 hours, but we have never seen anything like this! We look forward to delighting hundreds of thousands of children and parents with this wonderful work." Amazon.co.uk customers can pre-order their copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix now for £8.49 (a saving of 50%) for delivery on the day of release--June 21, 2003. For further information please contact the Amazon Press Office on: 020 7009 2808 or 020 8636 9280 Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.co.uk include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web site with Waterstones.co.uk, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.K. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on www.amazon.com, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca, as well as www.borders.com and www.virginmega.co.jp. About Amazon.co.uk Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998. Amazon 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 their sellers list millions of new and used items such as books, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and photographic items, kitchen and home products and toys. Through Amazon.co.uk Marketplace, zShops and Auctions any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.co.uk's millions of customers. Amazon.co.uk has strategic alliances with Waterstones and Expedia.co.uk. 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.co.uk is one of five internationally focused Web sites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfilment centre optimisation, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>London. May 21, 2003: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced that it has received more than a quarter of a million (250,000) pre-orders for the latest instalment in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5). With just over a month until the book's publication on June 21, this is already nearly four times as many pre-orders as were taken for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4), when it broke all records in July 2000 by taking 65,000 pre-orders on Amazon.co.uk.</p><p>In addition, Amazon has announced its first global pre-order figure for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix--Amazon has received more than 875,000 orders for the book on all its Web sites worldwide. With so many pre-orders for a specific book, delivery of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is set to be the largest distribution of any single item in e-commerce history.</p><p>So just how many books are we talking about? If the 250,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that have been pre-ordered from Amazon.co.uk were laid end-to-end they would cover over 40 miles--the distance from London to Reading. And if stacked one on top of each other the books would be 150 times as high as Big Ben.</p><p>Greg Hart, Amazon.co.uk's director for media products, commented: "We always knew demand for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would be phenomenal, especially after we took 30,000 pre-orders in the first 24 hours, but we have never seen anything like this! We look forward to delighting hundreds of thousands of children and parents with this wonderful work."</p><p>Amazon.co.uk customers can pre-order their copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix now for £8.49 (a saving of 50%) for delivery on the day of release--June 21, 2003.</p><p>For further information please contact the Amazon Press Office on: 020 7009 2808 or 020 8636 9280</p><p>Advance orders placed to-date on www.amazon.co.uk include orders from the online retailer's co-branded Web site with Waterstones.co.uk, but exclude orders from all other third-party seller arrangements. Advance orders to-date from Amazon worldwide include, in addition to the aforementioned U.K. advance orders, advance orders for the English-language version of the book placed on www.amazon.com, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca, as well as www.borders.com and www.virginmega.co.jp.</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998. Amazon 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 their sellers list millions of new and used items such as books, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and photographic items, kitchen and home products and toys. Through Amazon.co.uk Marketplace, zShops and Auctions any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.co.uk's millions of customers. Amazon.co.uk has strategic alliances with Waterstones and Expedia.co.uk. 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.</p><p>Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused Web sites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfilment centre optimisation, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.com Web Services Announces Trio of Milestones - New Tool Kit, Enhanced Web Site and 25,000 Developers in the Program

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Web-Services-Announces-Trio-of-Milestones---New-Tool-Kit-Enhanced-Web-Site-and-25000-Developers-in-the-Program/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Web-Services-Announces-Trio-of-Milestones---New-Tool-Kit-Enhanced-Web-Site-and-25000-Developers-in-the-Program

05/19/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Web Services Announces Trio of Milestones - New Tool Kit, Enhanced Web Site and 25,000 Developers in the Program

05/19/2003

2003

SEATTLE, May 19, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the latest advances in its Web Services initiative: a new tool kit - Software Development Kit 3.0, an improved Web site for developers (www.amazon.com/webservices), and the enrollment of more than 25,000 developers in the program. "We are very pleased with the progress of Amazon Web Services since it launched just ten months ago," said Jason Kilar, Amazon.com Vice President of Worldwide Software Applications. "We continue to actively apply this innovative technology to further our mission of helping our customers find, discover and buy - anywhere on the Web." The Amazon Web Services Software Development Kit 3.0 (SDK 3.0) is a free kit available for download that contains the information necessary for developers to create their own applications on top of the Amazon e-commerce platform. Amazon Web Services and the tools it offers allow third-parties to leverage the Amazon platform by creating rich and innovative applications that merchandise products for sale on Amazon.com and through their own sites or applications. Examples of these include www.simplest-shop.com, www.ipilot.net, www.yes.net, www.cusimano.com and www.sellerengine.com. A highlight of the latest Software Development Kit is the syndication of Amazon.com's Shopping Cart which will allow third parties to embed Amazon.com Shopping Cart technology into their own Web sites. With Software Development Kit 3.0, third-parties will now be able to implement this trusted and reliable feature onto their sites for a more seamless customer experience. "Software Development Kit 3.0 is our best offering to third-parties to date," said Colin Bryar, Amazon.com Director of Web Services and Associates. "We are confident that the rich features available in the new offering and the robust Web site for developers will allow developers to create innovative applications that leverage the Amazon.com platform for merchandising products." The improved web site for users of Amazon.com Web Services and a free download of Software Development Kit 3.0 are available at www.amazon.com/webservices. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>SEATTLE, May 19, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the latest advances in its Web Services initiative: a new tool kit - Software Development Kit 3.0, an improved Web site for developers (www.amazon.com/webservices), and the enrollment of more than 25,000 developers in the program.</p><p>"We are very pleased with the progress of Amazon Web Services since it launched just ten months ago," said Jason Kilar, Amazon.com Vice President of Worldwide Software Applications. "We continue to actively apply this innovative technology to further our mission of helping our customers find, discover and buy - anywhere on the Web."</p><p>The Amazon Web Services Software Development Kit 3.0 (SDK 3.0) is a free kit available for download that contains the information necessary for developers to create their own applications on top of the Amazon e-commerce platform. Amazon Web Services and the tools it offers allow third-parties to leverage the Amazon platform by creating rich and innovative applications that merchandise products for sale on Amazon.com and through their own sites or applications. Examples of these include www.simplest-shop.com, www.ipilot.net, www.yes.net, www.cusimano.com and www.sellerengine.com.</p><p>A highlight of the latest Software Development Kit is the syndication of Amazon.com's Shopping Cart which will allow third parties to embed Amazon.com Shopping Cart technology into their own Web sites. With Software Development Kit 3.0, third-parties will now be able to implement this trusted and reliable feature onto their sites for a more seamless customer experience.</p><p>"Software Development Kit 3.0 is our best offering to third-parties to date," said Colin Bryar, Amazon.com Director of Web Services and Associates. "We are confident that the rich features available in the new offering and the robust Web site for developers will allow developers to create innovative applications that leverage the Amazon.com platform for merchandising products."</p><p>The improved web site for users of Amazon.com Web Services and a free download of Software Development Kit 3.0 are available at www.amazon.com/webservices.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Georges Clooney, prochain James Bond ?

/news/news-details/2003/Georges-Clooney-prochain-James-Bond-/default.aspx

Georges-Clooney-prochain-James-Bond-

05/12/2003 00:00:00

Georges Clooney, prochain James Bond ?

05/12/2003

2003

Paris, le 12 mai 2003D'après une enquête menée par Amazon.fr auprès de 1 200 hommes et femmes de plus de 16 ans*, et au moment où les spéculations vont bon train sur le prochain acteur qui incarnera le héros mythique James Bond dès 2005, c'est Georges Clooney qui arrive en tête du classement en France. Mais des disparités existent entre le choix des hommes et des femmes et selon les pays européens…Georges Clooney, champion toutes catégoriesAvec presque 23 % des suffrages, Georges Clooney apparaît donc comme le digne successeur de Pierce Brosnan dans le rôle de 007. Suivent avec respectivement presque 8 % chacun : Robbie Williams malgré son expérience limitée d'acteur, Ralph Fiennes le plus « british » de tous, Ben Affleck, Mel Gibson, suivi par Brad Pitt (6,5 %) et Russel Crowe (5 %).Les séniors préfèrent Brad PittLes plus de 65 ans sont davantage sensibles au charme de Brad Pitt que les plus jeunes. En effet, ils l'ont placé en tête de leur classement avec plus de 20 % des voix, contre 12 % pour Georges Clooney ou pour Mel Gibson.Les Allemands suivent les Français… les Anglais font bande à partPour les Allemands, il n'y a aucun doute, le prochain acteur à revêtir le costume de 007 devrait être George Clooney avec presque 40 % des voix, contre 20 % pour Robbie Williams. En Angleterre, flegme britannique oblige, c'est Ralph Fiennes qui arrive en tête avec 24 % des votes, contre 15 % pour Georges Clooney.Un large panel proposé mais des réponses concentréesComme indiqué précédemment, c'est donc Georges Clooney qui arrive en tête du classement français avec 22,8 % des voix. Le tableau suivant vous donne tous les résultats par acteur : Classement Nom Pourcentage des voix 1 Georges Clooney 22,8 % 2 Ben Affleck 7,8 % 3 Robbie Williams 7,2 % 4e ex aequo Ralph Fiennes 7,2 % 4e ex aequo Mel Gibson 7,2 % 6 Brad Pitt 6,4 % 7 Russell Crowe 4,9 % 8 Rupert Everett 3,9 % 9 Mike Myers 1,6 % 10 Vin Diesel 1,5 % 11 Leonardo Di Caprio 1,3 % 12 Colin Firth 0,9 %  Faites le plein de Bond ! Le nouveau James Bond James Bond : Meurs un autre jour, de Lee Tamahori, sortira le 20 mai prochain. Il est d'ores et déjà disponible en pré-commande sur Amazon.fr !Deux versions sont proposées :- une version belge double DVD pour 23,99 euros- une version française collector 2 DVD pour 29,99 eurosAvec la précommande :- vous recevez chez vous le produit commandé, et ce le jour de sa sortie ;- vous ne payez pas à l'avance, vous êtes débité le jour de l'expédition ;- ce service est proposé sur l'ensemble des nouveautés à paraître, et même les éditions collectors à tirage limité.Retrouvez l'ensemble de la collection James Bond sur www.amazon.fr où vous pourrez revoir les grands classiques tels Octopussy, Dangereusement vôtre, L'Homme au pistolet d'or ou Permis de tuer pour 14,99 euros seulement.* étude réalisée par Amazon.fr auprès de 1200 clients en avril 2003 Le saviez-vous ?Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Et si vous partez à l'autre bout du monde ? Amazon.fr vous suit, tout simplement !Au sujet du site Amazon.frLe site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click™. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr

<p>Paris, le 12 mai 2003<em>D'après une enquête menée par Amazon.fr auprès de 1 200 hommes et femmes de plus de 16 ans*, et au moment où les spéculations vont bon train sur le prochain acteur qui incarnera le héros mythique James Bond dès 2005, c'est Georges Clooney qui arrive en tête du classement en France. Mais des disparités existent entre le choix des hommes et des femmes et selon les pays européens…</em>Georges Clooney, champion toutes catégoriesAvec presque 23 % des suffrages, Georges Clooney apparaît donc comme le digne successeur de Pierce Brosnan dans le rôle de 007. Suivent avec respectivement presque 8 % chacun : Robbie Williams malgré son expérience limitée d'acteur, Ralph Fiennes le plus « british » de tous, Ben Affleck, Mel Gibson, suivi par Brad Pitt (6,5 %) et Russel Crowe (5 %).Les séniors préfèrent Brad PittLes plus de 65 ans sont davantage sensibles au charme de Brad Pitt que les plus jeunes. En effet, ils l'ont placé en tête de leur classement avec plus de 20 % des voix, contre 12 % pour Georges Clooney ou pour Mel Gibson.Les Allemands suivent les Français… les Anglais font bande à partPour les Allemands, il n'y a aucun doute, le prochain acteur à revêtir le costume de 007 devrait être George Clooney avec presque 40 % des voix, contre 20 % pour Robbie Williams. En Angleterre, flegme britannique oblige, c'est Ralph Fiennes qui arrive en tête avec 24 % des votes, contre 15 % pour Georges Clooney.Un large panel proposé mais des réponses concentréesComme indiqué précédemment, c'est donc Georges Clooney qui arrive en tête du classement français avec 22,8 % des voix. Le tableau suivant vous donne tous les résultats par acteur :</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Classement</p></td><td><p>Nom</p></td><td><p>Pourcentage des voix</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>Georges Clooney</p></td><td><p>22,8 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>Ben Affleck</p></td><td><p>7,8 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>Robbie Williams</p></td><td><p>7,2 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4^e ex aequo</p></td><td><p>Ralph Fiennes</p></td><td><p>7,2 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4^e ex aequo</p></td><td><p>Mel Gibson</p></td><td><p>7,2 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>Brad Pitt</p></td><td><p>6,4 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>Russell Crowe</p></td><td><p>4,9 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>Rupert Everett</p></td><td><p>3,9 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>Mike Myers</p></td><td><p>1,6 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>Vin Diesel</p></td><td><p>1,5 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>Leonardo Di Caprio</p></td><td><p>1,3 %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>Colin Firth</p></td><td><p>0,9 %</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> Faites le plein de Bond ! Le nouveau James Bond <em>James Bond : Meurs un autre jour</em>, de Lee Tamahori, sortira le 20 mai prochain. Il est d'ores et déjà disponible en pré-commande sur Amazon.fr !Deux versions sont proposées :- une version belge double DVD pour 23,99 euros- une version française collector 2 DVD pour 29,99 eurosAvec la précommande :- vous recevez chez vous le produit commandé, et ce le jour de sa sortie ;- vous ne payez pas à l'avance, vous êtes débité le jour de l'expédition ;- ce service est proposé sur l'ensemble des nouveautés à paraître, et même les éditions collectors à tirage limité.Retrouvez l'ensemble de la collection James Bond sur www.amazon.fr où vous pourrez revoir les grands classiques tels Octopussy, Dangereusement vôtre, L'Homme au pistolet d'or ou Permis de tuer pour 14,99 euros seulement.* étude réalisée par Amazon.fr auprès de 1200 clients en avril 2003</p><p><em>Le saviez-vous ?</em>Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Et si vous partez à l'autre bout du monde ? Amazon.fr vous suit, tout simplement !<em>Au sujet du site Amazon.fr</em>Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click™. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentations

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentations/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentations

05/02/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentations

05/02/2003

2003

SEATTLE--May 2, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASD:AMZN) announced today that it will be speaking at the Ragen MacKenzie Investment Conference in Seattle on May 8, 2003, at 8:40 a.m. PT/11:40 a.m. ET and at the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas on May 21, 2003, at 7:30 a.m. PT/10:30 a.m. ET. The audio of these presentations will be Webcast live and will be available for three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.

<p>SEATTLE--May 2, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASD:AMZN) announced today that it will be speaking at the Ragen MacKenzie Investment Conference in Seattle on May 8, 2003, at 8:40 a.m. PT/11:40 a.m. ET and at the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference in Las Vegas on May 21, 2003, at 7:30 a.m. PT/10:30 a.m. ET. The audio of these presentations will be Webcast live and will be available for three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p>

Amazon.Com Announces Redemption of Senior Discount Notes

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.Com-Announces-Redemption-of-Senior-Discount-Notes/default.aspx

Amazon.Com-Announces-Redemption-of-Senior-Discount-Notes

04/24/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.Com Announces Redemption of Senior Discount Notes

04/24/2003

2003

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that on May 28, 2003, it will redeem all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008. The Senior Discount Notes, with an aggregate principal amount at maturity of $264 million, will become due and payable on the redemption date and the holders of the Senior Discount Notes will be entitled to payment upon surrender of their notes to The Bank of New York, the paying agent. The Senior Discount Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 105% of the principal amount at maturity, plus accrued and unpaid interest from May 1, 2003 through May 27, 2003. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; world events, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; foreign exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. CONTACT: Amazon.com Tim Halladay, 206/266-2171 (Investor Relations) ir@amazon.com or Amazon.com Bill Curry, 206/266-7180 (Public Relations) SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that on May 28, 2003, it will redeem all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008.</p><p>The Senior Discount Notes, with an aggregate principal amount at maturity of $264 million, will become due and payable on the redemption date and the holders of the Senior Discount Notes will be entitled to payment upon surrender of their notes to The Bank of New York, the paying agent.</p><p>The Senior Discount Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 105% of the principal amount at maturity, plus accrued and unpaid interest from May 1, 2003 through May 27, 2003.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; world events, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; foreign exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><pre> CONTACT: Amazon.com Tim Halladay, 206/266-2171 (Investor Relations) ir@amazon.com or Amazon.com Bill Curry, 206/266-7180 (Public Relations) SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</pre>

Amazon.Com Announces 28% Sales Growth Fueled by Lower Prices and Free Shipping

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.Com-Announces-28-Sales-Growth-Fueled-by-Lower-Prices-and-Free-Shipping/default.aspx

Amazon.Com-Announces-28-Sales-Growth-Fueled-by-Lower-Prices-and-Free-Shipping

04/24/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.Com Announces 28% Sales Growth Fueled by Lower Prices and Free Shipping

04/24/2003

2003

Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Operations Pro Forma Statement of Operations Segment Information Supplemental Revenue Information Balance Sheets Supplemental Financial Information Operational Highlights AMZN Q1, 2003Financial Results Download WordVersion 1.21MB Download PDFVersion 224KB AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 28% SALES GROWTH FUELED BY LOWER PRICES AND FREE SHIPPING Meaningful Innovation Leads, Launches, Inspires Relentless Amazon Visitor Improvements SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2003. Operating cash flow was $164 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $46 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002. Free cash flow was $123 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $10 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 432 million at March 31, 2003, a decrease of 1% compared with a year ago. Net sales were $1.084 billion in the first quarter, compared with $847 million in the first quarter 2002, an increase of 28%. Net loss was $10 million, or $(0.03) per share, in the first quarter, compared with $23 million in the first quarter 2002, or $(0.06) per share. Pro forma net income in the first quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $45 million to $40 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $5 million, or $(0.01) per share, in the first quarter 2002. "Our strategy of driving down costs to give customers lower prices continues to pay off," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "In the first quarter, customers took advantage of Free Super Saver Shipping and broad everyday low prices, which created our first-ever non-holiday quarter with sales over $1 billion, but this was only possible because we reduced our costs in virtually every area of our business." In addition to its year-round Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com, the Company offers free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significantly lowered prices on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs. "Meaningful innovation leads, launches, inspires relentless Amazon visitor improvements," said Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com. "We are simultaneously lowering prices and driving customer experience." The company also announced that on May 28, 2003, it will redeem all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008, for $277 million, a redemption price of 105% of the $264 million principal amount. See "Financial Measures" for additional information about certain of our financial measures. Highlights of First Quarter 2003 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2002) Worldwide unit growth was 35% in the first quarter. Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on Amazon.com product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 19% of worldwide units in the first quarter, compared with 13% of units a year ago. North America segment sales grew 13% to $705 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 28%, and segment operating income grew 46% to $52 million. International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 68% to $379 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 52%, and excluding the benefit from foreign exchange rates compared with the first quarter 2002, International segment sales grew 45%. International segment operating income was $16 million, a $27 million improvement. The Company's U.K. and German sites expanded selection by opening Kitchen & Home stores. Inventory turns for the trailing four quarters improved to 20 for the first quarter, up from 17. The Company has been taking pre-orders worldwide for copies of the highly-anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And, in what will be the largest single e-commerce distribution event in history, customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive their copy on Saturday, June 21, the first day the book is available to the public. Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of April 24, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. Second Quarter 2003 Guidance Second quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.00 billion and $1.05 billion, or grow between 24% and 30%. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $45 million and $60 million. Full Year 2003 Expectations Net sales are expected to be $4.7 billion or more, or grow over 19%. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be $275 million or more, or grow over 50%. The Company is unable to forecast the effect on its future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in its stock price, and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of its 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Accordingly, because stock-based compensation and remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other are impossible to predict, the Company cannot estimate future operating income (loss) or net income (loss). A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available through June 30, 2003, at http://www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; world events, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; foreign exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. Financial Measures Free Cash Flow Free cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (operating cash flow includes cash outflows for interest and excludes proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards) less purchases of fixed assets (purchases of fixed assets includes internal-use software and web-site development). Free cash flow is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (known as "GAAP"). Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating cash flow--is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics." Consolidated Segment Operating Income Consolidated segment operating income, a GAAP measure, excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and Restructuring-related and other. A tabular reconciliation of differences from operating income is included in "Segment Information" in the attached financial statements. Pro Forma Net Income (Loss) Pro forma net income (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, Restructuring-related and other, Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. Pro forma net income is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--net income (loss)--is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon.fr, amazon.co.jp and amazon.ca.    Back to top of Page Statement of Cash Flows    Back to top of Page Statement of Operations  Back to top of Page Pro Forma Statement of Operations Back to top of Page Segment Information Back to top of Page Supplemental Revenue Information  Back to top of Page Balance Sheets    Back to top of Page Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics    Back to top of Page Operational Highlights AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited) First Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year) Net Sales Net sales benefited by approximately $51 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002. Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $78 million, down from $89 million. Gross Profit Gross profit benefited by approximately $11 million, and consolidated segment operating profit by approximately $4 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002. Shipping loss was approximately $27 million, up from a loss of $1 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that shipping promotions are an effective marketing tool. We intend to continue offering our customers free shipping alternatives, which will reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins. Fulfillment Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-party cosourcers, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target Corporation, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Stock-Based Compensation Stock based compensation consisted of $21 million for employee stock options awards under variable accounting and $6 million for employee restricted stock units and restricted stock awards under fixed accounting. At March 31, 2003, outstanding stock awards consisted of 38 million stock options ($12 average exercise price), 3 million restricted stock units and 1 million shares of restricted stock. Stock options and restricted stock units are excluded from common stock outstanding, whereas grants of restricted stock are included in common stock outstanding. Under our restricted stock unit program, which commenced in the fourth quarter 2002, we award restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for equity compensation. Restricted stock units are measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. At March 31, 2003, 3 million stock awards are subject to variable accounting, of which 2 million options granted under the January 2001 exchange offer are scheduled to expire in the third quarter of 2003. Beginning in January 2003, any new stock option grants are subject to variable accounting treatment. Under variable stock option accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of options that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations. Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our March 31, 2003 closing price of $26.03, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts):  Percentage DifferenceClosing Price (1) Hypothetical MarketPrice per Share (1) HypotheticalStock-BasedCompensation Expense Hypothetical vs.Actual Stock-BasedCompensation Expense (15)% $22.13 $ 19 $ (8) (10)%  23.43     22    (6)     0 %  26.03        27(2)    -   10 %  28.63    33    6  15 %  29.93    36    8 ___________(1) Hypothetical--not a prediction of future performance of quoted prices of our common stock.(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for the first quarter 2003. Restructuring-Related and Other As previously disclosed, in the first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring plan is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary. Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $16 million, compared with $14 million in the first quarter 2002. In December 2002, we reached a termination agreement with the landlord of our leased fulfillment center facility in McDonough, Georgia. This agreement resulted in $12 million of cash payments in the first quarter 2003, including $8 million associated with the termination agreement and $4 million associated with restoration costs. No further payments are required relating to the McDonough, Georgia facility. We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $9 million in the remainder of 2003, $13 million in 2004, and $19 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the remaining amounts within long-term debt and other on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $10 million in future payments) on gross lease obligations of $87 million. Other Income, Net Other income, net primarily consisted of net gains on sales of marketable securities of $4 million, compared with less than $1 million in the first quarter 2002. Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $25 million, compared with gains of $6 million in the first quarter 2002. Income Taxes At March 31, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.5 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.2 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations. Net Loss Although we reported a $13 million improvement in our net loss, we believe that this improvement is not necessarily predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in our stock price and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These items represented significant charges during the first quarter of 2003 and may result in significant charges or credits in future periods. Financial Condition Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, at estimated fair value, consist of the following at March 31, 2003 (in millions): Cash $ 204 Commercial paper and short-term obligations 292 Cash and cash equivalents 496 U.S. Treasury notes and bonds 271 Asset-backed and agency securities 245 Corporate notes and bonds 44 Certificates of deposit, commercial paper, short-term obligations and equity securities 27 Marketable securities (1) 587 $1,083 _____________(1) We have pledged approximately $105 million as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $158 million at March 31, 2002. Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions):  Principalat Maturity InterestRate PrincipalDue Date Senior Discount Notes $ 264 (1) 10.000% May  2008 Convertible Subordinated Notes 1,250 (2)   4.750% February 2009 PEACS    753 (3)   6.875% February 2010 $2,267 _____________(1) We announced that on May 28, 2003, we will redeem our Senior Discount Notes at a redemption price of $277 million, a 5% premium over the principal amount of $264 million. We will record a charge of approximately $15 million, classified in non-operating expenses in the second quarter 2003, consiting of the $13 million premium and $2 million of unamortized debt issuance costs. Accrued interest from May 1, 2003 to May 27, 2003 will also be payable at redemption.(2) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.03.(3) 690 million Euros. Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at 84.88 Euros. The U.S. Dollar long-term debt amount and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. Certain Definitions and Other We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which are not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. There are no internal revenue transactions between our reporting segments. The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores and mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. Operating results for the International segment are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. We have also provided supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media", "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software and video games. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics, toys, home improvement, home and garden, and apparel. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.    Back to top of Page SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003-- Meaningful Innovation Leads, Launches, Inspires Relentless Amazon Visitor Improvements Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2003. Operating cash flow was $164 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $46 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002. Free cash flow was $123 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $10 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 432 million at March 31, 2003, a decrease of 1% compared with a year ago. Net sales were $1.084 billion in the first quarter, compared with $847 million in the first quarter 2002, an increase of 28%. Net loss was $10 million, or $(0.03) per share, in the first quarter, compared with $23 million in the first quarter 2002, or $(0.06) per share. Pro forma net income in the first quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $45 million to $40 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $5 million, or $(0.01) per share, in the first quarter 2002. "Our strategy of driving down costs to give customers lower prices continues to pay off," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "In the first quarter, customers took advantage of Free Super Saver Shipping and broad everyday low prices, which created our first-ever non-holiday quarter with sales over $1 billion, but this was only possible because we reduced our costs in virtually every area of our business." In addition to its year-round Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com, the Company offers free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significantly lowered prices on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs. "Meaningful innovation leads, launches, inspires relentless Amazon visitor improvements," said Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com. "We are simultaneously lowering prices and driving customer experience." The Company also announced that on May 28, 2003, it will redeem all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008, for $277 million, a redemption price of 105% of the $264 million principal amount. See "Financial Measures" for additional information about certain of our financial measures. Highlights of First Quarter 2003 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2002) -- Worldwide unit growth was 35% in the first quarter. -- Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on Amazon.com product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 19% of worldwide units in the first quarter, compared with 13% of units a year ago. -- North America segment sales grew 13% to $705 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 28%, and segment operating income grew 46% to $52 million. -- International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 68% to $379 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 52%, and excluding the benefit from foreign exchange rates compared with the first quarter 2002, International segment sales grew 45%. International segment operating income was $16 million, a $27 million improvement. -- The Company's U.K. and German sites expanded selection by opening Kitchen & Home stores. -- Inventory turns for the trailing four quarters improved to 20 for the first quarter, up from 17. -- The Company has been taking pre-orders worldwide for copies of the highly-anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And, in what will be the largest single e-commerce distribution event in history, customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive their copy on Saturday, June 21, the first day the book is available to the public. Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of April 24, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. Second Quarter 2003 Guidance -- Second quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.00 billion and $1.05 billion, or grow between 24% and 30%. -- Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $45 million and $60 million. Full Year 2003 Expectations -- Net sales are expected to be $4.7 billion or more, or grow over 19%. -- Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be $275 million or more, or grow over 50%. The Company is unable to forecast the effect on its future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in its stock price, and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of its 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Accordingly, because stock-based compensation and remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other are impossible to predict, the Company cannot estimate future operating income (loss) or net income (loss). A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available through June 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; world events, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; foreign exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. Financial Measures Free Cash Flow Free cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (operating cash flow includes cash outflows for interest and excludes proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards) less purchases of fixed assets (purchases of fixed assets includes internal-use software and web-site development). Free cash flow is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (known as "GAAP"). Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating cash flow--is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics." Consolidated Segment Operating Income Consolidated segment operating income, a GAAP measure, excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: -- Stock-based compensation, -- Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and -- Restructuring-related and other. A tabular reconciliation of differences from operating income is included in "Segment Information" in the attached financial statements. Pro Forma Net Income (Loss) Pro forma net income (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: -- Stock-based compensation, -- Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, -- Restructuring-related and other, -- Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, -- Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and -- Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. Pro forma net income is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure -- net income (loss) -- is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. AMAZON.COM, INC. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 2002 -------- -------- CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD $738,254 $540,282 OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net loss (10,121) (23,150) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Depreciation of fixed assets and other amortization 19,750 20,940 Stock-based compensation 27,323 10,931 Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net 436 1,744 Amortization of other intangibles 912 1,979 Gain on sale of marketable securities, net (3,980) (376) Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other 21,798 (5,516) Non-cash interest expense and other 7,877 7,061 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - (801) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Inventories 30,625 4,674 Accounts receivable, net and other current assets 27,233 (3,320) Accounts payable (226,605) (128,286) Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (87,065) (65,861) Increases to unearned revenue 22,968 28,716 Amortization of previously unearned revenue (27,905) (37,333) Interest payable (55,028) (52,435) -------- -------- Net cash used in operating activities (251,782) (241,033) INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Sales and maturities of marketable securities and other investments 208,955 136,575 Purchases of marketable securities (233,055) (134,227) Purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and Web-site development (6,394) (4,854) -------- -------- Net cash used in investing activities (30,494) (2,506) FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Proceeds from exercise of stock options and other 38,555 7,409 Repayment of capital lease obligations and other (3,221) (4,563) -------- -------- Net cash provided by financing activities 35,334 2,846 Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 4,461 (2,900) -------- -------- Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (242,481) (243,593) -------- -------- CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD $495,773 $296,689 ======== ======== SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Fixed assets acquired under capital leases and other financing arrangements $661 $924 Cash paid for interest 84,215 80,483 Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 2002 -------- -------- Net sales $1,083,559 $847,422 Cost of sales 812,977 624,297 ---------- -------- Gross profit 270,582 223,125 Operating expenses: Fulfillment 103,705 89,815 Marketing 28,227 32,244 Technology and content 50,088 55,497 General and administrative 21,102 20,911 Stock-based compensation (1) 27,323 10,931 Amortization of other intangibles 912 1,979 Restructuring-related and other - 9,974 ---------- -------- Total operating expenses 231,357 221,351 ---------- -------- Income from operations 39,225 1,774 Interest income 6,540 5,652 Interest expense (36,511) (35,244) Other income, net 2,859 95 Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other (21,798) 5,516 ---------- -------- Total non-operating expenses, net (48,910) (23,981) ---------- -------- Loss before equity in losses of equity-method investees (9,685) (22,207) Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net (436) (1,744) ---------- -------- Loss before change in accounting principle (10,121) (23,951) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - 801 ---------- -------- Net loss $(10,121) $(23,150) =========== ========= Basic and diluted loss per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.03) $(0.06) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - ---------- -------- $(0.03) $(0.06) =========== ========= Shares used in computation of loss per share: Basic and diluted 388,541 373,031 =========== ========= (1) Components of stock-based compensation: Fulfillment $6,985 $1,771 Marketing 979 874 Technology and content 14,216 5,825 General and administrative 5,143 2,461 ---------- -------- $27,323 $10,931 =========== ========= Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Pro Forma Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 --------------------------------------- As Reported Pro Forma (1) Adjustments Pro Forma ---------- ----------- ---------- Net sales $1,083,559 $- $1,083,559 Cost of sales 812,977 - 812,977 ---------- ---------- ---------- Gross profit 270,582 - 270,582 Operating expenses: Fulfillment 103,705 - 103,705 Marketing 28,227 - 28,227 Technology and content 50,088 - 50,088 General and administrative 21,102 - 21,102 Stock-based compensation 27,323 (27,323) - Amortization of other intangibles 912 (912) - Restructuring- related and other - - - ---------- ---------- ---------- Total operating expenses 231,357 (28,235) 203,122 ---------- ---------- ---------- Income from operations 39,225 28,235 67,460 Interest income 6,540 - 6,540 Interest expense (36,511) - (36,511) Other income, net 2,859 - 2,859 Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other (21,798) 21,798 - ---------- ---------- ---------- Total non-operating expenses, net (48,910) 21,798 (27,112) ---------- ---------- ---------- Income (loss) before equity in losses of equity-method investees (9,685) 50,033 40,348 Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net (436) 436 - ---------- ---------- ---------- Income (loss) before change in accounting principle (10,121) 50,469 40,348 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ---------- ----------- ----------- Net income (loss) $(10,121) $50,469 $40,348 =========== =========== =========== Net cash used in operating activities $(251,782) $(251,782) =========== =========== Basic income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ---------- ----------- ----------- $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 =========== =========== =========== Diluted income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ---------- ---------- ---------- $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 =========== ======== =========== Shares used in computation of income (loss) per share: Basic 388,541 388,541 =========== =========== Diluted 388,541 411,091 =========== =========== (1) In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 ----------------------------------- As Reported Pro Forma (1) Adjustments Pro Forma ---------- ----------- --------- Net sales $847,422 $- $847,422 Cost of sales 624,297 - 624,297 -------- -------- -------- Gross profit 223,125 - 223,125 Operating expenses: Fulfillment 89,815 - 89,815 Marketing 32,244 - 32,244 Technology and content 55,497 - 55,497 General and administrative 20,911 - 20,911 Stock-based compensation 10,931 (10,931) - Amortization of other intangibles 1,979 (1,979) - Restructuring-related and other 9,974 (9,974) - -------- -------- -------- Total operating expenses 221,351 (22,884) 198,467 -------- -------- -------- Income from operations 1,774 22,884 24,658 Interest income 5,652 - 5,652 Interest expense (35,244) - (35,244) Other income, net 95 - 95 Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other 5,516 (5,516) - -------- -------- -------- Total non-operating expenses, net (23,981) (5,516) (29,497) -------- -------- -------- Income (loss) before equity in losses of equity-method investees (22,207) 17,368 (4,839) Equity in losses of equity- method investees, net (1,744) 1,744 - -------- -------- -------- Income (loss) before change in accounting principle (23,951) 19,112 (4,839) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 801 (801) - -------- -------- -------- Net income (loss) $(23,150) $18,311 $(4,839) =========== ======== =========== Net cash used in operating activities $(241,033) $(241,033) =========== =========== Basic income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ----------- -------- ---------- $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) =========== ======== ========== Diluted income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ----------- -------- ---------- $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) =========== ======== ========== Shares used in computation of income (loss) per share: Basic 373,031 373,031 =========== ========== Diluted 373,031 373,031 =========== ========== (1) In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Segment Information (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------ 2003 2002 North America -------- -------- Net sales $704,712 $621,303 Cost of sales 517,880 447,781 -------- -------- Gross profit 186,832 173,522 Direct segment operating expenses 135,171 138,096 -------- -------- Segment operating income 51,661 35,426 International Net sales 378,847 226,119 Cost of sales 295,097 176,516 -------- -------- Gross profit 83,750 49,603 Direct segment operating expenses 67,951 60,371 -------- -------- Segment operating income (loss) 15,799 (10,768) Consolidated Net sales 1,083,559 847,422 Cost of sales 812,977 624,297 -------- -------- Gross profit 270,582 223,125 Direct segment operating expenses 203,122 198,467 -------- -------- Segment operating income 67,460 24,658 Stock-based compensation 27,323 10,931 Amortization of other intangibles 912 1,979 Restructuring-related and other - 9,974 -------- -------- Income from operations 39,225 1,774 Total non-operating expenses, net (48,910) (23,981) Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net (436) (1,744) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - 801 -------- -------- Net loss $(10,121) $(23,150) ======== ======== Segment Highlights: Y / Y net sales growth: North America 13% 9% International 68 71 Consolidated 28 21 Y / Y gross profit growth: North America 8 12 International 69 77 Consolidated 21 22 Gross margin: North America 27 28 International 22 22 Consolidated 25 26 Operating margin: North America 7 6 International 4 (5) Consolidated 6 3 Net sales mix: North America 65 73 International 35 27 Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Supplemental Revenue Information (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------ 2003 2002 -------- -------- North America Media $517,259 $471,343 Electronics and other general merchandise 168,145 127,644 Other 19,308 22,316 -------- -------- 704,712 621,303 International Media 355,712 214,269 Electronics and other general merchandise 22,863 11,358 Other 272 492 -------- -------- 378,847 226,119 Consolidated Media 872,971 685,612 Electronics and other general merchandise 191,008 139,002 Other 19,580 22,808 ----------- --------- $1,083,559 $847,422 =========== ========= Y / Y Revenue Growth: North America: Media 10% 8% Electronics and other general merchandise 32 11 Other (13) 32 International: Media 66 63 Electronics and other general merchandise 101 1,054 Other (45) -- Consolidated: Media 27 21 Electronics and other general merchandise 37 20 Other (14) 35 Consolidated Revenue Mix: Media 80 81 Electronics and other general merchandise 18 16 Other 2 3 Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) March December 31, 31, 2003 2002 --------- -------- ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $495,773 $738,254 Marketable securities 586,779 562,715 Inventories 173,030 202,425 Accounts receivable, net and other current assets 88,914 112,282 --------- -------- Total current assets 1,344,496 1,615,676 Fixed assets, net 228,279 239,398 Goodwill, net 70,811 70,811 Other intangibles, net 2,548 3,460 Other equity investments 13,453 15,442 Other assets 46,346 45,662 ---------- ---------- Total assets $1,705,933 $1,990,449 ========== ========== LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT Current liabilities: Accounts payable $393,696 $618,128 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 234,194 314,935 Unearned revenue 42,979 47,916 Interest payable 16,632 71,661 Current portion of long-term debt and other 11,078 13,318 ---------- ---------- Total current liabilities 698,579 1,065,958 Long-term debt and other 2,296,418 2,277,305 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' deficit: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value: Authorized shares -- 500,000 Issued and outstanding shares -- none - - Common stock, $0.01 par value: Authorized shares -- 5,000,000 Issued and outstanding shares -- 391,609 and 387,906, respectively 3,916 3,879 Additional paid-in capital 1,714,616 1,649,946 Deferred stock-based compensation (5,420) (6,591) Accumulated other comprehensive income 17,655 9,662 Accumulated deficit (3,019,831) (3,009,710) ---------- ---------- Total stockholders' deficit (1,289,064) (1,352,814) ---------- ---------- Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $1,705,933 $1,990,449 =========== =========== Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Y / Y Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 % 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 Change ------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ------ Results of Operations Net sales $847 $806 $851 $1,429 $1,084 28% Net sales -- trailing twelve months (TTM) $3,269 $3,407 $3,619 $3,933 $4,169 28% Net sales shipped outside the U.S. -- % of net sales 34% 34% 36% 37% 41% N/A Gross profit $223 $218 $216 $335 $271 21% Gross margin -- % of net sales 26.3% 27.1% 25.4% 23.5% 25.0% N/A Gross profit -- TTM $839 $878 $932 $993 $1,040 24% Gross margin -- TTM % of net sales 25.7% 25.8% 25.7% 25.2% 24.9% N/A Fulfillment costs -- % of net sales 10.6% 10.6% 10.6% 8.9% 9.6% N/A Fulfillment costs -- TTM % of net sales 11.2% 10.7% 10.4% 10.0% 9.7% N/A Consolidated direct segment operating expenses $198 $192 $189 $233 $203 2% Consolidated direct segment operating expenses -- TTM $811 $795 $795 $813 $817 1% Consolidated segment operating income $25 $26 $27 $102 $67 174% Consolidated segment operating margin -- % of net sales 2.9% 3.2% 3.2% 7.1% 6.2% N/A Consolidated segment operating income -- TTM $28 $82 $137 $180 $223 689% Consolidated segment operating margin -- TTM % of net sales 0.9% 2.4% 3.8% 4.6% 5.3% N/A GAAP operating income (loss) $2 $1 $(10) $71 $39 2,111% GAAP operating margin -- % of net sales 0.2% 0.2% (1.1%) 4.9% 3.6% N/A GAAP operating income (loss) -- TTM $(194) $(53) $8 $64 $102 N/A GAAP operating margin -- TTM % of net sales (5.9%) (1.5%) 0.2% 1.6% 2.4% N/A GAAP net income (loss) $(23) $(94) $(35) $3 $(10) (56%) GAAP net income (loss) per share $(0.06)$(0.25)$(0.09) $0.01 $(0.03) (50%) GAAP net loss -- TTM $(356) $(281) $(147) $(149) $(136) (62%) North America segment: Net sales $621 $586 $587 $967 $705 13% Net sales -- TTM $2,513 $2,561 $2,647 $2,761 $2,845 13% Gross profit $174 $170 $155 $243 $187 8% Gross margin -- % of North America net sales 28% 29% 26% 25% 27% N/A Gross profit -- TTM $676 $696 $717 $741 $754 12% Gross margin -- TTM % of North America net sales 27% 27% 27% 27% 27% N/A Operating income $35 $36 $26 $82 $52 46% Operating margin -- % of North America net sales 6% 6% 4% 9% 7% N/A Operating income -- TTM $107 $141 $166 $180 $196 83% Operating margin -- TTM % of North America net sales 4% 5% 6% 7% 7% N/A International segment: Net sales $226 $219 $264 $462 $379 68% Net sales -- TTM $756 $847 $973 $1,172 $1,324 75% Gross profit $50 $48 $61 $93 $84 69% Gross margin -- % of International net sales 22% 22% 23% 20% 22% N/A Gross profit -- TTM $163 $182 $215 $252 $286 75% Gross margin -- TTM % of International net sales 22% 21% 22% 21% 22% N/A Operating income $(11) $(10) $1 $20 $16 N/A Operating margin -- % of International net sales (5%) (4%) 0% 4% 4% N/A Operating income -- TTM $(79) $(58) $(29) $0 $27 N/A Operating margin -- TTM % of International net sales (10%) (7%) (3%) 0% 2% N/A Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of this Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics. AMAZON.COM, INC. Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics (in millions, except inventory turnover, accounts payable days, and employee data) (unaudited) Y / Y Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 % 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 Change ------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ------ Supplemental North America Segment Revenue: Media $471 $439 $436 $649 $517 10% Media -- TTM $1,845 $1,871 $1,930 $1,995 $2,041 11% Electronics and other general merchandise $128 $130 $133 $290 $168 32% Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $590 $610 $633 $681 $722 22% Other $22 $17 $18 $28 $19 (13%) Other -- TTM $78 $80 $84 $85 $82 6% Supplemental International Segment Revenue: Media $214 $209 $250 $431 $356 66% Media -- TTM $729 $811 $925 $1,104 $1,245 71% Electronics and other general merchandise $11 $10 $14 $31 $23 101% Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $27 $35 $45 $66 $77 192% Other $0 $1 $1 $0 $0 (45%) Other -- TTM $1 $2 $2 $2 $2 71% Supplemental Worldwide Revenue: Media $686 $648 $686 $1,079 $873 27% Media -- TTM $2,574 $2,682 $2,855 $3,099 $3,286 28% Electronics and other general merchandise $139 $140 $147 $321 $191 37% Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $617 $644 $679 $747 $799 30% Other $23 $18 $18 $29 $20 (14%) Other -- TTM $79 $81 $86 $87 $84 7% Balance Sheet Cash and marketable securities $745 $824 $866 $1,301 $1,083 45% Inventory, net $139 $127 $152 $202 $173 24% Inventory -- % of TTM net sales 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% N/A Inventory turnover -- TTM 17.4 18.9 19.4 19.3 19.7 13% Fixed assets, net $256 $249 $239 $239 $228 (11%) Accounts payable days -- ending 45 46 50 52 44 (4%) Cash Flows Operating cash flow -- TTM $46 $48 $151 $174 $164 254% Purchases of fixed assets -- TTM $36 $33 $31 $39 $41 14% Free cash flow (operating cash flow less purchases of fixed assets) -- TTM $10 $16 $120 $135 $123 1,078% Other Common shares and stock-based awards outstanding 437 430 430 433 432 (1%) Common shares outstanding 375 380 381 388 392 4% Stock-based employee awards outstanding 62 50 48 45 41 (35%) Stock-based employee awards outstanding -- % of common shares outstanding 17% 13% 13% 12% 10% N/A Employees (full-time and part-time) 7,900 7,700 7,800 7,500 7,700 (3%) Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of this Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics. AMAZON.COM, INC. Financial and Operational Highlights (unaudited) First Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year) Net Sales -- Net sales benefited by approximately $51 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002. -- Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $78 million, down from $89 million. Gross Profit -- Gross profit benefited by approximately $11 million, and consolidated segment operating profit by approximately $4 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002. -- Shipping loss was approximately $27 million, up from a loss of $1 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that shipping promotions are an effective marketing tool. We intend to continue offering our customers free shipping alternatives, which will reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins. Fulfillment -- Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-party cosourcers, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target Corporation, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Stock-Based Compensation -- Stock based compensation consisted of $21 million for employee stock awards under variable accounting and $6 million for employee restricted stock units and restricted stock awards under fixed accounting. -- At March 31, 2003, outstanding stock awards consisted of 38 million stock options ($12 average exercise price), 3 million restricted stock units and 1 million shares of restricted stock. -- Stock options and restricted stock units are excluded from common stock outstanding, whereas grants of restricted stock are included in common stock outstanding. -- Under our restricted stock unit program, which commenced in the fourth quarter 2002, we award restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for equity compensation. Restricted stock units are measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. -- At March 31, 2003, 3 million stock awards are subject to variable accounting, of which 2 million options granted under the January 2001 exchange offer are scheduled to expire in the third quarter of 2003. Beginning in January 2003, any new stock option grants are subject to variable accounting treatment. -- Under variable stock option accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of options that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations. -- Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our March 31, 2003 closing price of $26.03, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts): Hypothetical vs. Hypothetical Hypothetical Actual Stock- Market Stock-Based Based Percentage Difference Price per Share Compensation Compensation Closing Price (1) (1) Expense Expense ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (15)% $22.13 $19 $(8) (10)% 23.43 22 (6) 0 % 26.03 27(2) -- 10 % 28.63 33 6 15 % 29.93 36 8 ----------------- (1) Hypothetical--not a prediction of future performance of quoted prices of our common stock. (2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for the first quarter 2003. Restructuring-Related and Other -- As previously disclosed, in the first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring plan is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary. -- Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $16 million, compared with $14 million in the first quarter 2002. In December 2002, we reached a termination agreement with the landlord of our leased fulfillment center facility in McDonough, Georgia. This agreement resulted in $12 million of cash payments in the first quarter 2003, including $8 million associated with the termination agreement and $4 million associated with restoration costs. No further payments are required relating to the McDonough, Georgia facility. -- We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $9 million in the remainder of 2003, $13 million in 2004, and $19 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the remaining amounts within long-term debt and other on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $10 million in future payments) on gross lease obligations of $87 million. Other Income, Net -- Other income, net primarily consisted of net gains on sales of marketable securities of $4 million, compared with less than $1 million in the first quarter 2002. Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other -- Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $25 million, compared with gains of $6 million in the first quarter 2002. Income Taxes -- At March 31, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.5 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.2 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations. Net Loss -- Although we reported a $13 million improvement in our net loss, we believe that this improvement is not necessarily predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in our stock price and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These items represented significant charges during the first quarter of 2003 and may result in significant charges or credits in future periods. Financial Condition -- Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, at estimated fair value, consist of the following at March 31, 2003 (in millions): Cash $204 Commercial paper and short-term obligations 292 -------- Cash and cash equivalents 496 -------- U.S. Treasury notes and bonds 271 Asset-backed and agency securities 245 Corporate notes and bonds 44 Certificates of deposit, commercial paper, short-term obligations and equity securities 27 -------- Marketable securities (1) 587 -------- $1,083 ======== ----------------- (1) We have pledged approximately $105 million as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $158 million at March 31, 2002. -- Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions): Principal Interest Principal at Maturity Rate Due Date ------------------------------------- Senior Discount Notes $264 (1) 10.000% May 2008 Convertible Subordinated Notes 1,250 (2) 4.750% February 2009 PEACS 753 (3) 6.875% February 2010 ------ $2,267 ====== ----------------- (1) We announced that on May 28, 2003, we will redeem our Senior Discount Notes at a redemption price of $277 million, a 5% premium over the principal amount of $264 million. We will record a charge of approximately $15 million, classified in non-operating expenses in the second quarter 2003, consisting of the $13 million premium and $2 million of unamortized debt issuance costs. Accrued interest from May 1, 2003 to May 27, 2003 will also be payable at redemption. (2) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.03. (3) 690 million Euros. Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at 84.88 Euros. The U.S. Dollar long-term debt amount and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. Certain Definitions and Other -- We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which are not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. There are no internal revenue transactions between our reporting segments. -- The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores and mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements. -- The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. Operating results for the International segment are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. -- We have also provided supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media", "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software and video games. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics, toys, home improvement, home and garden, and apparel. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. -- All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. -- All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates. CONTACT: Amazon.com Investor Relations: Tim Halladay, 206/266-2171 ir@amazon.com or Public Relations: Bill Curry, 206/266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.Com

<table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</p></td></tr><tr><td>Segment Information</td></tr><tr><td>Supplemental Revenue Information</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><div>AMZN Q1, 2003Financial Results</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Download WordVersion 1.21MB</p></td><td><div>Download PDFVersion 224KB</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><div><div>AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 28% SALES GROWTH FUELED BY LOWER PRICES AND FREE SHIPPING</div></div><p>Meaningful Innovation Leads, Launches, Inspires Relentless Amazon Visitor Improvements</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2003.</p><p>Operating cash flow was $164 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $46 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002. Free cash flow was $123 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $10 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 432 million at March 31, 2003, a decrease of 1% compared with a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were $1.084 billion in the first quarter, compared with $847 million in the first quarter 2002, an increase of 28%.</p><p>Net loss was $10 million, or $(0.03) per share, in the first quarter, compared with $23 million in the first quarter 2002, or $(0.06) per share. Pro forma net income in the first quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $45 million to $40 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $5 million, or $(0.01) per share, in the first quarter 2002.</p><p>"Our strategy of driving down costs to give customers lower prices continues to pay off," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "In the first quarter, customers took advantage of Free Super Saver Shipping and broad everyday low prices, which created our first-ever non-holiday quarter with sales over $1 billion, but this was only possible because we reduced our costs in virtually every area of our business."</p><p>In addition to its year-round Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com, the Company offers free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significantly lowered prices on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs.</p><p>"Meaningful innovation leads, launches, inspires relentless Amazon visitor improvements," said Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com. "We are simultaneously lowering prices and driving customer experience."</p><p>The company also announced that on May 28, 2003, it will redeem all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008, for $277 million, a redemption price of 105% of the $264 million principal amount.</p><p>See "Financial Measures" for additional information about certain of our financial measures.</p><p>Highlights of First Quarter 2003 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2002)</p><blockquote><ul><li>Worldwide unit growth was 35% in the first quarter.</li><li>Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on Amazon.com product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 19% of worldwide units in the first quarter, compared with 13% of units a year ago.</li><li>North America segment sales grew 13% to $705 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 28%, and segment operating income grew 46% to $52 million.</li><li>International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 68% to $379 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 52%, and excluding the benefit from foreign exchange rates compared with the first quarter 2002, International segment sales grew 45%. International segment operating income was $16 million, a $27 million improvement.</li><li>The Company's U.K. and German sites expanded selection by opening Kitchen &amp; Home stores.</li><li>Inventory turns for the trailing four quarters improved to 20 for the first quarter, up from 17.</li><li>The Company has been taking pre-orders worldwide for copies of the highly-anticipated <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.</em> And, in what will be the largest single e-commerce distribution event in history, customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive their copy on Saturday, June 21, the first day the book is available to the public.</li></ul></blockquote><blockquote><p>Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations</p><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of April 24, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p><blockquote><p>Second Quarter 2003 Guidance</p><ul><li>Second quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.00 billion and $1.05 billion, or grow between 24% and 30%.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $45 million and $60 million.</li></ul></blockquote><blockquote><p>Full Year 2003 Expectations</p><ul><li>Net sales are expected to be $4.7 billion or more, or grow over 19%.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be $275 million or more, or grow over 50%.</li></ul></blockquote><p>The Company is unable to forecast the effect on its future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in its stock price, and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of its 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Accordingly, because stock-based compensation and remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other are impossible to predict, the Company cannot estimate future operating income (loss) or net income (loss).</p><p>A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available through June 30, 2003, at http://www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.</p><p><em>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; world events, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; foreign exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</em></p><p>Financial Measures</p><p><em>Free Cash Flow</em></p><p>Free cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (operating cash flow includes cash outflows for interest and excludes proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards) less purchases of fixed assets (purchases of fixed assets includes internal-use software and web-site development). Free cash flow is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (known as "GAAP"). Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating cash flow--is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics."</p><p><em>Consolidated Segment Operating Income</em></p><blockquote><p>Consolidated segment operating income, a GAAP measure, excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and</li><li>Restructuring-related and other.</li></ul></blockquote><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from operating income is included in "Segment Information" in the attached financial statements.</p><p><em>Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)</em></p><blockquote>Pro forma net income (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:<ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles,</li><li>Restructuring-related and other,</li><li>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other,</li><li>Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and</li><li>Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle.</li></ul></blockquote><p>Pro forma net income is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--net income (loss)--is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon.fr, amazon.co.jp and amazon.ca.</p></blockquote></td></tr><tr><td>   Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Segment Information</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Revenue Information</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited)</div><p>First Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year)</p><p><em>Net Sales</em></p><ul><li>Net sales benefited by approximately $51 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002.</li><li>Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $78 million, down from $89 million.</li></ul><p><em>Gross Profit</em></p><ul><li>Gross profit benefited by approximately $11 million, and consolidated segment operating profit by approximately $4 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002.</li><li>Shipping loss was approximately $27 million, up from a loss of $1 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that shipping promotions are an effective marketing tool. We intend to continue offering our customers free shipping alternatives, which will reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins.</li></ul><p><em>Fulfillment</em></p><ul><li>Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-party cosourcers, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target Corporation, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment.</li></ul><p><em>Stock-Based Compensation</em></p><ul><li>Stock based compensation consisted of $21 million for employee stock options awards under variable accounting and $6 million for employee restricted stock units and restricted stock awards under fixed accounting.</li><li>At March 31, 2003, outstanding stock awards consisted of 38 million stock options ($12 average exercise price), 3 million restricted stock units and 1 million shares of restricted stock.</li><li>Stock options and restricted stock units are excluded from common stock outstanding, whereas grants of restricted stock are included in common stock outstanding.</li><li>Under our restricted stock unit program, which commenced in the fourth quarter 2002, we award restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for equity compensation. Restricted stock units are measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation.</li><li>At March 31, 2003, 3 million stock awards are subject to variable accounting, of which 2 million options granted under the January 2001 exchange offer are scheduled to expire in the third quarter of 2003. Beginning in January 2003, any new stock option grants are subject to variable accounting treatment.</li><li>Under variable stock option accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of options that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations.</li><li>Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our March 31, 2003 closing price of $26.03, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts): <table><tbody><tr><td><div>Percentage Difference<u>Closing Price (1)</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical Market<u>Price per Share (1)</u></div></td><td><div>HypotheticalStock-Based<u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical vs.Actual Stock-Based<u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(15)%</div></td><td><div>$22.13</div></td><td><div>$ 19</div></td><td><div>$ (8)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(10)%</div></td><td><div> 23.43</div></td><td><div>    22</div></td><td><div>   (6)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>    0 %</div></td><td><div> 26.03</div></td><td><div>       27(2)</div></td><td><div>   -</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>  10 %</div></td><td><div> 28.63</div></td><td><div>   33</div></td><td><div>   6</div></td></tr><tr><td><div> 15 %</div></td><td><div> 29.93</div></td><td><div>   36</div></td><td><div>   8</div></td></tr></tbody></table><p>___________(1) Hypothetical--not a prediction of future performance of quoted prices of our common stock.(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for the first quarter 2003.</p></li></ul><p><em>Restructuring-Related and Other</em></p><ul><li>As previously disclosed, in the first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring plan is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary.</li><li>Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $16 million, compared with $14 million in the first quarter 2002. In December 2002, we reached a termination agreement with the landlord of our leased fulfillment center facility in McDonough, Georgia. This agreement resulted in $12 million of cash payments in the first quarter 2003, including $8 million associated with the termination agreement and $4 million associated with restoration costs. No further payments are required relating to the McDonough, Georgia facility.</li><li>We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $9 million in the remainder of 2003, $13 million in 2004, and $19 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the remaining amounts within long-term debt and other on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $10 million in future payments) on gross lease obligations of $87 million.</li></ul><p><em>Other Income, Net</em></p><ul><li>Other income, net primarily consisted of net gains on sales of marketable securities of $4 million, compared with less than $1 million in the first quarter 2002.</li></ul><p><em>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other</em></p><ul><li>Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $25 million, compared with gains of $6 million in the first quarter 2002.</li></ul><p><em>Income Taxes</em></p><ul><li>At March 31, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.5 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.2 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations.</li></ul><p><em>Net Loss</em></p><ul><li>Although we reported a $13 million improvement in our net loss, we believe that this improvement is not necessarily predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in our stock price and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These items represented significant charges during the first quarter of 2003 and may result in significant charges or credits in future periods.</li></ul><p>Financial Condition</p><ul><li>Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, at estimated fair value, consist of the following at March 31, 2003 (in millions):<table><tbody><tr><td>Cash</td><td><div>$ 204</div></td></tr><tr><td>Commercial paper and short-term obligations</td><td><div><u>292</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Cash and cash equivalents</td><td><div><u>496</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>U.S. Treasury notes and bonds</td><td><div>271</div></td></tr><tr><td>Asset-backed and agency securities</td><td><div>245</div></td></tr><tr><td>Corporate notes and bonds</td><td><div>44</div></td></tr><tr><td>Certificates of deposit, commercial paper, short-term obligations and equity securities</td><td><div><u>27</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Marketable securities (1)</td><td><div><u>587</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div><u>$1,083</u></div></td></tr></tbody></table>_____________(1) We have pledged approximately $105 million as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $158 million at March 31, 2002.</li></ul><ul><li>Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions): <table><tbody><tr><td><div>Principal<u>at Maturity</u></div></td><td><div>Interest<u>Rate</u></div></td><td><div>Principal<u>Due Date</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Senior Discount Notes</td><td><div>$ 264 (1)</div></td><td><div>10.000%</div></td><td><div>May  2008</div></td></tr><tr><td>Convertible Subordinated Notes</td><td><div>1,250 (2)</div></td><td><div>  4.750%</div></td><td><div>February 2009</div></td></tr><tr><td>PEACS</td><td><div><u>   753 </u>(3)</div></td><td><div>  6.875%</div></td><td><div>February 2010</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>$2,267</div></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><p>_____________(1) We announced that on May 28, 2003, we will redeem our Senior Discount Notes at a redemption price of $277 million, a 5% premium over the principal amount of $264 million. We will record a charge of approximately $15 million, classified in non-operating expenses in the second quarter 2003, consiting of the $13 million premium and $2 million of unamortized debt issuance costs. Accrued interest from May 1, 2003 to May 27, 2003 will also be payable at redemption.(2) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.03.(3) 690 million Euros. Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at 84.88 Euros. The U.S. Dollar long-term debt amount and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio.</p></blockquote></li></ul><p>Certain Definitions and Other</p><ul><li>We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which are not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. There are no internal revenue transactions between our reporting segments.</li><li>The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores and mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements.</li><li>The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. Operating results for the International segment are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates.</li><li>We have also provided supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media", "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software and video games. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics, toys, home improvement, home and garden, and apparel. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities.</li><li>All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order.</li><li>All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>   Back to top of Page</td></tr></tbody></table><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003-- Meaningful Innovation Leads, Launches, Inspires Relentless Amazon Visitor Improvements</p><p>Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2003.</p><p>Operating cash flow was $164 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $46 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002. Free cash flow was $123 million for the trailing four quarters, compared with $10 million for the four quarters ended March 31, 2002.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 432 million at March 31, 2003, a decrease of 1% compared with a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were $1.084 billion in the first quarter, compared with $847 million in the first quarter 2002, an increase of 28%.</p><p>Net loss was $10 million, or $(0.03) per share, in the first quarter, compared with $23 million in the first quarter 2002, or $(0.06) per share. Pro forma net income in the first quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $45 million to $40 million, or $0.10 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $5 million, or $(0.01) per share, in the first quarter 2002.</p><p>"Our strategy of driving down costs to give customers lower prices continues to pay off," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "In the first quarter, customers took advantage of Free Super Saver Shipping and broad everyday low prices, which created our first-ever non-holiday quarter with sales over $1 billion, but this was only possible because we reduced our costs in virtually every area of our business."</p><p>In addition to its year-round Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com, the Company offers free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significantly lowered prices on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs.</p><p>"Meaningful innovation leads, launches, inspires relentless Amazon visitor improvements," said Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com. "We are simultaneously lowering prices and driving customer experience."</p><p>The Company also announced that on May 28, 2003, it will redeem all of its outstanding 10% Senior Discount Notes due May 2008, for $277 million, a redemption price of 105% of the $264 million principal amount.</p><p>See "Financial Measures" for additional information about certain of our financial measures.</p><p>Highlights of First Quarter 2003 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2002)</p><pre> -- Worldwide unit growth was 35% in the first quarter. -- Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on Amazon.com product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 19% of worldwide units in the first quarter, compared with 13% of units a year ago. -- North America segment sales grew 13% to $705 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 28%, and segment operating income grew 46% to $52 million. -- International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 68% to $379 million in the first quarter, unit growth was 52%, and excluding the benefit from foreign exchange rates compared with the first quarter 2002, International segment sales grew 45%. International segment operating income was $16 million, a $27 million improvement. -- The Company's U.K. and German sites expanded selection by opening Kitchen &amp; Home stores. -- Inventory turns for the trailing four quarters improved to 20 for the first quarter, up from 17. -- The Company has been taking pre-orders worldwide for copies of the highly-anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And, in what will be the largest single e-commerce distribution event in history, customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive their copy on Saturday, June 21, the first day the book is available to the public. Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations</pre><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of April 24, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p><pre> Second Quarter 2003 Guidance -- Second quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.00 billion and $1.05 billion, or grow between 24% and 30%. -- Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $45 million and $60 million. Full Year 2003 Expectations -- Net sales are expected to be $4.7 billion or more, or grow over 19%. -- Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be $275 million or more, or grow over 50%.</pre><p>The Company is unable to forecast the effect on its future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in its stock price, and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of its 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Accordingly, because stock-based compensation and remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other are impossible to predict, the Company cannot estimate future operating income (loss) or net income (loss).</p><p>A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available through June 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.</p><p>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; world events, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; foreign exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><pre> Financial Measures Free Cash Flow</pre><p>Free cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (operating cash flow includes cash outflows for interest and excludes proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards) less purchases of fixed assets (purchases of fixed assets includes internal-use software and web-site development). Free cash flow is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (known as "GAAP"). Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating cash flow--is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics."</p><p>Consolidated Segment Operating Income</p><p>Consolidated segment operating income, a GAAP measure, excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><pre> -- Stock-based compensation, -- Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and -- Restructuring-related and other.</pre><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from operating income is included in "Segment Information" in the attached financial statements.</p><p>Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)</p><p>Pro forma net income (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><pre> -- Stock-based compensation, -- Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, -- Restructuring-related and other, -- Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, -- Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and -- Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle.</pre><p>Pro forma net income is provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. Management uses this measure internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure -- net income (loss) -- is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><pre> AMAZON.COM, INC. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 2002 -------- --------CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD $738,254 $540,282OPERATING ACTIVITIES:Net loss (10,121) (23,150)Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Depreciation of fixed assets and other amortization 19,750 20,940 Stock-based compensation 27,323 10,931 Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net 436 1,744 Amortization of other intangibles 912 1,979 Gain on sale of marketable securities, net (3,980) (376) Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other 21,798 (5,516) Non-cash interest expense and other 7,877 7,061 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - (801)Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Inventories 30,625 4,674 Accounts receivable, net and other current assets 27,233 (3,320) Accounts payable (226,605) (128,286) Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (87,065) (65,861) Increases to unearned revenue 22,968 28,716 Amortization of previously unearned revenue (27,905) (37,333) Interest payable (55,028) (52,435) -------- --------Net cash used in operating activities (251,782) (241,033)INVESTING ACTIVITIES:Sales and maturities of marketable securities and other investments 208,955 136,575Purchases of marketable securities (233,055) (134,227)Purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and Web-site development (6,394) (4,854) -------- -------- Net cash used in investing activities (30,494) (2,506)FINANCING ACTIVITIES:Proceeds from exercise of stock options and other 38,555 7,409Repayment of capital lease obligations and other (3,221) (4,563) -------- -------- Net cash provided by financing activities 35,334 2,846Effect of exchange-rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 4,461 (2,900) -------- --------Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (242,481) (243,593) -------- --------CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD $495,773 $296,689 ======== ========SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:Fixed assets acquired under capital leases and other financing arrangements $661 $924Cash paid for interest 84,215 80,483Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are anintegral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 2002 -------- --------Net sales $1,083,559 $847,422Cost of sales 812,977 624,297 ---------- --------Gross profit 270,582 223,125Operating expenses: Fulfillment 103,705 89,815 Marketing 28,227 32,244 Technology and content 50,088 55,497 General and administrative 21,102 20,911 Stock-based compensation (1) 27,323 10,931 Amortization of other intangibles 912 1,979 Restructuring-related and other - 9,974 ---------- -------- Total operating expenses 231,357 221,351 ---------- --------Income from operations 39,225 1,774Interest income 6,540 5,652Interest expense (36,511) (35,244)Other income, net 2,859 95Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other (21,798) 5,516 ---------- -------- Total non-operating expenses, net (48,910) (23,981) ---------- --------Loss before equity in losses of equity-method investees (9,685) (22,207)Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net (436) (1,744) ---------- --------Loss before change in accounting principle (10,121) (23,951)Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - 801 ---------- --------Net loss $(10,121) $(23,150) =========== =========Basic and diluted loss per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.03) $(0.06) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - ---------- -------- $(0.03) $(0.06) =========== =========Shares used in computation of loss per share: Basic and diluted 388,541 373,031 =========== =========(1) Components of stock-based compensation: Fulfillment $6,985 $1,771 Marketing 979 874 Technology and content 14,216 5,825 General and administrative 5,143 2,461 ---------- -------- $27,323 $10,931 =========== =========Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are anintegral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Pro Forma Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 --------------------------------------- As Reported Pro Forma (1) Adjustments Pro Forma ---------- ----------- ----------Net sales $1,083,559 $- $1,083,559Cost of sales 812,977 - 812,977 ---------- ---------- ----------Gross profit 270,582 - 270,582Operating expenses: Fulfillment 103,705 - 103,705 Marketing 28,227 - 28,227 Technology and content 50,088 - 50,088 General and administrative 21,102 - 21,102 Stock-based compensation 27,323 (27,323) - Amortization of other intangibles 912 (912) - Restructuring- related and other - - - ---------- ---------- ---------- Total operating expenses 231,357 (28,235) 203,122 ---------- ---------- ----------Income from operations 39,225 28,235 67,460Interest income 6,540 - 6,540Interest expense (36,511) - (36,511)Other income, net 2,859 - 2,859Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other (21,798) 21,798 - ---------- ---------- ---------- Total non-operating expenses, net (48,910) 21,798 (27,112) ---------- ---------- ----------Income (loss) before equity in losses of equity-method investees (9,685) 50,033 40,348Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net (436) 436 - ---------- ---------- ----------Income (loss) before change in accounting principle (10,121) 50,469 40,348Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ---------- ----------- -----------Net income (loss) $(10,121) $50,469 $40,348 =========== =========== ===========Net cash used in operating activities $(251,782) $(251,782) =========== ===========Basic income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ---------- ----------- ----------- $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 =========== =========== ===========Diluted income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ---------- ---------- ---------- $(0.03) $0.13 $0.10 =========== ======== ===========Shares used in computation of income (loss) per share: Basic 388,541 388,541 =========== =========== Diluted 388,541 411,091 =========== =========== (1) In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted inthe United States.Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 ----------------------------------- As Reported Pro Forma (1) Adjustments Pro Forma ---------- ----------- ---------Net sales $847,422 $- $847,422Cost of sales 624,297 - 624,297 -------- -------- --------Gross profit 223,125 - 223,125Operating expenses: Fulfillment 89,815 - 89,815 Marketing 32,244 - 32,244 Technology and content 55,497 - 55,497 General and administrative 20,911 - 20,911 Stock-based compensation 10,931 (10,931) - Amortization of other intangibles 1,979 (1,979) - Restructuring-related and other 9,974 (9,974) - -------- -------- -------- Total operating expenses 221,351 (22,884) 198,467 -------- -------- --------Income from operations 1,774 22,884 24,658Interest income 5,652 - 5,652Interest expense (35,244) - (35,244)Other income, net 95 - 95Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other 5,516 (5,516) - -------- -------- -------- Total non-operating expenses, net (23,981) (5,516) (29,497) -------- -------- --------Income (loss) before equity in losses of equity-method investees (22,207) 17,368 (4,839)Equity in losses of equity- method investees, net (1,744) 1,744 - -------- -------- --------Income (loss) before change in accounting principle (23,951) 19,112 (4,839)Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 801 (801) - -------- -------- --------Net income (loss) $(23,150) $18,311 $(4,839) =========== ======== ===========Net cash used in operating activities $(241,033) $(241,033) =========== ===========Basic income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ----------- -------- ---------- $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) =========== ======== ==========Diluted income (loss) per share: Prior to cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - - - ----------- -------- ---------- $(0.06) $0.05 $(0.01) =========== ======== ==========Shares used in computation of income (loss) per share: Basic 373,031 373,031 =========== ========== Diluted 373,031 373,031 =========== ========== (1) In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted inthe United States.Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Segment Information (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------ 2003 2002North America -------- -------- Net sales $704,712 $621,303 Cost of sales 517,880 447,781 -------- -------- Gross profit 186,832 173,522 Direct segment operating expenses 135,171 138,096 -------- -------- Segment operating income 51,661 35,426International Net sales 378,847 226,119 Cost of sales 295,097 176,516 -------- -------- Gross profit 83,750 49,603 Direct segment operating expenses 67,951 60,371 -------- -------- Segment operating income (loss) 15,799 (10,768)Consolidated Net sales 1,083,559 847,422 Cost of sales 812,977 624,297 -------- -------- Gross profit 270,582 223,125 Direct segment operating expenses 203,122 198,467 -------- -------- Segment operating income 67,460 24,658 Stock-based compensation 27,323 10,931 Amortization of other intangibles 912 1,979 Restructuring-related and other - 9,974 -------- -------- Income from operations 39,225 1,774 Total non-operating expenses, net (48,910) (23,981) Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net (436) (1,744) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - 801 -------- -------- Net loss $(10,121) $(23,150) ======== ========Segment Highlights: Y / Y net sales growth: North America 13% 9% International 68 71 Consolidated 28 21 Y / Y gross profit growth: North America 8 12 International 69 77 Consolidated 21 22 Gross margin: North America 27 28 International 22 22 Consolidated 25 26 Operating margin: North America 7 6 International 4 (5) Consolidated 6 3 Net sales mix: North America 65 73 International 35 27Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Supplemental Revenue Information (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------ 2003 2002 -------- --------North America Media $517,259 $471,343 Electronics and other general merchandise 168,145 127,644 Other 19,308 22,316 -------- -------- 704,712 621,303International Media 355,712 214,269 Electronics and other general merchandise 22,863 11,358 Other 272 492 -------- -------- 378,847 226,119Consolidated Media 872,971 685,612 Electronics and other general merchandise 191,008 139,002 Other 19,580 22,808 ----------- --------- $1,083,559 $847,422 =========== =========Y / Y Revenue Growth:North America: Media 10% 8% Electronics and other general merchandise 32 11 Other (13) 32International: Media 66 63 Electronics and other general merchandise 101 1,054 Other (45) --Consolidated: Media 27 21 Electronics and other general merchandise 37 20 Other (14) 35Consolidated Revenue Mix: Media 80 81 Electronics and other general merchandise 18 16 Other 2 3Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) March December 31, 31, 2003 2002 --------- --------ASSETSCurrent assets: Cash and cash equivalents $495,773 $738,254 Marketable securities 586,779 562,715 Inventories 173,030 202,425 Accounts receivable, net and other current assets 88,914 112,282 --------- -------- Total current assets 1,344,496 1,615,676Fixed assets, net 228,279 239,398Goodwill, net 70,811 70,811Other intangibles, net 2,548 3,460Other equity investments 13,453 15,442Other assets 46,346 45,662 ---------- ---------- Total assets $1,705,933 $1,990,449 ========== ==========LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICITCurrent liabilities: Accounts payable $393,696 $618,128 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 234,194 314,935 Unearned revenue 42,979 47,916 Interest payable 16,632 71,661 Current portion of long-term debt and other 11,078 13,318 ---------- ---------- Total current liabilities 698,579 1,065,958Long-term debt and other 2,296,418 2,277,305Commitments and contingenciesStockholders' deficit: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value: Authorized shares -- 500,000 Issued and outstanding shares -- none - - Common stock, $0.01 par value: Authorized shares -- 5,000,000 Issued and outstanding shares -- 391,609 and 387,906, respectively 3,916 3,879 Additional paid-in capital 1,714,616 1,649,946 Deferred stock-based compensation (5,420) (6,591) Accumulated other comprehensive income 17,655 9,662 Accumulated deficit (3,019,831) (3,009,710) ---------- ---------- Total stockholders' deficit (1,289,064) (1,352,814) ---------- ---------- Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $1,705,933 $1,990,449 =========== ===========Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of the press release financial statements. AMAZON.COM, INC. Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Y / Y Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 % 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 Change ------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ------Results of OperationsNet sales $847 $806 $851 $1,429 $1,084 28%Net sales -- trailing twelve months (TTM) $3,269 $3,407 $3,619 $3,933 $4,169 28%Net sales shipped outside the U.S. -- % of net sales 34% 34% 36% 37% 41% N/AGross profit $223 $218 $216 $335 $271 21%Gross margin -- % of net sales 26.3% 27.1% 25.4% 23.5% 25.0% N/AGross profit -- TTM $839 $878 $932 $993 $1,040 24%Gross margin -- TTM % of net sales 25.7% 25.8% 25.7% 25.2% 24.9% N/AFulfillment costs -- % of net sales 10.6% 10.6% 10.6% 8.9% 9.6% N/AFulfillment costs -- TTM % of net sales 11.2% 10.7% 10.4% 10.0% 9.7% N/AConsolidated direct segment operating expenses $198 $192 $189 $233 $203 2%Consolidated direct segment operating expenses -- TTM $811 $795 $795 $813 $817 1%Consolidated segment operating income $25 $26 $27 $102 $67 174%Consolidated segment operating margin -- % of net sales 2.9% 3.2% 3.2% 7.1% 6.2% N/AConsolidated segment operating income -- TTM $28 $82 $137 $180 $223 689%Consolidated segment operating margin -- TTM % of net sales 0.9% 2.4% 3.8% 4.6% 5.3% N/AGAAP operating income (loss) $2 $1 $(10) $71 $39 2,111%GAAP operating margin -- % of net sales 0.2% 0.2% (1.1%) 4.9% 3.6% N/AGAAP operating income (loss) -- TTM $(194) $(53) $8 $64 $102 N/AGAAP operating margin -- TTM % of net sales (5.9%) (1.5%) 0.2% 1.6% 2.4% N/AGAAP net income (loss) $(23) $(94) $(35) $3 $(10) (56%)GAAP net income (loss) per share $(0.06)$(0.25)$(0.09) $0.01 $(0.03) (50%)GAAP net loss -- TTM $(356) $(281) $(147) $(149) $(136) (62%)North America segment: Net sales $621 $586 $587 $967 $705 13% Net sales -- TTM $2,513 $2,561 $2,647 $2,761 $2,845 13% Gross profit $174 $170 $155 $243 $187 8% Gross margin -- % of North America net sales 28% 29% 26% 25% 27% N/A Gross profit -- TTM $676 $696 $717 $741 $754 12% Gross margin -- TTM % of North America net sales 27% 27% 27% 27% 27% N/A Operating income $35 $36 $26 $82 $52 46% Operating margin -- % of North America net sales 6% 6% 4% 9% 7% N/A Operating income -- TTM $107 $141 $166 $180 $196 83% Operating margin -- TTM % of North America net sales 4% 5% 6% 7% 7% N/AInternational segment: Net sales $226 $219 $264 $462 $379 68% Net sales -- TTM $756 $847 $973 $1,172 $1,324 75% Gross profit $50 $48 $61 $93 $84 69% Gross margin -- % of International net sales 22% 22% 23% 20% 22% N/A Gross profit -- TTM $163 $182 $215 $252 $286 75% Gross margin -- TTM % of International net sales 22% 21% 22% 21% 22% N/A Operating income $(11) $(10) $1 $20 $16 N/A Operating margin -- % of International net sales (5%) (4%) 0% 4% 4% N/A Operating income -- TTM $(79) $(58) $(29) $0 $27 N/A Operating margin -- TTM % of International net sales (10%) (7%) (3%) 0% 2% N/ANote: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of this Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics. AMAZON.COM, INC. Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics (in millions, except inventory turnover, accounts payable days, and employee data) (unaudited) Y / Y Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 % 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 Change ------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ------Supplemental North America Segment Revenue: Media $471 $439 $436 $649 $517 10% Media -- TTM $1,845 $1,871 $1,930 $1,995 $2,041 11% Electronics and other general merchandise $128 $130 $133 $290 $168 32% Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $590 $610 $633 $681 $722 22% Other $22 $17 $18 $28 $19 (13%) Other -- TTM $78 $80 $84 $85 $82 6%Supplemental International Segment Revenue: Media $214 $209 $250 $431 $356 66% Media -- TTM $729 $811 $925 $1,104 $1,245 71% Electronics and other general merchandise $11 $10 $14 $31 $23 101% Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $27 $35 $45 $66 $77 192% Other $0 $1 $1 $0 $0 (45%) Other -- TTM $1 $2 $2 $2 $2 71%Supplemental Worldwide Revenue: Media $686 $648 $686 $1,079 $873 27% Media -- TTM $2,574 $2,682 $2,855 $3,099 $3,286 28% Electronics and other general merchandise $139 $140 $147 $321 $191 37% Electronics and other general merchandise -- TTM $617 $644 $679 $747 $799 30% Other $23 $18 $18 $29 $20 (14%) Other -- TTM $79 $81 $86 $87 $84 7%Balance SheetCash and marketable securities $745 $824 $866 $1,301 $1,083 45%Inventory, net $139 $127 $152 $202 $173 24%Inventory -- % of TTM net sales 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% N/AInventory turnover -- TTM 17.4 18.9 19.4 19.3 19.7 13%Fixed assets, net $256 $249 $239 $239 $228 (11%)Accounts payable days -- ending 45 46 50 52 44 (4%)Cash FlowsOperating cash flow -- TTM $46 $48 $151 $174 $164 254%Purchases of fixed assets -- TTM $36 $33 $31 $39 $41 14%Free cash flow (operating cash flow less purchases of fixed assets) -- TTM $10 $16 $120 $135 $123 1,078%OtherCommon shares and stock-based awards outstanding 437 430 430 433 432 (1%)Common shares outstanding 375 380 381 388 392 4%Stock-based employee awards outstanding 62 50 48 45 41 (35%)Stock-based employee awards outstanding -- % of common shares outstanding 17% 13% 13% 12% 10% N/AEmployees (full-time and part-time) 7,900 7,700 7,800 7,500 7,700 (3%)Note: The attached "Financial and Operational Highlights" are an integral part of this Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics. AMAZON.COM, INC. Financial and Operational Highlights (unaudited)</pre><p>First Quarter 2003 Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year)</p><pre> Net Sales -- Net sales benefited by approximately $51 million from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002. -- Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was approximately $78 million, down from $89 million. Gross Profit -- Gross profit benefited by approximately $11 million, and consolidated segment operating profit by approximately $4 million, from changes in foreign exchange rates compared with first quarter 2002. -- Shipping loss was approximately $27 million, up from a loss of $1 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that shipping promotions are an effective marketing tool. We intend to continue offering our customers free shipping alternatives, which will reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins. Fulfillment -- Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-party cosourcers, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain of our fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target Corporation, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Stock-Based Compensation -- Stock based compensation consisted of $21 million for employee stock awards under variable accounting and $6 million for employee restricted stock units and restricted stock awards under fixed accounting. -- At March 31, 2003, outstanding stock awards consisted of 38 million stock options ($12 average exercise price), 3 million restricted stock units and 1 million shares of restricted stock. -- Stock options and restricted stock units are excluded from common stock outstanding, whereas grants of restricted stock are included in common stock outstanding. -- Under our restricted stock unit program, which commenced in the fourth quarter 2002, we award restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for equity compensation. Restricted stock units are measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. -- At March 31, 2003, 3 million stock awards are subject to variable accounting, of which 2 million options granted under the January 2001 exchange offer are scheduled to expire in the third quarter of 2003. Beginning in January 2003, any new stock option grants are subject to variable accounting treatment. -- Under variable stock option accounting, we will incur unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in market prices of our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. For example, if at the end of any quarter the quoted price of our common stock is lower than the quoted price at the end of the previous quarter, or to the extent previously-recorded amounts relate to unvested portions of options that were cancelled, compensation expense associated with variable accounting will be recalculated using the cumulative expense method and may result in a net benefit to our results of operations. -- Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above and below our March 31, 2003 closing price of $26.03, our hypothetical stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2003 would have been affected by variable accounting treatment as follows (in millions, except percentages and per share amounts): Hypothetical vs. Hypothetical Hypothetical Actual Stock- Market Stock-Based Based Percentage Difference Price per Share Compensation Compensation Closing Price (1) (1) Expense Expense---------------------------------------------------------------------- (15)% $22.13 $19 $(8) (10)% 23.43 22 (6) 0 % 26.03 27(2) -- 10 % 28.63 33 6 15 % 29.93 36 8</pre><p>-----------------</p><p>(1) Hypothetical--not a prediction of future performance of quoted prices of our common stock.</p><p>(2) Represents actual stock-based compensation expense for the first quarter 2003.</p><pre> Restructuring-Related and Other -- As previously disclosed, in the first quarter 2001 we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan. The restructuring plan is complete; however, we may adjust our restructuring-related estimates in the future, if necessary. -- Cash payments resulting from our operational restructuring were $16 million, compared with $14 million in the first quarter 2002. In December 2002, we reached a termination agreement with the landlord of our leased fulfillment center facility in McDonough, Georgia. This agreement resulted in $12 million of cash payments in the first quarter 2003, including $8 million associated with the termination agreement and $4 million associated with restoration costs. No further payments are required relating to the McDonough, Georgia facility. -- We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $9 million in the remainder of 2003, $13 million in 2004, and $19 million thereafter. Amounts due within 12 months are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the remaining amounts within long-term debt and other on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed sublease agreements on $10 million in future payments) on gross lease obligations of $87 million. Other Income, Net -- Other income, net primarily consisted of net gains on sales of marketable securities of $4 million, compared with less than $1 million in the first quarter 2002. Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and Other -- Remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and other, primarily consisted of foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $25 million, compared with gains of $6 million in the first quarter 2002. Income Taxes -- At March 31, 2003, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.5 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.2 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations. Net Loss -- Although we reported a $13 million improvement in our net loss, we believe that this improvement is not necessarily predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain stock awards that result from fluctuations in our stock price and the gain or loss associated with the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS that results from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. These items represented significant charges during the first quarter of 2003 and may result in significant charges or credits in future periods. Financial Condition -- Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, at estimated fair value, consist of the following at March 31, 2003 (in millions): Cash $204 Commercial paper and short-term obligations 292 -------- Cash and cash equivalents 496 -------- U.S. Treasury notes and bonds 271 Asset-backed and agency securities 245 Corporate notes and bonds 44 Certificates of deposit, commercial paper, short-term obligations and equity securities 27 -------- Marketable securities (1) 587 -------- $1,083 ========</pre><p>-----------------</p><p>(1) We have pledged approximately $105 million as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $158 million at March 31, 2002.</p><p>-- Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions):</p><pre> Principal Interest Principal at Maturity Rate Due Date -------------------------------------Senior Discount Notes $264 (1) 10.000% May 2008Convertible Subordinated Notes 1,250 (2) 4.750% February 2009PEACS 753 (3) 6.875% February 2010 ------ $2,267 ======</pre><p>-----------------</p><p>(1) We announced that on May 28, 2003, we will redeem our Senior Discount Notes at a redemption price of $277 million, a 5% premium over the principal amount of $264 million. We will record a charge of approximately $15 million, classified in non-operating expenses in the second quarter 2003, consisting of the $13 million premium and $2 million of unamortized debt issuance costs. Accrued interest from May 1, 2003 to May 27, 2003 will also be payable at redemption.</p><p>(2) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.03.</p><p>(3) 690 million Euros. Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at 84.88 Euros. The U.S. Dollar long-term debt amount and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio.</p><pre> Certain Definitions and Other -- We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other charges, each of which are not allocated to segment results. All other centrally-incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. There are no internal revenue transactions between our reporting segments. -- The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca (including from third-party sellers), from North America focused Syndicated Stores and mail-order catalogs and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements. -- The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including from third-party sellers), from internationally focused Syndicated Stores and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. Operating results for the International segment are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. -- We have also provided supplemental revenue information within each segment for three categories: "Media", "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software and video games. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics, toys, home improvement, home and garden, and apparel. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. -- All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. -- All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates. CONTACT: Amazon.com Investor Relations: Tim Halladay, 206/266-2171 ir@amazon.com or Public Relations: Bill Curry, 206/266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.Com</pre>

Unleashing Amazon.com -- O'Reilly & Associates to Publish and Release "Amazon Hacks'' This Summer

/news/news-details/2003/Unleashing-Amazon.com----OReilly--Associates-to-Publish-and-Release-Amazon-Hacks-This-Summer/default.aspx

Unleashing-Amazon.com----OReilly--Associates-to-Publish-and-Release-Amazon-Hacks-This-Summer

04/22/2003 00:00:00

Unleashing Amazon.com -- O'Reilly & Associates to Publish and Release "Amazon Hacks'' This Summer

04/22/2003

2003

SEATTLE, Apr 22, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that leading technology publisher O'Reilly & Associates is publishing, "Amazon Hacks," a comprehensive guide to responsibly leveraging the Amazon.com platform. Written by Paul Bausch, O'Reilly is scheduled to release "Amazon Hacks" this summer. "We are thrilled that O'Reilly is publishing this book to help third parties create even more interesting applications using our powerful platform," said Colin Bryar, Amazon.com Director of Associates and Web Services. "This book represents continued recognition of Amazon.com technology and will be a tremendous resource for Amazon.com Web Services developers, web site owners, sellers and customers who want to take our platform to another level." Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers developers and web site operators a comprehensive toolset for utilizing features of the Amazon.com e-commerce platform in unique and dynamic ways. Incorporating features from the Amazon.com platform onto their web sites allows AWS users to provide their visitors with a richer experience, which can ultimately drive more traffic and more referral fees as a result. AWS is available free of charge and can be downloaded at www.amazon.com/webservices. "'Amazon Hacks' will be a collection of tips and tools for getting the most out of Amazon.com," said O'Reilly editor Rael Dornfest. "The book will appeal to a variety of readers, including shoppers using the site to discover new products, Amazon Associates honing their sites for better linking, sellers listing products for sale on Amazon.com, and programmers building their own application using Amazon.com Web Services." "Amazon Hacks" is the latest title in O'Reilly's Hacks Series. Written by experts for intelligent, adventurous users, the Hacks Series has begun to reclaim the term "hacking." The books in the series, which includes "Linux Server Hacks," "Google Hacks," and "Mac OS X Hacks," are written in the spirit of true hackers -- the people who drive innovation and appropriately apply ingenuity. Each book is a collection of 100 article-length hacks, and each one provides detailed examples that show how to create practical solutions and applications. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About O'Reilly O'Reilly & Associates is the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences, and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators. O'Reilly books, known for the animals on their covers, occupy a treasured place on the shelves of the developers building the next generation of software. O'Reilly conferences and summits bring alpha geeks and forward-thinking business leaders together to shape the revolutionary ideas that spark new industries. From the Internet to XML, open source, .NET, Java, and web services, O'Reilly puts technologies on the map.

<p>SEATTLE, Apr 22, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that leading technology publisher O'Reilly &amp; Associates is publishing, "Amazon Hacks," a comprehensive guide to responsibly leveraging the Amazon.com platform. Written by Paul Bausch, O'Reilly is scheduled to release "Amazon Hacks" this summer.</p><p>"We are thrilled that O'Reilly is publishing this book to help third parties create even more interesting applications using our powerful platform," said Colin Bryar, Amazon.com Director of Associates and Web Services. "This book represents continued recognition of Amazon.com technology and will be a tremendous resource for Amazon.com Web Services developers, web site owners, sellers and customers who want to take our platform to another level."</p><p>Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers developers and web site operators a comprehensive toolset for utilizing features of the Amazon.com e-commerce platform in unique and dynamic ways. Incorporating features from the Amazon.com platform onto their web sites allows AWS users to provide their visitors with a richer experience, which can ultimately drive more traffic and more referral fees as a result. AWS is available free of charge and can be downloaded at www.amazon.com/webservices.</p><p>"'Amazon Hacks' will be a collection of tips and tools for getting the most out of Amazon.com," said O'Reilly editor Rael Dornfest. "The book will appeal to a variety of readers, including shoppers using the site to discover new products, Amazon Associates honing their sites for better linking, sellers listing products for sale on Amazon.com, and programmers building their own application using Amazon.com Web Services."</p><p>"Amazon Hacks" is the latest title in O'Reilly's Hacks Series. Written by experts for intelligent, adventurous users, the Hacks Series has begun to reclaim the term "hacking." The books in the series, which includes "Linux Server Hacks," "Google Hacks," and "Mac OS X Hacks," are written in the spirit of true hackers -- the people who drive innovation and appropriately apply ingenuity. Each book is a collection of 100 article-length hacks, and each one provides detailed examples that show how to create practical solutions and applications.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About O'Reilly</p><p>O'Reilly &amp; Associates is the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences, and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators. O'Reilly books, known for the animals on their covers, occupy a treasured place on the shelves of the developers building the next generation of software. O'Reilly conferences and summits bring alpha geeks and forward-thinking business leaders together to shape the revolutionary ideas that spark new industries. From the Internet to XML, open source, .NET, Java, and web services, O'Reilly puts technologies on the map.</p>

Amazon.com, Inc. to Power NBA Store on NBA.com and WNBA Store on WNBA.com for National Basketball Association

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Inc.-to-Power-NBA-Store-on-NBA.com-and-WNBA-Store-on-WNBA.com-for-National-Basketball-Association/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Inc.-to-Power-NBA-Store-on-NBA.com-and-WNBA-Store-on-WNBA.com-for-National-Basketball-Association

04/17/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com, Inc. to Power NBA Store on NBA.com and WNBA Store on WNBA.com for National Basketball Association

04/17/2003

2003

SEATTLE--April 17, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced a multi-year agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Foot Locker, Inc. to operate The NBA Store on NBA.com and The WNBA Store on WNBA.com. Basketball fans will enjoy the Amazon.com shopping experience on NBA.com and WNBA.com and in the Apparel & Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel) at Amazon.com, where NBA and WNBA merchandise is now integrated into the Amazon.com catalog. The Amazon.com platform now allows customers to access the NBA and WNBA online stores using their Amazon.com accounts, to purchase official NBA and WNBA merchandise through a co-branded Amazon.com-NBA.com and WNBA.com order pipeline, and to use the full-search capability of Amazon.com technology to find NBA and WNBA merchandise. "This partnership with a professional sports league of NBA's caliber is a strong recognition of the power of the Amazon.com platform and reflection of our relentless commitment to the customer," said Owen Van Natta, vice president of Worldwide Business Development, Amazon.com. "Amazon.com is constantly seeking new ways to help other best-of-breed companies successfully leverage their e-commerce strategies and to provide our customers with the best selection possible." Foot Locker, Inc. will provide fulfillment and customer service for The NBA Store NBA.com and The WNBA Store on WNBA.com. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About Foot Locker Foot Locker, Inc. is a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,600 athletic retail stores in 14 countries in North America, Europe and Australia. Through its Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel Footlocker.com/Eastbay, the Company is the leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>SEATTLE--April 17, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced a multi-year agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Foot Locker, Inc. to operate The NBA Store on NBA.com and The WNBA Store on WNBA.com.</p><p>Basketball fans will enjoy the Amazon.com shopping experience on NBA.com and WNBA.com and in the Apparel &amp; Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel) at Amazon.com, where NBA and WNBA merchandise is now integrated into the Amazon.com catalog.</p><p>The Amazon.com platform now allows customers to access the NBA and WNBA online stores using their Amazon.com accounts, to purchase official NBA and WNBA merchandise through a co-branded Amazon.com-NBA.com and WNBA.com order pipeline, and to use the full-search capability of Amazon.com technology to find NBA and WNBA merchandise.</p><p>"This partnership with a professional sports league of NBA's caliber is a strong recognition of the power of the Amazon.com platform and reflection of our relentless commitment to the customer," said Owen Van Natta, vice president of Worldwide Business Development, Amazon.com. "Amazon.com is constantly seeking new ways to help other best-of-breed companies successfully leverage their e-commerce strategies and to provide our customers with the best selection possible."</p><p>Foot Locker, Inc. will provide fulfillment and customer service for The NBA Store NBA.com and The WNBA Store on WNBA.com.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About Foot Locker</p><p>Foot Locker, Inc. is a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,600 athletic retail stores in 14 countries in North America, Europe and Australia. Through its Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel Footlocker.com/Eastbay, the Company is the leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com Teams with FedEx and the United States Postal Service to Deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to Customers the Same Day It is Released

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Teams-with-FedEx-and-the-United-States-Postal-Service-to-Deliver-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-to-Customers-the-Same-Day-It-is-Released/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Teams-with-FedEx-and-the-United-States-Postal-Service-to-Deliver-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-to-Customers-the-Same-Day-It-is-Released

04/16/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Teams with FedEx and the United States Postal Service to Deliver "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to Customers the Same Day It is Released

04/16/2003

2003

Effort Will Produce Largest Single E-Commerce Distribution Event in History SEATTLE, Apr 16, 2003 -- Leading online retailer Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) has teamed with FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the highly-anticipated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book is available to the public. In what will be the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com is offering delivery of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" via FedEx delivery services or the U.S. Postal Service on Saturday, June 21, for the same price as Standard shipping. "We know kids of all ages are eager to start reading about Harry's next adventure, and we're thrilled to be working with FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to offer customers the easiest way to get their hands on 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' on the day it is released," said Steve Kessel, vice president, North American media products. "Now, not only will customers receive a 40 percent discount when they order the book on Amazon.com, but they can also have it delivered to their doors the first day it's available." "FedEx will use its portfolio of services to tailor a solution for Amazon.com as we did in 2000 when we delivered 250,000 Harry Potter books to homes on a Saturday, the same day books were first available in stores," said T. Michael Glenn, FedEx executive vice president, marketing and corporate communications. "FedEx appreciates the opportunity to work with Amazon.com and once again be part of e-commerce history with this delivery." "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" became Amazon.com's No. 1 bestselling book within two hours of becoming available for pre-order on January 15, 2003, and has remained atop the bestseller list since. Harry Potter has also been a bestseller in Amazon.com's DVD store. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the second Harry Potter film, has been Amazon.com's No. 1 selling DVD for eight weeks since becoming available for pre-order in February. Amazon.com is offering special Saturday delivery for qualifying orders of both the regular and deluxe editions of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to addresses within the 50 United States. More information can be found at www.amazon.com/hp5_help. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About FedEx With annual revenues of $22 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including: FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, North America's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs clearance, international freight forwarding and trade facilitation.

<p>Effort Will Produce Largest Single E-Commerce Distribution Event in History</p><p>SEATTLE, Apr 16, 2003 -- Leading online retailer Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) has teamed with FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the highly-anticipated "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to excited fans across the country on Saturday, June 21 -- the first day the book is available to the public.</p><p>In what will be the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history, Amazon.com is offering delivery of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" via FedEx delivery services or the U.S. Postal Service on Saturday, June 21, for the same price as Standard shipping.</p><p>"We know kids of all ages are eager to start reading about Harry's next adventure, and we're thrilled to be working with FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to offer customers the easiest way to get their hands on 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' on the day it is released," said Steve Kessel, vice president, North American media products. "Now, not only will customers receive a 40 percent discount when they order the book on Amazon.com, but they can also have it delivered to their doors the first day it's available."</p><p>"FedEx will use its portfolio of services to tailor a solution for Amazon.com as we did in 2000 when we delivered 250,000 Harry Potter books to homes on a Saturday, the same day books were first available in stores," said T. Michael Glenn, FedEx executive vice president, marketing and corporate communications. "FedEx appreciates the opportunity to work with Amazon.com and once again be part of e-commerce history with this delivery."</p><p>"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" became Amazon.com's No. 1 bestselling book within two hours of becoming available for pre-order on January 15, 2003, and has remained atop the bestseller list since.</p><p>Harry Potter has also been a bestseller in Amazon.com's DVD store. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the second Harry Potter film, has been Amazon.com's No. 1 selling DVD for eight weeks since becoming available for pre-order in February.</p><p>Amazon.com is offering special Saturday delivery for qualifying orders of both the regular and deluxe editions of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" to addresses within the 50 United States. More information can be found at www.amazon.com/hp5_help.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About FedEx</p><p>With annual revenues of $22 billion, FedEx Corp. is the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain management services. The company offers integrated business solutions through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including: FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company; FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical, North America's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments; and FedEx Trade Networks, a provider of customs clearance, international freight forwarding and trade facilitation.</p>

Amazon.fr s'ouvre à l'Autre Monde !

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Amazon.fr-souvre--lAutre-Monde-

04/15/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.fr s'ouvre à l'Autre Monde !

04/15/2003

2003

Paris, le 15 avril 2003Télépathie, astrologie, tarots, Feng Shui… vous intriguent ? Vous avez toujours rêvé de découvrir les secrets et traditions de nos ancêtres pour soigner le corps et l'esprit ? Amazon.fr élargit encore ses horizons et ouvre une boutique Ésotérisme et Paranormal. Par curiosité ou par conviction, venez visiter cette boutique aux livres parfois surprenants !Les plus beaux tarots divinatoires à moins 40 %À l'occasion du lancement de cette boutique Ésotérisme, Amazon.fr vous propose une sélection des plus beaux tarots divinatoires à des prix paranormaux !En voici deux exemples : Tarot de Marseille à 12,54 euros au lieu de 20,90 euros*. Oracle Belline à 20,94 euros au lieu de 34,90 euros*. * prix recommandé par l'éditeur.  Se documenter sur une pensée et des théories moins traditionnellesŒuvrant pour rendre ce thème plus accessible à tous, Amazon.fr met en place une boutique où tous les courants de pensée sont représentés et classés par rubrique. Les débutants y trouveront des livres pour découvrir les principes de base, et les plus initiés pourront approfondir leurs savoirs dans ces domaines.En voici quelques exemples parmi les rubriques les plus demandées : Astrologie et arts divinatoires Les Sept Lois spirituelles du succès de Chopra Deepak, à 4,28 euros. Tristesse de la Balance et autres signes de Jacques A. Bertrand et Jacques André, à 3,33 euros. Tous les signes du zodiaque et notamment : Zodiaque : Scorpion de André Barbault, à 3,42 euros. Au-delà, spiritisme et réincarnation Le Livre des esprits de Allan Kardec à 10,00 euros Enquête sur la réincarnation de Collectif à 14,19 euros Retrouvez vous-même vos vies antérieures de Bernard Raquin à 18,50 euros Franc-maçonnerie et compagnonnage Mes bien-aimés frères : Histoire et dérive de la franc-maçonnerie de Pierre Marion, à 4,75 euros. Qui se cache derrière la franc-maçonnerie ? de Michel Cugnet, à 5,46 euros. Encyclopédie de la franc-maçonnerie, à 24,70 euros. Magie et sorcellerie La Magie blanche au quotidien : 90 rituels de nos aïeux pour devenir sorcière de Régine Saint-Arnauld, à 11,59 euros. Comment devenir une sorcière en 5 leçons de Gilly Sergiev, à 9,99 euros. La Sorcellerie de Jean Palou, à 7,13 euros. Magnétisme, radiesthésie, sourciers Thérapeutique magnétique, tome 1 de Henri Durville, à 27,44 euros. Radiesthésie et rabdomancie de C. Cella, à 5,03 euros. Secrets de sourcier de Christian Labit, à 15,13 euros. Nostradamus et prophéties Nostradamus de 1999 à 2025 de Jean-Charles de Fontblune à 19,00 euros La Prophétie des ombres de John A. Keel à 18,95 euros Les Prophéties de Nostradamus de Nicolas Bonnal à 17,09 euros Feng shui Le Feng Shui au quotidien de Richard Webster, à 5,70 euros. Le Feng Shui santé de Régine Saint-Arnault, à 5,61 euros. Feng Shui et l'harmonie du couple de Günther Sator, à 6,65 euros. Retrouvez également les rubriques associéesDu développement personnel à la médecine douce, en passant par la relaxation, la sophrologie, le yoga et les religions orientales, les thèmes consacrés au bien-être du corps et de l'esprit viendront compléter cette boutique magique. Et n'oubliez pas de mettre un CD de musique de New Age ou de sons de la nature pour vous mettre dans l'ambiance. Si vous n'avez pas cela en stock, passez par la boutique Musique. Alors éteignez la lumière, concentrez-vous et sortez toutes vos antennes ! Le saviez-vous ?Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Et si vous partez à l'autre bout du monde ? Amazon.fr vous suit, tout simplement !Au sujet du site Amazon.frLe site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click™. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr

<p>Paris, le 15 avril 2003Télépathie, astrologie, tarots, Feng Shui… vous intriguent ? Vous avez toujours rêvé de découvrir les secrets et traditions de nos ancêtres pour soigner le corps et l'esprit ? Amazon.fr élargit encore ses horizons et ouvre une boutique <u>Ésotérisme et Paranormal</u>. Par curiosité ou par conviction, venez visiter cette boutique aux livres parfois surprenants !Les plus beaux tarots divinatoires à moins 40 %À l'occasion du lancement de cette boutique Ésotérisme, Amazon.fr vous propose une sélection des plus beaux tarots divinatoires à des prix paranormaux !En voici deux exemples :</p><ul><li><em>Tarot de Marseille</em> à 12,54 euros au lieu de 20,90 euros*.</li><li><em>Oracle Belline </em>à 20,94 euros au lieu de 34,90 euros*.</li></ul><p>* prix recommandé par l'éditeur.</p><p> Se documenter sur une pensée et des théories moins traditionnellesŒuvrant pour rendre ce thème plus accessible à tous, Amazon.fr met en place une boutique où tous les courants de pensée sont représentés et classés par rubrique. Les débutants y trouveront des livres pour découvrir les principes de base, et les plus initiés pourront approfondir leurs savoirs dans ces domaines.En voici quelques exemples parmi les rubriques les plus demandées :</p><h4>Astrologie et arts divinatoires</h4><ul><li><em>Les Sept Lois spirituelles du succès</em> de Chopra Deepak, à 4,28 euros.</li><li><em>Tristesse de la Balance et autres signes</em> de Jacques A. Bertrand et Jacques André, à 3,33 euros.</li><li>Tous les signes du zodiaque et notamment : <em>Zodiaque : Scorpion</em> de André Barbault, à 3,42 euros.</li></ul><h5>Au-delà, spiritisme et réincarnation</h5><ul><li><em>Le Livre des esprits</em> de Allan Kardec à 10,00 euros</li><li><em>Enquête sur la réincarnation</em> de Collectif à 14,19 euros</li><li><em>Retrouvez vous-même vos vies antérieures</em> de Bernard Raquin à 18,50 euros</li></ul><h4>Franc-maçonnerie et compagnonnage</h4><ul><li><em>Mes bien-aimés frères : Histoire et dérive de la franc-maçonnerie</em> de Pierre Marion, à 4,75 euros.</li><li><em>Qui se cache derrière la franc-maçonnerie ?</em> de Michel Cugnet, à 5,46 euros.</li><li><em>Encyclopédie de la franc-maçonnerie,</em> à 24,70 euros.</li></ul><h4>Magie et sorcellerie</h4><ul><li><em>La Magie blanche au quotidien : 90 rituels de nos aïeux pour devenir sorcière</em> de Régine Saint-Arnauld, à 11,59 euros.</li><li><em>Comment devenir une sorcière en 5 leçons</em> de Gilly Sergiev, à 9,99 euros.</li><li><em>La Sorcellerie</em> de Jean Palou, à 7,13 euros.</li></ul><h4>Magnétisme, radiesthésie, sourciers</h4><ul><li><em>Thérapeutique magnétique, tome 1</em> de Henri Durville, à 27,44 euros.</li><li><em>Radiesthésie et rabdomancie</em> de C. Cella, à 5,03 euros.</li><li><em>Secrets de sourcier</em> de Christian Labit, à 15,13 euros.</li></ul><h4>Nostradamus et prophéties</h4><ul><li><em>Nostradamus de 1999 à 2025</em> de Jean-Charles de Fontblune à 19,00 euros</li><li><em>La Prophétie des ombres</em> de John A. Keel à 18,95 euros</li><li><em>Les Prophéties de Nostradamus</em> de Nicolas Bonnal à 17,09 euros</li></ul><h4>Feng shui</h4><ul><li><em>Le Feng Shui au quotidien</em> de Richard Webster, à 5,70 euros.</li><li><em>Le Feng Shui santé</em> de Régine Saint-Arnault, à 5,61 euros.</li><li><em>Feng Shui et l'harmonie du couple</em> de Günther Sator, à 6,65 euros.</li></ul><p>Retrouvez également les rubriques associéesDu développement personnel à la médecine douce, en passant par la relaxation, la sophrologie, le yoga et les religions orientales, les thèmes consacrés au bien-être du corps et de l'esprit viendront compléter cette boutique magique. Et n'oubliez pas de mettre un CD de musique de New Age ou de sons de la nature pour vous mettre dans l'ambiance. Si vous n'avez pas cela en stock, passez par la boutique Musique.</p><p>Alors éteignez la lumière, concentrez-vous et sortez toutes vos antennes !</p><p>Le saviez-vous ?Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Et si vous partez à l'autre bout du monde ? Amazon.fr vous suit, tout simplement !Au sujet du site Amazon.frLe site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click™. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr</p>

William B. Gordon Elected to Amazon.com Board of Directors

/news/news-details/2003/William-B.-Gordon-Elected-to-Amazon.com-Board-of-Directors/default.aspx

William-B.-Gordon-Elected-to-Amazon.com-Board-of-Directors

04/11/2003 00:00:00

William B. Gordon Elected to Amazon.com Board of Directors

04/11/2003

2003

SEATTLE--April 11, 2003--William B. (Bing) Gordon, 53, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts, Inc., has been elected to serve on Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) board of directors. "Bing's impressive track record for passion and focus on the customer experience makes him an ideal addition to the Amazon.com board," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We thank Bing for joining us." "Amazon.com is changing the way people think about stores and the shopping experience," said Gordon. "Its passion for customers, reflected in the service industry's highest customer satisfaction scores, drives the company, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the Amazon.com board." Gordon co-founded Electronic Arts in 1982 and has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer since March 1998. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President, Marketing, of Electronic Arts, among other positions. Gordon holds a B.A. degree from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>SEATTLE--April 11, 2003--William B. (Bing) Gordon, 53, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts, Inc., has been elected to serve on Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) board of directors.</p><p>"Bing's impressive track record for passion and focus on the customer experience makes him an ideal addition to the Amazon.com board," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We thank Bing for joining us."</p><p>"Amazon.com is changing the way people think about stores and the shopping experience," said Gordon. "Its passion for customers, reflected in the service industry's highest customer satisfaction scores, drives the company, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the Amazon.com board."</p><p>Gordon co-founded Electronic Arts in 1982 and has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer since March 1998. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President, Marketing, of Electronic Arts, among other positions. Gordon holds a B.A. degree from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.de Opens New Shop for Kitchen & Housewares

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.de-Opens-New-Shop-for-Kitchen--Housewares/default.aspx

Amazon.de-Opens-New-Shop-for-Kitchen--Housewares

04/10/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.de Opens New Shop for Kitchen & Housewares

04/10/2003

2003

Thousands of products by leading top-brand manufacturers available Coffeemakers from Melitta, toasters from Krups, electric toothbrushes from Braun and silverware from Zwilling – now available at Amazon.de Philips automatic Senseo coffeemaker for 64.95 EUR, water-boiler from Braun for 33 EUR And free delivery for orders valued at 20 EUR or more Munich, April 10, 2003 - Amazon.de has opened its new "Kitchen & Housewares" shop today. The store's wide selection includes thousands of products available at attractively low prices. The assortment ranges from electrical kitchen appliances to home & garden articles made by leading manufacturers. Internet users who visit www.amazon.de/haushalt will find comprehensive information about the products. At Amazon.de's "Kitchen & Housewares" shop, users can also take advantage of the same features with which they're already familiar from their virtual shopping at other Amazon.de shops. Amazon.de is offering many attractively priced discounts to kickoff the new store: for example, the Philips HD 7800/72 Senseo automatic coffeemaker for 64.95 EUR and the Braun WK 210 AquaExpress® water-boiler for 33 EUR. Amazon.de delivers orders valued at 20 EUR free of charge to whatever destination the customer specifies. From AEG to Zwilling: there are thousands of products in the assortment Whether you're a chef de cuisine, a hobby gourmet or a trendsetter, and of course, whether you need something for a fashionable lifestyle apartment or for your first own dwelling: everyone will find the right products to meet their needs at the "Kitchen & Housewares" shop. Amazon.de offers the following groups of products at its "Kitchen & Housewares" shop: Electrical kitchen devices Kitchen appliances and cookware Tableware, silverware & glassware Household appliances Products for body care & the bath Table & living accessories Home & garden items In addition to a huge assortment of other merchandise, consumers can also find articles made by the following brand-name manufacturers: Coffeemakers and espresso machines from Saeco, Philips and Rowenta Blenders and kitchen machines from Braun, Tefal and Krups Tableware, silverware & glassware from Zwilling, Severin and Bodum Vacuum machines from AEG, Bosch, Miele and Siemens Hairdryers from Braun, Siemens and Babyliss Electric shavers from Braun and Philips Electric toothbrushes from Braun Home & garden articles from Blomus, Rösle and Sigg Table and living accessories from Bodum, Leifheit and Tramontina Smashingly Low Prices to Celebrate the Start of the New Shop The attractive prices in Amazon.de's new shop are extremely appetizing. For example,1 : Philips HD 7800/72 Senseo automatic coffeemaker for 64.95 EUR Braun WK 210 AquaExpress® water-boiler for 33.00 EUR Braun 7504 Syncro® electric shaver for men for 99.00 EUR Silit Quadro cookware set for 149.00 EUR Bosch MAS 4200 universal cutting device for 22.95 EUR Zwilling Twingrip knife block for 89.95 EUR Braun SI 6220 Free Style steam iron for 34.95 EUR Alfi Automatic thermos bottle for 17.95 EUR Additional favorably priced offers can be viewed at www.amazon.de/haushalt. 1) All offers are valid for as long as supplies last. The Service: Place Your Order By Clicking Your Mouse and the Selected Merchandise Will Be Delivered Directly to Your Home Internet users can conveniently shop online at the new "Kitchen & Houseware" shop. The merchandise that the customer orders will be delivered directly to any desired location – and the delivery is free of charge on orders valued at 20 EUR or more. It makes no difference whether you're a household expert or an absolute beginner in the kitchen. Popular features such as: editor's reviews; personal recommendations; searches according to brand name, type of product, or kitchen and household charts [lists top-selling items] help customers to select the right products. Furthermore, the shopper has the option of reading what other customers have written about kitchen and household articles purchased at Amazon.de. This enables the potential purchaser to benefit from the experiences of other Internet users. Customers can rate the products they've bought according to the familiar five-star evaluation system, thus assisting other users in their search for suitable articles. The hottest trend products can be preordered at Amazon.de: these products will then be punctually shipped to the customer as soon as sales of these items commence. Internet users can use Amazon.de's "marketplace service" to purchase new and used kitchen & household articles at attractive prices. Everything you need to feel good in your own home! Of course, along with your Kitchen & Houseware items, you can also order the matching music to accompany your dinner, as well as books about the latest trends in cooking and home furnishing. The new Kitchen & Houseware shop can be reached via Amazon.de's starting page or by surfing to www.amazon.de/haushalt. Here, you'll find an overview of the categories, products, brands, and special offers available at Amazon.de's Kitchen & Housewares shop. Amazon.de Amazon.de opened its virtual doors in Germany in October 1998. Right from the start, the goal has always been to be world's most strongly customer-oriented enterprise, a virtual store where customers can find everything that they want to purchase online – and to find it there at the most favorable prices. Amazon.de, and the sellers whose products are listed on Amazon's Web site, offer millions of new and used products in the categories of books, music-CDs, videos, DVDs, electronics & photography, computer and video games, as well as software, computer accessories and magazines. Via Amazon Marketplace, zShops and auctions, individual persons and enterprises alike can offer new and used articles, as well as collector's items of all sorts, to millions of Amazon's customers. Amazon.de offers its customers the options of postpaid purchasing [an invoice will be sent to the customer along with the merchandise], secure prepayment via credit card, personalized recommendations, and time-saving ordering via 1-Click® technology. Cellphone users can order merchandise from Amazon by taking advantage of Amazon's WAP offer (www.amazon.de/mobil). Austrian customers will find Amazon's complete product portfolio, along with editorial contents that have been specifically written for Austria, at Amazon.at. Amazon.de is one of five international Web sites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 enterprise with its corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA. The other four enterprises are Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Amazon.de is the trade name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc. and Amazon.de GmbH, all of which are 100% subsidiaries of the global online merchant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). This press release contains future-oriented statements in the sense of Paragraph 27A of the currently valid version of the Securities Act of 1933. Actual financial results may differ drastically from the expectations of the management. Future-oriented statements of this sort are subject to significant risks and incalculable factors which include, among many other such factors, risks related to potential future losses, significant debts, competition, commercial agreements and strategic partnerships, seasonal fluctuations, potential variations in operative results and growth rates, currency exchange rates, the management of possible expansions, system disturbances, international growth, consumer trends, inventory, the optimization of distribution centers, restrictions in operative history, legal regulations and taxation, fraud, as well as the opening up of new fields of business. Additional information about factors which could potentially influence the financial results achieved by Amazon.com are discussed in the documents which Amazon.com has submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission [the U.S. authority charged with the task of monitoring the stock market]. Among others literature, these documents also include Form 10-K, which Amazon.com submitted for the year ending on December 31, 2002, as well as all subsequent reports. If you have any questions, please contact: Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsMirja BauerMoosacher Strasse 5180809 MunichTelephone: 089/35803-329Telefax: 089/35803-481Email: mirja@amazon.de  Häberlein & mauerer agagentur für public relations[public-relations agency]Marion JüstelFranz-Joseph-Strasse 180801 MunichTelephone: 089/38 108- 107Telefax: 089/38 108- 150Email: marion.juestel@haebmau.de

<ul><li>Thousands of products by leading top-brand manufacturers available</li><li>Coffeemakers from Melitta, toasters from Krups, electric toothbrushes from Braun and silverware from Zwilling – now available at Amazon.de</li><li>Philips automatic Senseo coffeemaker for 64.95 EUR, water-boiler from Braun for 33 EUR</li><li>And free delivery for orders valued at 20 EUR or more</li></ul><p>Munich, April 10, 2003 - Amazon.de has opened its new "Kitchen &amp; Housewares" shop today. The store's wide selection includes thousands of products available at attractively low prices. The assortment ranges from electrical kitchen appliances to home &amp; garden articles made by leading manufacturers. Internet users who visit www.amazon.de/haushalt will find comprehensive information about the products. At Amazon.de's "Kitchen &amp; Housewares" shop, users can also take advantage of the same features with which they're already familiar from their virtual shopping at other Amazon.de shops.</p><p>Amazon.de is offering many attractively priced discounts to kickoff the new store: for example, the <em>Philips HD 7800/72 Senseo automatic coffeemaker</em> for 64.95 EUR and the <em>Braun WK 210 AquaExpress® water-boiler</em> for 33 EUR. Amazon.de delivers orders valued at 20 EUR free of charge to whatever destination the customer specifies.</p><p>From AEG to Zwilling: there are thousands of products in the assortment</p><p>Whether you're a chef de cuisine, a hobby gourmet or a trendsetter, and of course, whether you need something for a fashionable lifestyle apartment or for your first own dwelling: everyone will find the right products to meet their needs at the "Kitchen &amp; Housewares" shop.</p><p>Amazon.de offers the following groups of products at its "Kitchen &amp; Housewares" shop:</p><ul><li>Electrical kitchen devices</li><li>Kitchen appliances and cookware</li><li>Tableware, silverware &amp; glassware</li><li>Household appliances</li><li>Products for body care &amp; the bath</li><li>Table &amp; living accessories</li><li>Home &amp; garden items</li></ul><p>In addition to a huge assortment of other merchandise, consumers can also find articles made by the following brand-name manufacturers:</p><ul><li>Coffeemakers and espresso machines from Saeco, Philips and Rowenta</li><li>Blenders and kitchen machines from Braun, Tefal and Krups</li><li>Tableware, silverware &amp; glassware from Zwilling, Severin and Bodum</li><li>Vacuum machines from AEG, Bosch, Miele and Siemens</li><li>Hairdryers from Braun, Siemens and Babyliss</li><li>Electric shavers from Braun and Philips</li><li>Electric toothbrushes from Braun</li><li>Home &amp; garden articles from Blomus, Rösle and Sigg</li><li>Table and living accessories from Bodum, Leifheit and Tramontina</li></ul><p>Smashingly Low Prices to Celebrate the Start of the New Shop</p><p>The attractive prices in Amazon.de's new shop are extremely appetizing. For example,¹ :</p><ul><li><em>Philips HD 7800/72 Senseo automatic coffeemaker</em> for 64.95 EUR</li><li><em>Braun WK 210 AquaExpress® water-boiler </em>for 33.00 EUR</li><li><em>Braun 7504 Syncro® electric shaver for men</em> for 99.00 EUR</li><li><em>Silit Quadro cookware set </em>for 149.00 EUR</li><li><em>Bosch MAS 4200 universal cutting device</em> for 22.95 EUR</li><li><em>Zwilling Twingrip knife block</em> for 89.95 EUR</li><li><em>Braun SI 6220 Free Style steam iron</em> for 34.95 EUR</li><li><em>Alfi Automatic thermos bottle</em> for 17.95 EUR</li></ul><p>Additional favorably priced offers can be viewed at www.amazon.de/haushalt.</p><p><em>1) All offers are valid for as long as supplies last.</em></p><p>The Service: Place Your Order By Clicking Your Mouse and the Selected Merchandise Will Be Delivered Directly to Your Home Internet users can conveniently shop online at the new "Kitchen &amp; Houseware" shop. The merchandise that the customer orders will be delivered directly to any desired location – and the delivery is free of charge on orders valued at 20 EUR or more.</p><p>It makes no difference whether you're a household expert or an absolute beginner in the kitchen. Popular features such as: editor's reviews; personal recommendations; searches according to brand name, type of product, or kitchen and household charts [lists top-selling items] help customers to select the right products. Furthermore, the shopper has the option of reading what other customers have written about kitchen and household articles purchased at Amazon.de. This enables the potential purchaser to benefit from the experiences of other Internet users. Customers can rate the products they've bought according to the familiar five-star evaluation system, thus assisting other users in their search for suitable articles. The hottest trend products can be preordered at Amazon.de: these products will then be punctually shipped to the customer as soon as sales of these items commence. Internet users can use Amazon.de's "marketplace service" to purchase new and used kitchen &amp; household articles at attractive prices.</p><p>Everything you need to feel good in your own home! Of course, along with your Kitchen &amp; Houseware items, you can also order the matching music to accompany your dinner, as well as books about the latest trends in cooking and home furnishing.</p><p>The new Kitchen &amp; Houseware shop can be reached via Amazon.de's starting page or by surfing to www.amazon.de/haushalt. Here, you'll find an overview of the categories, products, brands, and special offers available at Amazon.de's Kitchen &amp; Housewares shop.</p><p>Amazon.de</p><p>Amazon.de opened its virtual doors in Germany in October 1998. Right from the start, the goal has always been to be world's most strongly customer-oriented enterprise, a virtual store where customers can find everything that they want to purchase online – and to find it there at the most favorable prices. Amazon.de, and the sellers whose products are listed on Amazon's Web site, offer millions of new and used products in the categories of books, music-CDs, videos, DVDs, electronics &amp; photography, computer and video games, as well as software, computer accessories and magazines. Via Amazon Marketplace, zShops and auctions, individual persons and enterprises alike can offer new and used articles, as well as collector's items of all sorts, to millions of Amazon's customers. Amazon.de offers its customers the options of postpaid purchasing [an invoice will be sent to the customer along with the merchandise], secure prepayment via credit card, personalized recommendations, and time-saving ordering via 1-Click® technology. Cellphone users can order merchandise from Amazon by taking advantage of Amazon's WAP offer (www.amazon.de/mobil). Austrian customers will find Amazon's complete product portfolio, along with editorial contents that have been specifically written for Austria, at Amazon.at.</p><p>Amazon.de is one of five international Web sites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 enterprise with its corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington, USA. The other four enterprises are Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. Amazon.de is the trade name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc. and Amazon.de GmbH, all of which are 100% subsidiaries of the global online merchant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).</p><p>This press release contains future-oriented statements in the sense of Paragraph 27A of the currently valid version of the Securities Act of 1933. Actual financial results may differ drastically from the expectations of the management. Future-oriented statements of this sort are subject to significant risks and incalculable factors which include, among many other such factors, risks related to potential future losses, significant debts, competition, commercial agreements and strategic partnerships, seasonal fluctuations, potential variations in operative results and growth rates, currency exchange rates, the management of possible expansions, system disturbances, international growth, consumer trends, inventory, the optimization of distribution centers, restrictions in operative history, legal regulations and taxation, fraud, as well as the opening up of new fields of business. Additional information about factors which could potentially influence the financial results achieved by Amazon.com are discussed in the documents which Amazon.com has submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission [the U.S. authority charged with the task of monitoring the stock market]. Among others literature, these documents also include Form 10-K, which Amazon.com submitted for the year ending on December 31, 2002, as well as all subsequent reports.</p><p>If you have any questions, please contact:</p><p>Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsMirja BauerMoosacher Strasse 5180809 MunichTelephone: 089/35803-329Telefax: 089/35803-481Email: mirja@amazon.de </p><p>Häberlein &amp; mauerer agagentur für public relations[public-relations agency]Marion JüstelFranz-Joseph-Strasse 180801 MunichTelephone: 089/38 108- 107Telefax: 089/38 108- 150Email: marion.juestel@haebmau.de</p>

Amazon.co.uk Expands Into Kitchen & Home Ranges

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.co.uk-Expands-Into-Kitchen--Home-Ranges/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-Expands-Into-Kitchen--Home-Ranges

04/09/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk Expands Into Kitchen & Home Ranges

04/09/2003

2003

Top Brands At Low Prices London: 9 April 2003: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announces a new Kitchen & Home store (www.amazon.co.uk/kitchen) designed for customers looking for a wide range of kitchen and home products at great prices. The new store offers a convenient, simple and entertaining way for customers to find and discover all the premium brand products they need for their kitchen and home. And with Amazon.co.uk's Super Saver Delivery offer of free UK delivery on orders over £39, the new Kitchen & Home store is set to be a winner with customers.Robin Terrell, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, commented: "Kitchen and Home is a natural extension to our product lines in the UK. We are pleased to offer our customers a great selection of kitchen and home products at great prices, while providing them with a wealth of information so they can find exactly what they're looking for."Amazon.co.uk's Kitchen and Home store offers top brands at low prices, including today's most popular products such as: Kenwood Smoothie Maker for £32.97 Gaggia Coffee Deluxe Traditional Espresso Maker for £169.97 Siemens Porsche Cordless Kettle for £69.97 Braun Freeglider 6680 Mens Shaver for £84.97 Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush for £74.97 "Our proven formula of low prices, free super saver delivery, and objective editorial and unbiased customer reviews, will make Amazon.co.uk Kitchen & Home the one-stop shop for all of your household needs," Terrell added.Amazon.co.uk's Kitchen & Home store will offer a wide selection of home appliances, kitchen gadgets and personal care items – such as irons, coffee makers, sandwich toasters and hairdryers - as well as the opportunity to pre-order items and receive exclusive on-line special offers. The product range available at launch will include: Coffee makers and espresso machines by Gaggia, Krups, Dualit, Braun and DeLonghi Cookware by Le Creuset, Chasseur, Prestige and Meyer Blenders, food processors and mixers by Magimix, Moulinex, Kenwood and Russell Hobbs  Knives by Viners, Oneida and Henckels Electric kettles by Dualit, DeLonghi, Kenwood and Brita Juicers by Kenwood, Siemens, Breville and Russell Hobbs Health grills by George Foreman, DeLonghi and Breville Toasters and sandwich toasters by Dualit and Breville Hairdryers and stylers by Philips, Revlon and Babyliss Shavers and clippers by Philips, Wahl and Philishave Electric toothbrushes by Braun and Philips  Irons by Tefal, Philips, Morphy Richards, Rowenta and Braun Amazon.co.uk Kitchen & Home customers will find all the information they need to make informed purchases. Editorial and customer reviews, product recommendations, buying guides and pre-order for highly anticipated products are just some of the features that will ensure Amazon.co.uk's Kitchen & Home section is the ultimate place to buy kitchen and home products on-line.The Kitchen and Home store also offers individuals and businesses alike the opportunity to sell related new and used products along side Amazon via Marketplace - the 3rd party programme that increases the purchasing choice offered to its' customers. Any companies interested in selling a range of kitchen and home products at Amazon.co.uk should email kitchen-sellers@amazon.co.uk.* Prices correct at time of pressFor further information please contact:Lisa Ramshaw or Rachel Silk, Amazon.co.uk on 020 8636 9280About Amazon.co.uk Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, Amazon 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and toys. 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 has strategic alliances with Carphone Warehouse, Waterstones and Expedia.co.uk. Amazon.co.uk customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; personalized recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk also is available on mobile phones with WAP technology; look at www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details. Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.

<p>Top Brands At Low Prices</p><p>London: 9 April 2003: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announces a new Kitchen &amp; Home store (www.amazon.co.uk/kitchen) designed for customers looking for a wide range of kitchen and home products at great prices. The new store offers a convenient, simple and entertaining way for customers to find and discover all the premium brand products they need for their kitchen and home. And with Amazon.co.uk's Super Saver Delivery offer of free UK delivery on orders over £39, the new Kitchen &amp; Home store is set to be a winner with customers.Robin Terrell, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, commented: "Kitchen and Home is a natural extension to our product lines in the UK. We are pleased to offer our customers a great selection of kitchen and home products at great prices, while providing them with a wealth of information so they can find exactly what they're looking for."Amazon.co.uk's Kitchen and Home store offers top brands at low prices, including today's most popular products such as:</p><ul><li>Kenwood Smoothie Maker for £32.97</li><li>Gaggia Coffee Deluxe Traditional Espresso Maker for £169.97</li><li>Siemens Porsche Cordless Kettle for £69.97</li><li>Braun Freeglider 6680 Mens Shaver for £84.97</li><li>Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush for £74.97</li></ul><p>"Our proven formula of low prices, free super saver delivery, and objective editorial and unbiased customer reviews, will make Amazon.co.uk Kitchen &amp; Home the one-stop shop for all of your household needs," Terrell added.Amazon.co.uk's Kitchen &amp; Home store will offer a wide selection of home appliances, kitchen gadgets and personal care items – such as irons, coffee makers, sandwich toasters and hairdryers - as well as the opportunity to pre-order items and receive exclusive on-line special offers. The product range available at launch will include:</p><ul><li>Coffee makers and espresso machines by Gaggia, Krups, Dualit, Braun and DeLonghi</li><li>Cookware by Le Creuset, Chasseur, Prestige and Meyer</li><li>Blenders, food processors and mixers by Magimix, Moulinex, Kenwood and Russell Hobbs </li><li>Knives by Viners, Oneida and Henckels</li><li>Electric kettles by Dualit, DeLonghi, Kenwood and Brita</li><li>Juicers by Kenwood, Siemens, Breville and Russell Hobbs</li><li>Health grills by George Foreman, DeLonghi and Breville</li><li>Toasters and sandwich toasters by Dualit and Breville</li><li>Hairdryers and stylers by Philips, Revlon and Babyliss</li><li>Shavers and clippers by Philips, Wahl and Philishave</li><li>Electric toothbrushes by Braun and Philips </li><li>Irons by Tefal, Philips, Morphy Richards, Rowenta and Braun</li></ul><p>Amazon.co.uk Kitchen &amp; Home customers will find all the information they need to make informed purchases. Editorial and customer reviews, product recommendations, buying guides and pre-order for highly anticipated products are just some of the features that will ensure Amazon.co.uk's Kitchen &amp; Home section is the ultimate place to buy kitchen and home products on-line.The Kitchen and Home store also offers individuals and businesses alike the opportunity to sell related new and used products along side Amazon via Marketplace - the 3rd party programme that increases the purchasing choice offered to its' customers. Any companies interested in selling a range of kitchen and home products at Amazon.co.uk should email kitchen-sellers@amazon.co.uk.* Prices correct at time of pressFor further information please contact:Lisa Ramshaw or Rachel Silk, Amazon.co.uk on 020 8636 9280About Amazon.co.uk Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, Amazon 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and toys. 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 has strategic alliances with Carphone Warehouse, Waterstones and Expedia.co.uk. Amazon.co.uk customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; personalized recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk also is available on mobile phones with WAP technology; look at www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details. Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Google Licenses Web Search and Sponsored Links to Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2003/Google-Licenses-Web-Search-and-Sponsored-Links-to-Amazon.com/default.aspx

Google-Licenses-Web-Search-and-Sponsored-Links-to-Amazon.com

04/03/2003 00:00:00

Google Licenses Web Search and Sponsored Links to Amazon.com

04/03/2003

2003

SEATTLE & MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--April 3, 2003--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Google, developer of the largest performance-based search advertising program, today announced a multi-year agreement that will make Google's search technology and targeted sponsored links available on Amazon.com. Google's services will provide Amazon.com customers with access to billions of web pages through Google's web-wide search results. Both Google's sponsored links and web search will be available to Amazon.com customers within the next several months; sponsored links are now available on a selection of Amazon.com pages. "Both Google and Amazon.com built their businesses by developing exceptional user experiences and providing relevant and comprehensive information," said Omid Kordestani, senior vice president of Google's Worldwide Sales and Field Operations. "Google's services will enable Amazon.com customers to conduct research across the web." Google's global search services provide websites and portals with access to billions of web pages and the world's most advanced search technology. Additionally, Google partner sites have access to revenue opportunities through sponsored links from Google's worldwide network of more than 100,000 advertisers. Google's advertisers gain broad exposure across Google's partner websites, including many of the largest websites in the world such as AOL, Ask Jeeves, and Earthlink. "Amazon.com is constantly seeking new ways to provide our customers with the best and most relevant information on the web," said Owen Van Natta, vice president of Worldwide Business Development, Amazon.com. "Working with another industry leader such as Google is in keeping with our relentless commitment to excellence throughout every aspect of the customer experience." For more information on Google's advertising programs, visit www.google.com/ads. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings. About Google Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program, which is the largest and fastest growing in the industry, provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com. Google is a trademark of Google Technology Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. CONTACT: Amazon.com Jani Baker, 206/266-2824 jani@amazon.com or Drew Herdener, 206/266-2824 herdener@amazon.com or Google Michael Mayzel, 650/623-4565 mmayzel@google.com--> SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>SEATTLE &amp; MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--April 3, 2003--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Google, developer of the largest performance-based search advertising program, today announced a multi-year agreement that will make Google's search technology and targeted sponsored links available on Amazon.com.</p><p>Google's services will provide Amazon.com customers with access to billions of web pages through Google's web-wide search results.</p><p>Both Google's sponsored links and web search will be available to Amazon.com customers within the next several months; sponsored links are now available on a selection of Amazon.com pages.</p><p>"Both Google and Amazon.com built their businesses by developing exceptional user experiences and providing relevant and comprehensive information," said Omid Kordestani, senior vice president of Google's Worldwide Sales and Field Operations. "Google's services will enable Amazon.com customers to conduct research across the web."</p><p>Google's global search services provide websites and portals with access to billions of web pages and the world's most advanced search technology. Additionally, Google partner sites have access to revenue opportunities through sponsored links from Google's worldwide network of more than 100,000 advertisers. Google's advertisers gain broad exposure across Google's partner websites, including many of the largest websites in the world such as AOL, Ask Jeeves, and Earthlink.</p><p>"Amazon.com is constantly seeking new ways to provide our customers with the best and most relevant information on the web," said Owen Van Natta, vice president of Worldwide Business Development, Amazon.com. "Working with another industry leader such as Google is in keeping with our relentless commitment to excellence throughout every aspect of the customer experience."</p><p>For more information on Google's advertising programs, visit www.google.com/ads.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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, 2002, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>About Google</p><p>Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program, which is the largest and fastest growing in the industry, provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.</p><p>Google is a trademark of Google Technology Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.</p><p>CONTACT: Amazon.com Jani Baker, 206/266-2824 jani@amazon.com or Drew Herdener, 206/266-2824 herdener@amazon.com or Google Michael Mayzel, 650/623-4565 mmayzel@google.com--&gt; SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast First Quarter 2003 Financial Results Conference Call

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-First-Quarter-2003-Financial-Results-Conference-Call/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-First-Quarter-2003-Financial-Results-Conference-Call

03/24/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast First Quarter 2003 Financial Results Conference Call

03/24/2003

2003

SEATTLE, Mar 24, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will Webcast its first quarter 2003 financial results conference call on April 24, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The audio of this event will be Webcast live and be available through June 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir.

<p>SEATTLE, Mar 24, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will Webcast its first quarter 2003 financial results conference call on April 24, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>The audio of this event will be Webcast live and be available through June 30, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentation-Mar-14-2003/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentation-Mar-14-2003

03/14/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation

03/14/2003

2003

SEATTLE, Mar 14, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will be speaking at the Merrill Lynch Retailing Leaders Conference in New York on March 19, 2003, at 10:20 a.m. PT/1:20 p.m. ET. Click here for the webcast replay.

<p>SEATTLE, Mar 14, 2003 -- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will be speaking at the Merrill Lynch Retailing Leaders Conference in New York on March 19, 2003, at 10:20 a.m. PT/1:20 p.m. ET.</p><p>Click here for the webcast replay.</p>

Amazon.fr : LA librairie spécialisée du voyageur

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.fr--LA-librairie-spcialise-du-voyageur/default.aspx

Amazon.fr--LA-librairie-spcialise-du-voyageur

03/06/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.fr : LA librairie spécialisée du voyageur

03/06/2003

2003

Paris, le 6 mars 2003 Pour la première fois, Amazon.fr regroupe, dans un même endroit accessible à tous, l'ensemble des cartes et des guides et vous donne l'occasion d'arpenter les routes de France et du monde pour découvrir de nouveaux horizons. L'aventure peut commencer !   La rubrique Voyages fait peau neuve et s'enrichit d'une nouvelle boutique : les cartes et plans. À cette occasion, une offre de lancement est proposée à tous les internautes : Du 3 au 31 mars  2003, ils bénéficieront d'une remise de 20 % sur les atlas routiers et sur toutes les cartes.   La plus grande cartothèque en ligne de France L'orientation n'est pas un talent inné… alors laissez-vous guider ! Amazon.fr vous ouvre les portes du voyage et facilite vos déplacements. Retrouvez sur le site  l'ensemble des cartes classées par destinations, des plus courantes aux plus originales. Toutes les cartes routières o       Amazon.fr ouvre une boutique, en partenariat avec Michelin, regroupant l'ensemble des cartes et plans de cet éditeur, agrémentée d'images de couverture, de tableaux d'assemblage et d'exemples de fonds de carte. o       Retrouvez également les collections IGN et Blay Foldex… ainsi qu'une offre de cartes étrangères couvrant le monde entier. Toutes les cartes de randonnées o       Que vous prépariez une randonnée en famille dans l'Aveyron ou une ascension à plus de 5 000 mètres sur l'Himalaya, la carte qu'il vous faut est sur Amazon.fr. Les plus grandes collections de cartes marines o       Retrouvez toutes les côtes du monde cartographiées par Navicarte et le SHOM. Les pièges du golfe du Morbihan ou ceux du cap Horn ne seront plus un obstacle à vos traversées en mer. Toutes les cartes anciennes de Cassini o       Pour les passionnés d'histoire, 180 cartes de France réalisées au XVIIIe siècle seront disponibles sur Amazon.fr. Et bien sûr, les cartes aéronautiques, géologiques, historiques et un large choix de cartes thématiques…  Les guides touristiques Cette rubrique s'enrichit de plusieurs milliers de nouveaux titres couvrant des destinations d'exception, loin des sentiers battus. Différentes listes, regroupées par types de guides, par thématiques de voyages extraordinaires, en français et en langues étrangères, faciliteront vos recherches ! Que vous soyez aventurier, gastronome ou plutôt attiré par les sorties culturelles, chacun de vous y trouvera son compte ! Petits ou gros budgets, en famille, seul, entre amis ou en couple, préparez vos bagages, Amazon.fr se charge de votre destination. Retrouvez également les rubriques associées Des guides de conversation, les chemins de la cuisine du monde, des liens vers des logiciels de cartes viendront compléter cette boutique, déjà pleine de bonnes astuces… Bon voyage sur Amazon.fr ! Le saviez-vous ? Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Et si vous partez à l'autre bout du monde ? Amazon.fr vous suit, tout simplement ! Au sujet du site Amazon.fr Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéroun de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-ClickÔ.   Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise. Contacts presse : Agence Edelman Christelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95 christelle.panay@edelman.com Amazon.fr Elisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12 elisao@amazon.fr

<p>Paris, le 6 mars 2003</p><p>Pour la première fois, Amazon.fr regroupe, dans un même endroit accessible à tous, l'ensemble des cartes et des guides et vous donne l'occasion d'arpenter les routes de France et du monde pour découvrir de nouveaux horizons. L'aventure peut commencer !</p><p>  La rubrique Voyages fait peau neuve et s'enrichit d'une nouvelle boutique : les cartes et plans.</p><p>À cette occasion, une offre de lancement est proposée à tous les internautes :</p><p><em>Du 3 au 31 mars  2003</em>, ils bénéficieront d'une remise de 20 % sur les atlas routiers et sur toutes les cartes.</p><p>  La plus grande cartothèque en ligne de France</p><p>L'orientation n'est pas un talent inné… alors laissez-vous guider ! Amazon.fr vous ouvre les portes du voyage et facilite vos déplacements. Retrouvez sur le site  l'ensemble des cartes classées par destinations, des plus courantes aux plus originales.</p><ul><li>Toutes les cartes routières</li></ul><p>o       Amazon.fr ouvre une boutique, en partenariat avec Michelin, regroupant l'ensemble des cartes et plans de cet éditeur, agrémentée d'images de couverture, de tableaux d'assemblage et d'exemples de fonds de carte.</p><p>o       Retrouvez également les collections IGN et Blay Foldex… ainsi qu'une offre de cartes étrangères couvrant le monde entier.</p><ul><li>Toutes les cartes de randonnées</li></ul><p>o       Que vous prépariez une randonnée en famille dans l'Aveyron ou une ascension à plus de 5 000 mètres sur l'Himalaya, la carte qu'il vous faut est sur Amazon.fr.</p><ul><li>Les plus grandes collections de cartes marines</li></ul><p>o       Retrouvez toutes les côtes du monde cartographiées par Navicarte et le SHOM. Les pièges du golfe du Morbihan ou ceux du cap Horn ne seront plus un obstacle à vos traversées en mer.</p><ul><li>Toutes les cartes anciennes de Cassini</li></ul><p>o       Pour les passionnés d'histoire, 180 cartes de France réalisées au XVIIIe siècle seront disponibles sur Amazon.fr.</p><ul><li>Et bien sûr, les cartes aéronautiques, géologiques, historiques et un large choix de cartes thématiques…</li></ul><p> Les guides touristiques</p><p>Cette rubrique s'enrichit de plusieurs milliers de nouveaux titres couvrant des destinations d'exception, loin des sentiers battus.</p><p>Différentes listes, regroupées par types de guides, par thématiques de voyages extraordinaires, en français et en langues étrangères, faciliteront vos recherches ! Que vous soyez aventurier, gastronome ou plutôt attiré par les sorties culturelles, chacun de vous y trouvera son compte ! Petits ou gros budgets, en famille, seul, entre amis ou en couple, préparez vos bagages, Amazon.fr se charge de votre destination.</p><p>Retrouvez également les rubriques associées</p><p>Des guides de conversation, les chemins de la cuisine du monde, des liens vers des logiciels de cartes viendront compléter cette boutique, déjà pleine de bonnes astuces…</p><p>Bon voyage sur Amazon.fr !</p><p><em>Le saviez-vous ?</em></p><p>Amazon.fr vous livre gratuitement au bureau, à la maison ou sur le lieu de vos vacances en France pour 20 euros d'achats seulement. Et si vous partez à l'autre bout du monde ? Amazon.fr vous suit, tout simplement !</p><p><em>Au sujet du site Amazon.fr</em></p><p>Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéroun de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-ClickÔ.</p><p>  Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine <em>Fortune</em>. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.</p><p>Contacts presse :</p><p>Agence Edelman</p><p>Christelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95</p><p>christelle.panay@edelman.com</p><p>Amazon.fr</p><p>Elisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12</p><p>elisao@amazon.fr</p>

Amazon.com files 10-K for 2002 with the SEC

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-files-10-K-for-2002-with-the-SEC/default.aspx

Amazon.com-files-10-K-for-2002-with-the-SEC

02/19/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com files 10-K for 2002 with the SEC

02/19/2003

2003

Amazon.com Offers Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for Immediate Pre-Order in Both DVD and VHS Formats

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Offers-Harry-Potter-and-the-Chamber-of-Secrets-for-Immediate-Pre-Order-in-Both-DVD-and-VHS-Formats/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Offers-Harry-Potter-and-the-Chamber-of-Secrets-for-Immediate-Pre-Order-in-Both-DVD-and-VHS-Formats

02/14/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Offers Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for Immediate Pre-Order in Both DVD and VHS Formats

02/14/2003

2003

SEATTLE--Feb. 14, 2003--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that, effective immediately, customers can place their orders for the DVD or VHS version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second film installment in the acclaimed Harry Potter series, to ensure they receive their copies when the movie becomes available this April. Amazon.com is offering pre-orders of both the DVD and VHS formats at 40 percent off the list price. Amazon.com received more than 100,000 pre-orders for the first Harry Potter DVD, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, making it the biggest DVD pre-order in Amazon.com's history. The title hit No. 1 on Amazon.com's DVD bestseller list within an hour of becoming available for pre-order in February 2002, it held the No. 1 spot for 16 consecutive weeks, and it was one of Amazon.com's bestselling DVDs for the year. The VHS version was also a customer favorite. It captured the No. 1 spot on the site's Video bestseller list for 21 consecutive weeks after becoming available for pre-order in February 2002, and was Amazon.com's top-selling video for 2002. "This is an exciting time for Harry Potter fans, and we're thrilled to offer them a simple and convenient way to pre-order Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on DVD or VHS, as well as the much-anticipated fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, today, all at 40 percent off the list price," said Steve Kessel, vice president of Amazon.com's Books, Music, Video and DVD business. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) is already an Amazon.com chartbuster. The book jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.com's Books bestseller list within just two hours of becoming available for pre-order on January 15, 2003, and has remained there for three consecutive weeks. Amazon.com's dedicated Harry Potter store (www.amazon.com/harrypotter) is a one-stop destination for all the latest Harry Potter news, information and merchandise. In addition to pre-ordering Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5), visitors to the store can browse Harry Potter-related products from across Amazon.com's online stores, including those operated with Toysrus.com and Target.com. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign-currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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, 2001, and all subsequent filings.

<p>SEATTLE--Feb. 14, 2003--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that, effective immediately, customers can place their orders for the DVD or VHS version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second film installment in the acclaimed Harry Potter series, to ensure they receive their copies when the movie becomes available this April. Amazon.com is offering pre-orders of both the DVD and VHS formats at 40 percent off the list price.</p><p>Amazon.com received more than 100,000 pre-orders for the first Harry Potter DVD, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, making it the biggest DVD pre-order in Amazon.com's history. The title hit No. 1 on Amazon.com's DVD bestseller list within an hour of becoming available for pre-order in February 2002, it held the No. 1 spot for 16 consecutive weeks, and it was one of Amazon.com's bestselling DVDs for the year. The VHS version was also a customer favorite. It captured the No. 1 spot on the site's Video bestseller list for 21 consecutive weeks after becoming available for pre-order in February 2002, and was Amazon.com's top-selling video for 2002.</p><p>"This is an exciting time for Harry Potter fans, and we're thrilled to offer them a simple and convenient way to pre-order Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on DVD or VHS, as well as the much-anticipated fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, today, all at 40 percent off the list price," said Steve Kessel, vice president of Amazon.com's Books, Music, Video and DVD business.</p><p>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) is already an Amazon.com chartbuster. The book jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.com's Books bestseller list within just two hours of becoming available for pre-order on January 15, 2003, and has remained there for three consecutive weeks.</p><p>Amazon.com's dedicated Harry Potter store (www.amazon.com/harrypotter) is a one-stop destination for all the latest Harry Potter news, information and merchandise. In addition to pre-ordering Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5), visitors to the store can browse Harry Potter-related products from across Amazon.com's online stores, including those operated with Toysrus.com and Target.com.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign-currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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, 2001, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Le kit de survie pour la Saint Valentin !

/news/news-details/2003/Le-kit-de-survie-pour-la-Saint-Valentin-/default.aspx

Le-kit-de-survie-pour-la-Saint-Valentin-

02/14/2003 00:00:00

Le kit de survie pour la Saint Valentin !

02/14/2003

2003

Seul pour la Saint-Valentin ? Amazon.fr vous fournit le kit de survie pour passer sereinement la fête des amoureux !Le kit de survieAmazon.fr a donc imaginé une sélection de livres, CD, DVD et jeux vidéo pour profiter de cette soirée en toute quiétude, seul ou entre amis, avec des titres qui réveilleront les sens de certains, en feront réfléchir d'autres ou tout simplement distrairont tout le monde.  Jeux vidéo et CD-Rom Profitez de n'avoir "personne sur votre dos" pour vos adonner aux joies du virtuel et découvrir les jeux et CD-Rom les plus en vogues ! GTA Vice CityPlayStation2, Take 2 Interactive Splinter CellXbox, Ubi Soft Age Of MythologyWindows, Microsoft Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Les Deux ToursPlayStation2, Electronic Arts Cosmopolitan Virtual Look v. 3,Windows, Mattel Musique Et si vous profitiez de la Saint-Valentin pour organiser une petite soirée musicale entre célibataires… Qui sait ? Escapology, Robbie Williams, Chrysalis Vincent Delerm,, Vincent Delerm, Tot ou Tard Come Away With Me, Norah Jones, EMIMahler – Symphonie n°5, Simon Rattle, EMI Classics DVD Des histoires d'amour à découvrir ou re-découvrir à travers des films sélectionnés spécialement pour vous ! Sex and the City : L'Intégrale Saison 3 – Coffret 3 DVD, Daniel Algrant, ParamountLe Journal de Bridget Jones, Sharon Maguire, Studio CanalIntimité, Studio Canal Liaison fatale – Édition Collector,Adrian Lyne, ParamountFriends - l'Intégrale saison 8, Edition 3 DVD, Warner Home VidéoLivresLisez bien, il se cache peut-être la solution de la fin du célibat !  Sexe et Sexy : par celles qui osent, pour celles qui n'osent pas, Barbara Keesling, First Editions Trouver le grand amour sur Internet,  Frédéric Ploton, First Editions L'Amour dure trois ans, Frédéric Beigbeder, Gallimard Le Nouveau Rapport Hite : l'enquête la plus révolutionnaire jamais menée sur la sexualité féminine, Shere Hite, Robert LaffontGuide de survie du père célibataire, Christophe Quillien, Hachette Littérature  Bonne Saint-Valentin avec Amazon.fr ! Au sujet du site Amazon.frLe site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click™. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine Fortune. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr

<p>Seul pour la Saint-Valentin ? Amazon.fr vous fournit le kit de survie pour passer sereinement la fête des amoureux !Le kit de survieAmazon.fr a donc imaginé une sélection de livres, CD, DVD et jeux vidéo pour profiter de cette soirée en toute quiétude, seul ou entre amis, avec des titres qui réveilleront les sens de certains, en feront réfléchir d'autres ou tout simplement distrairont tout le monde. </p><p>Jeux vidéo et CD-Rom Profitez de n'avoir "personne sur votre dos" pour vos adonner aux joies du virtuel et découvrir les jeux et CD-Rom les plus en vogues !</p><p>GTA Vice CityPlayStation2, Take 2 Interactive Splinter CellXbox, Ubi Soft Age Of MythologyWindows, Microsoft Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Les Deux ToursPlayStation2, Electronic Arts Cosmopolitan Virtual Look v. 3,Windows, Mattel</p><p>Musique Et si vous profitiez de la Saint-Valentin pour organiser une petite soirée musicale entre célibataires… Qui sait ?</p><p><em>Escapology</em>, Robbie Williams, Chrysalis <em>Vincent Delerm,</em>, Vincent Delerm, Tot ou Tard <em>Come Away With Me</em>, Norah Jones, EMI<em>Mahler – Symphonie n°5</em>, Simon Rattle, EMI Classics DVD Des histoires d'amour à découvrir ou re-découvrir à travers des films sélectionnés spécialement pour vous !</p><p><em>Sex and the City : L'Intégrale Saison 3 – Coffret 3 DVD</em>, Daniel Algrant, Paramount<em>Le Journal de Bridget Jones</em>, Sharon Maguire, Studio Canal<em>Intimité</em>, Studio Canal <em>Liaison fatale – Édition Collector</em>,Adrian Lyne, Paramount<em>Friends - l'Intégrale saison 8, Edition 3 DVD</em>, Warner Home VidéoLivresLisez bien, il se cache peut-être la solution de la fin du célibat ! </p><p>S<em>exe et Sexy</em> <em>: par celles qui osent, pour celles qui n'osent pas</em>, Barbara Keesling, First Editions <em>Trouver le grand amour sur Internet</em>,  Frédéric Ploton, First Editions <em>L'Amour dure trois ans</em>, Frédéric Beigbeder, Gallimard <em>Le Nouveau Rapport Hite : l'enquête la plus révolutionnaire jamais menée sur la sexualité féminine</em>, Shere Hite, Robert Laffont<em>Guide de survie du père célibataire</em>, Christophe Quillien, Hachette Littérature </p><p>Bonne Saint-Valentin avec Amazon.fr !</p><p><em>Au sujet du site Amazon.fr</em>Le site Amazon.fr a ouvert ses portes virtuelles en août 2000. Amazon met tout en œuvre pour remplir la mission qu'elle s'est fixée : mettre ses clients au cœur de ses préoccupations. Ils peuvent ainsi à tout moment trouver en ligne ce qu'ils ont envie d'acheter, et y faire de nombreuses découvertes. Amazon.fr propose aujourd'hui des millions de livres en français et en anglais, des CD, des vidéos, des DVD, des logiciels, des CD-Rom et des jeux vidéo. Chez Amazon.fr, les clients bénéficient de la technologie d'achat en ligne et du savoir-faire du numéro un de cette industrie, tels le paiement sécurisé, les recommandations personnalisées, l'ergonomie et les outils très poussés de recherche ainsi que l'achat rapide et facile grâce à la commande 1-Click™. Amazon.fr est l'un des cinq sites internationaux du groupe Amazon.com basé à Seattle, États-Unis, entreprise classée dans le top 500 du magazine <em>Fortune</em>. Les autres sites du groupe sont : Amazon.co.jp, site de langue japonaise ; Amazon.de, site de langue allemande ; Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.ca, de langue anglaise.Contacts presse :Agence EdelmanChristelle Panay – 01 56 69 73 95christelle.panay@edelman.comAmazon.frElisa O'Neill – 01 61 08 12 12elisao@amazon.fr</p>

Amazon.co.uk Launches Free Super Saver Delivery & New Lower Prices For Chart Cds

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.co.uk-Launches-Free-Super-Saver-Delivery--New-Lower-Prices-For-Chart-Cds/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-Launches-Free-Super-Saver-Delivery--New-Lower-Prices-For-Chart-Cds

01/24/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk Launches Free Super Saver Delivery & New Lower Prices For Chart Cds

01/24/2003

2003

London, 24th January 2003: As part of its ongoing commitment to lowering prices, leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced Free Super Saver Delivery, a free shipping option on qualifying orders over £39. Free Super Saver Delivery is not a seasonal or limited time promotion, but an indefinite, everyday, 365-days-a-year offer. In addition to its new Free Super Saver Delivery offer, Amazon.co.uk will now be offering chart CDs such as Robbie Williams: Escapology and David Gray: A New Day at Midnight at the ground-breaking price of £8.49. As with Free Super Saver Delivery, this is not a temporary promotion, but is a new, every day price for chart CDs. In addition, to celebrate the upcoming 2003 BRIT Awards, Amazon.co.uk will be extending this new lower price to BRIT nominee CDs for a limited time. A selection of last year's albums and back catalogue titles, from nominees such as Ms. Dynamite, Craig David, and Sugababes, will also be available for £8.49. Robin Terrell, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk said, "We work hard to continually lower prices for our customers. By introducing Free Super Saver Delivery while lowering the prices of Chart CDs, it's easier than ever for customers to save money by shopping at Amazon.co.uk." The launch of Free Super Saver Delivery comes just over a month after Amazon.co.uk tested a free delivery offer during the busy Christmas period. The overwhelmingly positive results from that offer have enabled the company to introduce an everyday Free Super Saver Delivery offer. Christmas 2002 was Amazon.co.uk's busiest ever, with over 6.2 million items ordered from 1st November through to Christmas. The busiest shipment day was 17th December when over 200,000 items were shipped from Amazon.co.uk's distribution centre in Milton Keynes. Additional details and restrictions for Free Super Saver Delivery on orders over £39 can be found at www.amazon.co.uk/supersaverdeliveryAbout 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and toys. 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; personalized recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click® auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk also is available on mobile phones with WAP technology; see www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details. Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle Washington; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfilment centre optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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, 2001 and all subsequent filings.For further information please contact:Rachel Silk / Lisa Ramshaw Amazon.co.uk Press Office 020 8636 9280 / 07930 483318 rsilk@amazon.co.uk Natalie Jim / Victoria Fox The RED Consultancy020 7465 7777nataliej@redconsultancy.com-->

<p>London, 24th January 2003: As part of its ongoing commitment to lowering prices, leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced <em>Free Super Saver Delivery</em>, a free shipping option on qualifying orders over <em>£39</em>. Free Super Saver Delivery is not a seasonal or limited time promotion, but an indefinite, everyday, 365-days-a-year offer. In addition to its new <em>Free Super Saver Delivery</em> offer, Amazon.co.uk will now be offering chart CDs such as <em>Robbie Williams: Escapology</em> and <em>David Gray: A New Day at Midnight</em> at the ground-breaking price of £8.49. As with <em>Free Super Saver Delivery</em>, this is not a temporary promotion, but is a new, every day price for chart CDs. In addition, to celebrate the upcoming 2003 BRIT Awards, Amazon.co.uk will be extending this new lower price to BRIT nominee CDs for a limited time. A selection of last year's albums and back catalogue titles, from nominees such as <em>Ms. Dynamite, Craig David</em>, and <em>Sugababes</em>, will also be available for £8.49. Robin Terrell, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk said, "We work hard to continually lower prices for our customers. By introducing <em>Free Super Saver Delivery </em>while lowering the prices of Chart CDs, it's easier than ever for customers to save money by shopping at Amazon.co.uk." The launch of <em>Free Super Saver Delivery </em>comes just over a month after Amazon.co.uk tested a free delivery offer during the busy Christmas period. The overwhelmingly positive results from that offer have enabled the company to introduce an everyday <em>Free Super Saver Delivery</em> offer. Christmas 2002 was Amazon.co.uk's busiest ever, with over 6.2 million items ordered from 1st November through to Christmas. The busiest shipment day was 17th December when over 200,000 items were shipped from Amazon.co.uk's distribution centre in Milton Keynes. Additional details and restrictions for Free Super Saver Delivery on orders over £39 can be found at www.amazon.co.uk/supersaverdeliveryAbout 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and toys. 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; personalized recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click® auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk also is available on mobile phones with WAP technology; see www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details. Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle Washington; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).<em>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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfilment centre optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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, 2001 and all subsequent filings.</em>For further information please contact:Rachel Silk / Lisa Ramshaw Amazon.co.uk Press Office 020 8636 9280 / 07930 483318 rsilk@amazon.co.uk Natalie Jim / Victoria Fox The RED Consultancy020 7465 7777nataliej@redconsultancy.com--&gt;</p>

Amazon.com Announces 28% Sales Growth Fueled By Lower Prices; Free Super Saver Shipping On Orders Over $25 To Continue Year-Round

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Amazon.com-Announces-28-Sales-Growth-Fueled-By-Lower-Prices-Free-Super-Saver-Shipping-On-Orders-Over-25-To-Continue-Year-Round

01/23/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces 28% Sales Growth Fueled By Lower Prices; Free Super Saver Shipping On Orders Over $25 To Continue Year-Round

01/23/2003

2003

Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Operations Pro Forma Statement of Operations Segment Information Balance Sheets Supplemental Financial Information Operational Highlights  AMZN Q4, 2002 Financial Results Printable WordVersion 1.21MB Printable PDFVersion 224KB AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 28% SALES GROWTH FUELED BY LOWER PRICES; FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $25 TO CONTINUE YEAR-ROUND SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 23, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASD: AMZN), today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2002. Free cash flow was $135 million for fiscal 2002, compared with negative $170 million for 2001. Free cash flow includes cash outflows for interest and capital expenditures and excludes proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 433 million at December 31, 2002, a decrease of 1% compared with a year ago. Net sales were a record $1.429 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $1.115 billion in the fourth quarter 2001, an increase of 28%. Net sales grew 26% to a record $3.933 billion for fiscal 2002, compared with $3.122 billion for 2001. Operating income was $71 million in the fourth quarter, or 5% of net sales, compared with $15 million in the fourth quarter 2001. Operating income for fiscal 2002 improved to $64 million, or 2% of net sales, compared with a 2001 operating loss of $412 million. Pro forma operating profit in the fourth quarter grew 74% to $102 million, or 7% of net sales, compared with a fourth quarter 2001 pro forma operating profit of $59 million. Pro forma operating profit for fiscal 2002 was $180 million, or 5% of net sales, an improvement of $225 million compared with 2001. Net income was $3 million, or $0.01 per share, in the fourth quarter, compared with $5 million in the fourth quarter 2001, or $0.01 per share. Net loss for fiscal 2002 was $149 million, or $0.39 per share, compared with $567 million, or $1.56 per share, in 2001. Pro forma net profit in the fourth quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $40 million to $75 million, or $0.19 per share, compared with $35 million, or $0.09 per share, in the fourth quarter 2001. Pro forma net profit for fiscal 2002 improved over $223 million to $66 million, or $0.17 per share, compared with a 2001 pro forma net loss of $157 million, or $0.43 per share. (Details on the differences between GAAP results and pro forma results are included below, with a tabular reconciliation of those differences included in the attached financial statements.) "On top of the five price cuts we've made over the past 18 months, we're announcing today that we've decided to make Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 a full-time, year-round offer," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. "We're at a tipping point. Customers are now shopping at Amazon.com as much for our lower prices as for our selection and convenience." In addition to its year-round Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com, the Company offers free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significantly lowered prices on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs. "Our continued operational progress and momentum allow us to offer year-round free shipping and at the same time increase our 2003 guidance," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "Our 2003 objective is to continue improving productivity and lowering prices for customers." Highlights of Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2002 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2001) Worldwide unit growth was 34% for 2002. Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on Amazon.com product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 21% of worldwide units in the fourth quarter, compared with 16% of units a year ago. Inventory turns improved 22% to 19 for 2002, up from 16. Books, Music and DVD/Video segment sales grew 13% to $606 million in the fourth quarter and pro forma operating profit grew 14% to $73 million. Electronics, Tools and Kitchen segment sales grew 21% to $262 million in the fourth quarter and pro forma operating loss declined 52% to $10 million. International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 76% to $461 million in the fourth quarter and exceeded $1 billion for the first time with sales of $1.169 billion in 2002. Pro forma operating profit was $20 million in the fourth quarter, or 4% of net sales, and approached breakeven for 2002. Apparel and Accessories, with more than 450 brands and one shopping cart, is the Company's fastest-growing store in terms of units sold in the first 60 days since it opened in November. Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of January 23, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, fluctuations in foreign-currency rates, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. First Quarter 2003 Guidance First quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.025 billion and $1.075 billion, or grow between 21% and 27% First quarter pro forma net profit is expected to be between $5 million and $20 million, or between $0.01 per share and $0.05 per share.  Full Year 2003 Expectations Net sales are expected to grow over 15%. Pro forma net profit is expected to be over $115 million, or over $0.27 per share. A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available through March 31, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops service relationships with third-party sellers and other strategic transactions; foreign-currency exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity; and fluctuations in the value of securities and non-cash payments Amazon.com receives in connection with such transactions. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, customer or third-party sellers fraud, Amazon.com Payments, and new business areas, business combinations and strategic alliances. 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, 2001, and all subsequent filings. Pro Forma Results Pro forma results, which generally exclude non-operational, non-cash expenses and income as well as one-time charges, are provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (known as "GAAP"). Management uses such pro forma measures internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A reconciliation of GAAP to pro forma is included in the attached financial statements. Pro forma operating profit (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:  Stock-based compensation, Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and Restructuring-related and other. Pro forma net profit (loss) excludes, in addition to the line items described above, the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Other gains (losses), net, Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchen and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, office products, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Through Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions, any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.com's millions of customers. Amazon.com operates six global Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. Contact: Amazon.com Investor Relations                        Amazon.com Public RelationsTim Halladay, 206/266-2171,                           Bill Curry, 206/266-7180ir@amazon.com    Back to top of Page Statement of Cash Flows    Back to top of Page Statement of Operations    Back to top of Page Pro Forma Statement of Operations    Back to top of Page Segment Information    Back to top of Page Balance Sheets    Back to top of Page Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics    Back to top of Page Operational Highlights AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited) Results of Operations (all comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year) Net Sales Net sales benefited from changes in foreign-currency exchange rates compared with the prior year by approximately $35 million in the fourth quarter 2002 ($3 million benefit to pro forma operating profit) and $47 million for fiscal 2002 ($4 million benefit to pro forma operating profit). Shipping revenue, which excludes commissions earned from Amazon Marketplace, was approximately $121 million in the fourth quarter, down from $125 million. Gross Profit Shipping costs increased 11% to $151 million in the fourth quarter 2002 and shipping loss increased to approximately $30 million, from a loss of $11 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that shipping promotions are an effective marketing tool. We expect to continue offering our customers free shipping options, which reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins. Fulfillment Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-party cosourcers, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain Services-segment fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of third-party sellers are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Stock-Based Compensation Hypothetical IncreaseOver $13.375 per Share Hypothetical MarketPrice per Share Hypothetical CumulativeCompensation Expense Hypothetical vs. Cumulative Compensation ExpenseDecember 31, 2002 15% $15.38 $47   $(13) 25% $16.72 $52 $(8) 50% $20.06 $65 $4  75% $23.41 $77 $17 100% $26.75 $90             $29 Actual variable-accounting-related compensation could differ significantly from the above illustration in instances where options are exercised during a period at prices that differ from the closing stock price for the reporting period. During the first quarter 2001, we offered a limited non-compulsory exchange of employee stock options, which results in variable accounting treatment for approximately 5 million stock options at December 31, 2002, including approximately 4 million options granted under the exchange offer that have an exercise price of $13.375 and expire in the third quarter 2003. Variable accounting treatment will result in unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in quoted prices for our common stock, which we are unable to forecast. At December 31, 2002, cumulative compensation expense associated with variable accounting treatment, including $31 million in the fourth quarter 2002, was approximately $60 million--based on exercises to date and a quarter-end closing common stock price of $18.89--of which $40 million is associated with options exercised and no longer subject to future variability. We have quantified the hypothetical effect on stock-based compensation associated with various quoted prices of our common stock using a sensitivity analysis for our outstanding stock options subject to variable accounting. We have provided this information to give additional insight into the volatility we will experience in our future results of operations to the extent hat the quoted price for our common stock is above $13.375. This sensitivity analysis is not a prediction of future performance of the quoted prices of our common stock. Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above $13.375 (including the actual expense associated with options exercised), our hypothetical cumulative compensation expense at December 31, 2002, and the difference between hypothetical cumulative compensation expense and actual cumulative compensation expense recorded at December 31, 2002, resulting from variable accounting treatment would have been as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):                                     Under our restricted stock unit program, which commenced in the fourth quarter 2002, we award restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for employee equity compensation. Restricted stock units are measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense ratably over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. Amortization of Goodwill and Other Intangibles As a result of our adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141 and No. 142, during the first quarter 2002 we reclassified $25 million of other intangible assets (comprising only assembled workforce intangibles) into goodwill and discontinued the amortization of our goodwill. Restructuring-Related and Other In January 2001, we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan to reduce our operating costs, streamline our organizational structure, consolidate certain of our fulfillment and customer service operations and migrate a large portion of our technology infrastructure to a new operating platform. The restructuring plan is complete, although we may adjust our estimates prospectively if necessary. Corresponding with our January 2001 operational restructuring, in the fourth quarter 2002 we reached a termination agreement with the landlord of our leased fulfillment center facility in McDonough, Georgia. This agreement requires payments totaling $12 million, $4 million of which was paid in the fourth quarter 2002 ($8 million is payable first quarter 2003). As a result of this agreement, in the fourth quarter 2002 we adjusted our restructuring liability to reflect current estimates of restructuring-related cash flows and recorded a $5 million restructuring-related gain. Restructuring-related cash payments totaled $11 million in the fourth quarter 2002 (including the $4 million paid with respect to our McDonough facility), compared with $14 million. We anticipate the following net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related commitments (amounts due within 12 months are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the remaining amounts within long-term debt and other on our balance sheet): (in millions) Leases (a) Other Total Year Ending December 31, 2003.......................................................  21 4 25 2004....................................................... 12  1 13 2005....................................................... 5 - 5 2006....................................................... 3 - 3 2007....................................................... 3 - 3 Thereafter...............................................  8  - 8 Total estimated cash outflows..................... $52 $5 $57 (a) Net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed contractual sublease agreements covering $10 million in future payments) on gross lease obligations of $99 million. Other Income (Expense), Net Other income, net includes net realized gains on sales of marketable securities. Other Gains (Losses), Net Other losses, net primarily consist of a foreign-currency loss on the remeasurement of our 6.875% Euro-denominated convertible subordinated notes (PEACS) from Euros to U.S. dollars. We are unable to accurately forecast the effect on our future reported results associated with the remeasurement of the PEACS. Income Taxes At December 31, 2002, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.5 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.2 billion of our NOLs relate to deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations. Net Income Although we reported fourth quarter 2002 positive net income of $3 million, we believe that this positive net income result should not be viewed as a material positive event and is not predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, excluding the $5 million restructuring-related gain associated with our McDonough, Georgia, fulfillment center lease-termination agreement, we would have reported a net loss in the fourth quarter 2002. Alternatively, excluding the $31 million stock-based compensation charge associated with variable accounting treatment on certain of our employee stock options that resulted from an increase in our stock price during the fourth quarter, or excluding the $38 million foreign-currency loss on the remeasurement of our PEACS from Euros to U.S. dollars, we would have reported more net income in the fourth quarter 2002. We are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain of our employee stock options that will result from fluctuations in our stock price, and the gain or loss associated with our PEACS that will result from fluctuations in foreign-currency rates. Financial Condition Our marketable securities, at estimated fair value, consist of the following at December 31, 2002 (in millions):          Asset-backed and agency securities                                            $317          Treasury notes and bonds                                                           175          Corporate notes and bonds                                                           43          Certificates of deposit                                                                  22          Commercial paper, short-term obligations and equity securities              6                                                                                                      $563 At December 31, 2002, we have pledged approximately $121 million of our marketable securities as collateral for certain contractual obligations, compared with $167 million. Amounts pledged for standby letters of credit that guarantee certain contractual obligations, primarily property leases, were $58 million; $23 million is pledged for a swap agreement that hedges the foreign-exchange-rate risk on a portion of our PEACS; and $40 million is pledged for certain of our real estate lease agreements. The amount of marketable securities we are required to pledge pursuant to the swap agreement fluctuates with the fair market value of the swap obligation. Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions): Principalat Maturity InterestRate PrincipalDue Date   Senior Discount Notes $   264(a) 10.000% May 2008   Convertible Subordinated Notes    1,250 4.750% February 2009   PEACS     725(b) 6.875% February 2010 Total Long Term Debt $ 2,239 (a) $256 million at December 31, 2002 (b) 690 million Euros Certain Definitions and Other Our segment reporting includes four segments: North America Books, Music and DVD/Video ("BMVD"); North America Electronics, Tools and Kitchen ("ETK"); International; and Services. Stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other costs are not allocated to segment results. All other centrally incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. There are no internal transactions between the Company's reporting segments. The BMVD segment includes revenues, direct costs and cost allocations primarily associated with retail sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca for books, music, DVDs, video products and magazine subscription commissions. This segment also includes revenues from stores offering these products through our Syndicated Stores Program, such as www.borders.com, and commissions and other amounts earned from sales of these products offered by third-party sellers (businesses and individuals) under our Amazon Marketplace (such as a used out-of-print book) and Merchant@amazon.com Programs. The ETK segment includes revenues, direct costs and cost allocations primarily associated with www.amazon.com retail sales of electronics, home improvement and home and garden products, as well as our catalog sales of toys and tools. This segment also includes commissions and other amounts earned from sales of these products offered by third-party sellers under our Amazon Marketplace and Merchant@amazon.com Programs. The International segment includes all revenues, direct costs and cost allocations associated with the retail sales of our internationally focused U.K., German, French and Japanese Web sites--www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp. This segment also includes commissions and other amounts earned from sales of products offered by third-party sellers under our Amazon Marketplace and Merchant@amazon.com Programs and revenues from stores offering products through our Syndicated Stores Program. The Services segment includes revenues, direct costs and cost allocations associated with certain of our commercial agreements, including the Merchant Program, such as www.target.com, and the Merchant@amazon.com Program to the extent full product categories are not also offered by our online retail stores, such as Toys and Games and Apparel and Accessories. This segment also includes our technology alliance with America Online and miscellaneous marketing, promotional and other agreements. All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchant@amazon.com and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de,and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.

<table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</p></td></tr><tr><td>Segment Information</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><div> AMZN Q4, 2002 Financial Results</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Printable WordVersion 1.21MB</p></td><td><div>Printable PDFVersion 224KB</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><p>AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 28% SALES GROWTH FUELED BY LOWER PRICES; FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $25 TO CONTINUE YEAR-ROUND</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 23, 2003--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASD: AMZN), today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2002.</p><p>Free cash flow was $135 million for fiscal 2002, compared with negative $170 million for 2001. Free cash flow includes cash outflows for interest and capital expenditures and excludes proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based employee awards totaled 433 million at December 31, 2002, a decrease of 1% compared with a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were a record $1.429 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $1.115 billion in the fourth quarter 2001, an increase of 28%. Net sales grew 26% to a record $3.933 billion for fiscal 2002, compared with $3.122 billion for 2001.</p><p>Operating income was $71 million in the fourth quarter, or 5% of net sales, compared with $15 million in the fourth quarter 2001. Operating income for fiscal 2002 improved to $64 million, or 2% of net sales, compared with a 2001 operating loss of $412 million. Pro forma operating profit in the fourth quarter grew 74% to $102 million, or 7% of net sales, compared with a fourth quarter 2001 pro forma operating profit of $59 million. Pro forma operating profit for fiscal 2002 was $180 million, or 5% of net sales, an improvement of $225 million compared with 2001.</p><p>Net income was $3 million, or $0.01 per share, in the fourth quarter, compared with $5 million in the fourth quarter 2001, or $0.01 per share. Net loss for fiscal 2002 was $149 million, or $0.39 per share, compared with $567 million, or $1.56 per share, in 2001. Pro forma net profit in the fourth quarter, which includes interest expense, grew over $40 million to $75 million, or $0.19 per share, compared with $35 million, or $0.09 per share, in the fourth quarter 2001. Pro forma net profit for fiscal 2002 improved over $223 million to $66 million, or $0.17 per share, compared with a 2001 pro forma net loss of $157 million, or $0.43 per share. (Details on the differences between GAAP results and pro forma results are included below, with a tabular reconciliation of those differences included in the attached financial statements.)</p><p>"On top of the five price cuts we've made over the past 18 months, we're announcing today that we've decided to make Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 a full-time, year-round offer," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. "We're at a tipping point. Customers are now shopping at Amazon.com as much for our lower prices as for our selection and convenience."</p><p>In addition to its year-round Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com, the Company offers free shipping options at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com also offers 30% off books over $15 and significantly lowered prices on electronics, tools, and bestselling CDs and DVDs.</p><p>"Our continued operational progress and momentum allow us to offer year-round free shipping and at the same time increase our 2003 guidance," said Tom Szkutak, chief financial officer of Amazon.com. "Our 2003 objective is to continue improving productivity and lowering prices for customers."</p><p>Highlights of Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2002 Results (comparisons are with the equivalent period of 2001)</p><ul><li>Worldwide unit growth was 34% for 2002.</li><li>Third-party seller transactions (new, used and refurbished items sold on Amazon.com product detail pages by businesses and individuals) grew to 21% of worldwide units in the fourth quarter, compared with 16% of units a year ago.</li><li>Inventory turns improved 22% to 19 for 2002, up from 16.</li><li>Books, Music and DVD/Video segment sales grew 13% to $606 million in the fourth quarter and pro forma operating profit grew 14% to $73 million.</li><li>Electronics, Tools and Kitchen segment sales grew 21% to $262 million in the fourth quarter and pro forma operating loss declined 52% to $10 million.</li><li>International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 76% to $461 million in the fourth quarter and exceeded $1 billion for the first time with sales of $1.169 billion in 2002. Pro forma operating profit was $20 million in the fourth quarter, or 4% of net sales, and approached breakeven for 2002.</li><li>Apparel and Accessories, with more than 450 brands and one shopping cart, is the Company's fastest-growing store in terms of units sold in the first 60 days since it opened in November.</li></ul><p>Financial Guidance and 2003 Expectations</p><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of January 23, 2003. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, fluctuations in foreign-currency rates, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p><blockquote>First Quarter 2003 Guidance<ul><li>First quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.025 billion and $1.075 billion, or grow between 21% and 27%</li><li>First quarter pro forma net profit is expected to be between $5 million and $20 million, or between $0.01 per share and $0.05 per share. </li></ul></blockquote><blockquote>Full Year 2003 Expectations<ul><li>Net sales are expected to grow over 15%.</li><li>Pro forma net profit is expected to be over $115 million, or over $0.27 per share.</li></ul></blockquote><p>A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and will be available through March 31, 2003, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information.</p><p><em>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, the rate of growth of the economy in general and of the Internet and online commerce; customer spending patterns; the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops service relationships with third-party sellers and other strategic transactions; foreign-currency exchange risks; seasonality; international growth and expansion; risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity; and fluctuations in the value of securities and non-cash payments Amazon.com receives in connection with such transactions. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, customer or third-party sellers fraud, Amazon.com Payments, and new business areas, business combinations and strategic alliances. 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, 2001, and all subsequent filings.</em></p><p>Pro Forma Results</p><p>Pro forma results, which generally exclude non-operational, non-cash expenses and income as well as one-time charges, are provided as a complement to results provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (known as "GAAP"). Management uses such pro forma measures internally to evaluate the Company's performance and manage its operations. A reconciliation of GAAP to pro forma is included in the attached financial statements.</p><p>Pro forma operating profit (loss) excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: </p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and</li><li>Restructuring-related and other.</li></ul><p>Pro forma net profit (loss) excludes, in addition to the line items described above, the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>Other gains (losses), net,</li><li>Equity in losses of equity-method investees, net, and</li><li>Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle.</li></ul><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchen and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, office products, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Through Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions, any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.com's millions of customers.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six global Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p>Contact:<p>Amazon.com Investor Relations                        Amazon.com Public RelationsTim Halladay, 206/266-2171,                           Bill Curry, 206/266-7180ir@amazon.com</p></td></tr><tr><td>   Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Segment Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited)</div><p>Results of Operations (all comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year)</p><p><em>Net Sales</em></p><ul><li>Net sales benefited from changes in foreign-currency exchange rates compared with the prior year by approximately $35 million in the fourth quarter 2002 ($3 million benefit to pro forma operating profit) and $47 million for fiscal 2002 ($4 million benefit to pro forma operating profit).</li><li>Shipping revenue, which excludes commissions earned from Amazon Marketplace, was approximately $121 million in the fourth quarter, down from $125 million.</li></ul><p><em>Gross Profit</em></p><ul><li>Shipping costs increased 11% to $151 million in the fourth quarter 2002 and shipping loss increased to approximately $30 million, from a loss of $11 million. We continue to measure our shipping results relative to their effect on our overall financial results, with the viewpoint that shipping promotions are an effective marketing tool. We expect to continue offering our customers free shipping options, which reduce shipping revenue as a percentage of sales and negatively affect gross margins.</li></ul><p><em>Fulfillment</em></p><ul><li>Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees and bad debt costs. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third-party cosourcers, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Certain Services-segment fulfillment-related costs incurred on behalf of third-party sellers are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment.</li></ul><p><em>Stock-Based Compensation</em></p><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Hypothetical Increase<u>Over $13.375 per Share</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical Market<u>Price per Share</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical Cumulative<u>Compensation Expense</u></div></td><td><div>Hypothetical vs. Cumulative Compensation Expense<u>December 31, 2002</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>15%</div></td><td><div>$15.38</div></td><td><div>$47</div></td><td><div>  $(13)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>25%</div></td><td><div>$16.72</div></td><td><div>$52</div></td><td><div>$(8)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>50%</div></td><td><div>$20.06</div></td><td><div>$65</div></td><td><div>$4 </div></td></tr><tr><td><div>75%</div></td><td><div>$23.41</div></td><td><div>$77</div></td><td><div>$17</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>100%</div></td><td><div>$26.75</div></td><td><div>$90</div></td><td>            $29</td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><blockquote><p>Actual variable-accounting-related compensation could differ significantly from the above illustration in instances where options are exercised during a period at prices that differ from the closing stock price for the reporting period.</p></blockquote></blockquote><ul><li>During the first quarter 2001, we offered a limited non-compulsory exchange of employee stock options, which results in variable accounting treatment for approximately 5 million stock options at December 31, 2002, including approximately 4 million options granted under the exchange offer that have an exercise price of $13.375 and expire in the third quarter 2003. Variable accounting treatment will result in unpredictable charges or credits dependent on the fluctuations in quoted prices for our common stock, which we are unable to forecast.<ul><li>At December 31, 2002, cumulative compensation expense associated with variable accounting treatment, including $31 million in the fourth quarter 2002, was approximately $60 million--based on exercises to date and a quarter-end closing common stock price of $18.89--of which $40 million is associated with options exercised and no longer subject to future variability.</li><li>We have quantified the hypothetical effect on stock-based compensation associated with various quoted prices of our common stock using a sensitivity analysis for our outstanding stock options subject to variable accounting. We have provided this information to give additional insight into the volatility we will experience in our future results of operations to the extent hat the quoted price for our common stock is above $13.375. This sensitivity analysis is not a prediction of future performance of the quoted prices of our common stock. Using the following hypothetical market prices of our common stock above $13.375 (including the actual expense associated with options exercised), our hypothetical cumulative compensation expense at December 31, 2002, and the difference between hypothetical cumulative compensation expense and actual cumulative compensation expense recorded at December 31, 2002, resulting from variable accounting treatment would have been as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):                                    </li></ul></li><li>Under our restricted stock unit program, which commenced in the fourth quarter 2002, we award restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for employee equity compensation. Restricted stock units are measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense ratably over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation.</li></ul><em>Amortization of Goodwill and Other Intangibles</em><ul><li>As a result of our adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141 and No. 142, during the first quarter 2002 we reclassified $25 million of other intangible assets (comprising only assembled workforce intangibles) into goodwill and discontinued the amortization of our goodwill.</li></ul><em>Restructuring-Related and Other</em><ul><li>In January 2001, we announced and began implementation of our operational restructuring plan to reduce our operating costs, streamline our organizational structure, consolidate certain of our fulfillment and customer service operations and migrate a large portion of our technology infrastructure to a new operating platform. The restructuring plan is complete, although we may adjust our estimates prospectively if necessary.</li><li>Corresponding with our January 2001 operational restructuring, in the fourth quarter 2002 we reached a termination agreement with the landlord of our leased fulfillment center facility in McDonough, Georgia. This agreement requires payments totaling $12 million, $4 million of which was paid in the fourth quarter 2002 ($8 million is payable first quarter 2003). As a result of this agreement, in the fourth quarter 2002 we adjusted our restructuring liability to reflect current estimates of restructuring-related cash flows and recorded a $5 million restructuring-related gain.</li><li>Restructuring-related cash payments totaled $11 million in the fourth quarter 2002 (including the $4 million paid with respect to our McDonough facility), compared with $14 million. We anticipate the following net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related commitments (amounts due within 12 months are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities and the remaining amounts within long-term debt and other on our balance sheet):</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><div><u>(in millions)</u></div></td><td><div><u>Leases (a)</u></div></td><td><div><u>Other</u></div></td><td><div><u>Total</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Year Ending December 31,</td></tr><tr><td>2003.......................................................</td><td><div> 21</div></td><td><div>4</div></td><td><div>25</div></td></tr><tr><td>2004.......................................................</td><td><div>12</div></td><td><div> 1</div></td><td><div>13</div></td></tr><tr><td>2005.......................................................</td><td><div>5</div></td><td><div>-</div></td><td><div>5</div></td></tr><tr><td>2006.......................................................</td><td><div>3</div></td><td><div>-</div></td><td><div>3</div></td></tr><tr><td>2007.......................................................</td><td><div>3</div></td><td><div>-</div></td><td><div>3</div></td></tr><tr><td>Thereafter...............................................</td><td><div><u> 8</u></div></td><td><div><u> -</u></div></td><td><div><u>8</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Total estimated cash outflows.....................</td><td><div><u>$52</u></div></td><td><div><u>$5</u></div></td><td><div><u>$57</u></div></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><blockquote>(a) Net of anticipated sublease income of approximately $47 million (we have signed contractual sublease agreements covering $10 million in future payments) on gross lease obligations of $99 million.</blockquote></blockquote><p><em>Other Income (Expense), Net</em></p><ul><li>Other income, net includes net realized gains on sales of marketable securities.</li></ul><em>Other Gains (Losses), Net</em><ul><li>Other losses, net primarily consist of a foreign-currency loss on the remeasurement of our 6.875% Euro-denominated convertible subordinated notes (PEACS) from Euros to U.S. dollars. We are unable to accurately forecast the effect on our future reported results associated with the remeasurement of the PEACS.</li></ul><em>Income Taxes</em><ul><li>At December 31, 2002, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.5 billion related to U.S. federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.2 billion of our NOLs relate to deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent any of this amount is realized, the resulting benefit will be credited to stockholders' equity, rather than results of operations.</li></ul><em>Net Income</em><ul><li>Although we reported fourth quarter 2002 positive net income of $3 million, we believe that this positive net income result should not be viewed as a material positive event and is not predictive of future trends for a variety of reasons. For example, excluding the $5 million restructuring-related gain associated with our McDonough, Georgia, fulfillment center lease-termination agreement, we would have reported a net loss in the fourth quarter 2002. Alternatively, excluding the $31 million stock-based compensation charge associated with variable accounting treatment on certain of our employee stock options that resulted from an increase in our stock price during the fourth quarter, or excluding the $38 million foreign-currency loss on the remeasurement of our PEACS from Euros to U.S. dollars, we would have reported more net income in the fourth quarter 2002.</li><li>We are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the stock-based compensation charges or credits associated with variable accounting treatment on certain of our employee stock options that will result from fluctuations in our stock price, and the gain or loss associated with our PEACS that will result from fluctuations in foreign-currency rates.</li></ul>Financial Condition<ul><ul><li>Our marketable securities, at estimated fair value, consist of the following at December 31, 2002 (in millions):          Asset-backed and agency securities                                            $317          Treasury notes and bonds                                                           175          Corporate notes and bonds                                                           43          Certificates of deposit                                                                  22          Commercial paper, short-term obligations and equity securities            <u>  6</u>                                                                                                      <u>$563</u></li></ul></ul><ul><li>At December 31, 2002, we have pledged approximately $121 million of our marketable securities as collateral for certain contractual obligations, compared with $167 million. Amounts pledged for standby letters of credit that guarantee certain contractual obligations, primarily property leases, were $58 million; $23 million is pledged for a swap agreement that hedges the foreign-exchange-rate risk on a portion of our PEACS; and $40 million is pledged for certain of our real estate lease agreements. The amount of marketable securities we are required to pledge pursuant to the swap agreement fluctuates with the fair market value of the swap obligation.</li><li>Long-term debt primarily includes the following (in millions):</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Principal<u>at Maturity</u></div></td><td><div>Interest<u>Rate</u></div></td><td><div>Principal<u>Due Date</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>  Senior Discount Notes</div></td><td><div>$   264(a)</div></td><td><div>10.000%</div></td><td><div>May 2008</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>  Convertible Subordinated Notes</div></td><td><div>   1,250</div></td><td><div>4.750%</div></td><td><div>February 2009</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>  PEACS</div></td><td><div>    <u>725(b)</u></div></td><td><div>6.875%</div></td><td><div>February 2010</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Total Long Term Debt</div></td><td><div><u>$ 2,239</u></div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(a) $256 million at December 31, 2002</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>(b) 690 million Euros</div></td></tr></tbody></table>Certain Definitions and Other<ul><li>Our segment reporting includes four segments: North America Books, Music and DVD/Video ("BMVD"); North America Electronics, Tools and Kitchen ("ETK"); International; and Services. Stock-based compensation, amortization of goodwill and other intangibles, and restructuring-related and other costs are not allocated to segment results. All other centrally incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. There are no internal transactions between the Company's reporting segments.</li><li>The BMVD segment includes revenues, direct costs and cost allocations primarily associated with retail sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca for books, music, DVDs, video products and magazine subscription commissions. This segment also includes revenues from stores offering these products through our Syndicated Stores Program, such as www.borders.com, and commissions and other amounts earned from sales of these products offered by third-party sellers (businesses and individuals) under our Amazon Marketplace (such as a used out-of-print book) and Merchant@amazon.com Programs.</li><li>The ETK segment includes revenues, direct costs and cost allocations primarily associated with www.amazon.com retail sales of electronics, home improvement and home and garden products, as well as our catalog sales of toys and tools. This segment also includes commissions and other amounts earned from sales of these products offered by third-party sellers under our Amazon Marketplace and Merchant@amazon.com Programs.</li><li>The International segment includes all revenues, direct costs and cost allocations associated with the retail sales of our internationally focused U.K., German, French and Japanese Web sites--www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp. This segment also includes commissions and other amounts earned from sales of products offered by third-party sellers under our Amazon Marketplace and Merchant@amazon.com Programs and revenues from stores offering products through our Syndicated Stores Program.</li><li>The Services segment includes revenues, direct costs and cost allocations associated with certain of our commercial agreements, including the Merchant Program, such as www.target.com, and the Merchant@amazon.com Program to the extent full product categories are not also offered by our online retail stores, such as Toys and Games and Apparel and Accessories. This segment also includes our technology alliance with America Online and miscellaneous marketing, promotional and other agreements.</li><li>All references to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our Web sites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops and our Merchant@amazon.com and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationships. A customer is considered active upon placing an order.</li><li>All references to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de,and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

Amazon.co.jp Offers the Fifth Harry Potter Book for Immediate Pre-order

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Amazon.co.jp-Offers-the-Fifth-Harry-Potter-Book-for-Immediate-Pre-order

01/20/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.co.jp Offers the Fifth Harry Potter Book for Immediate Pre-order

01/20/2003

2003

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Available for 30% off Moves to No. 1 on Amazon.co.jp Foreign Books Ranking January 20, 2003 -- Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/), the leading online retail site providing millions of books, CDs, DVDs, videos, software and games, began accepting pre-orders on Friday, January 17 for the English version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The eagerly awaited fifth installment of the Harry Potter series will be released on June 21, 2003. The book has already jumped to number one in Amazon.co.jp's Foreign Books Ranking just hours after pre-order started. Customers who pre-order this title at Amazon.co.jp will benefit from a 30% discount from the list price and can take advantage of free delivery to anywhere in Japan.Customers who visit Amazon.co.jp can also check out the site's "Harry Potter store," which is filled with best-selling Harry Potter–related books, CDs and DVDs and even features an interview with the author, J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter has proven to be very popular with consumers -- the Japanese-language version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the series, set a record for Amazon.co.jp by selling over 30,000 copies in just two weeks."We are thrilled to be able to offer our customers the opportunity to pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," said Jasper Cheung, president of Amazon Japan K.K. "With 30% savings, and free shipping availability, it's easier than ever for customers to get exactly what they want and to save money when shopping at Amazon.co.jp."Amazon.co.jp provides English language functions, Shop in English (http://www.amazon.co.jp/english/), which makes shopping easier for foreign users who find it difficult to shop in Japanese. Amazon.co.jp offers free delivery to anywhere in Japan for purchases of JPY 1,500 and also cash on delivery payment options.About Amazon.co.jpAmazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language titles, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games. Through Amazon Anywhere™, Amazon's leading mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode and EZweb wireless devices at http://amazon.co.jp. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering. Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign-currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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, 2001, and all subsequent filings. For media inquiries:Amazon.co.jpPR: Kumiko Inayoshi/ Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020 E-mail: press@amazon.co.jpOr contact PR Agent: Publicis K.K.Junko Hara / Momoko SatoTel: 03-3350-8409 E-mail: junko.hara@publicis.co.jpmomoko.sato@publicis.co.jpFor customer inquiries:Amazon.co.jp Customer Service centerE-mail: info@amazon.co.jp-->

<p><em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Available for 30% off Moves to No. 1 on Amazon.co.jp Foreign Books Ranking </em>January 20, 2003 -- Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/), the leading online retail site providing millions of books, CDs, DVDs, videos, software and games, began accepting pre-orders on Friday, January 17 for the English version of <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em>. The eagerly awaited fifth installment of the Harry Potter series will be released on June 21, 2003. The book has already jumped to number one in Amazon.co.jp's Foreign Books Ranking just hours after pre-order started. Customers who pre-order this title at Amazon.co.jp will benefit from a 30% discount from the list price and can take advantage of free delivery to anywhere in Japan.Customers who visit Amazon.co.jp can also check out the site's "<em>Harry Potter</em> store," which is filled with best-selling <em>Harry Potter</em>–related books, CDs and DVDs and even features an interview with the author, J. K. Rowling. <em>Harry Potter</em> has proven to be very popular with consumers -- the Japanese-language version of <em>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</em>, the fourth book in the series, set a record for Amazon.co.jp by selling over 30,000 copies in just two weeks."We are thrilled to be able to offer our customers the opportunity to pre-order <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em>," said Jasper Cheung, president of Amazon Japan K.K. "With 30% savings, and free shipping availability, it's easier than ever for customers to get exactly what they want and to save money when shopping at Amazon.co.jp."Amazon.co.jp provides English language functions, <em>Shop in English</em> (http://www.amazon.co.jp/english/), which makes shopping easier for foreign users who find it difficult to shop in Japanese. Amazon.co.jp offers free delivery to anywhere in Japan for purchases of JPY 1,500 and also cash on delivery payment options.About Amazon.co.jpAmazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language titles, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games. Through Amazon Anywhere™, Amazon's leading mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode and EZweb wireless devices at http://amazon.co.jp. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering. Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.<em>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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign-currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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, 2001, and all subsequent filings. </em>For media inquiries:Amazon.co.jpPR: Kumiko Inayoshi/ Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020 E-mail: press@amazon.co.jpOr contact PR Agent: Publicis K.K.Junko Hara / Momoko SatoTel: 03-3350-8409 E-mail: junko.hara@publicis.co.jpmomoko.sato@publicis.co.jpFor customer inquiries:Amazon.co.jp Customer Service centerE-mail: info@amazon.co.jp--&gt;</p>

Amazon.com Offers the Fifth Harry Potter Book for Immediate Pre-order

/news/news-details/2003/Amazon.com-Offers-the-Fifth-Harry-Potter-Book-for-Immediate-Pre-order/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Offers-the-Fifth-Harry-Potter-Book-for-Immediate-Pre-order

01/15/2003 00:00:00

Amazon.com Offers the Fifth Harry Potter Book for Immediate Pre-order

01/15/2003

2003

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix jumps to No. 1 on Amazon.com's Books Bestseller List Within Two Hours of Becoming Available for Pre-order SEATTLE--Jan. 15, 2003-- Just hours after it was announced that the long-awaited fifth book in J.K. Rowling's spell-binding Harry Potter series will be published on June 21, 2003, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that customers can, effective immediately, place orders for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) to ensure that they receive their copies when the book becomes available. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix has already jumped to No. 1 on Amazon.com's Books bestseller list. Scholastic has not yet set the price for the 255,000-word book, but Amazon.com customers can reserve their copies now. Amazon.com will sell Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at 40 percent off the retail price. More than two years after the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the bestselling Harry Potter series and Amazon.com's largest book pre-order ever, Muggles everywhere can now go to Amazon.com and, without leaving their home or office, ensure that they'll be among the first to receive a copy of this wildly anticipated book when it hits the shelves in June. More than 600,000 Amazon.com customers -- nearly 1.5 times the number of customers who pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) -- have signed up to be notified as soon as the fifth book becomes available for pre-order. "Our customers are loyal and rabid Harry Potter fans, and we are delighted to offer them the simplest, most convenient way to reserve their copies immediately," said Steve Kessel, vice president of Amazon.com's Books, Music, Video and DVD business. "By pre-ordering now, they will be among the first to receive the book when it's released in June, and they will save 40 percent in the process." Highlights of Harry Potter Mania In recent years Harry Potter has dominated Amazon.com's bestseller lists across several categories, and the frenzy shows no signs of waning. Harry Potter sales highlights include: Books: Five Harry Potter books were among Amazon.com's bestselling books of 2001, including two Harry Potter schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them at No. 2; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) at No. 5; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) at No. 12; and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) at No. 14. Pre-order Record: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) was Amazon.com's largest book pre-order in history with over 400,000 worldwide pre-orders -- more than eight times the advance orders placed for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3). Amazon.com accounted for nearly 10 percent of the print run for Book 4. DVD: The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(TM) DVD, which was released on May 28, 2002, hit No. 1 on Amazon.com's DVD bestseller list within an hour of becoming available for pre-order in February 2002 and held the No. 1 spot for 16 weeks and was one of Amazon.com's bestselling DVDs in 2002. VHS: The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(TM) video held the No. 1 spot on Amazon.com's Video bestseller list for 21 weeks after becoming available for pre-order in February 2002. It was also Amazon.com's bestselling video for 2002. Worldwide Holiday Phenomenon: Harry Potter dominated the 2001 and 2002 holiday seasons at Amazon.com, with customers worldwide purchasing over 700,000 Harry Potter books and related products. All the Latest Happenings in Potterville Amazon.com's dedicated Harry Potter store (www.amazon.com/harrypotter) is a one-stop destination for all the latest Harry Potter news, information and merchandise. In addition to pre-ordering Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5), visitors to the store can browse Harry Potter-related products from across Amazon.com's online stores, including those operated with Toysrus.com and Target.com, and stay current on all the latest in Potterville with a calendar of Harry Potter events. For more information, or to arrange an interview with an Amazon.com editor, contact Amazon.com Public Relations at 206/266-7180. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign-currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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 Dec. 31, 2001, and all subsequent filings.

<p><em>Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix jumps to No. 1 on Amazon.com's Books Bestseller List Within Two Hours of Becoming Available for Pre-order</em></p><p>SEATTLE--Jan. 15, 2003-- Just hours after it was announced that the long-awaited fifth book in J.K. Rowling's spell-binding Harry Potter series will be published on June 21, 2003, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that customers can, effective immediately, place orders for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) to ensure that they receive their copies when the book becomes available. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix has already jumped to No. 1 on Amazon.com's Books bestseller list.</p><p>Scholastic has not yet set the price for the 255,000-word book, but Amazon.com customers can reserve their copies now. Amazon.com will sell Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at 40 percent off the retail price.</p><p>More than two years after the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the bestselling Harry Potter series and Amazon.com's largest book pre-order ever, Muggles everywhere can now go to Amazon.com and, without leaving their home or office, ensure that they'll be among the first to receive a copy of this wildly anticipated book when it hits the shelves in June. More than 600,000 Amazon.com customers -- nearly 1.5 times the number of customers who pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) -- have signed up to be notified as soon as the fifth book becomes available for pre-order.</p><p>"Our customers are loyal and rabid Harry Potter fans, and we are delighted to offer them the simplest, most convenient way to reserve their copies immediately," said Steve Kessel, vice president of Amazon.com's Books, Music, Video and DVD business. "By pre-ordering now, they will be among the first to receive the book when it's released in June, and they will save 40 percent in the process."</p><p>Highlights of Harry Potter Mania</p><p>In recent years Harry Potter has dominated Amazon.com's bestseller lists across several categories, and the frenzy shows no signs of waning. Harry Potter sales highlights include:</p><ul><li><p>Books: Five Harry Potter books were among Amazon.com's bestselling books of 2001, including two Harry Potter schoolbooks: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts &amp; Where to Find Them at No. 2; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) at No. 5; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) at No. 12; and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) at No. 14.</p></li><li><p>Pre-order Record: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) was Amazon.com's largest book pre-order in history with over 400,000 worldwide pre-orders -- more than eight times the advance orders placed for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3). Amazon.com accounted for nearly 10 percent of the print run for Book 4.</p></li><li><p>DVD: The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(TM) DVD, which was released on May 28, 2002, hit No. 1 on Amazon.com's DVD bestseller list within an hour of becoming available for pre-order in February 2002 and held the No. 1 spot for 16 weeks and was one of Amazon.com's bestselling DVDs in 2002.</p></li><li><p>VHS: The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(TM) video held the No. 1 spot on Amazon.com's Video bestseller list for 21 weeks after becoming available for pre-order in February 2002. It was also Amazon.com's bestselling video for 2002.</p></li><li><p>Worldwide Holiday Phenomenon: Harry Potter dominated the 2001 and 2002 holiday seasons at Amazon.com, with customers worldwide purchasing over 700,000 Harry Potter books and related products.</p></li></ul><p>All the Latest Happenings in Potterville</p><p>Amazon.com's dedicated Harry Potter store (www.amazon.com/harrypotter) is a one-stop destination for all the latest Harry Potter news, information and merchandise. In addition to pre-ordering Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5), visitors to the store can browse Harry Potter-related products from across Amazon.com's online stores, including those operated with Toysrus.com and Target.com, and stay current on all the latest in Potterville with a calendar of Harry Potter events.</p><p>For more information, or to arrange an interview with an Amazon.com editor, contact Amazon.com Public Relations at 206/266-7180.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online at a great price. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchenware and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo items, toys, baby items and baby registry, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates five international Web sites: www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, strategic alliances and business combinations, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign-currency exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud and Amazon.com Payments, 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 Dec. 31, 2001, and all subsequent filings.</p>

Amazon.com Releases ''Best Of 2004 List''

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Releases-Best-Of-2004-List/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Releases-Best-Of-2004-List

12/31/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Releases ''Best Of 2004 List''

12/31/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 31, 2004--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today released its "Best Of 2004 List" that includes the best selling, most positively reviewed, most wished for, and most favorite gift products as determined by Amazon.com customers in 2004. Best Selling Products The following is a list of the best selling products on Amazon.com in 2004 by total units sold: Books: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book)" by Jon Stewart Music: "Feels Like Home" (Norah Jones) DVD/Video: "Star Wars Trilogy" (Widescreen Edition) Electronics: Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player Home & Garden: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid Health & Personal Care: Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer Computer & Video Games: Grand Theft Auto -- San Andreas (PlayStation2) Tools & Hardware: Porter-Cable CFFN250N Finish & Brad Nailer Combo Kit Apparel & Accessories: UGG(R) Australia 'Classic Short' Boot (Women) Sports & Outdoors: Plastic Curve Baseball (EA) Jewelry & Watches: Sterling Silver Blue Topaz Earrings Beauty: 15-Piece Sampler by Yves Rocher Gourmet Food: Ghirardelli Tower from Wine Country Gift Baskets Most Loved Products The following is a list of products on Amazon.com that were reviewed most positively by customers in 2004: Books: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon Music: "The Way/Solitaire" (Clay Aiken) DVD/Video: "Firefly: The Complete Series" Electronics: Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player Home & Garden: Dyson DC-07 Cyclone Animal Upright Vacuum (Purple) Health & Personal Care: Phillips HeartStart Home Automated External Defibrillator Computer & Video Games: Grand Theft Auto -- San Andreas (PlayStation2) Tools & Hardware: Porter-Cable CFFN250N Finish & Brad Nailer Combo Kit Apparel & Accessories: UGG(R) Australia 'Classic Short' Boot (Women) Sports & Outdoors: The Firm Body Sculpting System Jewelry & Watches: 18k White Gold Certified Round Diamond 4-Prong Stud Earrings Beauty: MiN Solution2 Gourmet Food: Dark Low Carb Chocolate from Ross Chocolates Most Wished For Products The following is a list of products that appeared most often on the Wish Lists of Amazon.com customers in 2004: Books: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book)" by Jon Stewart Music: "Feels Like Home" (Norah Jones) DVD/Video: "Star Wars Trilogy" (Widescreen Edition) Electronics: Apple 4 GB iPod Mini (Silver) Home & Garden: KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer (White) Health & Personal Care: Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer Computer & Video Games: Grand Theft Auto -- San Andreas (PlayStation2) Tools & Hardware: Bessey KBK2440 Cabinet Door Clamp Kit Apparel & Accessories: UGG(R) Australia 'Classic Short' Boot (Women) Sports & Outdoors: Flybar Model 1200 Jewelry & Watches: Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on Satin Cord, 16" by Paris Hilton Beauty: DuWop Lip Venom Gourmet Food: Fireworks Popcorn, 11" Bowl Gift Set Most Popular Gift Products The following is a list of products most frequently purchased as gifts by Amazon.com customers in 2004: Books: "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown Music: "Feels Like Home" (Norah Jones) DVD/Video: "Pirates of the Caribbean -- The Curse of the Black Pearl" Electronics: Apple 4 GB iPod Mini (Silver) Home & Garden: Black & Decker JW200 Lids Off Jar Opener (White) Health & Personal Care: Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer Computer & Video Games: Super Mario Advance 4 -- Super Mario Bros. 3 Tools & Hardware: Strait-Line 64030 Laser Tape Apparel & Accessories: Hue Furry Sock Sports & Outdoors: Eddie Bauer Performance Horseshoe Set Jewelry & Watches: Sterling Silver Blue Topaz Earrings About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. CONTACT:Amazon.com Craig Berman, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 31, 2004--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today released its "Best Of 2004 List" that includes the best selling, most positively reviewed, most wished for, and most favorite gift products as determined by Amazon.com customers in 2004.</p><p>Best Selling Products</p><p>The following is a list of the best selling products on Amazon.com in 2004 by total units sold:</p><ul><li>Books: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book)" by Jon Stewart</li><li>Music: "Feels Like Home" (Norah Jones)</li><li>DVD/Video: "Star Wars Trilogy" (Widescreen Edition)</li><li>Electronics: Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player</li><li>Home &amp; Garden: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid</li><li>Health &amp; Personal Care: Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer</li><li>Computer &amp; Video Games: Grand Theft Auto -- San Andreas (PlayStation2)</li><li>Tools &amp; Hardware: Porter-Cable CFFN250N Finish &amp; Brad Nailer Combo Kit</li><li>Apparel &amp; Accessories: UGG(R) Australia 'Classic Short' Boot (Women)</li><li>Sports &amp; Outdoors: Plastic Curve Baseball (EA)</li><li>Jewelry &amp; Watches: Sterling Silver Blue Topaz Earrings</li><li>Beauty: 15-Piece Sampler by Yves Rocher</li><li>Gourmet Food: Ghirardelli Tower from Wine Country Gift Baskets</li></ul><p>Most Loved Products</p><p>The following is a list of products on Amazon.com that were reviewed most positively by customers in 2004:</p><ul><li>Books: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon</li><li>Music: "The Way/Solitaire" (Clay Aiken)</li><li>DVD/Video: "Firefly: The Complete Series"</li><li>Electronics: Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player</li><li>Home &amp; Garden: Dyson DC-07 Cyclone Animal Upright Vacuum (Purple)</li><li>Health &amp; Personal Care: Phillips HeartStart Home Automated External Defibrillator</li><li>Computer &amp; Video Games: Grand Theft Auto -- San Andreas (PlayStation2)</li><li>Tools &amp; Hardware: Porter-Cable CFFN250N Finish &amp; Brad Nailer Combo Kit</li><li>Apparel &amp; Accessories: UGG(R) Australia 'Classic Short' Boot (Women)</li><li>Sports &amp; Outdoors: The Firm Body Sculpting System</li><li>Jewelry &amp; Watches: 18k White Gold Certified Round Diamond 4-Prong Stud Earrings</li><li>Beauty: MiN Solution2</li><li>Gourmet Food: Dark Low Carb Chocolate from Ross Chocolates</li></ul><p>Most Wished For Products</p><p>The following is a list of products that appeared most often on the Wish Lists of Amazon.com customers in 2004:</p><ul><li>Books: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book)" by Jon Stewart</li><li>Music: "Feels Like Home" (Norah Jones)</li><li>DVD/Video: "Star Wars Trilogy" (Widescreen Edition)</li><li>Electronics: Apple 4 GB iPod Mini (Silver)</li><li>Home &amp; Garden: KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer (White)</li><li>Health &amp; Personal Care: Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer</li><li>Computer &amp; Video Games: Grand Theft Auto -- San Andreas (PlayStation2)</li><li>Tools &amp; Hardware: Bessey KBK2440 Cabinet Door Clamp Kit</li><li>Apparel &amp; Accessories: UGG(R) Australia 'Classic Short' Boot (Women)</li><li>Sports &amp; Outdoors: Flybar Model 1200</li><li>Jewelry &amp; Watches: Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on Satin Cord, 16" by Paris Hilton</li><li>Beauty: DuWop Lip Venom</li><li>Gourmet Food: Fireworks Popcorn, 11" Bowl Gift Set</li></ul><p>Most Popular Gift Products</p><p>The following is a list of products most frequently purchased as gifts by Amazon.com customers in 2004:</p><ul><li>Books: "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown</li><li>Music: "Feels Like Home" (Norah Jones)</li><li>DVD/Video: "Pirates of the Caribbean -- The Curse of the Black Pearl"</li><li>Electronics: Apple 4 GB iPod Mini (Silver)</li><li>Home &amp; Garden: Black &amp; Decker JW200 Lids Off Jar Opener (White)</li><li>Health &amp; Personal Care: Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer</li><li>Computer &amp; Video Games: Super Mario Advance 4 -- Super Mario Bros. 3</li><li>Tools &amp; Hardware: Strait-Line 64030 Laser Tape</li><li>Apparel &amp; Accessories: Hue Furry Sock</li><li>Sports &amp; Outdoors: Eddie Bauer Performance Horseshoe Set</li><li>Jewelry &amp; Watches: Sterling Silver Blue Topaz Earrings</li></ul><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>CONTACT:Amazon.com Craig Berman, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

ADVISORY/Contributions to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Efforts Can Be Made Via Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2004/ADVISORY-Contributions-to-American-Red-Cross-Disaster-Relief-Efforts-Can-Be-Made-Via-Amazon.com/default.aspx

ADVISORY-Contributions-to-American-Red-Cross-Disaster-Relief-Efforts-Can-Be-Made-Via-Amazon.com

12/28/2004 00:00:00

ADVISORY/Contributions to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Efforts Can Be Made Via Amazon.com

12/28/2004

2004

--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WHAT:In response to the largest earthquake to strike the globe since 1964 and subsequent tsunamis that have devastated south Asia and eastern Africa, Amazon.com has established a box on its gateway page where customers can contribute to the international relief efforts.According to the Red Cross, staff and volunteers are being mobilized to assist with immediate needs, and financial support is the best way to support relief efforts. The donation box on Amazon.com is one, easy way for the public to assist the tens of thousands of victims throughout the region.WHY:Amazon.com provides a safe and secure platform where those wishing to help can easily make a financial contribution to the relief efforts. 100% of contributions will be passed on to the Red Cross for use in this specific effort.WHEN:Beginning today, Amazon.com customers and the public can visit Amazon's gateway page to find a box where they can easily make a contribution to the American Red Cross.WHERE:To find this contribution box, go to www.amazon.com. For more information contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206-266-7180. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>--(BUSINESS WIRE)--</p><p>WHAT:In response to the largest earthquake to strike the globe since 1964 and subsequent tsunamis that have devastated south Asia and eastern Africa, Amazon.com has established a box on its gateway page where customers can contribute to the international relief efforts.According to the Red Cross, staff and volunteers are being mobilized to assist with immediate needs, and financial support is the best way to support relief efforts. The donation box on Amazon.com is one, easy way for the public to assist the tens of thousands of victims throughout the region.WHY:Amazon.com provides a safe and secure platform where those wishing to help can easily make a financial contribution to the relief efforts. 100% of contributions will be passed on to the Red Cross for use in this specific effort.WHEN:Beginning today, Amazon.com customers and the public can visit Amazon's gateway page to find a box where they can easily make a contribution to the American Red Cross.WHERE:To find this contribution box, go to www.amazon.com. For more information contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206-266-7180.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

CORRECTING and REPLACING ADVISORY/Contributions to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Efforts Can Be Made Via Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2004/CORRECTING-and-REPLACING-ADVISORY-Contributions-to-American-Red-Cross-Disaster-Relief-Efforts-Can-Be-Made-Via-Amazon.com/default.aspx

CORRECTING-and-REPLACING-ADVISORY-Contributions-to-American-Red-Cross-Disaster-Relief-Efforts-Can-Be-Made-Via-Amazon.com

12/28/2004 00:00:00

CORRECTING and REPLACING ADVISORY/Contributions to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Efforts Can Be Made Via Amazon.com

12/28/2004

2004

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In BW5227 issued Dec. 28, 2004: In the fourth graph, first sentence of release should read: ...public can visit Amazon's gateway page to find a box...(sted public can visit Amazon's gateway page will find a box). Also, in the contact information, the phone number should be: 206-266-7180 (sted 425-829-1767) The corrected release reads: ADVISORY/CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS CAN BE MADE VIA AMAZON.COM WHAT: In response to the largest earthquake to strike the globe since 1964 and subsequent tsunamis that have devastated south Asia and eastern Africa, Amazon.com has established a box on its gateway page where customers can contribute to the international relief efforts. According to the Red Cross, staff and volunteers are being mobilized to assist with immediate needs, and financial support is the best way to support relief efforts. The donation box on Amazon.com is one, easy way for the public to assist the tens of thousands of victims throughout the region. WHY: Amazon.com provides a safe and secure platform where those wishing to help can easily make a financial contribution to the relief efforts. 100% of contributions will be passed on to the Red Cross for use in this specific effort. WHEN: Beginning today, Amazon.com customers and the public can visit Amazon's gateway page to find a box where they can easily make a contribution to the American Red Cross. WHERE: To find this contribution box, go to www.amazon.com. For more information contact: Amazon.com Media Relations, 206-266-7180. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. CONTACT: Amazon.com Craig Berman, 206-266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In BW5227 issued Dec. 28, 2004: In the fourth graph, first sentence of release should read: ...public can visit Amazon's gateway page to find a box...(sted public can visit Amazon's gateway page will find a box).</p><p>Also, in the contact information, the phone number should be: 206-266-7180 (sted 425-829-1767)</p><p>The corrected release reads:</p><p>ADVISORY/CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS CAN BE MADE VIA AMAZON.COM</p><pre> WHAT: In response to the largest earthquake to strike the globe since1964 and subsequent tsunamis that have devastated south Asia andeastern Africa, Amazon.com has established a box on its gateway pagewhere customers can contribute to the international relief efforts. According to the Red Cross, staff and volunteers are beingmobilized to assist with immediate needs, and financial support is thebest way to support relief efforts. The donation box on Amazon.com isone, easy way for the public to assist the tens of thousands ofvictims throughout the region. WHY: Amazon.com provides a safe and secure platform where those wishingto help can easily make a financial contribution to the reliefefforts. 100% of contributions will be passed on to the Red Cross foruse in this specific effort. WHEN: Beginning today, Amazon.com customers and the public can visitAmazon's gateway page to find a box where they can easily make acontribution to the American Red Cross. WHERE: To find this contribution box, go to www.amazon.com. For more information contact: Amazon.com Media Relations,206-266-7180.</pre><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><pre> CONTACT: Amazon.com Craig Berman, 206-266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.com</pre>

Amazon.com's Tenth Holiday Season is Best Ever; Consumer Electronics is Biggest Category for the First Time in Company's History

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.coms-Tenth-Holiday-Season-is-Best-Ever-Consumer-Electronics-is-Biggest-Category-for-the-First-Time-in-Companys-History/default.aspx

Amazon.coms-Tenth-Holiday-Season-is-Best-Ever-Consumer-Electronics-is-Biggest-Category-for-the-First-Time-in-Companys-History

12/27/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com's Tenth Holiday Season is Best Ever; Consumer Electronics is Biggest Category for the First Time in Company's History

12/27/2004

2004

SEATTLE--Dec. 27, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced it has finished its busiest holiday season ever during which time it set a single-day record with more than 2.8 million units ordered, or 32 items per second, worldwide. Additionally, even while its books business set a new Thanksgiving Weekend record, consumer electronics sales surpassed book sales on www.amazon.com that weekend and was Amazon's largest sales category for the first time. "We are extremely grateful to our customers," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "On behalf of Amazon.com employees around the globe, we wish everyone happy holidays and best wishes for the coming year." Worldwide 2004 Holiday Facts (includes www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com). On the peak day this season, Amazon's worldwide fulfillment network shipped over two million units. Amazon.com shipped to 217 countries and delivered over 100,000 shipments to overseas US military personnel at APO/FPO addresses. More than half a million gift certificates were ordered between November 25th and December 24th 2004. Amazon.com shipped more than 99 percent of orders in time to meet holiday deadlines worldwide. One of Amazon.com's most remote shipments was the CD "The Mountain" (Del McCoury and Steve Earle) to Arctic Village, Alaska. Amazon.com 2004 Holiday Facts (www.amazon.com only) The "Holiday Shoppers" feature, which tracked the estimated number of visitors at Amazon.com during the prior 60 minutes, topped 700,000. The Jewelry & Watches store sold more than one watch per minute since November 25. The Music store broke a new sales record, selling more than one million units per week for two consecutive weeks in December. The DVD category capped off the year by breaking the one week order record (for the week ending December 12), and by setting a single title one day order record of over 13,000 units of "Lord of the Rings, Return of the King Extended Edition" on December 14. The last order placed on December 23rd in time for Christmas delivery contained "Is This It" by The Strokes and Yu-Gi-Oh!-The Movie. It was delivered to Sammamish, Washington on December 24th. Compared with 2003, the standard shipping deadline was extended two days from December 18 to December 20. Amazon.com's hot holiday sellers November 25, 2004 through December 23, 2004 (based on units ordered) In Home & Garden, kitchen items topped the list this year. The Black & Decker Lids Off Jar Opener, the Hamilton Beach Waffle Stix Waffle Maker and Riedel O Cabernet/Merlot Wine Tumblers were the three top sellers in the store. Cookware was also very popular, with classic pans from Calphalon, the Casa Moda "S'mores" Maker, and George Foreman grills being among the best sellers. In Gourmet Food, Harry & David's Christmas Classic Tower of Treats and the Ghirardelli Tower were again the most popular gift baskets. See's Candies Gold Truffle Box and Godiva's Holiday Gold Coin Bag were top selling chocolate gifts. Other popular items included the Kona Coffee Sampler and Cranberry Fool unique cranberry sauce. In Sports & Outdoors, flashlights, poker chips and exercise equipment (including full-sized treadmills, home gyms, yoga and pilates gear, and the Ab Lounge 2) were the hottest items this season. The Flybar 1200, a high-tech pogo stick sold exclusively on Amazon.com, was so popular that Amazon.com fulfillment centers scrambled to keep up with customer demand. Other areas that did exceedingly well were golf, fan gear for every sport, and, surprisingly, SCUBA and snorkel gear. Top sellers in Computer & Video Games were Halo 2 (Xbox), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Playstation 2) and the Incredibles (Gameboy Advance). The Sims 2 and Half-Life 2 were the top selling games for PCs. In Health & Personal Care, the ever popular nose hair groomers, shavers and electric toothbrushes were the top sellers. A surprising top seller this holiday was the new Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator, which is the first defibrillator cleared for over-the-counter sale. Tools & Hardware top sellers were the Black & Decker 25' Auto Tape Measure, the Strait-Line Intersect Laser Level, the Porter-Cable Finish & Brad Nailer Combo Kit, and the Toro Electric Power Shovel Plus. The top selling books this holiday season were "America (the book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" by Jon Stewart, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom - which also topped the list in 2003, and "Chronicles Vol. 1" by Bob Dylan. In Music, the hottest sellers were U2's "How to Dismantle an Atom Bomb," Clay Aiken's "Merry Christmas with Love," Nirvana's box set "With the Lights Out," Allison Krauss and Union Station's "Lonely Runs Both Ways," Rod Stewart's "Stardust...The Great American Songbook Volume III," Green Day's "American Idiot," Josh Groban's "Live at the Greek," and Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company." In the DVD/Video category, it was the season of multi-disc sets as the "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition," "Seinfeld" Seasons 1-3 and the "Star Wars Trilogy" led the top sellers. This holiday season also proved that there is strength in sequels as "Shrek 2," "Spider-Man 2," and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" all finished in the top 10. In Beauty, the most popular products this season were samplers from Yves Rocher and Caswell Massey, Curious Britney Spears perfume, and Philosophy's The Gingerbread House. LUSH Bath Bombs have also been a regular favorite. The top selling electronics products this year were the Apple 20GB iPod, the Apple 4GB Silver Mini iPod, the Phillips DVP642 DivX Progressive Scan DVD player, the iTunes $15 prepaid Card and the Canon PowerShot SD 110 3MP Digital Elph camera. Diamonds of all sizes were popular in earrings, pendants and bracelets. Other top selling jewelry items include Sterling Silver Blue Topaz Earrings, Paris Hilton's Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on a Satin Cord (16 inch), Paris Hilton's Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Star Hoop Earrings, and a Floating Heart Pendant with Diamond. In apparel, comfort was king. The Ugg(R) Australia Classic Short Boot, Land's End Women's Regular Flex Fleece Clog Slippers, and the Carole Hochman Fleece Pajama Set were all hot sellers. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--Dec. 27, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced it has finished its busiest holiday season ever during which time it set a single-day record with more than 2.8 million units ordered, or 32 items per second, worldwide. Additionally, even while its books business set a new Thanksgiving Weekend record, consumer electronics sales surpassed book sales on www.amazon.com that weekend and was Amazon's largest sales category for the first time.</p><p>"We are extremely grateful to our customers," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "On behalf of Amazon.com employees around the globe, we wish everyone happy holidays and best wishes for the coming year."</p><p>Worldwide 2004 Holiday Facts</p><p>(includes www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com).</p><ul><li>On the peak day this season, Amazon's worldwide fulfillment network shipped over two million units.</li><li>Amazon.com shipped to 217 countries and delivered over 100,000 shipments to overseas US military personnel at APO/FPO addresses.</li><li>More than half a million gift certificates were ordered between November 25th and December 24th 2004.</li><li>Amazon.com shipped more than 99 percent of orders in time to meet holiday deadlines worldwide.</li><li>One of Amazon.com's most remote shipments was the CD "The Mountain" (Del McCoury and Steve Earle) to Arctic Village, Alaska.</li></ul><p>Amazon.com 2004 Holiday Facts (www.amazon.com only)</p><ul><li>The "Holiday Shoppers" feature, which tracked the estimated number of visitors at Amazon.com during the prior 60 minutes, topped 700,000.</li><li>The Jewelry &amp; Watches store sold more than one watch per minute since November 25.</li><li>The Music store broke a new sales record, selling more than one million units per week for two consecutive weeks in December.</li><li>The DVD category capped off the year by breaking the one week order record (for the week ending December 12), and by setting a single title one day order record of over 13,000 units of "Lord of the Rings, Return of the King Extended Edition" on December 14.</li><li>The last order placed on December 23rd in time for Christmas delivery contained "Is This It" by The Strokes and Yu-Gi-Oh!-The Movie. It was delivered to Sammamish, Washington on December 24th.</li><li>Compared with 2003, the standard shipping deadline was extended two days from December 18 to December 20.</li></ul><p>Amazon.com's hot holiday sellers November 25, 2004 through December 23, 2004 (based on units ordered)</p><ul><li>In Home &amp; Garden, kitchen items topped the list this year. The Black &amp; Decker Lids Off Jar Opener, the Hamilton Beach Waffle Stix Waffle Maker and Riedel O Cabernet/Merlot Wine Tumblers were the three top sellers in the store. Cookware was also very popular, with classic pans from Calphalon, the Casa Moda "S'mores" Maker, and George Foreman grills being among the best sellers.</li><li>In Gourmet Food, Harry &amp; David's Christmas Classic Tower of Treats and the Ghirardelli Tower were again the most popular gift baskets. See's Candies Gold Truffle Box and Godiva's Holiday Gold Coin Bag were top selling chocolate gifts. Other popular items included the Kona Coffee Sampler and Cranberry Fool unique cranberry sauce.</li><li>In Sports &amp; Outdoors, flashlights, poker chips and exercise equipment (including full-sized treadmills, home gyms, yoga and pilates gear, and the Ab Lounge 2) were the hottest items this season. The Flybar 1200, a high-tech pogo stick sold exclusively on Amazon.com, was so popular that Amazon.com fulfillment centers scrambled to keep up with customer demand. Other areas that did exceedingly well were golf, fan gear for every sport, and, surprisingly, SCUBA and snorkel gear.</li><li>Top sellers in Computer &amp; Video Games were Halo 2 (Xbox), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Playstation 2) and the Incredibles (Gameboy Advance). The Sims 2 and Half-Life 2 were the top selling games for PCs.</li><li>In Health &amp; Personal Care, the ever popular nose hair groomers, shavers and electric toothbrushes were the top sellers. A surprising top seller this holiday was the new Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator, which is the first defibrillator cleared for over-the-counter sale.</li><li>Tools &amp; Hardware top sellers were the Black &amp; Decker 25' Auto Tape Measure, the Strait-Line Intersect Laser Level, the Porter-Cable Finish &amp; Brad Nailer Combo Kit, and the Toro Electric Power Shovel Plus.</li><li>The top selling books this holiday season were "America (the book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" by Jon Stewart, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom - which also topped the list in 2003, and "Chronicles Vol. 1" by Bob Dylan.</li><li>In Music, the hottest sellers were U2's "How to Dismantle an Atom Bomb," Clay Aiken's "Merry Christmas with Love," Nirvana's box set "With the Lights Out," Allison Krauss and Union Station's "Lonely Runs Both Ways," Rod Stewart's "Stardust...The Great American Songbook Volume III," Green Day's "American Idiot," Josh Groban's "Live at the Greek," and Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company."</li><li>In the DVD/Video category, it was the season of multi-disc sets as the "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Extended Edition," "Seinfeld" Seasons 1-3 and the "Star Wars Trilogy" led the top sellers. This holiday season also proved that there is strength in sequels as "Shrek 2," "Spider-Man 2," and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" all finished in the top 10.</li><li>In Beauty, the most popular products this season were samplers from Yves Rocher and Caswell Massey, Curious Britney Spears perfume, and Philosophy's The Gingerbread House. LUSH Bath Bombs have also been a regular favorite.</li><li>The top selling electronics products this year were the Apple 20GB iPod, the Apple 4GB Silver Mini iPod, the Phillips DVP642 DivX Progressive Scan DVD player, the iTunes $15 prepaid Card and the Canon PowerShot SD 110 3MP Digital Elph camera.</li><li>Diamonds of all sizes were popular in earrings, pendants and bracelets. Other top selling jewelry items include Sterling Silver Blue Topaz Earrings, Paris Hilton's Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on a Satin Cord (16 inch), Paris Hilton's Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Star Hoop Earrings, and a Floating Heart Pendant with Diamond.</li><li>In apparel, comfort was king. The Ugg(R) Australia Classic Short Boot, Land's End Women's Regular Flex Fleece Clog Slippers, and the Carole Hochman Fleece Pajama Set were all hot sellers.</li></ul><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</p>

Amazon.de: Amazon.com's Tenth Holiday Season Is Best Ever

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.de-Amazon.coms-Tenth-Holiday-Season-Is-Best-Ever/default.aspx

Amazon.de-Amazon.coms-Tenth-Holiday-Season-Is-Best-Ever

12/27/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.de: Amazon.com's Tenth Holiday Season Is Best Ever

12/27/2004

2004

Consumer Electronics is Biggest Category for the First Time in Company's History - on Amazon.de and Amazon.com Amazon.com set a single-day record with more than 2,8 million units ordered worldwide SEATTLE/MUNICH, Dec. 27, 2004 - Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it has finished its busiest holiday season ever during which time it set a single-day record with more than 2.8 million units ordered, or 32 items per second, worldwide. Additionally, for the first time ever, consumer electronics sales surpassed book sales and became Amazon's largest sales category on www.amazon.com on Thanksgiving weekend and on www.amazon.de on the last weekend before the holidays - even while its books business set new records on the respective weekends. "We are extremely grateful to our customers," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "On behalf of Amazon.com employees around the globe, we wish everyone happy holidays and best wishes for the coming year." Worldwide 2004 Holiday Facts(includes www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com). On the peak day this season, Amazon's worldwide fulfilment network shipped over two million units. Amazon.com shipped to 217 countries. More than half a million gift certificates were ordered between November 25th and December 24th 2004. Amazon.com shipped more than 99 percent of orders in time to meet holiday deadlines worldwide. Amazon.de 2004 Holiday Facts (www.amazon.de only) Over 37 kilometers of gift wrap and 47 kilometers ribbon were used on customer orders this Christmas. Many Christmas presents ordered at Amazon.de this holiday season had to travel a long way: destinations include Thailand (Muang, Phuket), Japan (Nagoya, Aichi), China (Beijing) and Mongolia (Ulan Bator). Happy gift receivers can look forward to books from the SZ library, calendars with romantic landscapes of Germany, the Comic Tim + Struppi at Congo and the Langenscheidt German language dictionary. In its new Toys & Kinderwelt shop, Amazon.de sold products from more than 250 brands in the past three months - among the most popular brands were Schmidt Spiele, Ravensburger, Mattel and Lego. Helping to understand women: The most unexpected success this year in the German books market definitely was Langenscheidt Deutsch-Frau / Frau-Deutsch - the dictionary for German-Women/Women-German sold more than 30,000 times in the pre-Christmas time! In total, Amazon.de sold over 140,000 copies of the Lord of the Rings DVD box sets that were published on December 10, 2004 before Christmas: this includes Der Herr der Ringe - Die Rückkehr des Königs (Special Extended Edition, 4 DVDs), Der Herr der Ringe - Die Rückkehr des Königs (Sammlerbox, 5 DVDs) and Der Herr der Ringe - Die Spielfilm Trilogie (Extended Versions, 12 DVDs) All books orders of customers this holiday season have been shipped free of charge. Amazon.de started the new service in October and is now sending all books, audio books and calendars free of charge. "With our new express shipping option, we're happy we've been able to offer our customers an additional shopping day at Amazon.de where they could be sure to receive their presents in time for Christmas Eve. And many of our customers took advantage of our newly added product categories Home & Garden and Toys & Kinderwelt and we'll make sure to keep adding selection for our customers in the future," said Ralf Kleber, Managing Director of Amazon.de. Amazon.de's last minute orders (before cut off date for Express shipping on December 22, 2004, across all product categories; based on items.)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />  # Product Category 1 Der Herr der Ringe - Die Spielfilm Trilogie (Extended Versions, 12 DVDs) DVD 2 Der Herr der Ringe - Die Rückkehr des Königs (Special Extended Edition, 4 DVDs) DVD 3 Philips HD 7810/60 Kaffeeautomat Senseo II schwarz Küche, Haus & Garten 4 maxfield G-Flash Tragbarer MP3-Player 1 GB silber Elektronik & Foto 5 Creative Jukebox Zen Touch Tragbarer WMA-MP3-Player 20GB Elektronik & Foto 6 Canon Digital IXUS 40 Digitalkamera (4 Megapixel) Elektronik & Foto 7 Samsung Samtron 73V 17 Zoll TFT-Monitor silber Elektronik & Foto 8 Apple iPod Tragbarer MP3-Player 20GB (4. Generation) Elektronik & Foto 9 Pioneer DVR-520 H-S DVD-Festplatten-Rekorder mit 80 GB silber Elektronik & Foto 10 Sony DSC-W1 Cyber-shot Digitalkamera (5,1 Megapixel) Elektronik & Foto About Amazon.de Amazon.de opened its virtual doors in October 1998. Amazon strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.de and sellers list millions of new and used items in categories such as books, CDs, videos and DVDs as well as products for home and garden, consumer electronics and photos, toys, PC and video games, software and computer supplies. Through Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions, any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.de's millions of customers. Amazon.de offers its customers payment by invoice, a secure credit card payment option, personalized recommendations, and a time saving ordering process using 1-ClickTM technology. Through Amazon Mobil, Amazon.de is accessible via WAP technology at www.amazon.de/mobil. Austrian customers can access the full range of products via www.amazon.at. www.amazon.de is one of seven websites operated by Amazon affiliates; the others are www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com. Amazon.de is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., Amazon Services Europe S.a.r.l. and Amazon.de GmbH, which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) located in Seattle, Wash. As used herein, "Amazon.com, "Amazon.de", "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. For further information: Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Mobil: 0170/4039430Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.de häberlein & mauerer agagentur für public relationsSusanne LarbigFranz-Joseph-Straße 180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: susanne.larbig@haebmau.de

<ul><li>Consumer Electronics is Biggest Category for the First Time in Company's History - on Amazon.de and Amazon.com</li><li>Amazon.com set a single-day record with more than 2,8 million units ordered worldwide</li></ul><p>SEATTLE/MUNICH, Dec. 27, 2004 - Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it has finished its busiest holiday season ever during which time it set a single-day record with more than 2.8 million units ordered, or 32 items per second, worldwide. Additionally, for the first time ever, consumer electronics sales surpassed book sales and became Amazon's largest sales category on www.amazon.com on Thanksgiving weekend and on www.amazon.de on the last weekend before the holidays - even while its books business set new records on the respective weekends.</p><p>"We are extremely grateful to our customers," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "On behalf of Amazon.com employees around the globe, we wish everyone happy holidays and best wishes for the coming year."</p><p>Worldwide 2004 Holiday Facts(includes www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com).</p><ul><li>On the peak day this season, Amazon's worldwide fulfilment network shipped over two million units.</li><li>Amazon.com shipped to 217 countries.</li><li>More than half a million gift certificates were ordered between November 25th and December 24th 2004.</li><li>Amazon.com shipped more than 99 percent of orders in time to meet holiday deadlines worldwide.</li></ul><p>Amazon.de 2004 Holiday Facts (www.amazon.de only)</p><ul><li>Over 37 kilometers of gift wrap and 47 kilometers ribbon were used on customer orders this Christmas.</li><li>Many Christmas presents ordered at Amazon.de this holiday season had to travel a long way: destinations include Thailand (Muang, Phuket), Japan (Nagoya, Aichi), China (Beijing) and Mongolia (Ulan Bator). Happy gift receivers can look forward to books from the SZ library, calendars with romantic landscapes of Germany, the Comic Tim + Struppi at Congo and the Langenscheidt German language dictionary.</li><li>In its new Toys &amp; Kinderwelt shop, Amazon.de sold products from more than 250 brands in the past three months - among the most popular brands were Schmidt Spiele, Ravensburger, Mattel and Lego.</li><li>Helping to understand women: The most unexpected success this year in the German books market definitely was Langenscheidt Deutsch-Frau / Frau-Deutsch - the dictionary for German-Women/Women-German sold more than 30,000 times in the pre-Christmas time!</li><li>In total, Amazon.de sold over 140,000 copies of the Lord of the Rings DVD box sets that were published on December 10, 2004 before Christmas: this includes Der Herr der Ringe - Die Rückkehr des Königs (Special Extended Edition, 4 DVDs), Der Herr der Ringe - Die Rückkehr des Königs (Sammlerbox, 5 DVDs) and Der Herr der Ringe - Die Spielfilm Trilogie (Extended Versions, 12 DVDs)</li><li>All books orders of customers this holiday season have been shipped free of charge. Amazon.de started the new service in October and is now sending all books, audio books and calendars free of charge.</li></ul><p>"With our new express shipping option, we're happy we've been able to offer our customers an additional shopping day at Amazon.de where they could be sure to receive their presents in time for Christmas Eve. And many of our customers took advantage of our newly added product categories Home &amp; Garden and Toys &amp; Kinderwelt and we'll make sure to keep adding selection for our customers in the future," said Ralf Kleber, Managing Director of Amazon.de.</p><p>Amazon.de's last minute orders (before cut off date for Express shipping on December 22, 2004, across all product categories; based on items.)&lt;?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /&gt; </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>Product</p></td><td><p>Category</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p><em>Der Herr der Ringe - Die Spielfilm Trilogie </em>(Extended Versions, 12 DVDs)</p></td><td><p>DVD</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2</p></td><td><p><em>Der Herr der Ringe - Die Rückkehr des Königs </em>(Special Extended Edition, 4 DVDs)</p></td><td><p>DVD</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>3</p></td><td><p><em>Philips HD 7810/60 Kaffeeautomat Senseo II schwarz</em></p></td><td><p>Küche, Haus &amp; Garten</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4</p></td><td><p><em>maxfield G-Flash Tragbarer MP3-Player 1 GB silber</em></p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>5</p></td><td><p><em>Creative Jukebox Zen Touch Tragbarer WMA-MP3-Player 20GB</em></p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>6</p></td><td><p><em>Canon Digital IXUS 40 Digitalkamera </em>(4 Megapixel)</p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>7</p></td><td><p><em>Samsung Samtron 73V 17 Zoll TFT-Monitor silber</em></p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>8</p></td><td><p><em>Apple iPod Tragbarer MP3-Player 20GB </em>(4. Generation)</p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>9</p></td><td><p><em>Pioneer DVR-520 H-S DVD-Festplatten-Rekorder mit 80 GB silber</em></p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10</p></td><td><p><em>Sony DSC-W1 Cyber-shot Digitalkamera (5,1 Megapixel)</em></p></td><td><p>Elektronik &amp; Foto</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>About Amazon.de</p><p>Amazon.de opened its virtual doors in October 1998. Amazon strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.de and sellers list millions of new and used items in categories such as books, CDs, videos and DVDs as well as products for home and garden, consumer electronics and photos, toys, PC and video games, software and computer supplies. Through Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions, any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.de's millions of customers. Amazon.de offers its customers payment by invoice, a secure credit card payment option, personalized recommendations, and a time saving ordering process using 1-ClickTM technology. Through Amazon Mobil, Amazon.de is accessible via WAP technology at www.amazon.de/mobil. Austrian customers can access the full range of products via www.amazon.at.</p><p>www.amazon.de is one of seven websites operated by Amazon affiliates; the others are www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com. Amazon.de is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., Amazon Services Europe S.a.r.l. and Amazon.de GmbH, which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) located in Seattle, Wash.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com, "Amazon.de", "we", "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>For further information:</p><p>Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Mobil: 0170/4039430Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.de</p><p>häberlein &amp; mauerer agagentur für public relationsSusanne LarbigFranz-Joseph-Straße 180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: susanne.larbig@haebmau.de</p>

Leading Online Retailer Amazon.ca Reports Busiest Holiday Season Ever

/news/news-details/2004/Leading-Online-Retailer-Amazon.ca-Reports-Busiest-Holiday-Season-Ever/default.aspx

Leading-Online-Retailer-Amazon.ca-Reports-Busiest-Holiday-Season-Ever

12/27/2004 00:00:00

Leading Online Retailer Amazon.ca Reports Busiest Holiday Season Ever

12/27/2004

2004

SEATTLE - December 27, 2004 - Leading online retailer Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) today announced it has finished its busiest holiday season ever. "More than ever, Canadians embraced online shopping this holiday season - taking advantage of Amazon.ca's convenience, low prices, vast selection and reliability," said Sarah Jane Gunter, manager, Amazon.ca. "We want to thank all of our Canadian customers for trusting us with their holiday gifts this year and making it our busiest holiday season yet." The last holiday order was placed on the site shortly before midnight on December 21, 2004. The order contained Microsoft Encarta Standard 2005 and was shipped to Montreal, Quebec, in time for delivery on Wednesday, December 23. Customers purchased more than 6,000 gift certificates between November 1 and December 23. Amazon.ca exported holiday gifts to destinations all over the world including Afghanistan, Australia, Christmas Island, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Mongolia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, and more. Within Canada, Amazon.ca shipped packages as far north as Cambridge Bay, Sachs Harbor, Igloolik, and Grise Fjord. This holiday season, Amazon.ca customers also enjoyed the Amazon.ca Holiday A-List - a star-studded online event created in collaboration with a host of global celebrities and homegrown Canadian talent as a gift to Amazon.ca customers. Throughout the holiday season, Amazon.ca visitors found exclusive, never-before-seen or heard content from celebrities such as Pierre Berton, Ray Charles, Snoop Dog, k.d. lang, Jason Priestley, Paul McCartney, David Suzuki, and many more. Holiday Trends and Top Sellers Lots of Canadians found The Da Vinci Code under the tree this year, with the new The Da Vinci Code: The Special Illustrated Edition and The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, both among Amazon.ca's top selling books this holiday season - along with Angels & Demons (Dan Brown), and Jon Stewart's The Daily Show with Jon Steward Presents America (The Book): A Citizens Guide to Democracy Inaction. In music, Canada's own Shania Twain and Barenaked Ladies were customer favorites, and blockbuster new releases such as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban topped Amazon.ca's DVD sales charts. Amazon.ca's top five selling items in each category (based on units ordered since November 1, 2004) were: Books 1. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, by Jon Stewart2. The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition, by Dan Brown3. Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head, by Craig and Marc Kielburger4. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown5. Angels & Demons, by Dan BrownMusic1. Greatest Hits, by Shania Twain2. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, by U23. Barenaked for the Holidays, by Barenaked Ladies4. With the Lights Out (Nirvana Box Set)5. 219 Days by Kalan Porter (Canadian Idol 2 Winner)DVD1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Special Extended Edition (4 discs)2. The Lord of the Rings: Special Extended Edition Trilogy (12 discs)3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban4. Seinfeld Vol. 1 (Seasons 1 and 2)5. Shrek 2Video1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban2. Shrek 23. Dora The Explorer: Christmas4. Alice in Wonderland5. Love ActuallyVideo Games1. Halo 22. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas3. Halo 2 Limited Edition4. World of Warcraft5. Nintendo DsSoftware1. World of Warcraft Collector's Edition2. Half Life 2 Collector's Edition3. Nancy Drew - The Curse of Blackmoor Manor4. Katamari Damashi5. I Spy Fantasy  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. Amazon.ca is the trading name of Amazon.com.ca, Inc., an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. 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. To arrange an interview with an Amazon.ca representative, please contact: Victoria KirkNational Public Relations416.848.1419

<p>SEATTLE - December 27, 2004 - Leading online retailer Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) today announced it has finished its busiest holiday season ever.</p><p>"More than ever, Canadians embraced online shopping this holiday season - taking advantage of Amazon.ca's convenience, low prices, vast selection and reliability," said Sarah Jane Gunter, manager, Amazon.ca. "We want to thank all of our Canadian customers for trusting us with their holiday gifts this year and making it our busiest holiday season yet."</p><ul><li>The last holiday order was placed on the site shortly before midnight on December 21, 2004. The order contained Microsoft Encarta Standard 2005 and was shipped to Montreal, Quebec, in time for delivery on Wednesday, December 23.</li><li>Customers purchased more than 6,000 gift certificates between November 1 and December 23.</li><li>Amazon.ca exported holiday gifts to destinations all over the world including Afghanistan, Australia, Christmas Island, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Mongolia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, and more. Within Canada, Amazon.ca shipped packages as far north as Cambridge Bay, Sachs Harbor, Igloolik, and Grise Fjord.</li><li>This holiday season, Amazon.ca customers also enjoyed the Amazon.ca Holiday A-List - a star-studded online event created in collaboration with a host of global celebrities and homegrown Canadian talent as a gift to Amazon.ca customers. Throughout the holiday season, Amazon.ca visitors found exclusive, never-before-seen or heard content from celebrities such as Pierre Berton, Ray Charles, Snoop Dog, k.d. lang, Jason Priestley, Paul McCartney, David Suzuki, and many more.</li></ul><p>Holiday Trends and Top Sellers</p><p>Lots of Canadians found The Da Vinci Code under the tree this year, with the new The Da Vinci Code: The Special Illustrated Edition and The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, both among Amazon.ca's top selling books this holiday season - along with Angels &amp; Demons (Dan Brown), and Jon Stewart's The Daily Show with Jon Steward Presents America (The Book): A Citizens Guide to Democracy Inaction. In music, Canada's own Shania Twain and Barenaked Ladies were customer favorites, and blockbuster new releases such as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban topped Amazon.ca's DVD sales charts. Amazon.ca's top five selling items in each category (based on units ordered since November 1, 2004) were:</p><p>Books</p><p>1. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, by Jon Stewart2. The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition, by Dan Brown3. Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head, by Craig and Marc Kielburger4. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown5. Angels &amp; Demons, by Dan BrownMusic1. Greatest Hits, by Shania Twain2. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, by U23. Barenaked for the Holidays, by Barenaked Ladies4. With the Lights Out (Nirvana Box Set)5. 219 Days by Kalan Porter (Canadian Idol 2 Winner)DVD1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Special Extended Edition (4 discs)2. The Lord of the Rings: Special Extended Edition Trilogy (12 discs)3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban4. Seinfeld Vol. 1 (Seasons 1 and 2)5. Shrek 2Video1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban2. Shrek 23. Dora The Explorer: Christmas4. Alice in Wonderland5. Love ActuallyVideo Games1. Halo 22. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas3. Halo 2 Limited Edition4. World of Warcraft5. Nintendo DsSoftware1. World of Warcraft Collector's Edition2. Half Life 2 Collector's Edition3. Nancy Drew - The Curse of Blackmoor Manor4. Katamari Damashi5. I Spy Fantasy </p><p>About Amazon.ca</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Amazon.ca is the trading name of Amazon.com.ca, Inc., an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc.</p><p>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.</p><p>To arrange an interview with an Amazon.ca representative, please contact:</p><p>Victoria KirkNational Public Relations416.848.1419</p>

AMAZON.CO.UK WRAPS UP ITS SEVENTH CHRISTMAS WITH IT'S BUSIEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER!

/news/news-details/2004/AMAZON.CO.UK-WRAPS-UP-ITS-SEVENTH-CHRISTMAS-WITH-ITS-BUSIEST-HOLIDAY-SEASON-EVER/default.aspx

AMAZON.CO.UK-WRAPS-UP-ITS-SEVENTH-CHRISTMAS-WITH-ITS-BUSIEST-HOLIDAY-SEASON-EVER

12/27/2004 00:00:00

AMAZON.CO.UK WRAPS UP ITS SEVENTH CHRISTMAS WITH IT'S BUSIEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER!

12/27/2004

2004

AMAZON.CO.UK WRAPS UP ITS SEVENTH CHRISTMAS WITH ITS BUSIEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER! This Christmas, Amazon.co.uk experienced its biggest shipment day ever, when it dispatched more than 400,000 items in a single day. Amazon.co.uk shipped well over 99 percent of holiday orders in time for Christmas. Over 85 miles of gift wrap and ribbon was used on customers orders this Christmas. Amazon.co.uk customers have been taking advantage of free super saver delivery for qualifying UK orders over £19. In 2004 Amazon.co.uk launched two new stores on the site; DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors, in addition to offering a DVD rental service for UK customers. We are delighted that more and more customers have been able to take advantage of Amazon.co.uk's unparalleled selection and low prices this Christmas Amazon.co.uk's hot Christmas sellers by category (based on sales from November 1 2004 to December 22). Electronics & Photo1. Starlogic Multi-region 2.1 DVD Player £29.992. Sagem myX-1 - Vodafone Pay As You Go Mobile Phone £19.993. Bytestor USB 2.0 Pen Drive 256MB (also available in 128MB/512MB) £21.994. Olympus C-310Z Digital Camera (3MP, 3x Optical Zoom) £99.995. Creative Zen Touch 20GB MP3 Player £169.996. Bytestor Hi-Speed SD Memory Card 256MB £21.997. Starlogic Multi-region 5.1 Home Cinema System £49.998. Sony DVP-NS355 Multi-region DVD Player £62.559. Alba - DVD65 - Multi-region Slimline DVD Player £32.9910. BenQ CDR-80 (52x) 100pk Recordable CDs £9.99 Kitchen & Home1. Rival PP25 Popcorn Popper £13.262. Panasonic SD253 Breadmaker with Nut Dispenser £79.973. Tefal 6532817P Brushed Chrome Avanti Slice (Hi-Speed) Toaster £22.974. Lightning Lever Connoisseur Lever Corkscrew Set with mouse foil cutter & spare worm £19.975. Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 8 Pce Block Set £49.976. Braun FuturPro 2000w Ionic Hairdryer £19.977. Kenwood Concert Smoothie Maker SB256 £34.978. Mastrad ORKA Miracle Mitt Blue Silicone £8.979. Braun MR5550 M HC&BC Multiquick Professional Hand Blender £43.9710. George Foreman 10099 GR30 Big George Variable Temperature Grill £41.97 Books1. Himalaya by Michael Palin £8.002. Flanimals by Ricky Gervais £5.993. Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver £8.004. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown £4.895. Feast: Food That Celebrates Life by Nigella Lawson £15.006. What You Wear Can Change Your Life by Trinny Woodall & Susannah Constantine £8.007. Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman £11.398. The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw by Sheila Hancock £8.999. Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade: How to Survive Life's Smaller Challenges by Guy Browning £6.9910. The Timewaster Letters by Robin Cooper £5.99 Music1. U2: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb £8.492. Robbie Williams: Greatest Hits £8.493. Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol 59 £12.994. Il Divo: Il Divo £8.495. Scissor Sisters: Scissor Sisters £8.996. Keane: Hopes and Fears £8.497. Maroon 5: Songs About Jane £8.498. Various Artists: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason £8.999. Green Day: American Idiot £8.9910. Kylie Minogue: Ultimate Kylie £9.99 DVD1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two Disc Edition)£13.992. Shrek 2: Single Disc Edition £12.993. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) £22.994. Little Britain - Series 1 £11.995. Spider-Man 2 £14.996. Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) £27.997. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Edition Box Set) £43.998. Live Aid [1985] £27.999. Ricky Gervais Live 2 - Politics £14.9910. Ewan McGregor: Long Way Round (Two Disc Set) £11.99 Video1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban £13.492. Shrek 2 [2004]£15.293. Jethro - Off The Wall4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) £15.295. Little Britain - Series 1 £13.496. Calendar Girls [2003] £13.497. Garfield [2004] £11.698. Goodnight Mister Tom [1998] £11.699. Sex And The City - Series 6 £26.9910. Barbie - The Princess and The Pauper14.39 PC & Video Games1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas £29.992. Halo 2 £31.993. Half-Life 2 (DVD ROM)£26.994. Football Manager 2005 (PC)£21.995. The Sims 2 £24.966. Need For Speed Underground 2 (PS2) £26.967. FIFA Football 2005 (PS2)£24.968. Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (PS2)£29.999. WWE Smackdown Vs Raw (PS2)£29.9910. Ratchet & Clank 3 £29.99 Software1. Norton Internet Security 2005 & Ghost 9.0 Bundle £39.992. Microsoft Office 2003 Standard for Student & Teacher Edition 2003 £89.993. Art Attack Digital £9.994. Disney Pixar Finding Nemo: Nemo's Underwater World of Fun £6.995. Adobe Photoshop Elements v3 for PC £62.996. Norton Antivirus 2005 £29.997. Microsoft Autoroute 2005£36.998. BBC Balamory £6.999. Norton Internet Security 2005 Upgrade £26.9910. Greeting Card Factory Deluxe 3 £19.99 Toys & Games1. i-Top £7.972. Cranium £19.943. Large Phlatball £9.994. Cranium Cadoo £14.945. Leapster £49.986. Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary £24.947. My First LeapPad £22.948. Pro. Texas Hold'em Poker In Tin £12.949. Keepy Uppy: The Game £17.4910. Hug & Learn Baby Tad £16.97 For more information contact: 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's affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>AMAZON.CO.UK WRAPS UP ITS SEVENTH CHRISTMAS WITH ITS BUSIEST HOLIDAY SEASON EVER!</p><ul><li>This Christmas, Amazon.co.uk experienced its biggest shipment day ever, when it dispatched more than 400,000 items in a single day.</li><li>Amazon.co.uk shipped well over 99 percent of holiday orders in time for Christmas.</li><li>Over 85 miles of gift wrap and ribbon was used on customers orders this Christmas.</li><li>Amazon.co.uk customers have been taking advantage of free super saver delivery for qualifying UK orders over £19.</li><li>In 2004 Amazon.co.uk launched two new stores on the site; DIY &amp; Tools and Garden &amp; Outdoors, in addition to offering a DVD rental service for UK customers.</li><li>We are delighted that more and more customers have been able to take advantage of Amazon.co.uk's unparalleled selection and low prices this Christmas</li></ul><p>Amazon.co.uk's hot Christmas sellers by category (based on sales from November 1 2004 to December 22).</p><table><tbody><tr><td>Electronics &amp; Photo1. Starlogic Multi-region 2.1 DVD Player £29.992. Sagem myX-1 - Vodafone Pay As You Go Mobile Phone £19.993. Bytestor USB 2.0 Pen Drive 256MB (also available in 128MB/512MB) £21.994. Olympus C-310Z Digital Camera (3MP, 3x Optical Zoom) £99.995. Creative Zen Touch 20GB MP3 Player £169.996. Bytestor Hi-Speed SD Memory Card 256MB £21.997. Starlogic Multi-region 5.1 Home Cinema System £49.998. Sony DVP-NS355 Multi-region DVD Player £62.559. Alba - DVD65 - Multi-region Slimline DVD Player £32.9910. BenQ CDR-80 (52x) 100pk Recordable CDs £9.99</td><td>Kitchen &amp; Home1. Rival PP25 Popcorn Popper £13.262. Panasonic SD253 Breadmaker with Nut Dispenser £79.973. Tefal 6532817P Brushed Chrome Avanti Slice (Hi-Speed) Toaster £22.974. Lightning Lever Connoisseur Lever Corkscrew Set with mouse foil cutter &amp; spare worm £19.975. Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 8 Pce Block Set £49.976. Braun FuturPro 2000w Ionic Hairdryer £19.977. Kenwood Concert Smoothie Maker SB256 £34.978. Mastrad ORKA Miracle Mitt Blue Silicone £8.979. Braun MR5550 M HC&amp;BC Multiquick Professional Hand Blender £43.9710. George Foreman 10099 GR30 Big George Variable Temperature Grill £41.97</td><td>Books1. Himalaya by Michael Palin £8.002. Flanimals by Ricky Gervais £5.993. Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver £8.004. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown £4.895. Feast: Food That Celebrates Life by Nigella Lawson £15.006. What You Wear Can Change Your Life by Trinny Woodall &amp; Susannah Constantine £8.007. Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor &amp; Charley Boorman £11.398. The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw by Sheila Hancock £8.999. Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade: How to Survive Life's Smaller Challenges by Guy Browning £6.9910. The Timewaster Letters by Robin Cooper £5.99</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Music1. U2: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb £8.492. Robbie Williams: Greatest Hits £8.493. Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol 59 £12.994. Il Divo: Il Divo £8.495. Scissor Sisters: Scissor Sisters £8.996. Keane: Hopes and Fears £8.497. Maroon 5: Songs About Jane £8.498. Various Artists: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason £8.999. Green Day: American Idiot £8.9910. Kylie Minogue: Ultimate Kylie £9.99</td><td>DVD1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two Disc Edition)£13.992. Shrek 2: Single Disc Edition £12.993. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) £22.994. Little Britain - Series 1 £11.995. Spider-Man 2 £14.996. Star Wars Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) £27.997. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Edition Box Set) £43.998. Live Aid [1985] £27.999. Ricky Gervais Live 2 - Politics £14.9910. Ewan McGregor: Long Way Round (Two Disc Set) £11.99</td><td>Video1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban £13.492. Shrek 2 [2004]£15.293. Jethro - Off The Wall4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) £15.295. Little Britain - Series 1 £13.496. Calendar Girls [2003] £13.497. Garfield [2004] £11.698. Goodnight Mister Tom [1998] £11.699. Sex And The City - Series 6 £26.9910. Barbie - The Princess and The Pauper14.39</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>PC &amp; Video Games1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas £29.992. Halo 2 £31.993. Half-Life 2 (DVD ROM)£26.994. Football Manager 2005 (PC)£21.995. The Sims 2 £24.966. Need For Speed Underground 2 (PS2) £26.967. FIFA Football 2005 (PS2)£24.968. Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (PS2)£29.999. WWE Smackdown Vs Raw (PS2)£29.9910. Ratchet &amp; Clank 3 £29.99</td><td>Software1. Norton Internet Security 2005 &amp; Ghost 9.0 Bundle £39.992. Microsoft Office 2003 Standard for Student &amp; Teacher Edition 2003 £89.993. Art Attack Digital £9.994. Disney Pixar Finding Nemo: Nemo's Underwater World of Fun £6.995. Adobe Photoshop Elements v3 for PC £62.996. Norton Antivirus 2005 £29.997. Microsoft Autoroute 2005£36.998. BBC Balamory £6.999. Norton Internet Security 2005 Upgrade £26.9910. Greeting Card Factory Deluxe 3 £19.99</td><td>Toys &amp; Games1. i-Top £7.972. Cranium £19.943. Large Phlatball £9.994. Cranium Cadoo £14.945. Leapster £49.986. Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary £24.947. My First LeapPad £22.948. Pro. Texas Hold'em Poker In Tin £12.949. Keepy Uppy: The Game £17.4910. Hug &amp; Learn Baby Tad £16.97</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For more information contact: Amazon.co.uk press office on 020 8636 9280</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk:</p><p>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 &amp; Video Games, Electronics &amp; Photo, Home &amp; Garden, and Toys &amp; 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.</p><p>Amazon.com's affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>Forward looking statement:</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

Amazon.com Offers ``Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' for Immediate Pre-Order; The Sixth Installment in the Harry Potter Series Scheduled for Release on July 16, 2005

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Offers-Harry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince-for-Immediate-Pre-Order-The-Sixth-Installment-in-the-Harry-Potter-Series-Scheduled-for-Release-on-July-16-2005/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Offers-Harry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince-for-Immediate-Pre-Order-The-Sixth-Installment-in-the-Harry-Potter-Series-Scheduled-for-Release-on-July-16-2005

12/21/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Offers ``Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' for Immediate Pre-Order; The Sixth Installment in the Harry Potter Series Scheduled for Release on July 16, 2005

12/21/2004

2004

Customers can Order Now at Amazon.com and Receive a 40% Discount SEATTLE--Dec. 21, 2004-- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) (www.amazon.com) today announced that customers can, effective immediately, place orders for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Book 6) to ensure that they receive their copies when it becomes available. Amazon.com is offering the book to customers for $17.99, a savings of 40 percent. Harry Potter fans have been eagerly awaiting a release date for the sixth Harry Potter book since "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"--the fifth book in the series and Amazon.com's largest pre-order ever--was published in June 2003. Now, Muggles everywhere can go to Amazon.com and, without leaving their home or office, ensure they'll be among the first to receive a copy of this wildly anticipated book when it hits the shelves in July 2005. "Amazon received more than 1.3 million advance orders for 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' worldwide, and we know that customers can't wait to start reading 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,'" said Greg Greeley, vice president of Amazon.com's North American Media Products division. "We are delighted to offer them the simplest, most convenient way to reserve their copies immediately and be among the first to receive the book when it's released in July--as well as save 40 percent in the process." To place an order for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," visit www.amazon.com. To explore Amazon.com's entire selection of Harry Potter products--including books, DVDs, computer and video games, journals and stationery, and more--visit www.amazon.com/harrypotter. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. CONTACT: Amazon.com Media RelationsKristin Mariani/Jani Baker, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Customers can Order Now at Amazon.com and Receive a 40% Discount</p><p>SEATTLE--Dec. 21, 2004-- Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) (www.amazon.com) today announced that customers can, effective immediately, place orders for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Book 6) to ensure that they receive their copies when it becomes available. Amazon.com is offering the book to customers for $17.99, a savings of 40 percent.</p><p>Harry Potter fans have been eagerly awaiting a release date for the sixth Harry Potter book since "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"--the fifth book in the series and Amazon.com's largest pre-order ever--was published in June 2003. Now, Muggles everywhere can go to Amazon.com and, without leaving their home or office, ensure they'll be among the first to receive a copy of this wildly anticipated book when it hits the shelves in July 2005.</p><p>"Amazon received more than 1.3 million advance orders for 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' worldwide, and we know that customers can't wait to start reading 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,'" said Greg Greeley, vice president of Amazon.com's North American Media Products division. "We are delighted to offer them the simplest, most convenient way to reserve their copies immediately and be among the first to receive the book when it's released in July--as well as save 40 percent in the process."</p><p>To place an order for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," visit www.amazon.com. To explore Amazon.com's entire selection of Harry Potter products--including books, DVDs, computer and video games, journals and stationery, and more--visit www.amazon.com/harrypotter.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>CONTACT: Amazon.com Media RelationsKristin Mariani/Jani Baker, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

IMDB.com Unveils The Year's Top 25 Movie Stars

/news/news-details/2004/IMDB.com-Unveils-The-Years-Top-25-Movie-Stars/default.aspx

IMDB.com-Unveils-The-Years-Top-25-Movie-Stars

12/21/2004 00:00:00

IMDB.com Unveils The Year's Top 25 Movie Stars

12/21/2004

2004

Johnny Depp Tops IMDb.com 2004 STARmeter™—Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, and Angelina Jolie Also Among Top Five SEATTLE – (Business Wire) – December 21, 2004 – IMDb.com (www.imdb.com), the Earth's biggest movie database, today unveiled the top 25 stars of 2004 as determined by the site's STARmeterTM, which ranks celebrities' popularity among IMDb.com's more than 22 million monthly visitors. Johnny Depp earned the year's top honors, followed by Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, and Angelina Jolie. The full list of the year's top 25 celebrities can be seen at www.imdb.com/starmeter in the site's "Road to the Oscars" section. Available through IMDb.com's subscription service, IMDbPro.com (www.imbdpro.com), the STARmeter ranks celebrities' weekly popularity based on the actual search behavior of the more than 22 million industry professionals and film enthusiasts that use IMDb.com each month. The STARmeter does not reflect box-office performance or critical assessments. The list of the year's top 25 celebrities is an aggregate of 2004's weekly STARmeter rankings. "The STARmeter is one of the most popular features among IMDbPro subscribers," said Keith Simanton, managing editor, IMDb.com. "It helps entertainment professionals easily track and gauge the popularity of the more than 1.6 million cast and crew members in IMDb.com's database every week. Our subscribers tell us it's extremely valuable as they are making business and creative decisions, such as casting." To view the complete list and photos of the year's top 25 celebrities, as well as begin tracking the hottest stars leading up to the Oscars, visit www.imdb.com/starmeter. About IMDbPro.com IMDbPro.com is an online subscription service designed to meet the information needs of entertainment and industry professionals, created in response to the overwhelming demand of industry professionals, including directors and casting directors. IMDbPro.com features contact information for over 51,000 names and more than 9,800 companies; international, domestic and daily box-office numbers; news from the "Hollywood Reporter," and much more. With subscriptions ranging from $12.95 a month to $99.95 for a full year, IMDbPro.com is one of the lowest-priced entertainment industry resources available. For more detailed information, visit www.imdbpro.com. About IMDb.com Launced in 1990, the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) is the Web's most comprehensive and authoritative source of information on movies and the film industry. The site offers a searchable database of almost 426,000 movies and entertainment programs – from the birth of motion pictures in 1891 and to future releases scheduled for 2006 – and 1.6 million cast and crew members. Site features include cast lists, quotes, trivia, reviews, box-office data, celebrity biographics, photographs, coverage of film festivals and major events, and streaming trailers. IMDb.com has been listed on "Time Magazine's" "Ten Essential Web sites," and named the "the industry standard" by "L.A. Magazine." It has also recognized with "best movie site" awards from Yahoo!, "Forbes," "Internet Life," and "Parade" magazine. IMDb.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com (www.amazon.com). For More Information Contact:Amazon.com Media Relations206.266.7180

<p>Johnny Depp Tops IMDb.com 2004 STARmeter™—Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, and Angelina Jolie Also Among Top Five</p><p>SEATTLE – (Business Wire) – December 21, 2004 – IMDb.com (www.imdb.com), the Earth's biggest movie database, today unveiled the top 25 stars of 2004 as determined by the site's STARmeterTM, which ranks celebrities' popularity among IMDb.com's more than 22 million monthly visitors. Johnny Depp earned the year's top honors, followed by Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley, and Angelina Jolie. The full list of the year's top 25 celebrities can be seen at www.imdb.com/starmeter in the site's "Road to the Oscars" section.</p><p>Available through IMDb.com's subscription service, IMDbPro.com (www.imbdpro.com), the STARmeter ranks celebrities' weekly popularity based on the actual search behavior of the more than 22 million industry professionals and film enthusiasts that use IMDb.com each month. The STARmeter does not reflect box-office performance or critical assessments. The list of the year's top 25 celebrities is an aggregate of 2004's weekly STARmeter rankings.</p><p>"The STARmeter is one of the most popular features among IMDbPro subscribers," said Keith Simanton, managing editor, IMDb.com. "It helps entertainment professionals easily track and gauge the popularity of the more than 1.6 million cast and crew members in IMDb.com's database every week. Our subscribers tell us it's extremely valuable as they are making business and creative decisions, such as casting."</p><p>To view the complete list and photos of the year's top 25 celebrities, as well as begin tracking the hottest stars leading up to the Oscars, visit www.imdb.com/starmeter.</p><p>About IMDbPro.com</p><p>IMDbPro.com is an online subscription service designed to meet the information needs of entertainment and industry professionals, created in response to the overwhelming demand of industry professionals, including directors and casting directors. IMDbPro.com features contact information for over 51,000 names and more than 9,800 companies; international, domestic and daily box-office numbers; news from the "Hollywood Reporter," and much more. With subscriptions ranging from $12.95 a month to $99.95 for a full year, IMDbPro.com is one of the lowest-priced entertainment industry resources available. For more detailed information, visit www.imdbpro.com.</p><p>About IMDb.com</p><p>Launced in 1990, the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) is the Web's most comprehensive and authoritative source of information on movies and the film industry. The site offers a searchable database of almost 426,000 movies and entertainment programs – from the birth of motion pictures in 1891 and to future releases scheduled for 2006 – and 1.6 million cast and crew members. Site features include cast lists, quotes, trivia, reviews, box-office data, celebrity biographics, photographs, coverage of film festivals and major events, and streaming trailers. IMDb.com has been listed on "Time Magazine's" "Ten Essential Web sites," and named the "the industry standard" by "L.A. Magazine." It has also recognized with "best movie site" awards from Yahoo!, "Forbes," "Internet Life," and "Parade" magazine. IMDb.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com (www.amazon.com).</p><p>For More Information Contact:Amazon.com Media Relations206.266.7180</p>

Amazon.de electronics & photo sales surpass books for the first time

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.de-electronics--photo-sales-surpass-books-for-the-first-time/default.aspx

Amazon.de-electronics--photo-sales-surpass-books-for-the-first-time

12/21/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.de electronics & photo sales surpass books for the first time

12/21/2004

2004

On a record weekend in books sales, electronics & photo are topping Amazon.de's first product line Munich — December 21, 2004 – With the final days of holiday shopping approaching, Amazon.de announced a company first — even as its books business set a new weekend-before-Christmas record, the product line electronics & photo on www.amazon.de became Amazon.de's largest sales category for the first time. "Since the start of our Electronics & Photo category at Amazon.de in 2001 we have been working on lowering prices and expanding selection. Today we're offering thousands of products - from computers to tv sets, digital cameras to cell phones – and the record sales of the past days show us that customers appreciate this," said Ralf Kleber, managing director of Amazon.de. With Amazon.de's recent introduction of free shipping for books regardless of the order value, customers can now order books, audio books and calendars free of shipping fees to destinations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Sales during the weekend-before-Christmas represent orders over the three days from Friday through Sunday. The current topsellers on Amazon.de in electronics & photo include Canon Digital IXUS 40 Digitalkamera (4 Megapixel) 309 Euros Sony DSC-W1 Cyber-shot Digitalkamera (5,1 Megapixel) 289 Euros BenQ FP937S 19 Zoll TFT-Monitor silber/schwarz 419 Euros Creative Jukebox Zen Touch Tragbarer WMA-MP3-Player 20GB 199 Euros Apple iPod Tragbarer MP3-Player 20GB (4. Generation) 319 Euros Pioneer DVR-520 H-S DVD-Festplatten-Rekorder mit 80 GB silber 488 Euros Amazon.de can also guarantee shipment of the following iPod versions in time for Christmas if ordered by Dec. 22, midnight via express shipping –the Mini iPods in all colors or the 4th generation 40 GB iPod and 40 GB iPod Photo as well as the 20 GB U2 Special Edition. Prices quoted are as of December 21. On November 30, Amazon.com reported that on its US site the Electronics category topped the books category for the first time during the period of November 25 till November 28. Christmas deadlines Customers who order products that are available within 24 hours by Express shipping until December 22, midnight can be sure to receive their gifts within Germany no later than Christmas Eve. For details, please refer to www.amazon.de/express. Amazon.de Amazon.de öffnete seine virtuellen Tore in Deutschland im Oktober 1998. Ziel war es von jeher, das kundenorientierteste Unternehmen der Welt zu sein, bei dem Kunden alles finden, was sie online kaufen wollen – zum günstigsten Preis. Amazon.de und Verkäufer, die ihre Produkte bei Amazon listen, bieten Millionen neuer und gebrauchter Produkte in den Bereichen Bücher, Musik-CDs, Videos, DVDs, Haus & Garten, Elektronik & Foto, Spielwaren, Computer- & Videospiele sowie Software, Computerzubehör und Zeitschriften an. Über Amazon Marketplace, zShops und Auctions können Einzelpersonen und Unternehmen neue und gebrauchte Artikel sowie Sammlerstücke aller Art den Millionen Amazon-Käufern anbieten. Amazon.de bietet seinen Kunden den Kauf auf Rechnung, sichere Kreditkartenzahlung, personalisierte Empfehlungen und Zeit sparende Bestellung mittels der 1-Click® Technology. Mit dem WAP-Angebot www.amazon.de/mobil können Kunden auch per Handy bei Amazon bestellen. Österreichischen Kunden wird unter Amazon.at das komplette Produktportfolio mit eigenen redaktionellen Inhalten angeboten. www.amazon.de ist eine der sieben Websites, die Gesellschaften der Amazon-Unternehmensgruppe unterhalten: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com. Amazon.de ist der Handelsname für Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., Amazon Services Europe S.a.r.l. und Amazon.de GmbH, alle 100-prozentige Tochtergesellschaften des weltweiten Online-Händlers Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) mit Firmensitz in Seattle, Wash. „Amazon.com", „Amazon.de", „wir", „unsere" und verwandte Begriffe beziehen sich in obigem Text auf Amazon.com, Inc. und die Gesellschaften der Amazon-Gruppe, sofern der Zusammenhang dies nicht anders darlegt. Diese Pressemitteilung enthält in die Zukunft gerichtete Aussagen im Sinne von Paragraf 27A des Securities Act von 1933 und Paragraph 21E des Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Tatsächliche Ergebnisse können wesentlich von den Erwartungen des Managements abweichen. Solche in die Zukunft gerichteten Aussagen sind beträchtlichen Risiken und Unwägbarkeiten unterworfen, neben anderen zum Beispiel Risiken bezüglich potenzieller zukünftiger Verluste, beträchtlicher Verschuldungen, Wettbewerb, Management möglicher Expansionen, potenzieller Schwankungen der operativen Ergebnisse und Wachstumsraten, Optimierung der Distributionszentren, Saisonalitäten, geschäftlichen Vereinbarungen; Akquisitionen und strategischen Partnerschaften, Wechselkursen, Systemstörungen, internationalem Wachstum, Verbrauchertrends, Lagerbeständen, der begrenzten operativen Historie, gesetzlichen Regulierungen und Besteuerung, Betrug sowie der Erschließung neuer Geschäftsfelder. Weitere Informationen über Faktoren, die die Finanzergebnisse von Amazon.com beeinflussen könnten, sind in den von Amazon.com bei der Securities and Exchange Commission [US-Börsenaufsichtsbehörde] eingereichten Unterlagen ausgeführt, darunter das von Amazon.com eingereichte Formular 10-K für das am 31. Dezember 2003 geendete Jahr sowie alle nachfolgenden Berichte. Für weitere Informationen:Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.dehäberlein & mauerer agagentur für public relationsSusanne LarbigFranz-Joseph-Straße 180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: susanne.larbig@haebmau.de

<p>On a record weekend in books sales, electronics &amp; photo are topping Amazon.de's first product line</p><p>Munich — December 21, 2004 – With the final days of holiday shopping approaching, Amazon.de announced a company first — even as its books business set a new weekend-before-Christmas record, the product line electronics &amp; photo on www.amazon.de became Amazon.de's largest sales category for the first time.</p><p>"Since the start of our Electronics &amp; Photo category at Amazon.de in 2001 we have been working on lowering prices and expanding selection. Today we're offering thousands of products - from computers to tv sets, digital cameras to cell phones – and the record sales of the past days show us that customers appreciate this," said Ralf Kleber, managing director of Amazon.de.</p><p>With Amazon.de's recent introduction of free shipping for books regardless of the order value, customers can now order books, audio books and calendars free of shipping fees to destinations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.</p><p>Sales during the weekend-before-Christmas represent orders over the three days from Friday through Sunday.</p><p>The current topsellers on Amazon.de in electronics &amp; photo include</p><ul><li>Canon Digital IXUS 40 Digitalkamera (4 Megapixel) 309 Euros</li><li>Sony DSC-W1 Cyber-shot Digitalkamera (5,1 Megapixel) 289 Euros</li><li>BenQ FP937S 19 Zoll TFT-Monitor silber/schwarz 419 Euros</li><li>Creative Jukebox Zen Touch Tragbarer WMA-MP3-Player 20GB 199 Euros</li><li>Apple iPod Tragbarer MP3-Player 20GB (4. Generation) 319 Euros</li><li>Pioneer DVR-520 H-S DVD-Festplatten-Rekorder mit 80 GB silber 488 Euros</li></ul><p>Amazon.de can also guarantee shipment of the following iPod versions in time for Christmas if ordered by Dec. 22, midnight via express shipping –the Mini iPods in all colors or the 4th generation 40 GB iPod and 40 GB iPod Photo as well as the 20 GB U2 Special Edition. Prices quoted are as of December 21.</p><p>On November 30, Amazon.com reported that on its US site the Electronics category topped the books category for the first time during the period of November 25 till November 28.</p><p>Christmas deadlines</p><p>Customers who order products that are available within 24 hours by Express shipping until December 22, midnight can be sure to receive their gifts within Germany no later than Christmas Eve. For details, please refer to www.amazon.de/express.</p><p>Amazon.de</p><p>Amazon.de öffnete seine virtuellen Tore in Deutschland im Oktober 1998. Ziel war es von jeher, das kundenorientierteste Unternehmen der Welt zu sein, bei dem Kunden alles finden, was sie online kaufen wollen – zum günstigsten Preis. Amazon.de und Verkäufer, die ihre Produkte bei Amazon listen, bieten Millionen neuer und gebrauchter Produkte in den Bereichen Bücher, Musik-CDs, Videos, DVDs, Haus &amp; Garten, Elektronik &amp; Foto, Spielwaren, Computer- &amp; Videospiele sowie Software, Computerzubehör und Zeitschriften an. Über Amazon Marketplace, zShops und Auctions können Einzelpersonen und Unternehmen neue und gebrauchte Artikel sowie Sammlerstücke aller Art den Millionen Amazon-Käufern anbieten. Amazon.de bietet seinen Kunden den Kauf auf Rechnung, sichere Kreditkartenzahlung, personalisierte Empfehlungen und Zeit sparende Bestellung mittels der 1-Click® Technology. Mit dem WAP-Angebot www.amazon.de/mobil können Kunden auch per Handy bei Amazon bestellen. Österreichischen Kunden wird unter Amazon.at das komplette Produktportfolio mit eigenen redaktionellen Inhalten angeboten.</p><p>www.amazon.de ist eine der sieben Websites, die Gesellschaften der Amazon-Unternehmensgruppe unterhalten: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com. Amazon.de ist der Handelsname für Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., Amazon Services Europe S.a.r.l. und Amazon.de GmbH, alle 100-prozentige Tochtergesellschaften des weltweiten Online-Händlers Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) mit Firmensitz in Seattle, Wash.</p><p>„Amazon.com", „Amazon.de", „wir", „unsere" und verwandte Begriffe beziehen sich in obigem Text auf Amazon.com, Inc. und die Gesellschaften der Amazon-Gruppe, sofern der Zusammenhang dies nicht anders darlegt.</p><p>Diese Pressemitteilung enthält in die Zukunft gerichtete Aussagen im Sinne von Paragraf 27A des Securities Act von 1933 und Paragraph 21E des Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Tatsächliche Ergebnisse können wesentlich von den Erwartungen des Managements abweichen. Solche in die Zukunft gerichteten Aussagen sind beträchtlichen Risiken und Unwägbarkeiten unterworfen, neben anderen zum Beispiel Risiken bezüglich potenzieller zukünftiger Verluste, beträchtlicher Verschuldungen, Wettbewerb, Management möglicher Expansionen, potenzieller Schwankungen der operativen Ergebnisse und Wachstumsraten, Optimierung der Distributionszentren, Saisonalitäten, geschäftlichen Vereinbarungen; Akquisitionen und strategischen Partnerschaften, Wechselkursen, Systemstörungen, internationalem Wachstum, Verbrauchertrends, Lagerbeständen, der begrenzten operativen Historie, gesetzlichen Regulierungen und Besteuerung, Betrug sowie der Erschließung neuer Geschäftsfelder. Weitere Informationen über Faktoren, die die Finanzergebnisse von Amazon.com beeinflussen könnten, sind in den von Amazon.com bei der Securities and Exchange Commission [US-Börsenaufsichtsbehörde] eingereichten Unterlagen ausgeführt, darunter das von Amazon.com eingereichte Formular 10-K für das am 31. Dezember 2003 geendete Jahr sowie alle nachfolgenden Berichte.</p><p>Für weitere Informationen:Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.dehäberlein &amp; mauerer agagentur für public relationsSusanne LarbigFranz-Joseph-Straße 180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: susanne.larbig@haebmau.de</p>

Amazon.co.uk Launches New DVD Rental Service

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.uk-Launches-New-DVD-Rental-Service/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-Launches-New-DVD-Rental-Service

12/09/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk Launches New DVD Rental Service

12/09/2004

2004

Monthly Rental Plans From As Low As £7.99, With No Late Fees Or Required Return Dates; Rental Members Enjoy Extra 10% Off Amazon.co.uk DVD Purchases LONDON—Dec. 9, 2004—Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk (www.amazon.co.uk) today announced the launch of a new DVD rental service with plans that start from just £7.99 per month—up to 30 percent less than other on-line offers. In addition, rental members will also receive an extra 10 percent discount off Amazon's already low prices on all of their DVD purchases from Amazon.co.uk. "Amazon is determined to be the best place to rent DVDs—online or off," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com. "We're excited to launch today in the UK with a high-quality, low-priced DVD rental service. As an additional benefit, our rental members will get an extra 10 percent off when they choose to buy from Amazon.co.uk's selection of tens of thousands of DVDs." The new rental service is fully integrated into Amazon.co.uk's existing DVD store, allowing DVD shoppers to rent or buy in the same area of the site. Amazon.co.uk's unique search, similarities and recommendations technologies—alongside sales rankings and customer reviews—will provide DVD rental members with a familiar and easy way to find specific titles they are looking to rent, as well as discover those they never knew existed. The service will also be accessible from movie title pages on Amazon's affiliate site, IMDb.co.uk, the Internet Movie Database. Tens of thousands of titles, ranging from blockbusters such as Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Spider-Man 2, to independent films like Whale Rider and Rabbit-Proof Fence, to classics such as Casablanca and The Great Escape, are eligible for rental and for this additional discount. "Our new DVD rental programme offers customers yet another convenient way to enjoy Amazon.co.uk's deep selection and unparalleled online experience," said Robin Terrell, Amazon.co.uk's Country Manager. "Since we already have their payment and billing information, the millions of existing Amazon.co.uk customers can sign up for the programme with just one click." To use the service, Amazon.co.uk customers simply create a list of DVDs they want to rent and select one of the monthly rental plans available. DVDs will be delivered to rental members free-of-charge using First Class post. Rental members can keep the DVDs they rent for as long as they want, as there are no late fees or required return dates. After viewing each DVD, rental members simply need to post them back to Amazon.co.uk in the pre-paid return envelope provided. Amazon.co.uk will then send on a new DVD from the rental member's list. Industry data shows that most movie renters rent five or fewer movies per month. Amazon.co.uk is offering two low-priced monthly rental plans. For £7.99 per month, members can have two movies at home at any one time, with a total of four DVD rentals per month. For £9.99 per month, members can enjoy three movies at home at a time, with a total of six DVD rentals per month. Traditional movie rentals often incur substantial late fees. Both of Amazon.co.uk's low-priced DVD rental plans have no due dates or late fees. For more information, log on to www.amazon.co.uk/dvdrental. For further information please contact:Marie FaganAmazon.co.uk Press Office, 0208 636 9280mfagan@amazon.co.uk Jani BakerAmazon.com, 206.266.7180jani@amazon.com About Amazon.co.uk Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, and strives to be the world's most customer-centric website, 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 & Kids!. 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 Web sites: 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.

<p>Monthly Rental Plans From As Low As £7.99, With No Late Fees Or Required Return Dates; Rental Members Enjoy Extra 10% Off Amazon.co.uk DVD Purchases</p><p>LONDON—Dec. 9, 2004—Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk (www.amazon.co.uk) today announced the launch of a new DVD rental service with plans that start from just £7.99 per month—up to 30 percent less than other on-line offers. In addition, rental members will also receive an extra 10 percent discount off Amazon's already low prices on all of their DVD purchases from Amazon.co.uk.</p><p>"Amazon is determined to be the best place to rent DVDs—online or off," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com. "We're excited to launch today in the UK with a high-quality, low-priced DVD rental service. As an additional benefit, our rental members will get an extra 10 percent off when they choose to buy from Amazon.co.uk's selection of tens of thousands of DVDs."</p><p>The new rental service is fully integrated into Amazon.co.uk's existing DVD store, allowing DVD shoppers to rent or buy in the same area of the site. Amazon.co.uk's unique search, similarities and recommendations technologies—alongside sales rankings and customer reviews—will provide DVD rental members with a familiar and easy way to find specific titles they are looking to rent, as well as discover those they never knew existed. The service will also be accessible from movie title pages on Amazon's affiliate site, IMDb.co.uk, the Internet Movie Database.</p><p>Tens of thousands of titles, ranging from blockbusters such as Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Spider-Man 2, to independent films like Whale Rider and Rabbit-Proof Fence, to classics such as Casablanca and The Great Escape, are eligible for rental and for this additional discount.</p><p>"Our new DVD rental programme offers customers yet another convenient way to enjoy Amazon.co.uk's deep selection and unparalleled online experience," said Robin Terrell, Amazon.co.uk's Country Manager. "Since we already have their payment and billing information, the millions of existing Amazon.co.uk customers can sign up for the programme with just one click."</p><p>To use the service, Amazon.co.uk customers simply create a list of DVDs they want to rent and select one of the monthly rental plans available. DVDs will be delivered to rental members free-of-charge using First Class post. Rental members can keep the DVDs they rent for as long as they want, as there are no late fees or required return dates. After viewing each DVD, rental members simply need to post them back to Amazon.co.uk in the pre-paid return envelope provided. Amazon.co.uk will then send on a new DVD from the rental member's list.</p><p>Industry data shows that most movie renters rent five or fewer movies per month. Amazon.co.uk is offering two low-priced monthly rental plans. For £7.99 per month, members can have two movies at home at any one time, with a total of four DVD rentals per month. For £9.99 per month, members can enjoy three movies at home at a time, with a total of six DVD rentals per month.</p><p>Traditional movie rentals often incur substantial late fees. Both of Amazon.co.uk's low-priced DVD rental plans have no due dates or late fees.</p><p>For more information, log on to www.amazon.co.uk/dvdrental.</p><p>For further information please contact:Marie FaganAmazon.co.uk Press Office, 0208 636 9280mfagan@amazon.co.uk</p><p>Jani BakerAmazon.com, 206.266.7180jani@amazon.com</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, and strives to be the world's most customer-centric website, 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 &amp; Video Games, Electronics &amp; Photo, Home &amp; Garden, and Toys &amp; Kids!. 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.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

Amazon Theater Debuts "Careful What You Wish For,'' Featuring Daryl Hannah and Pras Michel

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon-Theater-Debuts-Careful-What-You-Wish-For-Featuring-Daryl-Hannah-and-Pras-Michel/default.aspx

Amazon-Theater-Debuts-Careful-What-You-Wish-For-Featuring-Daryl-Hannah-and-Pras-Michel

12/07/2004 00:00:00

Amazon Theater Debuts "Careful What You Wish For,'' Featuring Daryl Hannah and Pras Michel

12/07/2004

2004

Final in the Five-Film Series, "Careful What You Wish For" is a Classic Tale of What Goes Around Comes Around SEATTLE--Dec. 7, 2004--  WHAT: The final film in the Amazon Theater short film series, "Careful What You Wish For," stars Geoffrey Gould, Patty Lotz, Raymond O'Connor, Pras Michel and Daryl Hannah and is directed by Acne Films. The film debuts today on Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) homepage (www.amazon.com). Amazon.com has produced a series of five short films distributed ONLY on Amazon.com as a free holiday gift to its customers. Each Tuesday from November 9 through today, Amazon.com released a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which customers can view directly from the Amazon.com homepage. All five films are available for viewing on Amazon.com through the end of the holiday season. "This film is brilliant," stated actor Pras Michel. "At some point in our lives, we have all wished we could be a fly on the wall. This story is about a man whose universal wish came true." Acne shot the film in North Hollywood this past August. WHO:-- Acne Film: With offices in Stockholm and London, Acne Film is an offshoot of Swedish-based design agency Acne. Acne Film has been producing and directing film projects since 1997. Early work includes five seasons of sketches on the hit late-night European talk show "Sen Kvall Med Luuk"; title sequences for several television shows; and music videos, including the 1999 Swedish Grammy Winner "Four Big Speakers" by Whale. The first foray for Acne Film into the American market was ESPN's "Shelf Ball" TV spots. Acne Film is now expanding its reach to all kinds of filmmaking, including documentaries, short films, and feature films. Acne Film currently has seven directors working in different constellations.-- Daryl Hannah: Leading actress Daryl Hannah has an extensive roster of film credits to her name, including Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, A Walk To Remember, Grumpy Old Men, Steel Magnolias, Roxanne, Splash, Blade Runner and Hard Country.-- Pras Michel: Co-founded the 90s rap trio The Fugees, and co-wrote the 1998 hit "Ghetto Supastar" for the soundtrack of Warren Beatty's Bulworth. His film credits include the starring role in the 2000 film Turn It Up.-- Geoffrey Gould: Film, television and stage actor.-- Patty Lotz: Film, television and stage actor.-- Raymond O'Connor: O'Connor plays the sleazy salesman in the film. He has appeared in numerous television series and films during his career.Additionally, customers can use the interactive credits at the end of "Careful What You Wish For" to shop on Amazon.com for items appearing in the film. Product cameos include:Mystical Birth Stone Necklace: 14K White Gold Square Sapphire and Diamond PendantWife's earrings #1: 14K White Gold Pink Sapphire with Diamond Flower EarringsWife's earrings #2: 14K White Gold Oval Emerald and Diamond EarringsThe Necklace: 14K White Gold 3-Stone Radiant Cut Cubic Zirconia Pendant, 18"Wife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Oval Tanzanite and Diamond EarringsWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Sapphire and Diamond EarringsWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Three Stone Sapphire and Diamond RingWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold Princess Cut Square Citrine with Diamond Accent RingWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Amethyst with Diamond Accent RingWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold Five Stone Ruby and Diamond RingWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Emerald and Diamond PendantWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold Tapered Baguette Ruby and Diamond Heart PendantWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold 5mm Round Citrine BraceletWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Round Sapphire and Diamond BraceletWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Pear Shape Tanzanite Bracelet with Diamond AccentsWife's Jewelry: Potato Pearl Necklace and Earring SetBedroom drapery: Drapes - Chenille Natural Window PanelsThrow pillow #1: Pillow # 543979Throw pillow #2: Pillow # 531330Blanket: Chenille Throw and pillow setBedroom Floor Lamp: Floor Lamp # 526578Pawn Shop Guitar: Ariana Acoustic GuitarWHEN:Premieres Tuesday, December 7, and screens through the holidays.WHERE:Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>Final in the Five-Film Series, "Careful What You Wish For" is a Classic Tale of What Goes Around Comes Around</p><p>SEATTLE--Dec. 7, 2004-- </p><p>WHAT:</p><p>The final film in the Amazon Theater short film series, "Careful What You Wish For," stars Geoffrey Gould, Patty Lotz, Raymond O'Connor, Pras Michel and Daryl Hannah and is directed by Acne Films. The film debuts today on Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) homepage (www.amazon.com).</p><p>Amazon.com has produced a series of five short films distributed ONLY on Amazon.com as a free holiday gift to its customers. Each Tuesday from November 9 through today, Amazon.com released a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which customers can view directly from the Amazon.com homepage. All five films are available for viewing on Amazon.com through the end of the holiday season.</p><p>"This film is brilliant," stated actor Pras Michel. "At some point in our lives, we have all wished we could be a fly on the wall. This story is about a man whose universal wish came true."</p><p>Acne shot the film in North Hollywood this past August.</p><p>WHO:-- Acne Film: With offices in Stockholm and London, Acne Film is an offshoot of Swedish-based design agency Acne. Acne Film has been producing and directing film projects since 1997. Early work includes five seasons of sketches on the hit late-night European talk show "Sen Kvall Med Luuk"; title sequences for several television shows; and music videos, including the 1999 Swedish Grammy Winner "Four Big Speakers" by Whale. The first foray for Acne Film into the American market was ESPN's "Shelf Ball" TV spots. Acne Film is now expanding its reach to all kinds of filmmaking, including documentaries, short films, and feature films. Acne Film currently has seven directors working in different constellations.-- Daryl Hannah: Leading actress Daryl Hannah has an extensive roster of film credits to her name, including Kill Bill Vol. 1 &amp; 2, A Walk To Remember, Grumpy Old Men, Steel Magnolias, Roxanne, Splash, Blade Runner and Hard Country.-- Pras Michel: Co-founded the 90s rap trio The Fugees, and co-wrote the 1998 hit "Ghetto Supastar" for the soundtrack of Warren Beatty's Bulworth. His film credits include the starring role in the 2000 film Turn It Up.-- Geoffrey Gould: Film, television and stage actor.-- Patty Lotz: Film, television and stage actor.-- Raymond O'Connor: O'Connor plays the sleazy salesman in the film. He has appeared in numerous television series and films during his career.Additionally, customers can use the interactive credits at the end of "Careful What You Wish For" to shop on Amazon.com for items appearing in the film. Product cameos include:Mystical Birth Stone Necklace: 14K White Gold Square Sapphire and Diamond PendantWife's earrings #1: 14K White Gold Pink Sapphire with Diamond Flower EarringsWife's earrings #2: 14K White Gold Oval Emerald and Diamond EarringsThe Necklace: 14K White Gold 3-Stone Radiant Cut Cubic Zirconia Pendant, 18"Wife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Oval Tanzanite and Diamond EarringsWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Sapphire and Diamond EarringsWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Three Stone Sapphire and Diamond RingWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold Princess Cut Square Citrine with Diamond Accent RingWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Amethyst with Diamond Accent RingWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold Five Stone Ruby and Diamond RingWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Emerald and Diamond PendantWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold Tapered Baguette Ruby and Diamond Heart PendantWife's Jewelry: 14K Yellow Gold 5mm Round Citrine BraceletWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Round Sapphire and Diamond BraceletWife's Jewelry: 14K White Gold Pear Shape Tanzanite Bracelet with Diamond AccentsWife's Jewelry: Potato Pearl Necklace and Earring SetBedroom drapery: Drapes - Chenille Natural Window PanelsThrow pillow #1: Pillow # 543979Throw pillow #2: Pillow # 531330Blanket: Chenille Throw and pillow setBedroom Floor Lamp: Floor Lamp # 526578Pawn Shop Guitar: Ariana Acoustic GuitarWHEN:Premieres Tuesday, December 7, and screens through the holidays.WHERE:Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

Amazon.com Electronics Sales Surpass Books Sales for the First Time

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Electronics-Sales-Surpass-Books-Sales-for-the-First-Time/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Electronics-Sales-Surpass-Books-Sales-for-the-First-Time

11/30/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Electronics Sales Surpass Books Sales for the First Time

11/30/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2004--As holiday shopping heats up, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced a company first -- even as its books business set a new Thanksgiving-weekend record, consumer electronics on www.amazon.com became Amazon's largest sales category for the first time. "Amazon.com was recently named the best place to shop for electronics in the December issue of the leading consumer research magazine," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We're happy that so many customers are taking advantage of the low prices, selection and detailed product information that we offer in our Electronics store." Electronics items are expected to be particularly popular this holiday season, along with Books, Music, DVDs, Home & Garden items, Apparel, Jewelry and Toys. Among the items expected to be favorites with customers this holiday season are the Apple 40 GB iPod Photo, ($474.05), Canon PowerShot A400 3.2 MP Digital Camera, ($168.94) and the Epson PictureMate Photo Printer, ($189.99). Prices quoted are as of November 30. Amazon Electronics, like each of Amazon.com's product categories, has continued to expand selection while lowering prices. Additionally, Amazon.com focuses on providing extensive product information to help customers make good buying decisions. This is especially true for high-ticket items, into which customers put more thought before hitting the "buy button." Amazon.com offers tens of thousands of product manuals for upload so that customers can discover and learn about new products and how to enjoy them more effectively. Sales during Thanksgiving weekend represent orders over the four days from Thanksgiving through Sunday. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2004--As holiday shopping heats up, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced a company first -- even as its books business set a new Thanksgiving-weekend record, consumer electronics on www.amazon.com became Amazon's largest sales category for the first time.</p><p>"Amazon.com was recently named the best place to shop for electronics in the December issue of the leading consumer research magazine," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "We're happy that so many customers are taking advantage of the low prices, selection and detailed product information that we offer in our Electronics store."</p><p>Electronics items are expected to be particularly popular this holiday season, along with Books, Music, DVDs, Home &amp; Garden items, Apparel, Jewelry and Toys. Among the items expected to be favorites with customers this holiday season are the Apple 40 GB iPod Photo, ($474.05), Canon PowerShot A400 3.2 MP Digital Camera, ($168.94) and the Epson PictureMate Photo Printer, ($189.99). Prices quoted are as of November 30.</p><p>Amazon Electronics, like each of Amazon.com's product categories, has continued to expand selection while lowering prices. Additionally, Amazon.com focuses on providing extensive product information to help customers make good buying decisions. This is especially true for high-ticket items, into which customers put more thought before hitting the "buy button." Amazon.com offers tens of thousands of product manuals for upload so that customers can discover and learn about new products and how to enjoy them more effectively.</p><p>Sales during Thanksgiving weekend represent orders over the four days from Thanksgiving through Sunday.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

ADVISORY/Amazon Theater Premieres "Tooth Fairy'' Starring Chris Noth

/news/news-details/2004/ADVISORY-Amazon-Theater-Premieres-Tooth-Fairy-Starring-Chris-Noth/default.aspx

ADVISORY-Amazon-Theater-Premieres-Tooth-Fairy-Starring-Chris-Noth

11/30/2004 00:00:00

ADVISORY/Amazon Theater Premieres "Tooth Fairy'' Starring Chris Noth

11/30/2004

2004

Fourth in the five-film series, "Tooth Fairy" features Noth as a beleaguered father on a good-humored odyssey --(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN): WHAT:The fourth of five films in the Amazon Theater short film series, "Tooth Fairy" stars Chris Noth and is directed by Jake Scott. The film debuts today, November 30 on Amazon.com's homepage (www.amazon.com).Amazon has produced a series of five short films distributed ONLY on Amazon.com as a free holiday gift to its customers. Today, and each Tuesday through December 7, Amazon will debut a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which customers can view directly from the Amazon.com homepage."Amazon Theater is at the forefront of a growing trend in which people are turning to their computers for entertainment content," said actor Chris Noth. "In the foreseeable future, there will be more movies and series and all kinds of things that will be viewed exclusively on our computer screens."The film, which was shot in August in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, features Noth as a father who goes beyond the call of duty to play his beloved daughter's Tooth Fairy.WHO:  Jake Scott: Awarded an Emmy in 2002 for his direction of Nike's "Move," director Jake Scott uses an original cinematic approach to explore the gamut of human emotion, from humor and pathos to aesthetic wonder. In 2001, the "Move" commercial quickly became an anthem for athletes around the world and received several international accolades for Scott, including the Emmy for Best Commercial. Scott is also an award-winning music video director, and in 1999 he received the VH-1 Vogue Fashion Award for Most Stylish Video (No Doubt's "New," from the soundtrack to the motion picture Go). His music video for Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" was recently voted by MTV as one of the 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time, as was the video he directed for R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts." Scott made his feature directorial debut in October 1999 with the USA Films release Plunkett & Macleane. The film, based on the real-life exploits of two notorious 18th-century highwaymen, stars Liv Tyler, Jonny Lee Miller, and Robert Carlyle. Scott is also deeply involved in the development of several other feature-film projects. Chris Noth: Best known as Sarah Jessica Parker's on-again, off-again romancer, Mr. Big on the hugely successful "Sex and the City," Chris Noth's numerous credits include a 5-year starring role on "Law & Order," "Castaway," "Baby Boom" and "Hill Street Blues." Additionally, customers can use the interactive credits at the end of "Tooth Fairy" to shop on Amazon.com for items appearing in the film. Product cameos include:Cookware: Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Cookware SetCutlery: Calphalon Stainless 15-Piece Cutlery SetTea Kettle: Calphalon Collectors Edition Stainless Steel Tea KettlePaper Towel Holder: Calphalon Pantryware Enclosed Paper Towel HolderSink Wrench: IRWIN Vise-Grip 274001 11" Quick Adjusting Pipe WrenchTool Set: Allied 69062 196 Piece Tool Set in Metal Tool BoxPicnic Table: Strathwood Folding 30-Inch Bistro TableBarbeque: Weber 2005 Genesis Gold C GrillBarbeque Cover: Weber Premium Grill CoverCocoa Canister: Godiva Dark Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa Canister 17.4 ozAcoustic Guitar: Rogue RA-100D Dreadnought Acoustic GuitarElectric Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Classic Electric GuitarDrum Set: Pulse Pro 5-Piece Drum SetKeyboard: Yamaha PSR295MS Portable Electronic KeyboardBasketball: Official NBA Game BallBoy's T-shirt: NBA Player T-shirtWHEN:Premieres Tuesday, November 30, 2004 and screens through Monday, December 6WHERE:Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)  About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>Fourth in the five-film series, "Tooth Fairy" features Noth as a beleaguered father on a good-humored odyssey</p><p>--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN):</p><p>WHAT:The fourth of five films in the Amazon Theater short film series, "Tooth Fairy" stars Chris Noth and is directed by Jake Scott. The film debuts today, November 30 on Amazon.com's homepage (www.amazon.com).Amazon has produced a series of five short films distributed ONLY on Amazon.com as a free holiday gift to its customers. Today, and each Tuesday through December 7, Amazon will debut a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which customers can view directly from the Amazon.com homepage."Amazon Theater is at the forefront of a growing trend in which people are turning to their computers for entertainment content," said actor Chris Noth. "In the foreseeable future, there will be more movies and series and all kinds of things that will be viewed exclusively on our computer screens."The film, which was shot in August in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, features Noth as a father who goes beyond the call of duty to play his beloved daughter's Tooth Fairy.WHO: </p><ul><li>Jake Scott: Awarded an Emmy in 2002 for his direction of Nike's "Move," director Jake Scott uses an original cinematic approach to explore the gamut of human emotion, from humor and pathos to aesthetic wonder. In 2001, the "Move" commercial quickly became an anthem for athletes around the world and received several international accolades for Scott, including the Emmy for Best Commercial. Scott is also an award-winning music video director, and in 1999 he received the VH-1 Vogue Fashion Award for Most Stylish Video (No Doubt's "New," from the soundtrack to the motion picture Go). His music video for Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" was recently voted by MTV as one of the 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time, as was the video he directed for R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts." Scott made his feature directorial debut in October 1999 with the USA Films release Plunkett &amp; Macleane. The film, based on the real-life exploits of two notorious 18th-century highwaymen, stars Liv Tyler, Jonny Lee Miller, and Robert Carlyle. Scott is also deeply involved in the development of several other feature-film projects.</li><li>Chris Noth: Best known as Sarah Jessica Parker's on-again, off-again romancer, Mr. Big on the hugely successful "Sex and the City," Chris Noth's numerous credits include a 5-year starring role on "Law &amp; Order," "Castaway," "Baby Boom" and "Hill Street Blues."</li></ul><p>Additionally, customers can use the interactive credits at the end of "Tooth Fairy" to shop on Amazon.com for items appearing in the film. Product cameos include:Cookware: Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Cookware SetCutlery: Calphalon Stainless 15-Piece Cutlery SetTea Kettle: Calphalon Collectors Edition Stainless Steel Tea KettlePaper Towel Holder: Calphalon Pantryware Enclosed Paper Towel HolderSink Wrench: IRWIN Vise-Grip 274001 11" Quick Adjusting Pipe WrenchTool Set: Allied 69062 196 Piece Tool Set in Metal Tool BoxPicnic Table: Strathwood Folding 30-Inch Bistro TableBarbeque: Weber 2005 Genesis Gold C GrillBarbeque Cover: Weber Premium Grill CoverCocoa Canister: Godiva Dark Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa Canister 17.4 ozAcoustic Guitar: Rogue RA-100D Dreadnought Acoustic GuitarElectric Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Classic Electric GuitarDrum Set: Pulse Pro 5-Piece Drum SetKeyboard: Yamaha PSR295MS Portable Electronic KeyboardBasketball: Official NBA Game BallBoy's T-shirt: NBA Player T-shirtWHEN:Premieres Tuesday, November 30, 2004 and screens through Monday, December 6WHERE:Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) </p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

Amazon Announces Top-Selling Holiday Products

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon-Announces-Top-Selling-Holiday-Products/default.aspx

Amazon-Announces-Top-Selling-Holiday-Products

11/26/2004 00:00:00

Amazon Announces Top-Selling Holiday Products

11/26/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(Nasdaq:AMZN)--Nov. 26, 2004--Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the top-selling products since November 1 on the Amazon.com Web site. The following are the top three best-selling items by total unit sales between November 1 and November 23, 2004 (prices quoted here are as of November 24). Apparel & Accessories1. UGG Australia 'Classic Short' Boot, $109.952. Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Champions Adjustable Cap, $19.993. Geoffrey Beene Wrinkle Free Sateen Solid Dress Shirt -- Point Collar, $24.99Beauty1. Britney Spears Curious Fragrance, $20.00-$49.502. DuWop Lip Venom, $15.003. Philosophy The Gingerbread House (includes gingerbread man body souffle, foaming gingerbread bubble bath, shower gel, and kiss me lip balm), $35.00Books1. "America (The Book)" by Jon Stewart, $14.972. "The Perricone Promise" by Nicholas Perricone, $16.773. "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg, $11.37Computer & Video Games1. Halo 2, $47.982. Halo 2 Limited Edition, $48.993. Game Boy Advance SP, $79.95DVD1. "The Lord of the Rings -- The Return of the King" (Pre-Order; Platinum Special Extended Edition), $23.992. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (Fullscreen/Widescreen), $17.973. "Star Wars Trilogy" (Widescreen Edition), $41.99Electronics1. SanDisk SDSDB-512-A10 512 MB Secure Digital Card, $53.892. Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player, $63.943. Netgear MR814 802.11b Wireless 4-Port Cable/DSL Router, $34.99Gourmet Food1. Cranberry Fool, 11 Ounce Jar, by Caramel Sin, $8.952. Holiday Cheer Gift Basket, by Wine Country Gift Baskets, $31.903. Ghirardelli Tower Gift Basket, by Wine Country Gift Baskets, $25.90Home & Garden1. Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid, $24.952. Fire and Ice Thermos Grill by Char-Broil, $148.003. Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking/Roasting Sheet, $9.99Jewelry & Watches1. Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on Satin Cord, 16", by Paris Hilton, $35.002. Floating Heart Pendant With Diamond, by Samuel Jewelers, $39.993. Freshwater Cultured Potato Pearl 9.0-10.0mm Necklace and 9.0-9.5mm Stud Earring Set, by Amazon.com Collection $29.00Music1. "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", U2, $10.992. "Stardust...The Great American Songbook: Volume III", Rod Stewart, $13.493. "Merry Christmas With Love", Clay Aiken, $13.99Sports & Outdoor1. 500-Piece 11.5g Clay Composite Poker Chip Set, by Cheapcues Poker, $79.992. Ab Lounge 2 Abdominal Exerciser, by Fitness Quest, $89.993. "Hey New York, Who's Your Daddy Now?" T-Shirt, $19.99Tools & Hardware1. Porter-Cable Finish & Brad Nailer Combo Kit, $299.992. Toro 38360 Electric Power Shovel Plus, $119.993. HyLoft Overhead Storage System, $49.99Toys1. V-Smile Electronic Learning System, $49.992. Cranium Hullabaloo Game, $19.953. Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set, $17.99 The value and convenience of Free Super Saver Shipping at Amazon.com means that customers can save money and be assured their packages will arrive on time. For delivery by December 24, the following guidelines apply (for items with 24-hour availability): -- December 16: Last day to choose Free Super Saver Shipping on qualifying orders over $25.-- December 18: Last day to choose Standard Shipping.-- December 19-20: Amazon.com Holiday Guaranteed Shipping available. For only $3.99 more than Standard Shipping, Amazon.com will guarantee delivery by Dec. 24.-- December 21: Last day to choose Two-Day Shipping.-- December 22: Last day to choose One-Day Shipping. Amazon even has a solution for the ultimate holiday procrastinator. Gift certificates and magazine subscriptions can be purchased at any time (even December 25) and a notification can be sent to the gift recipient or be printed the same day. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>SEATTLE--(Nasdaq:AMZN)--Nov. 26, 2004--Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the top-selling products since November 1 on the Amazon.com Web site. The following are the top three best-selling items by total unit sales between November 1 and November 23, 2004 (prices quoted here are as of November 24).</p><p>Apparel &amp; Accessories1. UGG Australia 'Classic Short' Boot, $109.952. Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Champions Adjustable Cap, $19.993. Geoffrey Beene Wrinkle Free Sateen Solid Dress Shirt -- Point Collar, $24.99Beauty1. Britney Spears Curious Fragrance, $20.00-$49.502. DuWop Lip Venom, $15.003. Philosophy The Gingerbread House (includes gingerbread man body souffle, foaming gingerbread bubble bath, shower gel, and kiss me lip balm), $35.00Books1. "America (The Book)" by Jon Stewart, $14.972. "The Perricone Promise" by Nicholas Perricone, $16.773. "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg, $11.37Computer &amp; Video Games1. Halo 2, $47.982. Halo 2 Limited Edition, $48.993. Game Boy Advance SP, $79.95DVD1. "The Lord of the Rings -- The Return of the King" (Pre-Order; Platinum Special Extended Edition), $23.992. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (Fullscreen/Widescreen), $17.973. "Star Wars Trilogy" (Widescreen Edition), $41.99Electronics1. SanDisk SDSDB-512-A10 512 MB Secure Digital Card, $53.892. Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player, $63.943. Netgear MR814 802.11b Wireless 4-Port Cable/DSL Router, $34.99Gourmet Food1. Cranberry Fool, 11 Ounce Jar, by Caramel Sin, $8.952. Holiday Cheer Gift Basket, by Wine Country Gift Baskets, $31.903. Ghirardelli Tower Gift Basket, by Wine Country Gift Baskets, $25.90Home &amp; Garden1. Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid, $24.952. Fire and Ice Thermos Grill by Char-Broil, $148.003. Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking/Roasting Sheet, $9.99Jewelry &amp; Watches1. Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal Heart Pendant on Satin Cord, 16", by Paris Hilton, $35.002. Floating Heart Pendant With Diamond, by Samuel Jewelers, $39.993. Freshwater Cultured Potato Pearl 9.0-10.0mm Necklace and 9.0-9.5mm Stud Earring Set, by Amazon.com Collection $29.00Music1. "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", U2, $10.992. "Stardust...The Great American Songbook: Volume III", Rod Stewart, $13.493. "Merry Christmas With Love", Clay Aiken, $13.99Sports &amp; Outdoor1. 500-Piece 11.5g Clay Composite Poker Chip Set, by Cheapcues Poker, $79.992. Ab Lounge 2 Abdominal Exerciser, by Fitness Quest, $89.993. "Hey New York, Who's Your Daddy Now?" T-Shirt, $19.99Tools &amp; Hardware1. Porter-Cable Finish &amp; Brad Nailer Combo Kit, $299.992. Toro 38360 Electric Power Shovel Plus, $119.993. HyLoft Overhead Storage System, $49.99Toys1. V-Smile Electronic Learning System, $49.992. Cranium Hullabaloo Game, $19.953. Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set, $17.99</p><p>The value and convenience of Free Super Saver Shipping at Amazon.com means that customers can save money and be assured their packages will arrive on time. For delivery by December 24, the following guidelines apply (for items with 24-hour availability):</p><p>-- December 16: Last day to choose Free Super Saver Shipping on qualifying orders over $25.-- December 18: Last day to choose Standard Shipping.-- December 19-20: Amazon.com Holiday Guaranteed Shipping available. For only $3.99 more than Standard Shipping, Amazon.com will guarantee delivery by Dec. 24.-- December 21: Last day to choose Two-Day Shipping.-- December 22: Last day to choose One-Day Shipping.</p><p>Amazon even has a solution for the ultimate holiday procrastinator. Gift certificates and magazine subscriptions can be purchased at any time (even December 25) and a notification can be sent to the gift recipient or be printed the same day.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

ADVISORY/Amazon Theater Debuts ``Do Geese See God'' Starring Blair Underwood

/news/news-details/2004/ADVISORY-Amazon-Theater-Debuts-Do-Geese-See-God-Starring-Blair-Underwood/default.aspx

ADVISORY-Amazon-Theater-Debuts-Do-Geese-See-God-Starring-Blair-Underwood

11/23/2004 00:00:00

ADVISORY/Amazon Theater Debuts ``Do Geese See God'' Starring Blair Underwood

11/23/2004

2004

-Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN): Third in the five-film series, "Do Geese See God" features Underwood as a modern man obsessed with finding inner salvation WHAT: The third of five films in the Amazon Theater short film series, "Do Geese See God," stars Blair Underwood and is directed by David Slade. The film debuts today on Amazon.com's homepage (www.amazon.com). Amazon has produced a series of five short films distributed ONLY on Amazon.com as a free holiday gift to its customers. Today, and each Tuesday through December 7, Amazon.com will debut a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which customers can view directly from the Amazon.com homepage. "The quantity of people you can reach on Amazon is really amazing--we're talking about millions of customers," said actor Blair Underwood. "Imagine getting that number of people watching a television show, or in a movie theater? Amazon Theater is an innovative new way to reach the consumer and to entertain." Slade shot the film throughout downtown Los Angeles this past summer. While incorporating the karmic message that is the loose thread running through all five films in the series, "Do Geese See God" uniquely captures the gritty feel of the city as a backdrop for the rising, circular, frenetic tension of Underwood's character. "Do Geese See God" is a palindrome, one of several in the film. Customers who "stop and smell the roses" will have access to special alternate endings that ultimately release them from the film's perpetual loop. WHO: -- David Slade: Director, David Slade is known for incredibly clean imagery and powerful cinematic style that is offset with surreal and absurd concepts. Slade's work includes music videos for bands like the Stone Temple Pilots, OPM, Collective Soul, and POD. He has also created existential and beautiful music videos for artists such as Tori Amos, David Gray, and the Prodigy's Maxim. Most recently, Slade has started development of his first feature film, "This Way to Egress," written by Charly Cantor and optioned from Lawrence C. Connolly's short story "Traumatic Descent." -- Blair Underwood: The award-winning actor most recently starred in the NBC drama "LAX" opposite Heather Locklear. His extensive film and television credits include "Sex & the City," "L.A. Law," "Rules of Engagement," "Deep Impact," "Just Cause," "Gattaca," "Malibu's Most Wanted" and "Full Frontal" in which he starred opposite Julia Roberts. Underwood has recently turned his talents to literary pursuits, working on the upcoming book entitled "Before I Got Here: And Other Amazing Things Your Children Say" for the Atria imprint of Simon & Schuster, which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com. -- Ezra Buzzington: Buzzington plays the panhandler in this film. He has written, directed and starred in a short film called "Irascible." Other acting credits include "Me, Myself and Irene" and "Say It Isn't So." -- Mageina Tovah: Tovah plays the rose vendor in "Do Geese See God." She can also be seen in her current guest role on "Joan of Arcadia." Her other credits include "Spider-Man 2" and "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie." Additionally, customers can use the interactive credits at the end of "Do Geese See God" to shop on Amazon.com for items appearing in the film. Product cameos include: Blair's watch: Casio EDB610-1C Databank Watch - For Men Ezra's PDA: HP iPAQ Pocket PCs Ezra's shoes: Men's K-Swiss Classic white/white Street pole cell phone: Sony Ericsson T637 Television: Panasonic TH-42PX25U/P 42" High-Definition Plasma TV DVD Player: Panasonic DMR-E85HS Progressive Scan DVD Player/Recorder with 120 GB Hard Drive Recording Home Theater: Panasonic SC-HT05 Home Theater System DVD Disc: Recordable Media Discs Rose Bouquet: One dozen red roses WHEN: Premieres Tuesday, November 23, 2004, and screens through Monday, November 29 WHERE: Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>-Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN):</p><p>Third in the five-film series, "Do Geese See God" features Underwood as a modern man obsessed with finding inner salvation</p><p>WHAT:</p><p>The third of five films in the Amazon Theater short film series, "Do Geese See God," stars Blair Underwood and is directed by David Slade. The film debuts today on Amazon.com's homepage (www.amazon.com).</p><p>Amazon has produced a series of five short films distributed ONLY on Amazon.com as a free holiday gift to its customers. Today, and each Tuesday through December 7, Amazon.com will debut a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which customers can view directly from the Amazon.com homepage.</p><p>"The quantity of people you can reach on Amazon is really amazing--we're talking about millions of customers," said actor Blair Underwood. "Imagine getting that number of people watching a television show, or in a movie theater? Amazon Theater is an innovative new way to reach the consumer and to entertain."</p><p>Slade shot the film throughout downtown Los Angeles this past summer. While incorporating the karmic message that is the loose thread running through all five films in the series, "Do Geese See God" uniquely captures the gritty feel of the city as a backdrop for the rising, circular, frenetic tension of Underwood's character. "Do Geese See God" is a palindrome, one of several in the film. Customers who "stop and smell the roses" will have access to special alternate endings that ultimately release them from the film's perpetual loop.</p><p>WHO:</p><p>-- David Slade: Director, David Slade is known for incredibly clean imagery and powerful cinematic style that is offset with surreal and absurd concepts. Slade's work includes music videos for bands like the Stone Temple Pilots, OPM, Collective Soul, and POD. He has also created existential and beautiful music videos for artists such as Tori Amos, David Gray, and the Prodigy's Maxim. Most recently, Slade has started development of his first feature film, "This Way to Egress," written by Charly Cantor and optioned from Lawrence C. Connolly's short story "Traumatic Descent."</p><p>-- Blair Underwood: The award-winning actor most recently starred in the NBC drama "LAX" opposite Heather Locklear. His extensive film and television credits include "Sex &amp; the City," "L.A. Law," "Rules of Engagement," "Deep Impact," "Just Cause," "Gattaca," "Malibu's Most Wanted" and "Full Frontal" in which he starred opposite Julia Roberts. Underwood has recently turned his talents to literary pursuits, working on the upcoming book entitled "Before I Got Here: And Other Amazing Things Your Children Say" for the Atria imprint of Simon &amp; Schuster, which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.</p><p>-- Ezra Buzzington: Buzzington plays the panhandler in this film. He has written, directed and starred in a short film called "Irascible." Other acting credits include "Me, Myself and Irene" and "Say It Isn't So."</p><p>-- Mageina Tovah: Tovah plays the rose vendor in "Do Geese See God." She can also be seen in her current guest role on "Joan of Arcadia." Her other credits include "Spider-Man 2" and "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie."</p><p>Additionally, customers can use the interactive credits at the end of "Do Geese See God" to shop on Amazon.com for items appearing in the film. Product cameos include:</p><pre>Blair's watch: Casio EDB610-1C Databank Watch - For MenEzra's PDA: HP iPAQ Pocket PCsEzra's shoes: Men's K-Swiss Classic white/whiteStreet pole cell phone: Sony Ericsson T637Television: Panasonic TH-42PX25U/P 42" High-Definition Plasma TVDVD Player: Panasonic DMR-E85HS Progressive Scan DVD Player/Recorder with 120 GB Hard Drive RecordingHome Theater: Panasonic SC-HT05 Home Theater SystemDVD Disc: Recordable Media DiscsRose Bouquet: One dozen red roses</pre><p>WHEN:</p><p>Premieres Tuesday, November 23, 2004, and screens through Monday, November 29</p><p>WHERE:</p><p>Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

Holiday Shoppers Head to Amazon.com For "Lunch and a Movie''; Holiday Shoppers Meter Spikes During Lunch

/news/news-details/2004/Holiday-Shoppers-Head-to-Amazon.com-For-Lunch-and-a-Movie-Holiday-Shoppers-Meter-Spikes-During-Lunch/default.aspx

Holiday-Shoppers-Head-to-Amazon.com-For-Lunch-and-a-Movie-Holiday-Shoppers-Meter-Spikes-During-Lunch

11/22/2004 00:00:00

Holiday Shoppers Head to Amazon.com For "Lunch and a Movie''; Holiday Shoppers Meter Spikes During Lunch

11/22/2004

2004

SEATTLE--Nov. 22, 2004--According to the Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) Holiday Shoppers meter unveiled today, hundreds of thousands of consumers are spending their lunchtime holiday shopping at Amazon.com. Viewings of Amazon Theater movies, a free holiday gift to Amazon.com customers, also increase during the same time period. The meter, which updates continuously and appears in the right column of the Amazon.com homepage, showcases in real-time how many shoppers visited the virtual aisles of Amazon.com during the previous 60 minutes. Early results of the meter show an increase in activity at Amazon.com beginning in the late-morning and extending into the late-afternoon. For example, more than 521,000 visitors were shopping on Amazon.com between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Pacific Standard Time last Tuesday. No matter what time of the day they visit Amazon.com, shoppers are discovering breakthrough films and gift ideas in addition to the hallmarks of the Amazon.com customer experience - low prices, vast selection and unparalleled convenience. Instead of fighting for parking at shopping centers and navigating crowded malls, these visitors are getting a head start on their holiday shopping and watching exclusive movies from the comforts of home or their office. Amazon Theater is a free gift of exclusive content for Amazon.com customers. For five Tuesdays between November 9 and December 7, Amazon is unveiling a new original short film available exclusively at Amazon.com. The third film, "Do Geese See God," premieres tomorrow on the Amazon.com homepage. The film is directed by David Slade and features a frantic "Dr. Awkward," played by Blair Underwood, who learns he needs to take the time to stop and smell the roses. New technology for Amazon Theater allows customers to view world-class short films free-of-charge, visit special artist boutiques to learn more about the films' actors, and purchase products that they've seen in the films. 2004 Amazon.com Holiday Picks Electronics, Home & Garden, Jewelry and Toys are expected to be among the most popular stores in what could be the biggest holiday season for Amazon.com. Customers will discover gift ideas for every person on their list, including these picks from Amazon editors. Apparel & Accessories Black Rivet Women's Faux Fur Rabbit Poncho, $59.99 Hartmann 250-5300 Classic Single Gusset Flap-over Briefcase, $595.00 Columbia Sportswear Women's Triple Accessory Set (headband, gloves, scarf), $12.99 Beauty Saffron Rouge Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Daily Face Care Kit, $19.95 Sephora BLISS Super-Eucalyptus Body Smoother, $30.00 Sephora L'Occitane Tinted Lip Balm, $13.00 Books "The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set" by Charles M. Schulz, $29.97 "The Plot Against America: A Novel" by Philip Roth, $15.60 "Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Really Make at Home" by Ina Garten, $21.00 DVD "Star Wars Trilogy" (Fullscreen and Widescreen), $41.99 "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (Fullscreen/Widescreen), $17.97 "The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King" (Platinum Special Extended Edition), $23.99 Electronics Apple 40 GB iPod Photo, $499.00 Canon PowerShot A400 3.2 MP Digital Camera, $168.94 Epson PictureMate Photo Printer, $189.99 Gourmet Food Godiva 24-Piece Limited Edition Truffles, $45.00 Harry and David Deluxe Pears & Cheese Box, $59.95 iGourmet Favorite 4 Cheese Sampler in Gift Box, $34.99 Home & Garden Toro 38360 Electric Power Shovel Plus, $119.99 Eastman Outdoors 38229 Reveo MariVac Food Tumbler, $199.95 Riedel O Wine Tumblers Set of 2, $17.99 Jewelry 14K White Gold Initial Diamond Pendant, $125.00 Klaus Kobec Charisma Diamond Steel Ladies Watch, $289.00 Sterling Silver Stud Earring Boxed Set, $39.00 Music "Stardust...The Great American Songbook: Volume III", Rod Stewart, $13.49 "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", U2, $10.99 "Encore", Eminem, $14.99 Sports & Outdoor TreadClimber TC5000, $2,199.99 Flybar 1200, $299.99 Check-Go Golf Ball Sweet Spot Finder, $24.95 Toys Corvette C5-R Racer Power Vehicle from Safety 1st, $299.99 Ms. Pac-Man TV Games by JAKKS Pacific, $18.95 V-Smile TV Learning System from V-Tech, $49.99 The value and convenience of Free Super Saver Shipping at Amazon.com means that customers can save money and be assured their packages will arrive on time. For delivery by Dec. 24, the following guidelines apply (for items with 24-hour availability): Dec. 16: Last day to choose Free Super Saver Shipping on qualifying orders over $25. Dec. 18: Last day to choose Standard Shipping. Dec. 19-20: Amazon.com Holiday Guaranteed Shipping available. For only $3.99 more than Standard Shipping, Amazon.com will guarantee delivery by Dec. 24. Dec. 21: Last day to choose Two-Day Shipping. Dec. 22: Last day to choose One-Day Shipping. About Holiday Shoppers Meter The Holiday Shoppers meter continuously tracks the estimated number of visitors at Amazon.com during the last 60 minutes. Among other things, the meter does not include visitors to any Amazon.com domain outside of the United States. The meter should not be viewed or used as a predictor or indicator of revenue or other financial information relating to Amazon.com. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>SEATTLE--Nov. 22, 2004--According to the Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) Holiday Shoppers meter unveiled today, hundreds of thousands of consumers are spending their lunchtime holiday shopping at Amazon.com. Viewings of Amazon Theater movies, a free holiday gift to Amazon.com customers, also increase during the same time period. The meter, which updates continuously and appears in the right column of the Amazon.com homepage, showcases in real-time how many shoppers visited the virtual aisles of Amazon.com during the previous 60 minutes.</p><p>Early results of the meter show an increase in activity at Amazon.com beginning in the late-morning and extending into the late-afternoon. For example, more than 521,000 visitors were shopping on Amazon.com between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Pacific Standard Time last Tuesday. No matter what time of the day they visit Amazon.com, shoppers are discovering breakthrough films and gift ideas in addition to the hallmarks of the Amazon.com customer experience - low prices, vast selection and unparalleled convenience. Instead of fighting for parking at shopping centers and navigating crowded malls, these visitors are getting a head start on their holiday shopping and watching exclusive movies from the comforts of home or their office.</p><p>Amazon Theater is a free gift of exclusive content for Amazon.com customers. For five Tuesdays between November 9 and December 7, Amazon is unveiling a new original short film available exclusively at Amazon.com. The third film, "Do Geese See God," premieres tomorrow on the Amazon.com homepage. The film is directed by David Slade and features a frantic "Dr. Awkward," played by Blair Underwood, who learns he needs to take the time to stop and smell the roses. New technology for Amazon Theater allows customers to view world-class short films free-of-charge, visit special artist boutiques to learn more about the films' actors, and purchase products that they've seen in the films.</p><p>2004 Amazon.com Holiday Picks</p><p>Electronics, Home &amp; Garden, Jewelry and Toys are expected to be among the most popular stores in what could be the biggest holiday season for Amazon.com. Customers will discover gift ideas for every person on their list, including these picks from Amazon editors.</p><p>Apparel &amp; Accessories</p><ul><li>Black Rivet Women's Faux Fur Rabbit Poncho, $59.99</li><li>Hartmann 250-5300 Classic Single Gusset Flap-over Briefcase, $595.00</li><li>Columbia Sportswear Women's Triple Accessory Set (headband, gloves, scarf), $12.99</li></ul><p>Beauty</p><ul><li>Saffron Rouge Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Daily Face Care Kit, $19.95</li><li>Sephora BLISS Super-Eucalyptus Body Smoother, $30.00</li><li>Sephora L'Occitane Tinted Lip Balm, $13.00</li></ul><p>Books</p><ul><li>"The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set" by Charles M. Schulz, $29.97</li><li>"The Plot Against America: A Novel" by Philip Roth, $15.60</li><li>"Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Really Make at Home" by Ina Garten, $21.00</li></ul><p>DVD</p><ul><li>"Star Wars Trilogy" (Fullscreen and Widescreen), $41.99</li><li>"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (Fullscreen/Widescreen), $17.97</li><li>"The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King" (Platinum Special Extended Edition), $23.99</li></ul><p>Electronics</p><ul><li>Apple 40 GB iPod Photo, $499.00</li><li>Canon PowerShot A400 3.2 MP Digital Camera, $168.94</li><li>Epson PictureMate Photo Printer, $189.99</li></ul><p>Gourmet Food</p><ul><li>Godiva 24-Piece Limited Edition Truffles, $45.00</li><li>Harry and David Deluxe Pears &amp; Cheese Box, $59.95</li><li>iGourmet Favorite 4 Cheese Sampler in Gift Box, $34.99</li></ul><p>Home &amp; Garden</p><ul><li>Toro 38360 Electric Power Shovel Plus, $119.99</li><li>Eastman Outdoors 38229 Reveo MariVac Food Tumbler, $199.95</li><li>Riedel O Wine Tumblers Set of 2, $17.99</li></ul><p>Jewelry</p><ul><li>14K White Gold Initial Diamond Pendant, $125.00</li><li>Klaus Kobec Charisma Diamond Steel Ladies Watch, $289.00</li><li>Sterling Silver Stud Earring Boxed Set, $39.00</li></ul><p>Music</p><ul><li>"Stardust...The Great American Songbook: Volume III", Rod Stewart, $13.49</li><li>"How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", U2, $10.99</li><li>"Encore", Eminem, $14.99</li></ul><p>Sports &amp; Outdoor</p><ul><li>TreadClimber TC5000, $2,199.99</li><li>Flybar 1200, $299.99</li><li>Check-Go Golf Ball Sweet Spot Finder, $24.95</li></ul><p>Toys</p><ul><li>Corvette C5-R Racer Power Vehicle from Safety 1st, $299.99</li><li>Ms. Pac-Man TV Games by JAKKS Pacific, $18.95</li><li>V-Smile TV Learning System from V-Tech, $49.99</li></ul><p>The value and convenience of Free Super Saver Shipping at Amazon.com means that customers can save money and be assured their packages will arrive on time. For delivery by Dec. 24, the following guidelines apply (for items with 24-hour availability):</p><ul><li>Dec. 16: Last day to choose Free Super Saver Shipping on qualifying orders over $25.</li><li>Dec. 18: Last day to choose Standard Shipping.</li><li>Dec. 19-20: Amazon.com Holiday Guaranteed Shipping available. For only $3.99 more than Standard Shipping, Amazon.com will guarantee delivery by Dec. 24.</li><li>Dec. 21: Last day to choose Two-Day Shipping.</li><li>Dec. 22: Last day to choose One-Day Shipping.</li></ul><p>About Holiday Shoppers Meter</p><p>The Holiday Shoppers meter continuously tracks the estimated number of visitors at Amazon.com during the last 60 minutes. Among other things, the meter does not include visitors to any Amazon.com domain outside of the United States. The meter should not be viewed or used as a predictor or indicator of revenue or other financial information relating to Amazon.com.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

Amazon.co.jp enhances its existing mobile phone service

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.jp-enhances-its-existing-mobile-phone-service/default.aspx

Amazon.co.jp-enhances-its-existing-mobile-phone-service

11/22/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.jp enhances its existing mobile phone service

11/22/2004

2004

--Developing interface which allows customers to search products with the bar-code reader to provide more convenient "Amazon ™Mobile" service-- The online store Amazon.co.jp today announced that it has renovated its "Amazon Anywhere" mobile phone service and launched the new mobile phone service "Amazon Mobile" with the additional function of "Amazon Scan Search" which allows customers to search products via a mobile phone easily with the bar-code reader. The addition of this function makes mobile commerce even more convenient. By utilizing "Amazon Scan Search" *1 which can scan barcodes of products that Amazon.co.jp deals in, "Amazon Mobile" makes it possible to shop while displaying detailed product pages on the mobile phone screen and confirming products' detailed information. In addition, besides providing detailed information of products, it introduces similar products, top-sellers and other relevant product information. It simplifies the task of finding products that customers are looking for. Furthermore, it offers a broad range of uses, such as sharing products that are recommended by your friends and acquaintances, and purchasing commodity."Amazon Scan Search" was developed and originated by Amazon.co.jp, and Amazon.co.jp is the first Amazon site to implement and introduce this system. Furthermore, as a part of the renovation of this new mobile service, Amazon.co.jp promotes the further enhancement of contents, such as an additional search function of imported CDs that can only be used with "Amazon Mobile," "weekly ranking of top music CDs from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk," "weekly top keyword search ranking of Amazon.co.jp," and other original "Amazon Mobile" ranking features. As the commemoration of this renovation, Amazon will provide ¥500 Amazon gift certificates as a special campaign for customers who purchase more than ¥5,000 items (including tax) via Amazon Mobile, and a special gift campaign for 30 lucky winners. Such gift campaigns are featured on "Amazon Mobile" until December 25, 2004*2. In addition, as a special event for the Christmas season, in conjunction with Amazon.co.jp for PC, "Amazon Mobile" launched "Holiday A-List – Celebrity Recommendations". More than 30 celebrities active in music, movies, publishing and a variety of other fields in Japan and abroad will participate in the event and will introduce their favorite goods and their own products as Christmas presents for Amazon.co.jp customers with attachment of their original messages and unique contents. Purchases at Amazon.co.jp more than ¥1,500 are shipped free of charge nationwide and COD purchases are also accepted. *1 Mobile phones models compatible with the barcode reader function: SH505i, F505i, D505iS, P505iS, N505iS, SO505iS, SH505iS, F505iGPS, D506i, F506i, N506i, P506iC, SH506iC, SO506iC, N900i, P900i, SH900i, F900iT, P900iV, N900iS, D900i, F900iC　（As of November 22, 2004） *2 Campaign information confirmation URL: www.amazon.jp (For mobile phone) 　 www.amazon.co.jp/mobile　(For PC) About Amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.jp Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and Home& Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Mobile mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering. Amazon.co.jp is one of six internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. Please direct inquiries related to this press release to:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jp Please direct inquiries from readers:Amazon.co.jp Customer Centerhttp://www.amazon.co.jp/contact-us

<p>--Developing interface which allows customers to search products with the bar-code reader to provide more convenient "Amazon ™Mobile" service--</p><p>The online store Amazon.co.jp today announced that it has renovated its "Amazon Anywhere" mobile phone service and launched the new mobile phone service "Amazon Mobile" with the additional function of "Amazon Scan Search" which allows customers to search products via a mobile phone easily with the bar-code reader. The addition of this function makes mobile commerce even more convenient.</p><p>By utilizing "Amazon Scan Search" *1 which can scan barcodes of products that Amazon.co.jp deals in, "Amazon Mobile" makes it possible to shop while displaying detailed product pages on the mobile phone screen and confirming products' detailed information. In addition, besides providing detailed information of products, it introduces similar products, top-sellers and other relevant product information. It simplifies the task of finding products that customers are looking for. Furthermore, it offers a broad range of uses, such as sharing products that are recommended by your friends and acquaintances, and purchasing commodity."Amazon Scan Search" was developed and originated by Amazon.co.jp, and Amazon.co.jp is the first Amazon site to implement and introduce this system.</p><p>Furthermore, as a part of the renovation of this new mobile service, Amazon.co.jp promotes the further enhancement of contents, such as an additional search function of imported CDs that can only be used with "Amazon Mobile," "weekly ranking of top music CDs from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk," "weekly top keyword search ranking of Amazon.co.jp," and other original "Amazon Mobile" ranking features.</p><p>As the commemoration of this renovation, Amazon will provide ¥500 Amazon gift certificates as a special campaign for customers who purchase more than ¥5,000 items (including tax) via Amazon Mobile, and a special gift campaign for 30 lucky winners. Such gift campaigns are featured on "Amazon Mobile" until December 25, 2004*2. In addition, as a special event for the Christmas season, in conjunction with Amazon.co.jp for PC, "Amazon Mobile" launched "Holiday A-List – Celebrity Recommendations". More than 30 celebrities active in music, movies, publishing and a variety of other fields in Japan and abroad will participate in the event and will introduce their favorite goods and their own products as Christmas presents for Amazon.co.jp customers with attachment of their original messages and unique contents.</p><p>Purchases at Amazon.co.jp more than ¥1,500 are shipped free of charge nationwide and COD purchases are also accepted.</p><p>*1 Mobile phones models compatible with the barcode reader function: SH505i, F505i, D505iS, P505iS, N505iS, SO505iS, SH505iS, F505iGPS, D506i, F506i, N506i, P506iC, SH506iC, SO506iC, N900i, P900i, SH900i, F900iT, P900iV, N900iS, D900i, F900iC　（As of November 22, 2004） *2 Campaign information confirmation URL: www.amazon.jp (For mobile phone) 　 www.amazon.co.jp/mobile　(For PC)</p><p>About Amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.jp</p><p>Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and Home&amp; Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Mobile mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering. Amazon.co.jp is one of six internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><p>Please direct inquiries related to this press release to:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jp</p><p>Please direct inquiries from readers:Amazon.co.jp Customer Centerhttp://www.amazon.co.jp/contact-us</p>

Amazon.com Launches Amazon Theater -- a Free Holiday Gift for Customers

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Launches-Amazon-Theater----a-Free-Holiday-Gift-for-Customers/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Launches-Amazon-Theater----a-Free-Holiday-Gift-for-Customers

11/09/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Launches Amazon Theater -- a Free Holiday Gift for Customers

11/09/2004

2004

-- Customers can enjoy a series of world-class short films from Hollywood icons Tony and Ridley Scott with star-studded cast members Minnie Driver, Daryl Hannah, Chris Noth and Blair Underwood exclusively on Amazon.com. To kick off the holiday season, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today debuted its short film series -- Amazon Theater. Teaming with Ridley and Tony Scott's production company, RSA USA, and creative agency Fallon Worldwide, Amazon.com has created a series of five short films that will be available exclusively on Amazon.com, as a free holiday gift to its customers. Leveraging Amazon.com's technology platform, Amazon Theater enables customers to enjoy world-class short films free-of-charge, visit special artist boutiques to learn more about their favorite actors, and purchase products that they've seen in the films -- all in a uniquely Amazon.com environment. Today, and for the following four Tuesdays, Amazon.com will announce a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which will be viewable directly from the Amazon.com homepage. Customers can view the films without leaving the Amazon.com gateway page, or they can download high-quality versions of the films. The first film is entitled, "Portrait," and stars Minnie Driver. Directed by Jordan Scott, "Portrait" is a modern Hollywood fable in which magical portraits reveal the inner beauty of their subjects. The release schedule for films two through five is as follows: Nov. 16: "Agent Orange"A psychedelic love story directed by Tony Scott.Nov. 23: "Do Geese See God"Blair Underwood plays a modern man obsessed with finding inner salvation.Nov. 30: "Tooth Fairy"Chris Noth as a beleaguered father on a good-humored odyssey.Dec. 7: "Careful What You Wish For"A classic tale of what goes around comes around with Daryl Hannah and Pras Michel. "We are thrilled to partner with tremendously talented directors, producers, and actors to create and debut Amazon Theater, and offer it as a free holiday gift," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "It's a great example of Amazon's relentless commitment to finding new and innovative ways to surprise and delight customers and deliver an unparalleled online experience." "Amazon Theater films are different, quirky, odd, funny, sweet, touching, affecting little stories that capture moments in time with different people," said Tony Scott, director of Amazon Theater film "Agent Orange." "I think it's very brave and daring and innovative for Amazon.com to be doing this -- to be bringing short films to millions of people in this unique way." As the credits roll after each film, customers can click on the names of the actors and directors to visit special artist boutiques where the celebrities offer gift ideas and support various charitable causes. Using Amazon.com technology, customers will be able to donate to select celebrity charities, as well as purchase other movies, books, and CD products by the actors, directors and producers of the films. Other "stars" of the films include a wide range of products available on Amazon.com, which are also highlighted in the credits. Customers can click on product credits to purchase the exact apparel, home furnishings, cosmetics, kitchen appliances, electronics, and jewelry as used in the films. Actress and musician Minnie Driver, who stars in Amazon Theater's debut film, "Portrait," offers her thoughts on the project, "To be at the forefront of Amazon's innovative program is something that I care passionately about. And for there to be a whole new generation of people being exposed in a whole new way to short films is so exciting -- they may go out and make their own short films and see how they can put them on their own Web sites... The possibilities are endless and limitless. That's maybe the greatest inspirational gift of a place like Amazon.com -- anything is possible." Indeed, Amazon.com is inviting short-film makers to sign up to receive information about any future Amazon Theater projects. Directly below the Amazon Theater player, film-makers can provide their e-mail address and receive updates on future Amazon Theater short-film initiatives. While the films are not specifically holiday themed, there is a common thread among them -- karma. All five films have an element of karmic balance -- what goes around comes around, and those who do the right thing for the long term are rewarded. This concept provided a creative foundation on which the films were developed, but the resulting execution of each couldn't be more diverse. Each film is completely different in style and genre, ranging from action, to comedy, to family drama. "The quantity of people you can reach on Amazon is really amazing -- we're talking about millions of customers," said actor Blair Underwood. "Imagine getting that number of people watching a television show, or in a movie theater? Amazon Theater is an innovative new way to reach the consumer and to entertain." Tonight, Amazon.com will celebrate the launch of Amazon Theater with an exclusive red-carpet event in Los Angeles hosted by Amazon.com, Tony and Ridley Scott, and Jules Daly. Attendees of the event will see a sneak preview of the second film in the series, "Agent Orange," directed by Tony Scott, which will premiere on the site on November 16. Chase (NYSE:JPM) is the official sponsor of Amazon Theater and is featured in selected areas throughout the Amazon Theater customer experience. Additionally, customers are encouraged to use the Amazon Platinum Visa card, issued by Chase, to purchase products they see in the films. Amazon Platinum Visa cardmembers receive reward points and exclusive content from the films when they use their card. "Chase is pleased to work with Amazon.com on this innovative project for the holidays," said Hugh Bleemer, executive vice president, Chase Card Services. "The films are excellent, and we're happy to offer an added value to our cardmembers with reward points and exclusive content from the films." Amazon Theater is available on Amazon.com's homepage, which is located at www.amazon.com. To apply for the Amazon Platinum Visa or for more information about the card, please visit www.amazon.com/visa. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. About Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.1 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries. The company has approximately 96 million credit cards issued. Under the JPMorgan, Chase and Bank One brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available at www.jpmorganchase.com. SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>-- Customers can enjoy a series of world-class short films from Hollywood icons Tony and Ridley Scott with star-studded cast members Minnie Driver, Daryl Hannah, Chris Noth and Blair Underwood exclusively on Amazon.com.</p><p>To kick off the holiday season, Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today debuted its short film series -- Amazon Theater. Teaming with Ridley and Tony Scott's production company, RSA USA, and creative agency Fallon Worldwide, Amazon.com has created a series of five short films that will be available exclusively on Amazon.com, as a free holiday gift to its customers. Leveraging Amazon.com's technology platform, Amazon Theater enables customers to enjoy world-class short films free-of-charge, visit special artist boutiques to learn more about their favorite actors, and purchase products that they've seen in the films -- all in a uniquely Amazon.com environment.</p><p>Today, and for the following four Tuesdays, Amazon.com will announce a new film in the Amazon Theater series, which will be viewable directly from the Amazon.com homepage. Customers can view the films without leaving the Amazon.com gateway page, or they can download high-quality versions of the films. The first film is entitled, "Portrait," and stars Minnie Driver. Directed by Jordan Scott, "Portrait" is a modern Hollywood fable in which magical portraits reveal the inner beauty of their subjects. The release schedule for films two through five is as follows:</p><center>Nov. 16: "Agent Orange"A psychedelic love story directed by Tony Scott.Nov. 23: "Do Geese See God"Blair Underwood plays a modern man obsessed with finding inner salvation.Nov. 30: "Tooth Fairy"Chris Noth as a beleaguered father on a good-humored odyssey.Dec. 7: "Careful What You Wish For"A classic tale of what goes around comes around with Daryl Hannah and Pras Michel.</center><p>"We are thrilled to partner with tremendously talented directors, producers, and actors to create and debut Amazon Theater, and offer it as a free holiday gift," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "It's a great example of Amazon's relentless commitment to finding new and innovative ways to surprise and delight customers and deliver an unparalleled online experience."</p><p>"Amazon Theater films are different, quirky, odd, funny, sweet, touching, affecting little stories that capture moments in time with different people," said Tony Scott, director of Amazon Theater film "Agent Orange." "I think it's very brave and daring and innovative for Amazon.com to be doing this -- to be bringing short films to millions of people in this unique way."</p><p>As the credits roll after each film, customers can click on the names of the actors and directors to visit special artist boutiques where the celebrities offer gift ideas and support various charitable causes. Using Amazon.com technology, customers will be able to donate to select celebrity charities, as well as purchase other movies, books, and CD products by the actors, directors and producers of the films. Other "stars" of the films include a wide range of products available on Amazon.com, which are also highlighted in the credits. Customers can click on product credits to purchase the exact apparel, home furnishings, cosmetics, kitchen appliances, electronics, and jewelry as used in the films.</p><p>Actress and musician Minnie Driver, who stars in Amazon Theater's debut film, "Portrait," offers her thoughts on the project, "To be at the forefront of Amazon's innovative program is something that I care passionately about. And for there to be a whole new generation of people being exposed in a whole new way to short films is so exciting -- they may go out and make their own short films and see how they can put them on their own Web sites... The possibilities are endless and limitless. That's maybe the greatest inspirational gift of a place like Amazon.com -- anything is possible."</p><p>Indeed, Amazon.com is inviting short-film makers to sign up to receive information about any future Amazon Theater projects. Directly below the Amazon Theater player, film-makers can provide their e-mail address and receive updates on future Amazon Theater short-film initiatives.</p><p>While the films are not specifically holiday themed, there is a common thread among them -- karma. All five films have an element of karmic balance -- what goes around comes around, and those who do the right thing for the long term are rewarded. This concept provided a creative foundation on which the films were developed, but the resulting execution of each couldn't be more diverse. Each film is completely different in style and genre, ranging from action, to comedy, to family drama.</p><p>"The quantity of people you can reach on Amazon is really amazing -- we're talking about millions of customers," said actor Blair Underwood. "Imagine getting that number of people watching a television show, or in a movie theater? Amazon Theater is an innovative new way to reach the consumer and to entertain."</p><p>Tonight, Amazon.com will celebrate the launch of Amazon Theater with an exclusive red-carpet event in Los Angeles hosted by Amazon.com, Tony and Ridley Scott, and Jules Daly. Attendees of the event will see a sneak preview of the second film in the series, "Agent Orange," directed by Tony Scott, which will premiere on the site on November 16.</p><p>Chase (NYSE:JPM) is the official sponsor of Amazon Theater and is featured in selected areas throughout the Amazon Theater customer experience. Additionally, customers are encouraged to use the Amazon Platinum Visa card, issued by Chase, to purchase products they see in the films. Amazon Platinum Visa cardmembers receive reward points and exclusive content from the films when they use their card. "Chase is pleased to work with Amazon.com on this innovative project for the holidays," said Hugh Bleemer, executive vice president, Chase Card Services. "The films are excellent, and we're happy to offer an added value to our cardmembers with reward points and exclusive content from the films."</p><p>Amazon Theater is available on Amazon.com's homepage, which is located at www.amazon.com. To apply for the Amazon Platinum Visa or for more information about the card, please visit www.amazon.com/visa.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>About Chase</p><p>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.1 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries. The company has approximately 96 million credit cards issued. Under the JPMorgan, Chase and Bank One brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com Teams with ``Share Our Strength'' for Holiday Program to Combat Hunger; Celebrity Bakers to Help Spread the Word

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Teams-with-Share-Our-Strength-for-Holiday-Program-to-Combat-Hunger-Celebrity-Bakers-to-Help-Spread-the-Word/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Teams-with-Share-Our-Strength-for-Holiday-Program-to-Combat-Hunger-Celebrity-Bakers-to-Help-Spread-the-Word

11/04/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Teams with ``Share Our Strength'' for Holiday Program to Combat Hunger; Celebrity Bakers to Help Spread the Word

11/04/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2004--Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that it has joined forces with Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading antihunger organizations, for a special holiday program called "Baking from the Heart" to help raise funds for the fight against hunger. As part of the program, throughout the months of November and December 2004, a portion of all proceeds from select product sales in the Amazon.com Kitchen & Housewares store will benefit Share Our Strength. Manufacturers that have agreed to participate through sales of their products at Amazon.com include Amco, Breville, Emile Henry, iSi, Kaiser Bakeware, Metrokane, Meyer, OXO, Tilia, and Wusthof. "With the holidays approaching, Amazon.com is delighted to be able to help a leading charitable organization like Share Our Strength in the fight against hunger," noted Chris Nielsen, Director of the Amazon.com Home & Garden store. "When our customers purchase and use products like the Metrokane juicer or the Breville healthy grille, or when they use a new Meyer bakeware set to create any of the wonderful recipes from the Baking from the Heart cookbook, they'll not only be enjoying a delicious treat, but will be helping to make the holidays a little better for someone in need." "Share Our Strength is thrilled to join with Amazon to reach the millions of customers who shop at Amazon.com," said Bill Shore, Executive Director and Founder of Share Our Strength. "With childhood hunger and poverty on the rise in the US, the efforts of those manufacturers who have agreed to participate in the program through their generous contributions are more important than ever. We extend our thanks to all the partners sharing their strength to make this program a success." The Amazon.com/Share Our Strength antihunger program was inspired by Baking from the Heart, a new cookbook from Share Our Strength that features 50 of America's most outstanding bakers sharing recipes and stories. Many of the chefs featured in Baking from the Heart will be active participants in the program, helping to communicate its message to the media and their many clients around the country. Participating chefs include Bill Yosses, pastry chef at Citarella in New York City and author of Baking for Dummies; Emily Luchetti, author of A Passion for Desserts and executive pastry chef at Farallon in San Francisco; Gale Gand, author of Just a Bite, host of Sweet Dreams and executive pastry chef at TRU in Chicago; and Karen Barker, author of Not Afraid of Flavor and co-owner and pastry chef at the Magnolia Grill in Chapel Hill, NC. Visit www.amazon.com/sos for more details on the "Baking from the Heart" antihunger holiday program. About Share Our Strength Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading anti-hunger organizations, is fueled by a simple, but powerful, philosophy: It takes more than food to fight hunger. The organization mobilizes thousands of individuals to organize events, host dinners, teach cooking and nutrition classes to low-income families and serve as anti-hunger advocates. Share Our Strength believes it takes each of us, sharing our strength, to make a difference. Since its founding in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised more than $163 million to support more than 1,000 anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.strength.org. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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.

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2004--Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that it has joined forces with Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading antihunger organizations, for a special holiday program called "Baking from the Heart" to help raise funds for the fight against hunger. As part of the program, throughout the months of November and December 2004, a portion of all proceeds from select product sales in the Amazon.com Kitchen &amp; Housewares store will benefit Share Our Strength. Manufacturers that have agreed to participate through sales of their products at Amazon.com include Amco, Breville, Emile Henry, iSi, Kaiser Bakeware, Metrokane, Meyer, OXO, Tilia, and Wusthof.</p><p>"With the holidays approaching, Amazon.com is delighted to be able to help a leading charitable organization like Share Our Strength in the fight against hunger," noted Chris Nielsen, Director of the Amazon.com Home &amp; Garden store. "When our customers purchase and use products like the Metrokane juicer or the Breville healthy grille, or when they use a new Meyer bakeware set to create any of the wonderful recipes from the Baking from the Heart cookbook, they'll not only be enjoying a delicious treat, but will be helping to make the holidays a little better for someone in need."</p><p>"Share Our Strength is thrilled to join with Amazon to reach the millions of customers who shop at Amazon.com," said Bill Shore, Executive Director and Founder of Share Our Strength. "With childhood hunger and poverty on the rise in the US, the efforts of those manufacturers who have agreed to participate in the program through their generous contributions are more important than ever. We extend our thanks to all the partners sharing their strength to make this program a success."</p><p>The Amazon.com/Share Our Strength antihunger program was inspired by Baking from the Heart, a new cookbook from Share Our Strength that features 50 of America's most outstanding bakers sharing recipes and stories. Many of the chefs featured in Baking from the Heart will be active participants in the program, helping to communicate its message to the media and their many clients around the country. Participating chefs include Bill Yosses, pastry chef at Citarella in New York City and author of Baking for Dummies; Emily Luchetti, author of A Passion for Desserts and executive pastry chef at Farallon in San Francisco; Gale Gand, author of Just a Bite, host of Sweet Dreams and executive pastry chef at TRU in Chicago; and Karen Barker, author of Not Afraid of Flavor and co-owner and pastry chef at the Magnolia Grill in Chapel Hill, NC.</p><p>Visit www.amazon.com/sos for more details on the "Baking from the Heart" antihunger holiday program.</p><p>About Share Our Strength</p><p>Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading anti-hunger organizations, is fueled by a simple, but powerful, philosophy: It takes more than food to fight hunger. The organization mobilizes thousands of individuals to organize events, host dinners, teach cooking and nutrition classes to low-income families and serve as anti-hunger advocates. Share Our Strength believes it takes each of us, sharing our strength, to make a difference. Since its founding in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised more than $163 million to support more than 1,000 anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.strength.org.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

A9 Toolbar Now Available For Mozilla Firefox

/news/news-details/2004/A9-Toolbar-Now-Available-For-Mozilla-Firefox/default.aspx

A9-Toolbar-Now-Available-For-Mozilla-Firefox

11/01/2004 00:00:00

A9 Toolbar Now Available For Mozilla Firefox

11/01/2004

2004

Palo Alto, CA - November 1, 2004 - A9.com, Inc. (www.a9.com), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), today released the A9 Toolbar for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser. A9.com users who prefer Mozilla Firefox for browsing the Web can now take advantage of A9.com's full set of innovative search technologies such as Bookmarks, Site History, A9 Lists and the A9 Diary, which are available through the A9 Toolbar. The A9 Toolbar for Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded in two minutes by clicking on "toolbar" on the A9.com home page and can run on Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems. "Offering the A9 Toolbar for Mozilla Firefox was among the most requested features we received from users since we launched A9.com a month ago," said A9.com CEO Udi Manber. "We are pleased to answer their feedback with this release and make it possible for millions more people to access the full power of A9.com to discover and manage information." A9.com helps users discover information from many different sources, manage and organize their search results, and remember what they have done in the past. The site includes several innovative search technologies, although not all are available without downloading and running the A9 Toolbar. Using the A9 Toolbar allows users to access the following features: Search and Site History - view and edit past search results and sites visited. A9 Diary - record, save and references notes about any Web page. Bookmarks - save favorite web sites and access them from any computer. Lists - browse search results or other lists of links with a single click. A9 Search - enter search queries from any Web page. "We are thrilled that A9.com has created a toolbar for the Firefox browser to enhance the user experience for A9.com customers," said Chris Hofmann, Director of Engineering at the Mozilla Foundation. "This shows the growing popularity of Firefox among Amazon.com and A9.com users, and demonstrates the power of developing on the Mozilla platform." More than 7 million copies of the Firefox Preview Release has been downloaded from the Mozilla site at www.mozilla.org since September. The Mozilla Foundation provides organizational, legal, and financial support for the Mozilla open source software project. For more information or to download the A9 Toolbar visit http://toolbar.a9.com. About A9.com, Inc. A9.com, Inc., a separately branded and operated subsidiary of Amazon.com, opened its Palo Alto, California office in October 2003 to research and build innovative search technologies. Launched in September 2004, the A9.com site offers users search results from five powerful information sources, which are presented through convenient selectable and adjustable columns: Web and image search provided by Google, text from hundreds of thousands of book titles from Amazon.com's Search Inside The Book®, movie information from the Internet Movie Database, and reference information (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.) through GuruNet.com. Additionally, A9.com is a search engine with a memory as it returns results from the user's information, so with every search, users will see results from their own history, bookmarks, and diary. About Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. # # # Contact: Amazon/A9 Media Hotline - 206-266-7180

<p>Palo Alto, CA - November 1, 2004 - A9.com, Inc. (www.a9.com), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), today released the A9 Toolbar for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser. A9.com users who prefer Mozilla Firefox for browsing the Web can now take advantage of A9.com's full set of innovative search technologies such as Bookmarks, Site History, A9 Lists and the A9 Diary, which are available through the A9 Toolbar. The A9 Toolbar for Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded in two minutes by clicking on "toolbar" on the A9.com home page and can run on Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.</p><p>"Offering the A9 Toolbar for Mozilla Firefox was among the most requested features we received from users since we launched A9.com a month ago," said A9.com CEO Udi Manber. "We are pleased to answer their feedback with this release and make it possible for millions more people to access the full power of A9.com to discover and manage information."</p><p>A9.com helps users discover information from many different sources, manage and organize their search results, and remember what they have done in the past. The site includes several innovative search technologies, although not all are available without downloading and running the A9 Toolbar. Using the A9 Toolbar allows users to access the following features:</p><ul><li>Search and Site History - view and edit past search results and sites visited.</li><li>A9 Diary - record, save and references notes about any Web page.</li><li>Bookmarks - save favorite web sites and access them from any computer.</li><li>Lists - browse search results or other lists of links with a single click.</li><li>A9 Search - enter search queries from any Web page.</li></ul><p>"We are thrilled that A9.com has created a toolbar for the Firefox browser to enhance the user experience for A9.com customers," said Chris Hofmann, Director of Engineering at the Mozilla Foundation. "This shows the growing popularity of Firefox among Amazon.com and A9.com users, and demonstrates the power of developing on the Mozilla platform."</p><p>More than 7 million copies of the Firefox Preview Release has been downloaded from the Mozilla site at www.mozilla.org since September. The Mozilla Foundation provides organizational, legal, and financial support for the Mozilla open source software project.</p><p>For more information or to download the A9 Toolbar visit http://toolbar.a9.com.</p><p>About A9.com, Inc.</p><p>A9.com, Inc., a separately branded and operated subsidiary of Amazon.com, opened its Palo Alto, California office in October 2003 to research and build innovative search technologies. Launched in September 2004, the A9.com site offers users search results from five powerful information sources, which are presented through convenient selectable and adjustable columns: Web and image search provided by Google, text from hundreds of thousands of book titles from Amazon.com's Search Inside The Book®, movie information from the Internet Movie Database, and reference information (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.) through GuruNet.com. Additionally, A9.com is a search engine with a memory as it returns results from the user's information, so with every search, users will see results from their own history, bookmarks, and diary.</p><p>About Amazon.com, Inc.</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p># # #</p><p>Contact: Amazon/A9 Media Hotline - 206-266-7180</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentation/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentation

10/29/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation

10/29/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will speak at the Morgan Stanley Software, Services, Internet & Networking Conference in Scottsdale on November 2, 2004, at 9:45 a.m. PT/12:45 p.m. ET. This event will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir. CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc.Patty Smith, 206-266-7180 (PR contact)SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will speak at the Morgan Stanley Software, Services, Internet &amp; Networking Conference in Scottsdale on November 2, 2004, at 9:45 a.m. PT/12:45 p.m. ET.</p><p>This event will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p><p>CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc.Patty Smith, 206-266-7180 (PR contact)SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</p>

Amazon.co.uk and HBOS Launch Co-Branded MasterCard

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.uk-and-HBOS-Launch-Co-Branded-MasterCard/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-and-HBOS-Launch-Co-Branded-MasterCard

10/29/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk and HBOS Launch Co-Branded MasterCard

10/29/2004

2004

- Card Rewards Consumers With Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate With Double Points On Amazon.co.uk Purchases - London, October 29 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk and HBOS today announced the launch of a co-branded credit card as part of a long-term alliance to offer consumers exceptional products, services and savings. The Amazon.co.uk MasterCard will offer cardholders a loyalty programme where customers are rewarded with Amazon.co.uk gift certificates. Cardholders will earn one point for every pound spent on any Amazon website, while 0.5 points will be awarded for every pound spent elsewhere. For every 1,500 points they accumulate, cardholders will automatically receive a £15 Amazon.co.uk gift certificate to use towards Amazon.co.uk purchases. Additional benefits include no annual fee and 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers for the first six months (which moves to a 12.9% per annum variable rate thereafter). "We are continually looking for ways to provide additional savings and convenience for our customers," said Robin Terrell, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk. "Together with free super saver delivery on orders over £19, and low prices across the site, the Amazon.co.uk MasterCard is yet another way to help customers save money when they shop with us." Commenting on the new card, Judy D'Albertson, Head of HBOS Card Services Partnerships and Affinities, said: "This new credit card launch with Amazon.co.uk underlines our position as a leading online credit card provider. The card offers customers a very competitive APR and introductory offer, as well as an attractive rewards scheme." For additional information about the Amazon.co.uk MasterCard, visit www.amazon.co.uk. For further information, please contact: Rachel Silk / Marie FaganAmazon Press OfficeTel no: 020 8636 9280 / 07768 695759Email: rsilk@amazon.co.uk Alex BarnettHBOS Press OfficeTel no: 01422 333829 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 & Kids!. 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 Web sites: 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.

<center>- Card Rewards Consumers With Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate With Double Points On Amazon.co.uk Purchases -</center><p>London, October 29 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk and HBOS today announced the launch of a co-branded credit card as part of a long-term alliance to offer consumers exceptional products, services and savings.</p><p>The Amazon.co.uk MasterCard will offer cardholders a loyalty programme where customers are rewarded with Amazon.co.uk gift certificates. Cardholders will earn one point for every pound spent on any Amazon website, while 0.5 points will be awarded for every pound spent elsewhere. For every 1,500 points they accumulate, cardholders will automatically receive a £15 Amazon.co.uk gift certificate to use towards Amazon.co.uk purchases.</p><p>Additional benefits include no annual fee and 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers for the first six months (which moves to a 12.9% per annum variable rate thereafter).</p><p>"We are continually looking for ways to provide additional savings and convenience for our customers," said Robin Terrell, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk. "Together with free super saver delivery on orders over £19, and low prices across the site, the Amazon.co.uk MasterCard is yet another way to help customers save money when they shop with us."</p><p>Commenting on the new card, Judy D'Albertson, Head of HBOS Card Services Partnerships and Affinities, said: "This new credit card launch with Amazon.co.uk underlines our position as a leading online credit card provider. The card offers customers a very competitive APR and introductory offer, as well as an attractive rewards scheme."</p><p>For additional information about the Amazon.co.uk MasterCard, visit www.amazon.co.uk.</p><p>For further information, please contact:</p><p>Rachel Silk / Marie FaganAmazon Press OfficeTel no: 020 8636 9280 / 07768 695759Email: rsilk@amazon.co.uk</p><p>Alex BarnettHBOS Press OfficeTel no: 01422 333829</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>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 &amp; Video Games, Electronics &amp; Photo, Home &amp; Garden, and Toys &amp; Kids!. 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.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p>

Amazon Announces Grand Opening of Beauty Store -- Bringing Together Hundreds of Top Beauty Brands in One Convenient Location

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon-Announces-Grand-Opening-of-Beauty-Store----Bringing-Together-Hundreds-of-Top-Beauty-Brands-in-One-Convenient-Location/default.aspx

Amazon-Announces-Grand-Opening-of-Beauty-Store----Bringing-Together-Hundreds-of-Top-Beauty-Brands-in-One-Convenient-Location

10/27/2004 00:00:00

Amazon Announces Grand Opening of Beauty Store -- Bringing Together Hundreds of Top Beauty Brands in One Convenient Location

10/27/2004

2004

Store Offers Customers at Amazon.com Exclusive Beauty Advice from Celebrity Makeup Artist Eve Pearl SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) company, today announced the grand opening of its Beauty store (www.amazon.com/beauty) -- a single shopping destination offering thousands of beauty products, including skin care, fragrance, makeup, hair care, men's grooming, and spa products. Customers will find their favorite products from Sephora, Avon, LUSH, N.V. Perricone, H2O Plus, L'Occitane, Laura Mercier, Philosophy, and DDF, as well as discover hard-to-find brands. Customers will also enjoy exclusive deals and gift-with-purchase offers from leading beauty sellers. In the Amazon.com Beauty store, celebrity makeup artist Eve Pearl offers customers exclusive tips on how to get great looks like the perfect smoky eye and modern matte lips. Ms. Pearl, a three-time Emmy Award winner and author of Plastic Surgery Without the Surgery: The Miracle of Makeup Techniques, has worked with Hollywood celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Mira Sorvino, Lisa Ling, and Amanda Peet. Ms. Pearl's monthly "how-to" advice column, featuring specific product recommendations and techniques, will help customers find the right makeup and skin care products, solve beauty problems, and discover the hottest styles. Customers will find great values through free-shipping offers, gift-with-purchase promotions, and exclusive deals in the Amazon.com Beauty store. This holiday season, customers can take advantage of the Beauty Holiday Bonus and receive an Amazon.com gift certificate with a minimum purchase from merchants like Philosophy, N.V. Perricone, H2O Plus, Avon, and DERMAdoctor. "Our goal is to offer customers the largest selection of the best beauty products as well as exclusive content to help them find and discover the right products for them. Some favorites are Philosophy Hope in a Jar, LUSH's Dream Cream, and Fresh Sugar Blossom scent," said Maria Renz, director of Amazon.com Beauty. "By delivering a stress-free shopping experience -- with hundreds of fabulous brands, customer reviews, top sellers lists, and one convenient Shopping Cart -- the Amazon.com Beauty store is hoping to prevent numerous frowns and keep wrinkles from making a premature appearance." The Amazon.com Beauty store has launched in a beta (test) phase in order to gather input from customers to ensure the best possible customer experience for online beauty shopping. During this beta phase, the Beauty store is continually adding selection and testing different features. Some customers have already responded. "I am a user of Yves Rocher, Avon and L'Occitane. I am really excited that you are going to carry these products. Being of European origin, it is great to have access to some of these products that are difficult to find locally." --Bea Horrobin, Milford, New Hampshire "I adore this new category and am so excited to find both Jurlique and Guerlain (and many more) as they are so hard to find. I would like to see even more items (I know it's beta stage, but I am overly excited!)" --Heather Cook, Rancho Cucamonga, California "The variety available from the Beauty store is very good, with the cross-section of products and manufacturers wide enough to appeal to almost any woman." --Polly Callant, Twin Falls, Idaho Customers will always find offers and exclusive deals when they visit the Amazon.com Beauty store. In November and December, the following offers await: -- Exclusive holiday offers from top beauty brands starting in mid-November. Customers who purchase a minimum amount from select merchants -- including Philosophy, N.V. Perricone, H2O Plus, DERMAdoctor, DDF, and many more -- receive an Amazon.com gift certificate toward a future purchase. -- Free-shipping offers from select merchants, including Sephora, Fresh, Avon, LUSH, Crabtree & Evelyn, L'Occitane, B. Kamins, DERMAdoctor, Davies Gate, H2O Plus, Osmotics Cosmeceuticals, MenEssentials, and many more. -- Free-gift-with-purchase offers from merchants such as Avon, Philosophy, Yves Rocher, Zirh, Blockhead Bath, DERMAdoctor, and SpaLook. For more details, visit www.amazon.com/beauty. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: 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. CONTACT: Amazon Services, Inc.Molly Ingle, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon Services, Inc.

<p>Store Offers Customers at Amazon.com Exclusive Beauty Advice from Celebrity Makeup Artist Eve Pearl</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) company, today announced the grand opening of its Beauty store (www.amazon.com/beauty) -- a single shopping destination offering thousands of beauty products, including skin care, fragrance, makeup, hair care, men's grooming, and spa products. Customers will find their favorite products from Sephora, Avon, LUSH, N.V. Perricone, H2O Plus, L'Occitane, Laura Mercier, Philosophy, and DDF, as well as discover hard-to-find brands. Customers will also enjoy exclusive deals and gift-with-purchase offers from leading beauty sellers.</p><p>In the Amazon.com Beauty store, celebrity makeup artist Eve Pearl offers customers exclusive tips on how to get great looks like the perfect smoky eye and modern matte lips. Ms. Pearl, a three-time Emmy Award winner and author of Plastic Surgery Without the Surgery: The Miracle of Makeup Techniques, has worked with Hollywood celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Mira Sorvino, Lisa Ling, and Amanda Peet. Ms. Pearl's monthly "how-to" advice column, featuring specific product recommendations and techniques, will help customers find the right makeup and skin care products, solve beauty problems, and discover the hottest styles.</p><p>Customers will find great values through free-shipping offers, gift-with-purchase promotions, and exclusive deals in the Amazon.com Beauty store. This holiday season, customers can take advantage of the Beauty Holiday Bonus and receive an Amazon.com gift certificate with a minimum purchase from merchants like Philosophy, N.V. Perricone, H2O Plus, Avon, and DERMAdoctor.</p><p>"Our goal is to offer customers the largest selection of the best beauty products as well as exclusive content to help them find and discover the right products for them. Some favorites are Philosophy Hope in a Jar, LUSH's Dream Cream, and Fresh Sugar Blossom scent," said Maria Renz, director of Amazon.com Beauty. "By delivering a stress-free shopping experience -- with hundreds of fabulous brands, customer reviews, top sellers lists, and one convenient Shopping Cart -- the Amazon.com Beauty store is hoping to prevent numerous frowns and keep wrinkles from making a premature appearance."</p><p>The Amazon.com Beauty store has launched in a beta (test) phase in order to gather input from customers to ensure the best possible customer experience for online beauty shopping. During this beta phase, the Beauty store is continually adding selection and testing different features. Some customers have already responded.</p><p>"I am a user of Yves Rocher, Avon and L'Occitane. I am really excited that you are going to carry these products. Being of European origin, it is great to have access to some of these products that are difficult to find locally." --Bea Horrobin, Milford, New Hampshire</p><p>"I adore this new category and am so excited to find both Jurlique and Guerlain (and many more) as they are so hard to find. I would like to see even more items (I know it's beta stage, but I am overly excited!)" --Heather Cook, Rancho Cucamonga, California</p><p>"The variety available from the Beauty store is very good, with the cross-section of products and manufacturers wide enough to appeal to almost any woman." --Polly Callant, Twin Falls, Idaho</p><p>Customers will always find offers and exclusive deals when they visit the Amazon.com Beauty store. In November and December, the following offers await:</p><pre> -- Exclusive holiday offers from top beauty brands starting in mid-November. Customers who purchase a minimum amount from select merchants -- including Philosophy, N.V. Perricone, H2O Plus, DERMAdoctor, DDF, and many more -- receive an Amazon.com gift certificate toward a future purchase. -- Free-shipping offers from select merchants, including Sephora, Fresh, Avon, LUSH, Crabtree &amp; Evelyn, L'Occitane, B. Kamins, DERMAdoctor, Davies Gate, H2O Plus, Osmotics Cosmeceuticals, MenEssentials, and many more. -- Free-gift-with-purchase offers from merchants such as Avon, Philosophy, Yves Rocher, Zirh, Blockhead Bath, DERMAdoctor, and SpaLook. For more details, visit www.amazon.com/beauty. About Amazon.com</pre><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>CONTACT: Amazon Services, Inc.Molly Ingle, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon Services, Inc.</p>

Amazon.co.uk and Borders (UK) Limited Announce E-Commerce Alliance

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.uk-and-Borders-UK-Limited-Announce-E-Commerce-Alliance/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-and-Borders-UK-Limited-Announce-E-Commerce-Alliance

10/27/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk and Borders (UK) Limited Announce E-Commerce Alliance

10/27/2004

2004

- Amazon.co.uk powers www.borders.co.uk - LONDON-October 27, 2004 – Amazon.co.uk and Borders (U.K.) Limited, leading UK bookseller and subsidiary of U.S.-based Borders Group Inc., today announced the launch of a new dedicated website (www.borders.co.uk) for Borders and Books etc. customers in the U.K., powered by Amazon's e-commerce platform. The new Borders.co.uk store features a vast selection of books, music, DVDs and videos, as well as editorial reviews, personalisation and recommendations, 1-Click® ordering, and other unique shopping technology tools available to Amazon.co.uk's own customers. The new site also provides unique content to Borders and Books etc. customers, including store location information and store events information. "Borders has been working successfully with Amazon.com in the U.S. for the past three years," said Philip Downer, managing director of Borders (UK) Ltd., "and I am delighted that Borders and Books etc. customers in the UK will now be able to enjoy the same unparalleled online shopping experience as their counterparts in the US. This is our first e-commerce site in the UK, and Borders.co.uk extends the wide choice, welcoming atmosphere and high service standards customers appreciate and respond to in our stores." Under the multi-year agreement, Amazon.co.uk is providing Borders with an e-commerce solution of technology services, product fulfilment, site content, product selection and customer service for the co-branded "Borders and Books etc. working with Amazon.co.uk" (www.Borders.co.uk) web site, which can also be reached by logging on to www.booksetc.co.uk. "Amazon.co.uk is committed to providing customers with the best possible online shopping experience and we are excited that Borders has chosen to work with us to help launch, power and manage its online presence in the U.K.", said Robin Terrell, managing director for Amazon.co.uk. "In the U.S., ‘Borders teamed with Amazon.com' has provided significant convenience for customers. We look forward to working on this similar experience for Borders and Books etc. customers in the UK." Terms of the agreement are not disclosed. For further information please contact:Rachel Silk / Marie FaganAmazon.co.ukTel no: 020 8636 9280 / 07768 695759rsilk@amazon.co.uk / mfagan@amazon.co.ukAndrea MarksBorders UKTel no: 0208 958 4398andrea@andreamarks.co.ukEditors note In the US, "Borders teamed with Amazon.com" launched in August 2001. The agreement was expanded in April 2002 to include "Waldenbooks teamed with Amazon.com" (launched in October 2002) and "Express In-Store Pick Up" at Borders stores (launched in November 2002). Combining the ease and efficiency of online shopping with the convenience of same-day pick up, In-Store Pick Up is available to Borders and Amazon.com customers. In November 2003, Amazon.com and Borders Group announced a multi-year extension of their e-commerce agreement. Sales transacted through the co-branded Web sites for the 12 months ended September 2003 were more than 50 percent greater than Borders e-commerce sales for the fiscal year ended January 2001. About Borders UK Borders (UK) Ltd. was established in early 1998 and is now one of the country's leading booksellers, with over 8% of the retail bookselling market through its Borders and Books etc. brands. The Borders combination of a comprehensive selection of books, music, movies, and periodicals, plus Starbucks, Paperchase, a packed events programme and long opening hours, offers a unique and refreshing shopping experience. Books etc. offers the widest range and choice of quality reading at the best prices in its bookstores and is also the UK's leading operator of specialist airport bookshops. Borders UK currently operates 24 superstores in city centres and retail parks around the UK, plus 37 specialist bookshops in high street, mall and airport locations. A dozen new stores are currently in development and by the end of 2005 the company's retail footprint will have expanded to one million square feet. 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 & Kids!. 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 Web sites: 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. About Borders Group Borders Group (NYSE:BGP) is a leading global retailer of books, music and movies. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company employs 32,000 people worldwide and operates over 430 Borders domestic superstores; 36 international Borders stores located primarily in the U.K. and the Pacific Rim; 36 Books etc. stores throughout Great Britain; and approximately 755 Waldenbooks stores in malls across America. More detailed information on the company is available at www.bordersgroupinc.com. Information on Borders stores title selection, events and locations is available through www.bordersstores.com. This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation and Reform Act of 1995. One can identify these forward-looking statements by use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," and other words of similar meaning. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and plans to differ materially from those included in the company's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include future benefits and future results from this alliance. More information about factors that potentially could affect Borders Group's results is included in Borders Group's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 27, 2003 and all subsequent annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

<center>- Amazon.co.uk powers www.borders.co.uk -</center><p>LONDON-October 27, 2004 – Amazon.co.uk and Borders (U.K.) Limited, leading UK bookseller and subsidiary of U.S.-based Borders Group Inc., today announced the launch of a new dedicated website (www.borders.co.uk) for Borders and Books etc. customers in the U.K., powered by Amazon's e-commerce platform.</p><p>The new Borders.co.uk store features a vast selection of books, music, DVDs and videos, as well as editorial reviews, personalisation and recommendations, 1-Click® ordering, and other unique shopping technology tools available to Amazon.co.uk's own customers. The new site also provides unique content to Borders and Books etc. customers, including store location information and store events information.</p><p>"Borders has been working successfully with Amazon.com in the U.S. for the past three years," said Philip Downer, managing director of Borders (UK) Ltd., "and I am delighted that Borders and Books etc. customers in the UK will now be able to enjoy the same unparalleled online shopping experience as their counterparts in the US. This is our first e-commerce site in the UK, and Borders.co.uk extends the wide choice, welcoming atmosphere and high service standards customers appreciate and respond to in our stores."</p><p>Under the multi-year agreement, Amazon.co.uk is providing Borders with an e-commerce solution of technology services, product fulfilment, site content, product selection and customer service for the co-branded "Borders and Books etc. working with Amazon.co.uk" (www.Borders.co.uk) web site, which can also be reached by logging on to www.booksetc.co.uk.</p><p>"Amazon.co.uk is committed to providing customers with the best possible online shopping experience and we are excited that Borders has chosen to work with us to help launch, power and manage its online presence in the U.K.", said Robin Terrell, managing director for Amazon.co.uk. "In the U.S., ‘Borders teamed with Amazon.com' has provided significant convenience for customers. We look forward to working on this similar experience for Borders and Books etc. customers in the UK."</p><p>Terms of the agreement are not disclosed.</p><p>For further information please contact:Rachel Silk / Marie FaganAmazon.co.ukTel no: 020 8636 9280 / 07768 695759rsilk@amazon.co.uk / mfagan@amazon.co.ukAndrea MarksBorders UKTel no: 0208 958 4398andrea@andreamarks.co.ukEditors note</p><p>In the US, "Borders teamed with Amazon.com" launched in August 2001. The agreement was expanded in April 2002 to include "Waldenbooks teamed with Amazon.com" (launched in October 2002) and "Express In-Store Pick Up" at Borders stores (launched in November 2002). Combining the ease and efficiency of online shopping with the convenience of same-day pick up, In-Store Pick Up is available to Borders and Amazon.com customers. In November 2003, Amazon.com and Borders Group announced a multi-year extension of their e-commerce agreement. Sales transacted through the co-branded Web sites for the 12 months ended September 2003 were more than 50 percent greater than Borders e-commerce sales for the fiscal year ended January 2001.</p><p>About Borders UK</p><p>Borders (UK) Ltd. was established in early 1998 and is now one of the country's leading booksellers, with over 8% of the retail bookselling market through its Borders and Books etc. brands. The Borders combination of a comprehensive selection of books, music, movies, and periodicals, plus Starbucks, Paperchase, a packed events programme and long opening hours, offers a unique and refreshing shopping experience. Books etc. offers the widest range and choice of quality reading at the best prices in its bookstores and is also the UK's leading operator of specialist airport bookshops. Borders UK currently operates 24 superstores in city centres and retail parks around the UK, plus 37 specialist bookshops in high street, mall and airport locations. A dozen new stores are currently in development and by the end of 2005 the company's retail footprint will have expanded to one million square feet.</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>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 &amp; Video Games, Electronics &amp; Photo, Home &amp; Garden, and Toys &amp; Kids!. 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.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p><p>Forward Looking Statement</p><p>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.</p><p>About Borders Group</p><p>Borders Group (NYSE:BGP) is a leading global retailer of books, music and movies. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company employs 32,000 people worldwide and operates over 430 Borders domestic superstores; 36 international Borders stores located primarily in the U.K. and the Pacific Rim; 36 Books etc. stores throughout Great Britain; and approximately 755 Waldenbooks stores in malls across America. More detailed information on the company is available at www.bordersgroupinc.com. Information on Borders stores title selection, events and locations is available through www.bordersstores.com.</p><p>This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation and Reform Act of 1995. One can identify these forward-looking statements by use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," and other words of similar meaning. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and plans to differ materially from those included in the company's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include future benefits and future results from this alliance. More information about factors that potentially could affect Borders Group's results is included in Borders Group's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 27, 2003 and all subsequent annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.</p>

Amazon.com Announces 76% Free Cash Flow Growth and 29% Sales Growth -- Expects Record Holiday Season with Expanded Selection, Lower Prices, and Free Shipping

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Announces-76-Free-Cash-Flow-Growth-and-29-Sales-Growth----Expects-Record-Holiday-Season-with-Expanded-Selection-Lower-Prices-and-Free-Shipping/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Announces-76-Free-Cash-Flow-Growth-and-29-Sales-Growth----Expects-Record-Holiday-Season-with-Expanded-Selection-Lower-Prices-and-Free-Shipping

10/21/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces 76% Free Cash Flow Growth and 29% Sales Growth -- Expects Record Holiday Season with Expanded Selection, Lower Prices, and Free Shipping

10/21/2004

2004

Q3 2004 Financial Results Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Operations Pro Forma Statement of Operations Segment Information Supplemental Net Sales Information Balance Sheets Supplemental Financial Information Operational Highlights AMZN Q3, 2004Financial Results Download WordVersion 1.21MB Download PDFVersion 224KB AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 76% FREE CASH FLOW GROWTH AND 29% SALES GROWTH - EXPECTS RECORD HOLIDAY SEASON WITH EXPANDED SELECTION, LOWER PRICES, AND FREE SHIPPING SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 21, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2004. Operating cash flow was $490 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $284 million for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2003. Free cash flow grew 76% to $420 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $239 million for the 2003 period. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards outstanding totaled 434 million at September 30, 2004, compared with 433 million a year ago. Net sales were $1.46 billion in the third quarter, compared with $1.13 billion in third quarter 2003, an increase of 29%. Net sales, excluding the $57 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 24% compared with 2003. Operating income was $81 million in the third quarter, compared with $52 million in third quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income grew 29% to $95 million in the third quarter, compared with $74 million in the third quarter 2003. Excluding the $4 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, consolidated segment operating income grew 23% compared with third quarter 2003. Net income was $54 million in the third quarter, or $0.13 per diluted share, compared with net income of $16 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, in third quarter 2003. Pro forma net income in the third quarter grew 52% to $73 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared with $48 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, in third quarter 2003. "Our decision to put dollars into lower prices and free shipping instead of TV advertising continues to be embraced by customers," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "Customer adoption of free shipping hit another record high this quarter." Amazon.com continues to lower shipping and product prices for its worldwide customers. Customers shopping at www.amazon.co.uk now qualify for free shipping on orders of £19 or more, down from the prior threshold of £25. See "Financial Measures" for additional information. Highlights North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, were $816 million, up 15% compared with third quarter 2003. Segment operating income declined $5 million to $57 million, compared with third quarter 2003. Increased adoption of free shipping contributed to an increase of $7 million in net shipping loss compared with the third quarter of 2003. International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French, Japanese, and Chinese sites, were $646 million, up 52% compared with third quarter 2003, and accounted for 44% of worldwide net sales. Excluding the benefit from exchange rates, net sales growth was 39%. Segment operating income grew $26 million to $38 million, compared with third quarter 2003. Electronics & Other General Merchandise sales grew 55% to $1.47 billion for the trailing twelve months, representing 23% of worldwide net sales. For the first time, North America Electronics & Other General Merchandise sales were over $1 billion on a trailing-twelve-month basis. A9.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, launched a search engine at www.a9.com, to make Internet search more effective. The "search engine with a memory" helps users manage and organize their search results, and discover additional information sources such as the Internet Movie Database and Amazon.com's Search Inside the Book results. Star Wars Trilogy was the top-selling DVD worldwide, and the U.K. site received a record 85,000 pre-orders. The Company introduced Toy stores at both its German and Japanese websites. Customers now have their choice of over 20,000 toys, games, and hobby products, and enjoy discounts up to 30%. Amazon Web Services released Amazon E-Commerce Service 4.0 (ECS 4.0), offering software developers and website owners unprecedented access to Amazon's technology platform and product data. Additionally, the Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS) gives first-ever access to the vast database of website information and usage data compiled by Alexa Internet (www.alexa.com). Access to both ECS 4.0 and AWIS is available at www.amazon.com/webservices, where over 65,000 individuals have registered and downloaded the free Amazon Web Services Software Developers Kit. Amazon.com's second U.K. fulfillment center in Scotland is fully operational and prepared to help meet holiday demand from European customers. The Company acquired Joyo.com Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company, which operates the Joyo.com website in cooperation with Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates. The Joyo.com website is the largest online retailer of books, music, and videos in China, and is Amazon.com's seventh global website. Financial Guidance The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of October 21, 2004. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. Fourth Quarter 2004 Guidance Net sales are expected to be between $2.295 billion and $2.545 billion, or grow between 18% and 31%, compared with fourth quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $162 million and $222 million, or grow between 6% and 45%, compared with fourth quarter 2003. Operating income is expected to be between $137 million and $197 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $40.86 on September 30, 2004. Full Year 2004 Guidance Net sales are expected to be between $6.675 billion and $6.925 billion, or grow between 27% and 32%, compared with 2003. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $475 million and $535 million, or grow between 31% and 48%, compared with 2003. Operating income is expected to be between $415 million and $475 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $40.86 on September 30, 2004. Full Year 2005 Expectations Net sales are expected to be between $7.40 billion and $8.15 billion. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $500 million and $625 million. Operating income is expected to be between $400 million and $525 million, excluding any impact from SFAS No. 123R, and assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2005, is identical to the closing price of $40.86 on September 30, 2004. A conference call will be webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available at least through December 31, 2004, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; management of growth; potential fluctuations in operating results; fulfillment center optimization; risks of inventory management; seasonality; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, system interruptions, consumer trends, 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. Financial Measures The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures. Free Cash Flow Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating cash flow—is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics." Consolidated Segment Operating Income Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:     Stock-based compensation and     Other operating expense (income). A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating income—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." Pro Forma Net Income Pro forma net income excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:     Stock-based compensation,     Other operating expense (income), and     Remeasurements and other. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—net income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release. About Amazon.com Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and third-party sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished, and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, 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.    Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page Back to top of Page Back to top of Page  Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited) Quarterly Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year, unless otherwise stated) Net Sales Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was $87 million, up 13% from $77 million. Cost of Sales Cost of sales consists of the purchase price of consumer products sold by us, inbound and outbound shipping charges to us, packaging supplies, and costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target.com. Outbound shipping-related costs totaled $128 million, up from $104 million. Net shipping loss was $41 million, up from a net loss of $27 million, resulting primarily from our free-shipping offers. We view free-shipping offers as an effective worldwide marketing tool and intend to continue offering them indefinitely. Direct Segment Operating Expense Third quarter direct segment operating expenses as a percentage of net sales were as follows: 2004 2003 Fullfillment 9.3% 9.4% Technology and content 4.4% 4.7% Marketing 2.3% 2.6% General and administrative 1.8% 2.0% Depreciation was $19 million in third quarter 2004 and $72 million over the trailing twelve months. Fulfillment Fulfillment costs include those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees, and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions are based on the gross purchase price of underlying transactions, and therefore represent a larger percentage of our recorded revenue than credit card fees on our retail sales. Bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee program, are also higher as a percentage of recorded revenue versus our retail sales. Accordingly, fulfillment costs as a percentage of net sales are higher for third-party seller transactions than for our retail sales. Our new fulfillment center in Scotland began fulfilling customer orders in the third quarter and is now fully operational. The center is approximately 300,000 square feet and currently employs over 200 permanent associates. Fulfillment costs decreased as a percentage of sales from the prior year, but increased in absolute dollars due to variable costs corresponding with sales volume, our mix of product sales, credit card fees, and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. We expect absolute amounts spent in fulfillment to increase over time. Technology and Content Our spending in technology and content has increased as we are adding computer scientists and software engineers to enhance the customer experience on our websites and those websites powered by us, and improve our process efficiency. Additionally, we continue to invest in several areas of technology, including seller platform, A9.com, web services, and additional development centers. We intend to continue investing in these and other initiatives and expect absolute dollars spent in technology and content to increase over time as we continue to add computer scientists and software engineers to our staff. A significant majority of these costs are incurred in the U.S. and most of them are allocated to our North America segment. We expense all costs related to the development of internal-use software other than those incurred during the application development stage. Costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software, generally two years. For the three months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, we capitalized $12 million and $9 million of internal-use software costs, which was offset by amortization of previously capitalized amounts of $8 million and $6 million. Marketing Marketing efforts include targeted online marketing channels, such as our Associates and Syndicated Stores programs, portal advertising, e-mail campaigns, sponsored search, and other initiatives. Since our marketing expenses are largely variable, we expect absolute amounts spent in marketing to increase over time. To the extent there is increased or decreased competition for these traffic sources, or to the extent our mix of these channels shifts, we would expect to see a corresponding change in our marketing expense. While costs associated with free shipping are not included in marketing expense, we view our free-shipping offers as an effective worldwide marketing tool and intend to continue offering them indefinitely. General and Administrative General and Administrative costs increased primarily due to increases in professional fees. We expect absolute dollars spent in general and administrative to increase over time. Stock-Based Compensation Since October 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units, under fixed accounting, are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense on an accelerated basis over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. Stock-based awards generally fully vest over service periods of between three and six years. Stock-based compensation was $9 million for the quarter, consisting of $6 million in contra-expense for stock awards under variable accounting, and $15 million for stock awards under fixed accounting plus matching stock contributions under our 401(k) program. Payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards is not classified in "Stock-based compensation," but is allocated to the corresponding operating expense categories on the statement of operations. We granted 0.7 million stock awards, primarily restricted stock units, during the quarter at a per-share weighted average fair value of $40.12. Year-to-date we have granted 2.7 million stock awards, primarily restricted stock units, at a per-share average fair value of $44.59. At September 30, 2004, there were 27 million stock awards outstanding, consisting of 20 million stock options with a $12.90 weighted average exercise price, 6 million restricted stock units, and 0.5 million shares of restricted stock (included in common stock outstanding). At September 30, 2004, 1.4 million outstanding stock awards, primarily options, were subject to variable accounting. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002, are subject to variable accounting treatment. Variable accounting treatment results in expense or contra-expense recognition using the cumulative expense method, calculated based on the quoted price of our common stock and vesting schedules of underlying awards. For example, since the closing price of our common stock on September 30, 2004, $40.86, was lower than the closing price on June 30, 2004, $54.40, we recorded a contra-expense associated with variable accounting treatment for the third quarter of 2004. Other Operating Expense (Income) Included in "Other operating expense (income)" are restructuring-related expenses or credits and amortization of other intangibles. Amortization of other intangibles was $0.3 million and $1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003. Our first quarter 2001 operational restructuring plan is complete; however, we may periodically adjust our restructuring-related estimates, such as lease obligations, in the future if necessary. Cash payments resulting from our 2001 operational restructuring were $2 million, compared with $3 million in 2003. We streamlined our organizational structure in France to reduce our operating costs. The severance terms associated with these efforts were finalized in the third quarter, and corresponding costs of $4 million were recorded. We expect payment to occur in the fourth quarter of 2004. We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $5 million in 2004, and $16 million thereafter. Amounts due within twelve months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of $25 million (we have signed sublease agreements for $13 million). Other Income (Expense), Net Other expense in third quarter 2004 was primarily foreign, state, and other income taxes. Remeasurements and Other Remeasurements includes foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $17 million, compared with a loss of $12 million. Other includes a $7 million gain from the remeasurement of foreign-currency intercompany balances, which are to be repaid amongst subsidiaries, and a $4 million gain on sales of Euro-denominated investments. Income Taxes At September 30, 2004, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.8 billion, primarily related to U.S. federal taxes. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.0 billion of our NOLs are attributable to continuing operations, and the related tax benefits, if realized, will be credited to results of operations for both financial reporting and tax reporting purposes. The remainder, approximately $1.8 billion, relates to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes, and the related tax benefits, if realized, will be credited to stockholders' equity rather than to results of operations for financial reporting purposes. Net Income (Loss) We believe that our reported net income for the third quarter 2004 should not be viewed, on its own, as a material positive event and is not necessarily predictive of future results for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the effect that fluctuations in foreign currency rates will have on the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances. The remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS represented a significant charge during the quarter and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods. Additionally, we are unable to forecast the effect of stock-based compensation, which is based in part on the quoted price of our common stock in accordance with variable accounting treatment. In the third quarter of 2004 variable accounting treatment resulted in a credit to our operating results of $6 million due to a decline in price of our common stock. Comparisons to prior year quarter and year-to-date periods show improvement in operating income of $16 million and $46 million resulting from the effects of changing stock prices on variable accounting treatment. Variable accounting has resulted in significant expense and contra-expense in past periods and will continue to be unpredictable going forward. Foreign Exchange As our financial reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar, our total sales, profit, and operating and free cash flow have benefited significantly the past nine quarters from weakness in the U.S. Dollar in comparison to the currencies of our international websites. We believe it is important to evaluate our growth rates after the effect of currency changes. The effect of changes in exchange rates in the third quarter is as follows (in millions):(1) Includes foreign-currency gains (losses) on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances, and realized currency-related gains associated with sales of Euro-denominated investments held by a U.S. functional-currency subsidiary.These amounts represent the impact on reported results that is due to year-over-year changes in exchange rates. Absent year-over-year changes in exchange rates, reported amounts would have been lower (higher) by these amounts. Cash Flows and Balance Sheet Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, vendor payment terms, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $1.18 billion, at fair value, primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term securities, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, asset-backed, and agency securities and certificates of deposit. Included is amounts held in foreign currencies of $693 million, primarily in Euros, British Pounds, and Yen. We have pledged $76 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $87 million as of December 31, 2003. On September 7, 2004 we acquired all outstanding shares of Joyo.com Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company, which operates the Joyo.com website in cooperation with Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates. The Joyo.com website is the largest online retailer of books, music, and videos in China, and is Amazon.com's seventh global website. Results of operations for Joyo.com have been included in our consolidated results from the date of acquisition forward. Results were not significant in the third quarter, and are not expected to be significant in the fourth quarter. The purchase price was $74 million, composed of $72 million in cash, the assumption of employee stock options, and transaction-related costs. We recorded $68 million in goodwill related to the acquisition. "Other assets" includes, among other things, deferred issuance costs on long-term debt, other equity investments, and intangibles. "Unearned revenue" is recorded when payments are received from third parties in advance of our providing the associated service. "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" includes, among other things, liabilities for gift certificates, marketing activities, and workforce costs, including accrued payroll, vacation, and other benefits. "Long-term debt and other" primarily includes the following (in millions):(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.375% of the principal, which decreases every February by 47.5 basis points until maturity, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.(2) During the previous twelve-month period we redeemed an aggregate principal amount of $350 million: $150 million in February 2004 and $200 million in November 2003.(3) PrEmium Adjustable Convertible Securities.(4) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share ($105.56 per share based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2004). We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. We do not hedge any portion of the PEACS. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest, and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. Due to fluctuations in this exchange ratio, our principal debt obligation since issuance in February 2000 has increased by $178 million as of September 30, 2004.(5) The "if converted" number of shares associated with our convertible debt instruments (approximately 20 million total shares) are excluded from diluted shares as their effect is anti-dilutive. Certain Definitions and Other We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation and other operating expenses (income), each of which is not allocated to segment results. Other centrally incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca; from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com; from our mail-order tool catalog; and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing, and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.co.uk , www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, and, since September 7, 2004, www.joyo.com; from internationally focused Syndicated Stores; and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from these internationally based sites (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. We provide supplemental sales information within each segment for three categories: "Media," "Electronics and other general merchandise," and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software, video games, and video game consoles. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics and office, toys and baby, tools, home and garden, apparel, sports and outdoors, gourmet food, jewelry, health and personal care, beauty, and musical instruments. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. Operating cycle is number of days of sales in inventory plus number of days of sales in accounts receivable minus accounts payable days. Inventory turnover is the quotient of trailing-twelve-months cost of sales to average inventory. Accounts payable days is calculated as the quotient of accounts payable to cost of sales, multiplied by the number of days in the period. References to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our websites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops, and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores programs, but exclude Joyo.com customers, Merchant.com program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers, and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationship. A customer is considered active when they have placed an order during the preceding twelve-month period. References to sellers or merchants mean active seller accounts, which are established when a seller receives an order from a customer account. Seller accounts include sellers in Amazon's Marketplace, Auctions, zShops, and Merchants@ platforms, but exclude Merchant.com sellers. A seller is considered active when they have received an order during the preceding twelve-month period. References to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide—such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, and www.amazon.ca—and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold through catalogs and at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music, and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Joyo.com units sold or Amazon.com gift certificates. Contacts: Amazon.com Investor Relations                                         Amazon.com Public RelationsTim Stone, 206/266-2171, ir@amazon.com                         Patty Smith, 206/266-7180www.amazon.com/ir

<p>Q3 2004 Financial Results</p><table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</p></td></tr><tr><td>Segment Information</td></tr><tr><td>Supplemental Net Sales Information</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><div>AMZN Q3, 2004Financial Results</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Download WordVersion 1.21MB</p></td><td><div>Download PDFVersion 224KB</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><p>AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 76% FREE CASH FLOW GROWTH AND 29% SALES GROWTH - EXPECTS RECORD HOLIDAY SEASON WITH EXPANDED SELECTION, LOWER PRICES, AND FREE SHIPPING</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 21, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2004.</p><p>Operating cash flow was $490 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $284 million for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2003. Free cash flow grew 76% to $420 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $239 million for the 2003 period.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards outstanding totaled 434 million at September 30, 2004, compared with 433 million a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were $1.46 billion in the third quarter, compared with $1.13 billion in third quarter 2003, an increase of 29%. Net sales, excluding the $57 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 24% compared with 2003.</p><p>Operating income was $81 million in the third quarter, compared with $52 million in third quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income grew 29% to $95 million in the third quarter, compared with $74 million in the third quarter 2003. Excluding the $4 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, consolidated segment operating income grew 23% compared with third quarter 2003.</p><p>Net income was $54 million in the third quarter, or $0.13 per diluted share, compared with net income of $16 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, in third quarter 2003. Pro forma net income in the third quarter grew 52% to $73 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared with $48 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, in third quarter 2003.</p><p>"Our decision to put dollars into lower prices and free shipping instead of TV advertising continues to be embraced by customers," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "Customer adoption of free shipping hit another record high this quarter."</p><p>Amazon.com continues to lower shipping and product prices for its worldwide customers. Customers shopping at www.amazon.co.uk now qualify for free shipping on orders of £19 or more, down from the prior threshold of £25.</p><p>See "Financial Measures" for additional information.</p><p>Highlights</p><ul><li>North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, were $816 million, up 15% compared with third quarter 2003. Segment operating income declined $5 million to $57 million, compared with third quarter 2003. Increased adoption of free shipping contributed to an increase of $7 million in net shipping loss compared with the third quarter of 2003.</li><li>International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French, Japanese, and Chinese sites, were $646 million, up 52% compared with third quarter 2003, and accounted for 44% of worldwide net sales. Excluding the benefit from exchange rates, net sales growth was 39%. Segment operating income grew $26 million to $38 million, compared with third quarter 2003.</li><li>Electronics &amp; Other General Merchandise sales grew 55% to $1.47 billion for the trailing twelve months, representing 23% of worldwide net sales. For the first time, North America Electronics &amp; Other General Merchandise sales were over $1 billion on a trailing-twelve-month basis.</li><li>A9.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, launched a search engine at www.a9.com, to make Internet search more effective. The "search engine with a memory" helps users manage and organize their search results, and discover additional information sources such as the Internet Movie Database and Amazon.com's Search Inside the Book results.</li><li><em>Star Wars Trilogy</em> was the top-selling DVD worldwide, and the U.K. site received a record 85,000 pre-orders.</li><li>The Company introduced Toy stores at both its German and Japanese websites. Customers now have their choice of over 20,000 toys, games, and hobby products, and enjoy discounts up to 30%.</li><li>Amazon Web Services released Amazon E-Commerce Service 4.0 (ECS 4.0), offering software developers and website owners unprecedented access to Amazon's technology platform and product data. Additionally, the Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS) gives first-ever access to the vast database of website information and usage data compiled by Alexa Internet (www.alexa.com). Access to both ECS 4.0 and AWIS is available at www.amazon.com/webservices, where over 65,000 individuals have registered and downloaded the free Amazon Web Services Software Developers Kit.</li><li>Amazon.com's second U.K. fulfillment center in Scotland is fully operational and prepared to help meet holiday demand from European customers.</li><li>The Company acquired Joyo.com Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company, which operates the Joyo.com website in cooperation with Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates. The Joyo.com website is the largest online retailer of books, music, and videos in China, and is Amazon.com's seventh global website.</li></ul><p>Financial Guidance</p><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of October 21, 2004. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p>Fourth Quarter 2004 Guidance<ul><li>Net sales are expected to be between $2.295 billion and $2.545 billion, or grow between 18% and 31%, compared with fourth quarter 2003.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $162 million and $222 million, or grow between 6% and 45%, compared with fourth quarter 2003.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $137 million and $197 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $40.86 on September 30, 2004.</li></ul><p>Full Year 2004 Guidance</p><ul><li>Net sales are expected to be between $6.675 billion and $6.925 billion, or grow between 27% and 32%, compared with 2003.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $475 million and $535 million, or grow between 31% and 48%, compared with 2003.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $415 million and $475 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $40.86 on September 30, 2004.</li></ul>Full Year 2005 Expectations<ul><li>Net sales are expected to be between $7.40 billion and $8.15 billion.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $500 million and $625 million.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $400 million and $525 million, excluding any impact from SFAS No. 123R, and assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2005, is identical to the closing price of $40.86 on September 30, 2004.</li></ul><p>A conference call will be webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available at least through December 31, 2004, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.</p><p><em>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; management of growth; potential fluctuations in operating results; fulfillment center optimization; risks of inventory management; seasonality; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, system interruptions, consumer trends, 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.</em></p><p>Financial Measures</p><p>The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures.</p><p><em>Free Cash Flow</em></p><p>Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating cash flow—is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics."</p><p><em>Consolidated Segment Operating Income</em></p><p>Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>    Stock-based compensation and</li><li>    Other operating expense (income).</li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—operating income—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p><em>Pro Forma Net Income</em></p><p>Pro forma net income excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li>    Stock-based compensation,</li><li>    Other operating expense (income), and</li><li>    Remeasurements and other.</li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure—net income (loss)—is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p>For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and third-party sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished, and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.</p><p>As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.</p></td></tr><tr><td>   Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited)</div><p>Quarterly Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year, unless otherwise stated)</p><p><em>Net Sales</em></p><div><ul><li>Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was $87 million, up 13% from $77 million.</li></ul></div><div><em>Cost of Sales</em><ul><li>Cost of sales consists of the purchase price of consumer products sold by us, inbound and outbound shipping charges to us, packaging supplies, and costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target.com.</li><li>Outbound shipping-related costs totaled $128 million, up from $104 million. Net shipping loss was $41 million, up from a net loss of $27 million, resulting primarily from our free-shipping offers. We view free-shipping offers as an effective worldwide marketing tool and intend to continue offering them indefinitely.</li></ul></div><div><em>Direct Segment Operating Expense</em><ul><li>Third quarter direct segment operating expenses as a percentage of net sales were as follows:<table><tbody><tr><td><div><u>2004</u></div></td><td><div><u>2003</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Fullfillment</td><td><div>9.3%</div></td><td><div>9.4%</div></td></tr><tr><td>Technology and content</td><td><div>4.4%</div></td><td><div>4.7%</div></td></tr><tr><td>Marketing</td><td><div>2.3%</div></td><td><div>2.6%</div></td></tr><tr><td>General and administrative</td><td><div>1.8%</div></td><td><div>2.0%</div></td></tr></tbody></table></li><li>Depreciation was $19 million in third quarter 2004 and $72 million over the trailing twelve months.</li></ul><em>Fulfillment</em><ul><li>Fulfillment costs include those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees, and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations.</li><li>Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions are based on the gross purchase price of underlying transactions, and therefore represent a larger percentage of our recorded revenue than credit card fees on our retail sales. Bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee program, are also higher as a percentage of recorded revenue versus our retail sales. Accordingly, fulfillment costs as a percentage of net sales are higher for third-party seller transactions than for our retail sales.</li><li>Our new fulfillment center in Scotland began fulfilling customer orders in the third quarter and is now fully operational. The center is approximately 300,000 square feet and currently employs over 200 permanent associates.</li><li>Fulfillment costs decreased as a percentage of sales from the prior year, but increased in absolute dollars due to variable costs corresponding with sales volume, our mix of product sales, credit card fees, and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. We expect absolute amounts spent in fulfillment to increase over time.</li></ul><p><em>Technology and Content</em></p><ul><li>Our spending in technology and content has increased as we are adding computer scientists and software engineers to enhance the customer experience on our websites and those websites powered by us, and improve our process efficiency. Additionally, we continue to invest in several areas of technology, including seller platform, A9.com, web services, and additional development centers. We intend to continue investing in these and other initiatives and expect absolute dollars spent in technology and content to increase over time as we continue to add computer scientists and software engineers to our staff.</li><li>A significant majority of these costs are incurred in the U.S. and most of them are allocated to our North America segment.</li><li>We expense all costs related to the development of internal-use software other than those incurred during the application development stage. Costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software, generally two years. For the three months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, we capitalized $12 million and $9 million of internal-use software costs, which was offset by amortization of previously capitalized amounts of $8 million and $6 million.</li></ul><em>Marketing</em><ul><li>Marketing efforts include targeted online marketing channels, such as our Associates and Syndicated Stores programs, portal advertising, e-mail campaigns, sponsored search, and other initiatives. Since our marketing expenses are largely variable, we expect absolute amounts spent in marketing to increase over time. To the extent there is increased or decreased competition for these traffic sources, or to the extent our mix of these channels shifts, we would expect to see a corresponding change in our marketing expense. While costs associated with free shipping are not included in marketing expense, we view our free-shipping offers as an effective worldwide marketing tool and intend to continue offering them indefinitely.</li></ul><p><em>General and Administrative</em></p><ul><li>General and Administrative costs increased primarily due to increases in professional fees. We expect absolute dollars spent in general and administrative to increase over time.</li></ul><em>Stock-Based Compensation</em><ul><li>Since October 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units, under fixed accounting, are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense on an accelerated basis over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation.</li><li>Stock-based awards generally fully vest over service periods of between three and six years.</li><li>Stock-based compensation was $9 million for the quarter, consisting of $6 million in contra-expense for stock awards under variable accounting, and $15 million for stock awards under fixed accounting plus matching stock contributions under our 401(k) program. Payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards is not classified in "Stock-based compensation," but is allocated to the corresponding operating expense categories on the statement of operations.</li><li>We granted 0.7 million stock awards, primarily restricted stock units, during the quarter at a per-share weighted average fair value of $40.12. Year-to-date we have granted 2.7 million stock awards, primarily restricted stock units, at a per-share average fair value of $44.59.</li><li>At September 30, 2004, there were 27 million stock awards outstanding, consisting of 20 million stock options with a $12.90 weighted average exercise price, 6 million restricted stock units, and 0.5 million shares of restricted stock (included in common stock outstanding).</li><li>At September 30, 2004, 1.4 million outstanding stock awards, primarily options, were subject to variable accounting. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002, are subject to variable accounting treatment. Variable accounting treatment results in expense or contra-expense recognition using the cumulative expense method, calculated based on the quoted price of our common stock and vesting schedules of underlying awards. For example, since the closing price of our common stock on September 30, 2004, $40.86, was lower than the closing price on June 30, 2004, $54.40, we recorded a contra-expense associated with variable accounting treatment for the third quarter of 2004.</li></ul><p><em>Other Operating Expense (Income)</em></p><ul><li>Included in "Other operating expense (income)" are restructuring-related expenses or credits and amortization of other intangibles. Amortization of other intangibles was $0.3 million and $1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003.</li><li>Our first quarter 2001 operational restructuring plan is complete; however, we may periodically adjust our restructuring-related estimates, such as lease obligations, in the future if necessary.</li><li>Cash payments resulting from our 2001 operational restructuring were $2 million, compared with $3 million in 2003.</li><li>We streamlined our organizational structure in France to reduce our operating costs. The severance terms associated with these efforts were finalized in the third quarter, and corresponding costs of $4 million were recorded. We expect payment to occur in the fourth quarter of 2004.</li><li>We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $5 million in 2004, and $16 million thereafter. Amounts due within twelve months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of $25 million (we have signed sublease agreements for $13 million).</li></ul><p><em>Other Income (Expense), Net</em></p><ul><li>Other expense in third quarter 2004 was primarily foreign, state, and other income taxes.</li></ul><p><em>Remeasurements and Other</em></p><ul><li>Remeasurements includes foreign-currency losses on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $17 million, compared with a loss of $12 million.</li><li>Other includes a $7 million gain from the remeasurement of foreign-currency intercompany balances, which are to be repaid amongst subsidiaries, and a $4 million gain on sales of Euro-denominated investments.</li></ul><em>Income Taxes</em><ul><li>At September 30, 2004, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.8 billion, primarily related to U.S. federal taxes. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.0 billion of our NOLs are attributable to continuing operations, and the related tax benefits, if realized, will be credited to results of operations for both financial reporting and tax reporting purposes. The remainder, approximately $1.8 billion, relates to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes, and the related tax benefits, if realized, will be credited to stockholders' equity rather than to results of operations for financial reporting purposes.</li></ul><p><em>Net Income (Loss)</em></p><ul><li>We believe that our reported net income for the third quarter 2004 should not be viewed, on its own, as a material positive event and is not necessarily predictive of future results for a variety of reasons. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the effect that fluctuations in foreign currency rates will have on the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances. The remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS represented a significant charge during the quarter and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods.</li><li>Additionally, we are unable to forecast the effect of stock-based compensation, which is based in part on the quoted price of our common stock in accordance with variable accounting treatment. In the third quarter of 2004 variable accounting treatment resulted in a credit to our operating results of $6 million due to a decline in price of our common stock. Comparisons to prior year quarter and year-to-date periods show improvement in operating income of $16 million and $46 million resulting from the effects of changing stock prices on variable accounting treatment. Variable accounting has resulted in significant expense and contra-expense in past periods and will continue to be unpredictable going forward.</li></ul></div><div><em>Foreign Exchange</em><ul><li>As our financial reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar, our total sales, profit, and operating and free cash flow have benefited significantly the past nine quarters from weakness in the U.S. Dollar in comparison to the currencies of our international websites. We believe it is important to evaluate our growth rates after the effect of currency changes.</li><li>The effect of changes in exchange rates in the third quarter is as follows (in millions):(1) Includes foreign-currency gains (losses) on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances, and realized currency-related gains associated with sales of Euro-denominated investments held by a U.S. functional-currency subsidiary.These amounts represent the impact on reported results that is due to year-over-year changes in exchange rates. Absent year-over-year changes in exchange rates, reported amounts would have been lower (higher) by these amounts.</li></ul></div><div>Cash Flows and Balance Sheet</div><ul><li><div>Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, vendor payment terms, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.</div></li><li><div>Our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $1.18 billion, at fair value, primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term securities, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, asset-backed, and agency securities and certificates of deposit. Included is amounts held in foreign currencies of $693 million, primarily in Euros, British Pounds, and Yen.</div></li><li>We have pledged $76 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $87 million as of December 31, 2003.</li><li>On September 7, 2004 we acquired all outstanding shares of Joyo.com Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company, which operates the Joyo.com website in cooperation with Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates. The Joyo.com website is the largest online retailer of books, music, and videos in China, and is Amazon.com's seventh global website. Results of operations for Joyo.com have been included in our consolidated results from the date of acquisition forward. Results were not significant in the third quarter, and are not expected to be significant in the fourth quarter. The purchase price was $74 million, composed of $72 million in cash, the assumption of employee stock options, and transaction-related costs. We recorded $68 million in goodwill related to the acquisition.</li><li>"Other assets" includes, among other things, deferred issuance costs on long-term debt, other equity investments, and intangibles.</li><li>"Unearned revenue" is recorded when payments are received from third parties in advance of our providing the associated service.</li><li>"Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" includes, among other things, liabilities for gift certificates, marketing activities, and workforce costs, including accrued payroll, vacation, and other benefits.</li><li>"Long-term debt and other" primarily includes the following (in millions):(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.375% of the principal, which decreases every February by 47.5 basis points until maturity, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.(2) During the previous twelve-month period we redeemed an aggregate principal amount of $350 million: $150 million in February 2004 and $200 million in November 2003.(3) PrEmium Adjustable Convertible Securities.(4) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share ($105.56 per share based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2004). We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. We do not hedge any portion of the PEACS. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest, and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio. Due to fluctuations in this exchange ratio, our principal debt obligation since issuance in February 2000 has increased by $178 million as of September 30, 2004.(5) The "if converted" number of shares associated with our convertible debt instruments (approximately 20 million total shares) are excluded from diluted shares as their effect is anti-dilutive.</li></ul><p>Certain Definitions and Other</p><ul><li>We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation and other operating expenses (income), each of which is not allocated to segment results. Other centrally incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates.</li><li>The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca; from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com; from our mail-order tool catalog; and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing, and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca.</li><li>The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.co.uk , www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, and, since September 7, 2004, www.joyo.com; from internationally focused Syndicated Stores; and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from these internationally based sites (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca.</li><li>We provide supplemental sales information within each segment for three categories: "Media," "Electronics and other general merchandise," and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software, video games, and video game consoles. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics and office, toys and baby, tools, home and garden, apparel, sports and outdoors, gourmet food, jewelry, health and personal care, beauty, and musical instruments. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities.</li><li>Operating cycle is number of days of sales in inventory plus number of days of sales in accounts receivable minus accounts payable days. Inventory turnover is the quotient of trailing-twelve-months cost of sales to average inventory. Accounts payable days is calculated as the quotient of accounts payable to cost of sales, multiplied by the number of days in the period.</li><li>References to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our websites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops, and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores programs, but exclude Joyo.com customers, Merchant.com program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers, and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationship. A customer is considered active when they have placed an order during the preceding twelve-month period.</li><li>References to sellers or merchants mean active seller accounts, which are established when a seller receives an order from a customer account. Seller accounts include sellers in Amazon's Marketplace, Auctions, zShops, and Merchants@ platforms, but exclude Merchant.com sellers. A seller is considered active when they have received an order during the preceding twelve-month period.</li><li>References to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide—such as <em>www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de</em>, <em>www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr</em>, and <em>www.amazon.ca</em>—and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold through catalogs and at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music, and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at <em>www.target.com</em>. Units do not include Joyo.com units sold or Amazon.com gift certificates.</li></ul><p>Contacts:</p><p>Amazon.com Investor Relations                                         Amazon.com Public RelationsTim Stone, 206/266-2171, ir@amazon.com                         Patty Smith, 206/266-7180www.amazon.com/ir</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

AMAZON.CO.JP LAUNCHES TOYS & HOBBY STORE!

/news/news-details/2004/AMAZON.CO.JP-LAUNCHES-TOYS--HOBBY-STORE/default.aspx

AMAZON.CO.JP-LAUNCHES-TOYS--HOBBY-STORE

10/12/2004 00:00:00

AMAZON.CO.JP LAUNCHES TOYS & HOBBY STORE!

10/12/2004

2004

Huge Selection of More Than 20,000 Products Offered at Discounts of Up to 30% and Free Shipping TOKYO October 12, 2004 - Leading online retailer Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/) today announced the launch of its new Toys & Hobby store (http://www.amacon.co.jp/toys)--a single destination offering more than 20,000 items in 21 product categories at discounts of up to 30 percent and free shipping. At Amazon.co.jp's new Toys & Hobby store, Japanese customers will find all of their favorite brands, from popular Japanese brands including Bandai, Tomy, and Takara to foreign well-known brands such as Lego and Playmobil. Within the Toys & Hobby store, there is the Hobby Corner with thousands of Japanese customers' favorite character goods, including the full-series of Gundam models and Star Wars figures. The Hobby Corner also features a number of trading cards, jigsaw puzzles, and model trains. The store features a unique Web site function called "Browse-by-Age-Range," which makes it easy for customers to find the perfect toy or hobby product based on a child's age. Additionally, customers can browse and search the store by a number of helpful criteria, including characters and brands, categories and manufacturers. The character and brand browse feature makes it easy for customers to find virtually any product associated with their favorite characters, including books, DVDs, comics and video games-all in one shopping trip. At Amazon.co.jp's Toys & Hobby store, customers can find and discover thousands of popular and collectors items the Amazon way - with low prices, easy navigation, free shipping service for purchases of 1,500 Yen or more (tax included), COD (handling charge is \198) and pre-ordering. The Toys & Hobby store also provides all of the tools and helpful information that Amazon.co.jp customers have come to expect, such as Amazon and Customer Reviews, ratings of toys based on fun, education and durability, Wish lists*1, similarities, top sellers, and buying guides. "We are very excited to offer such a large variety of toys and hobby products to our customers in Japan at the lowest possible prices, as well as extend our free-shipping policy to the new store," said Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan, K.K.. "Our selection includes toys that both kids and grownups will love, from Barbie to Gundam, and from Choro-Q cars to radio-controlled airplanes and ships. New features like Browse-by-Age-Range make Holiday shopping and gift giving easy and convenient for Japanese customers." To celebrate the opening of the Toys & Hobby store, Amazon.co.jp is running a promotion whereby customers receive a 300 yen instant redeemable gift certificate with a purchase of more than 3,000 yen from our Toys & Hobby store through the end of October. In addition, the site will feature, interviews with celebrities including Konishiki, Kane Kosugi, Shinji Maggy, Chiharu, Thane Camus, Yuzo Gucci, Reiko Chiba, Toru Furuya, Bakuromi, Mamoru Oshii and others. Also you can find the products related to the interviews in the Toys & Hobby store. Examples of the products which the celebrities introduce in the store are as follows: Kane Kosugi: Lego Designer Set Robot Designer Delux 4508, G.I.JOE'S G.I.JOE Chiharu: Rica Doll P42N Princes Rica, Price SBL-9 Grewviegrouve. Thane Camus: Dragon, MF2-04 Automaster Lian, HARAPECO AOMUMUSHI puzzle & cards. Reiko Chiba: Princes Collection Barbie Swan Lake, U?SA?HA?NA beads designer, Lego Red Bucket 4244 * Wish lists: are useful for birthdays or any other special day! They ensure that gifts are sent to the right place and that the recipient doesn't receive more than he or she wants. About Amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.jp Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and Home& Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Anywhere mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. Please direct inquiries related to this press release to:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jpOr contact the PR Agent:Vector, Inc.Kaori Nishida / Sayaka Ishigaki / Saori KiryuTel: 03-3403-2232E-mail: amazon@vectorinc.co.jp

<p>Huge Selection of More Than 20,000 Products Offered at Discounts of Up to 30% and Free Shipping</p><p>TOKYO October 12, 2004 - Leading online retailer Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/) today announced the launch of its new Toys &amp; Hobby store (http://www.amacon.co.jp/toys)--a single destination offering more than 20,000 items in 21 product categories at discounts of up to 30 percent and free shipping.</p><p>At Amazon.co.jp's new Toys &amp; Hobby store, Japanese customers will find all of their favorite brands, from popular Japanese brands including Bandai, Tomy, and Takara to foreign well-known brands such as Lego and Playmobil. Within the Toys &amp; Hobby store, there is the Hobby Corner with thousands of Japanese customers' favorite character goods, including the full-series of Gundam models and Star Wars figures. The Hobby Corner also features a number of trading cards, jigsaw puzzles, and model trains.</p><p>The store features a unique Web site function called "Browse-by-Age-Range," which makes it easy for customers to find the perfect toy or hobby product based on a child's age. Additionally, customers can browse and search the store by a number of helpful criteria, including characters and brands, categories and manufacturers. The character and brand browse feature makes it easy for customers to find virtually any product associated with their favorite characters, including books, DVDs, comics and video games-all in one shopping trip.</p><p>At Amazon.co.jp's Toys &amp; Hobby store, customers can find and discover thousands of popular and collectors items the Amazon way - with low prices, easy navigation, free shipping service for purchases of 1,500 Yen or more (tax included), COD (handling charge is \198) and pre-ordering. The Toys &amp; Hobby store also provides all of the tools and helpful information that Amazon.co.jp customers have come to expect, such as Amazon and Customer Reviews, ratings of toys based on fun, education and durability, Wish lists*1, similarities, top sellers, and buying guides.</p><p>"We are very excited to offer such a large variety of toys and hobby products to our customers in Japan at the lowest possible prices, as well as extend our free-shipping policy to the new store," said Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan, K.K.. "Our selection includes toys that both kids and grownups will love, from Barbie to Gundam, and from Choro-Q cars to radio-controlled airplanes and ships. New features like Browse-by-Age-Range make Holiday shopping and gift giving easy and convenient for Japanese customers."</p><p>To celebrate the opening of the Toys &amp; Hobby store, Amazon.co.jp is running a promotion whereby customers receive a 300 yen instant redeemable gift certificate with a purchase of more than 3,000 yen from our Toys &amp; Hobby store through the end of October. In addition, the site will feature, interviews with celebrities including Konishiki, Kane Kosugi, Shinji Maggy, Chiharu, Thane Camus, Yuzo Gucci, Reiko Chiba, Toru Furuya, Bakuromi, Mamoru Oshii and others. Also you can find the products related to the interviews in the Toys &amp; Hobby store.</p><p>Examples of the products which the celebrities introduce in the store are as follows: Kane Kosugi: Lego Designer Set Robot Designer Delux 4508, G.I.JOE'S G.I.JOE Chiharu: Rica Doll P42N Princes Rica, Price SBL-9 Grewviegrouve. Thane Camus: Dragon, MF2-04 Automaster Lian, HARAPECO AOMUMUSHI puzzle &amp; cards. Reiko Chiba: Princes Collection Barbie Swan Lake, U?SA?HA?NA beads designer, Lego Red Bucket 4244</p><p>* Wish lists: are useful for birthdays or any other special day! They ensure that gifts are sent to the right place and that the recipient doesn't receive more than he or she wants.</p><p>About Amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.jp</p><p>Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and Home&amp; Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Anywhere mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering. Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><p>Please direct inquiries related to this press release to:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jpOr contact the PR Agent:Vector, Inc.Kaori Nishida / Sayaka Ishigaki / Saori KiryuTel: 03-3403-2232E-mail: amazon@vectorinc.co.jp</p>

Starting today and for an unlimited time: Amazon.de delivers all books free of shipping costs

/news/news-details/2004/Starting-today-and-for-an-unlimited-time-Amazon.de-delivers-all-books-free-of-shipping-costs/default.aspx

Starting-today-and-for-an-unlimited-time-Amazon.de-delivers-all-books-free-of-shipping-costs

10/08/2004 00:00:00

Starting today and for an unlimited time: Amazon.de delivers all books free of shipping costs

10/08/2004

2004

Amazon.de costumers get all book, audio book and calendar orders free of shipping costs – regardless of order value For all other categories and mixed orders Amazon.de offers free shipping offer for all orders exceeding 20 EUR Munich, October 8, 2004 – Starting today Amazon.de delivers all books, audio books and calendars free of shipping costs – regardless of order value. The offer applies for an unlimited time. In all other product lines of Amazon.de, if Music, DVD, Elektronics & Photo, Software and Videogames, House & Garden or Toys, orders exceeding 20 EUR are delivered free of shipping costs. „We are happy to offer our customers free shipping of books for an unlimited time now. Two years ago, we introduced free shipping for orders exceeding 20 Euros in all product lines, lowering the threshold of free shipping by more than 50 % to let customers in all product lines benefit from our free shipping offer. Now we are one step further and can also give customers the opportunity to benefit from free shipping of books regardless of the product value." says Ralf Kleber, Managing Director of Amazon.de. The free shipping offer for books orders is valid for Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Price offer at Amazon.de 500 calendars reduced by 20 % More than 3,000 DVDs below 10 EUR 3,000 CDs to 30% off Computer and video games up to 30% off Toys reduced by up to 20 % DVD-Player starting at 39,95 EUR DVD fans can now also benefit from Amazon.de's Low Price Guarantee: customers who have bought a DVD at Amazon* and see the exact same DVD cheaper somewhere else within two weeks after purchase, can claim a GC for the price difference. This also includes Amazon price changes, but does not include Amazon Marketplace offers. Customers simply have to enter a few details of the lower offering to get the price difference refunded to their Amazon account within 48 hours. The credit can be used within 90 days on any Amazon.de purchase excluding German Books. In addition to the free shipping option, Customers in Germany** now have the opportunity to receive their orders from Amazon.de even more reliable than they're used to: with Express shipping, Amazon.de offers a service for shipments to be delivered within 24 hours after pickup by its carrier DHL in the distribution centre in Bad Hersfeld, Hessen. Products that are listed on our website as shipped within 24 hours can be delivered often within 48 hours after order; orders placed on Saturday will be delivered the next working day. The service is available in all product lines at a fee of 8 EUR and can be selected during the order process. For more information please visit www.amazon.de/buch and www.amazon.de/versandkosten. * Does not include DVDs bought at Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions.** Does not include shipping addresses on the German islands. For further information:Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.dehäberlein & mauerer agagentur für public relationsSusanne LarbigFranz-Joseph-Straße180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: susanne.larbig@haebmau.de

<ul><li>Amazon.de costumers get all book, audio book and calendar orders free of shipping costs – regardless of order value</li><li>For all other categories and mixed orders Amazon.de offers free shipping offer for all orders exceeding 20 EUR</li></ul><p>Munich, October 8, 2004 – Starting today Amazon.de delivers all books, audio books and calendars free of shipping costs – regardless of order value. The offer applies for an unlimited time. In all other product lines of Amazon.de, if Music, DVD, Elektronics &amp; Photo, Software and Videogames, House &amp; Garden or Toys, orders exceeding 20 EUR are delivered free of shipping costs.</p><p>„We are happy to offer our customers free shipping of books for an unlimited time now. Two years ago, we introduced free shipping for orders exceeding 20 Euros in all product lines, lowering the threshold of free shipping by more than 50 % to let customers in all product lines benefit from our free shipping offer. Now we are one step further and can also give customers the opportunity to benefit from free shipping of books regardless of the product value." says Ralf Kleber, Managing Director of Amazon.de.</p><p>The free shipping offer for books orders is valid for Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.</p><p>Price offer at Amazon.de</p><ul><li>500 calendars reduced by 20 %</li><li>More than 3,000 DVDs below 10 EUR</li><li>3,000 CDs to 30% off</li><li>Computer and video games up to 30% off</li><li>Toys reduced by up to 20 %</li><li>DVD-Player starting at 39,95 EUR</li></ul><p>DVD fans can now also benefit from Amazon.de's Low Price Guarantee: customers who have bought a DVD at Amazon* and see the exact same DVD cheaper somewhere else within two weeks after purchase, can claim a GC for the price difference. This also includes Amazon price changes, but does not include Amazon Marketplace offers. Customers simply have to enter a few details of the lower offering to get the price difference refunded to their Amazon account within 48 hours. The credit can be used within 90 days on any Amazon.de purchase excluding German Books.</p><p>In addition to the free shipping option, Customers in Germany** now have the opportunity to receive their orders from Amazon.de even more reliable than they're used to: with Express shipping, Amazon.de offers a service for shipments to be delivered within 24 hours after pickup by its carrier DHL in the distribution centre in Bad Hersfeld, Hessen. Products that are listed on our website as shipped within 24 hours can be delivered often within 48 hours after order; orders placed on Saturday will be delivered the next working day. The service is available in all product lines at a fee of 8 EUR and can be selected during the order process.</p><p>For more information please visit www.amazon.de/buch and www.amazon.de/versandkosten.</p><p>* Does not include DVDs bought at Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions.** Does not include shipping addresses on the German islands.</p><p>For further information:Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.dehäberlein &amp; mauerer agagentur für public relationsSusanne LarbigFranz-Joseph-Straße180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: susanne.larbig@haebmau.de</p>

eMarketer Predicts 27.6% Increase in Q4 Online Retail Sales

/news/news-details/2004/eMarketer-Predicts-27.6-Increase-in-Q4-Online-Retail-Sales/default.aspx

eMarketer-Predicts-27.6-Increase-in-Q4-Online-Retail-Sales

10/07/2004 00:00:00

eMarketer Predicts 27.6% Increase in Q4 Online Retail Sales

10/07/2004

2004

High-Speed Access, Consumer-Friendly Sites Cited as Primary Drivers NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 07, 2004 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- eMarketer announced today it expects online retail sales to reach more than $22.34 billion in the fourth quarter, up 27.6% from Q4 2003. "While today's retail sales announcements are expected to be weak for the month of September, the holiday shopping season will be significantly better than last year for online retailers," said Senior Analyst Jeffrey Grau. The projection, issued by the firm today, is based on eMarketer's analysis of numerous research and government sources and excludes travel and auction sales. The US Department of Commerce figures, which act as a benchmark for eMarketer's projections, also exclude travel and auction sales from its figures. In part, the jump from last year's fourth quarter mark of more than $17.51 billion reflects consumers' increased broadband usage, Grau said. Retailers also have an improved understanding of how consumers shop online. "The medium itself is hitting a maturation point," Grau said. "The experience is faster, more secure and more consumer-friendly." Many online retailers, including Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), are running promotions that level the playing field between brick-and-mortar stores and stores housed online. Offers include free or discounted shipping and, among other retailers, the option to return items to a brick-and-mortar outlet rather than mailing them back to a warehouse. "On the whole online retailers are getting better at doing business," Grau said. "We won't know exactly how successful a season they have until early next year." About eMarketer eMarketer, the world's leading aggregator of e-business and Internet statistics, provides objective market projections and analysis to online professionals in more than 140 countries worldwide. eMarketer's eStat Database is the most comprehensive compilation of up-to-date e-business and online marketing statistics in the world. For more information on this report, visit http://www.emarketer.com. Press Inquiries: Jennifer Kronstain jkronstain@emarketer.com (212) 763-6038 SOURCE: eMarketer

<p>High-Speed Access, Consumer-Friendly Sites Cited as Primary Drivers</p><p>NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 07, 2004 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- eMarketer announced today it expects online retail sales to reach more than $22.34 billion in the fourth quarter, up 27.6% from Q4 2003.</p><p>"While today's retail sales announcements are expected to be weak for the month of September, the holiday shopping season will be significantly better than last year for online retailers," said Senior Analyst Jeffrey Grau.</p><p>The projection, issued by the firm today, is based on eMarketer's analysis of numerous research and government sources and excludes travel and auction sales. The US Department of Commerce figures, which act as a benchmark for eMarketer's projections, also exclude travel and auction sales from its figures.</p><p>In part, the jump from last year's fourth quarter mark of more than $17.51 billion reflects consumers' increased broadband usage, Grau said. Retailers also have an improved understanding of how consumers shop online.</p><p>"The medium itself is hitting a maturation point," Grau said. "The experience is faster, more secure and more consumer-friendly."</p><p>Many online retailers, including Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), are running promotions that level the playing field between brick-and-mortar stores and stores housed online. Offers include free or discounted shipping and, among other retailers, the option to return items to a brick-and-mortar outlet rather than mailing them back to a warehouse.</p><p>"On the whole online retailers are getting better at doing business," Grau said. "We won't know exactly how successful a season they have until early next year."</p><p>About eMarketer</p><p>eMarketer, the world's leading aggregator of e-business and Internet statistics, provides objective market projections and analysis to online professionals in more than 140 countries worldwide. eMarketer's eStat Database is the most comprehensive compilation of up-to-date e-business and online marketing statistics in the world. For more information on this report, visit http://www.emarketer.com.</p><pre>Press Inquiries:Jennifer Kronstainjkronstain@emarketer.com(212) 763-6038</pre><p>SOURCE: eMarketer</p>

New Amazon Web Services Offerings Give Developers Unprecedented Access to Amazon Product Data and Technology, and First-Ever Access to Data Compiled by Alexa Internet

/news/news-details/2004/New-Amazon-Web-Services-Offerings-Give-Developers-Unprecedented-Access-to-Amazon-Product-Data-and-Technology-and-First-Ever-Access-to-Data-Compiled-by-Alexa-Internet/default.aspx

New-Amazon-Web-Services-Offerings-Give-Developers-Unprecedented-Access-to-Amazon-Product-Data-and-Technology-and-First-Ever-Access-to-Data-Compiled-by-Alexa-Internet

10/04/2004 00:00:00

New Amazon Web Services Offerings Give Developers Unprecedented Access to Amazon Product Data and Technology, and First-Ever Access to Data Compiled by Alexa Internet

10/04/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2004--Two new services released today by Amazon Web Services (AWS) significantly enhance the power of software developers and Web site owners to build innovative, revenue-generating applications. Available at no cost, Amazon E-Commerce Service 4.0 (ECS 4.0) offers unprecedented access to Amazon's technology platform and product data. Additionally, the Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS), which is available at no cost during the beta period, gives first-ever access to the vast database of Web site information and usage data compiled by Alexa Internet (www.alexa.com). Information about both services is available at www.amazon.com/webservices, including all the documentation, code samples, and sample applications developers need to begin innovating and building businesses immediately. Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS) The Alexa Web Information Service provides developers with programmatic access to the information Alexa collects from its Web Crawl, which currently includes more than 100 terabytes of data from over 4 billion Web pages. Developers and Web site owners can use AWIS as a platform for finding answers to difficult and interesting problems on the Web, and incorporating them into their Web applications. Several different types of data can be accessed through AWIS, including: -- URL Information Web operation provides information pertaining to specific Web sites. Examples of this information include traffic rank, adult content identification, load speed, and related links. -- Browse Category operation provides a list of sub-categories for a specific top-level category. Depending on the request format, the service will return a list of Most Popular links in the category, or optionally, a list of all sites within that category. Using this service a developer could build a browse-tree service. -- Web Search operation provides a list of URLs that have content matching one or more keywords. -- Crawl Meta Data operation provides meta-data for a specific Web site, including size, checksum, frames, images, and links. -- Web Map operation is a topographic representation of Alexa's Web crawl and provides a list of all links in and links out of a particular Web page. Both Amazon.com and A9.com are already using AWIS. A9.com (www.a9.com), for example, uses the AWIS URL Information operation to source the Web site information it presents to users along with their search results. When A9.com returns a list of search results, each result also includes a "site info" button, which can be hovered over with a mouse to display the link's traffic rank, number of sites that link to it, speed (average time it takes to load the page), length of time the site has appeared on the Web, and the top three sites that people who visit the site also visit. The AWIS URL Information Operation also powers the "site info" feature in the A9 Toolbar. AWIS will be offered at no charge during the beta phase. Prices for the service will be announced when AWIS is officially launched. Amazon E-Commerce Service (ECS 4.0) Formerly Amazon Web Services 3.0, ECS 4.0 now provides access to information and customer reviews for all Amazon.com product categories, as well as the overwhelming majority of product images from Amazon's database. ECS 4.0 also gives developers deeper data on products, advanced search and shopping cart functionality, and features that make the Application Programming Interface (API) easier to use. -- Product information for all Amazon.com categories is now available. Detailed information on more than one million additional products has been added to the millions of products already available through AWS. The new Amazon.com product categories available through ECS 4.0 are Apparel & Accessories, Jewelry & Watches, Gourmet Food, Sports & Outdoors, Musical Instruments, Health & Personal Care and Beauty. Adding these new products to ECS 4.0 means that developers can now innovate and create businesses using every Amazon.com product category. -- Access to more than one million new product images from Amazon.com's database has been added to ECS 4.0 for developers to build into their storefront or other applications that could benefit from this massive image collection. Previously, images for many new product categories were not accessible, which made it more difficult for software developers to attractively merchandise those products in their applications. The addition of these product images means that the overwhelming majority of Amazon.com's product images are accessible to developers. -- All Customer Reviews associated with a product are now available to be integrated into storefront applications and other innovative applications. Previously, developers could only access three reviews per product. In addition, with version 4.0, developers now have the ability to request reviews written by a specific reviewer. -- More Attributes about products from Amazon.com product detail pages are now exposed for the first time, which makes it easier for developers to describe the products they list on their sites and increase their Associates referral earnings. Previously, developers were limited to listing just a few product details. For example, developers could not describe computers using details like Battery Type, CPU Speed, Graphics Memory Size, and Total Firewire Ports. With ECS 4.0, these and dozens more attributes like weights and dimensions are now available to help developers innovate and describe the products they list. -- Extended Search functionality allows developers to create applications with more complex search options than those available before. Previously, developers were able to offer only a simple keyword search. Now, developers can build on the same functionality as Amazon.com's "Advanced Search," which allows users to search by numerous attributes, including brand, price, and category. Developers can also now merchandise products in innovative ways, such as by price, color, author, or artist. -- Amazon Wish List Search makes this popular gifting feature easier and more compelling for developers to use in building applications. Before ECS 4.0, applications using the Amazon Wish List feature couldn't offer users the ability to search for Wish Lists by name, which made the feature less useful for developers. With ECS 4.0, developers can now embed Wish List search by name, email address, city, and state into their applications. This added functionality will provide a much better user experience and will help developers retain their users on their sites or applications. ECS 4.0 also offers improved usability for working with the API's, allowing developers to build their applications more quickly and efficiently. -- Response Groups allow developers to make precise information requests, and will allow them to build quicker and more efficiently. Prior to ECS 4.0, developers were limited to 'light' or 'heavy' calls and then had to pick and choose desired data from the results. -- Multi-Operation and Batch Interfaces enable developers to input a single request and receive responses that include data from up to two operations, which means more data from fewer requests and faster application performance. Previously, if developers wanted responses from multiple operations, they had to make separate requests. -- Improved error messages give developers more specific information about the errors they receive and how they can resolve them. Previously, error messages did not explain why a request failed or how it can be changed so that it will succeed. Additionally, developers can now choose to receive error messages in Japanese. -- Built-in help functionality allows developers to access help information while working with the API's, instead of referring to the separate SDK documentation guide. This feature will save developers time, be useful as a learning tool and make it easier for third-party tool and Integrated Development Environment providers to integrate the AWS API's into their software. -- Additional Code Samples and Applications give developers more options for getting started quickly. Early ECS 4.0 Successes ECS 4.0 makes it possible for new types of applications to be built and for developers to significantly improve existing ones to offer better customer experiences. Members of the AWS developer community who participated in a beta test of version 4.0 built or enhanced the following applications: WWWinkazon (www.naturallyopen.com/wwwinkazon): Access Amazon.com products from any site on the Web. By simply highlighting text on a Web page and clicking on the browser's WWWinkazon icon, shoppers can open a pane right in their browser that includes a list of Amazon.com products and images pertaining to the keywords they selected. Shoppers can then click on a product or image to open an Amazon.com page where they can make a purchase or view the full Amazon.com product page. For example, a person reading a news article about a new stereo who wants to learn its price or availability at Amazon.com could simply highlight the name of the stereo using their mouse, click on the WWWinkazon icon, and get the information -- without ever leaving the article. Using the increased product information and image access in ECS 4.0, WWWinkazon now allows users to view illustrated product information from all Amazon.com categories. Pluck (www.pluck.com): Perform persistent searches ("perches") for Amazon.com new and used products that fit complex and specific attributes, such as version, price, memory, and speed. The new version of Pluck leverages the myriad new product attributes accessible to AWS developers. For example, a person purchasing a laptop computer can set up a persistent search for a specific model and easily sort and filter large result sets based upon attributes like memory levels, speed, screen size and price. The perch regularly searches Amazon.com and notifies the user as it finds new matches or detects price changes. Pluck's solution for Amazon.com helps users find the best deals on exactly what they need, without having to continuously visit the site to perform the same searches. The Hive Group (www.hivegroup.com/amazon): Discover Amazon.com products on a single screen using an innovative visual search interface. The Hive Group's Honeycomb software lets users filter the massive selection of computers in the Amazon.com Electronics Store by sliding minimum and maximum bars on a scale for various attributes, such as manufacturer, CPU type, CPU speed, hard drive capacity, RAM, price, average customer rating, and sales rank. Computers that match a user's specific filters are represented by colored tiles which can be hovered over with a mouse to present a photo and several other details about the product. The ability for users to discover the product that precisely matches the specifications they desire is made possible by the full access developers have to product attributes in ECS 4.0. FeedBurner (www.feedburner.com): Earn Amazon Associates referral fees from RSS feeds by inserting relevant Amazon.com products. RSS publishers match Amazon stores to their own content categories and ECS 4.0 uses keywords to match the specific content of the RSS feeds to relevant Amazon.com products. For example, the author of a blog on politics could automatically program FeedBurner to insert relevant political books into the RSS feeds they publish. When a consumer of the blogger's RSS feeds clicks on a book and makes purchase, the blogger earns referral fees from Amazon.com. Simplest-Shop (www.simplest-shop.com): Compare and contrast consumer electronics and other Amazon.com products using dozens of attributes. With Simplest-Shop's integration of the additional product attributes from ECS 4.0, shoppers can select products and their attributes to compare side-by-side. The comparison-shopping features of Simplest-Shop offer shoppers yet another tool for making informed purchase decisions. AWS Zone (www.awszone.com): Experiment and learn more about what's possible with Amazon Web Services at this portal that includes a developer scratch pad, prototyping tool, and code samples. For example, developers can use the scratch pad tool to see how data would appear in real-time -- without affecting their live applications. Amazon Products Feed (www.mrrat.com/aws): Obtain "scripts" for creating Amazon Associates sites that use the enhanced features available through ECS 4.0. Thousands of Associates like www.shopforpowertools.com and www.playlandstation.com have used developer MrRat's scripts during the past two years to build sites that include enhanced features such as real-time pricing, sales rank and customer reviews only available through AWS. Dozens more Associates are currently working on sites that merchandise products in the new categories accessible through ECS 4.0. "We continue to be surprised by the innovative applications and businesses developers are building using Amazon Web Services," said Andy Jassy, Vice President of Web Services at Amazon. "Every time we expose new features, developers everywhere find clever ways to derive business value from them. Releasing ECS 4.0 and AWIS is another meaningful step in this direction. We continue to be committed to exposing the guts of Amazon.com for developers to build creative applications and businesses on top of our functionality and data." About Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric Website, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com's affiliates and third party sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchen and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo, toy, baby, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions, and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com, which is operated in cooperation with affiliates. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. About Amazon Services, Inc. Amazon Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. that makes the technology and services that power Amazon.com available to third-parties. Amazon Web Services is a division of Amazon Services. CONTACT: Amazon Media Relations, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2004--Two new services released today by Amazon Web Services (AWS) significantly enhance the power of software developers and Web site owners to build innovative, revenue-generating applications. Available at no cost, Amazon E-Commerce Service 4.0 (ECS 4.0) offers unprecedented access to Amazon's technology platform and product data. Additionally, the Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS), which is available at no cost during the beta period, gives first-ever access to the vast database of Web site information and usage data compiled by Alexa Internet (www.alexa.com). Information about both services is available at www.amazon.com/webservices, including all the documentation, code samples, and sample applications developers need to begin innovating and building businesses immediately.</p><p>Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS)</p><p>The Alexa Web Information Service provides developers with programmatic access to the information Alexa collects from its Web Crawl, which currently includes more than 100 terabytes of data from over 4 billion Web pages. Developers and Web site owners can use AWIS as a platform for finding answers to difficult and interesting problems on the Web, and incorporating them into their Web applications. Several different types of data can be accessed through AWIS, including:</p><pre> -- URL Information Web operation provides information pertaining to specific Web sites. Examples of this information include traffic rank, adult content identification, load speed, and related links. -- Browse Category operation provides a list of sub-categories for a specific top-level category. Depending on the request format, the service will return a list of Most Popular links in the category, or optionally, a list of all sites within that category. Using this service a developer could build a browse-tree service. -- Web Search operation provides a list of URLs that have content matching one or more keywords. -- Crawl Meta Data operation provides meta-data for a specific Web site, including size, checksum, frames, images, and links. -- Web Map operation is a topographic representation of Alexa's Web crawl and provides a list of all links in and links out of a particular Web page.</pre><p>Both Amazon.com and A9.com are already using AWIS. A9.com (www.a9.com), for example, uses the AWIS URL Information operation to source the Web site information it presents to users along with their search results. When A9.com returns a list of search results, each result also includes a "site info" button, which can be hovered over with a mouse to display the link's traffic rank, number of sites that link to it, speed (average time it takes to load the page), length of time the site has appeared on the Web, and the top three sites that people who visit the site also visit. The AWIS URL Information Operation also powers the "site info" feature in the A9 Toolbar.</p><p>AWIS will be offered at no charge during the beta phase. Prices for the service will be announced when AWIS is officially launched.</p><p>Amazon E-Commerce Service (ECS 4.0)</p><p>Formerly Amazon Web Services 3.0, ECS 4.0 now provides access to information and customer reviews for all Amazon.com product categories, as well as the overwhelming majority of product images from Amazon's database. ECS 4.0 also gives developers deeper data on products, advanced search and shopping cart functionality, and features that make the Application Programming Interface (API) easier to use.</p><pre> -- Product information for all Amazon.com categories is now available. Detailed information on more than one million additional products has been added to the millions of products already available through AWS. The new Amazon.com product categories available through ECS 4.0 are Apparel &amp; Accessories, Jewelry &amp; Watches, Gourmet Food, Sports &amp; Outdoors, Musical Instruments, Health &amp; Personal Care and Beauty. Adding these new products to ECS 4.0 means that developers can now innovate and create businesses using every Amazon.com product category. -- Access to more than one million new product images from Amazon.com's database has been added to ECS 4.0 for developers to build into their storefront or other applications that could benefit from this massive image collection. Previously, images for many new product categories were not accessible, which made it more difficult for software developers to attractively merchandise those products in their applications. The addition of these product images means that the overwhelming majority of Amazon.com's product images are accessible to developers. -- All Customer Reviews associated with a product are now available to be integrated into storefront applications and other innovative applications. Previously, developers could only access three reviews per product. In addition, with version 4.0, developers now have the ability to request reviews written by a specific reviewer. -- More Attributes about products from Amazon.com product detail pages are now exposed for the first time, which makes it easier for developers to describe the products they list on their sites and increase their Associates referral earnings. Previously, developers were limited to listing just a few product details. For example, developers could not describe computers using details like Battery Type, CPU Speed, Graphics Memory Size, and Total Firewire Ports. With ECS 4.0, these and dozens more attributes like weights and dimensions are now available to help developers innovate and describe the products they list. -- Extended Search functionality allows developers to create applications with more complex search options than those available before. Previously, developers were able to offer only a simple keyword search. Now, developers can build on the same functionality as Amazon.com's "Advanced Search," which allows users to search by numerous attributes, including brand, price, and category. Developers can also now merchandise products in innovative ways, such as by price, color, author, or artist. -- Amazon Wish List Search makes this popular gifting feature easier and more compelling for developers to use in building applications. Before ECS 4.0, applications using the Amazon Wish List feature couldn't offer users the ability to search for Wish Lists by name, which made the feature less useful for developers. With ECS 4.0, developers can now embed Wish List search by name, email address, city, and state into their applications. This added functionality will provide a much better user experience and will help developers retain their users on their sites or applications.</pre><p>ECS 4.0 also offers improved usability for working with the API's, allowing developers to build their applications more quickly and efficiently.</p><pre> -- Response Groups allow developers to make precise information requests, and will allow them to build quicker and more efficiently. Prior to ECS 4.0, developers were limited to 'light' or 'heavy' calls and then had to pick and choose desired data from the results. -- Multi-Operation and Batch Interfaces enable developers to input a single request and receive responses that include data from up to two operations, which means more data from fewer requests and faster application performance. Previously, if developers wanted responses from multiple operations, they had to make separate requests. -- Improved error messages give developers more specific information about the errors they receive and how they can resolve them. Previously, error messages did not explain why a request failed or how it can be changed so that it will succeed. Additionally, developers can now choose to receive error messages in Japanese. -- Built-in help functionality allows developers to access help information while working with the API's, instead of referring to the separate SDK documentation guide. This feature will save developers time, be useful as a learning tool and make it easier for third-party tool and Integrated Development Environment providers to integrate the AWS API's into their software. -- Additional Code Samples and Applications give developers more options for getting started quickly. Early ECS 4.0 Successes</pre><p>ECS 4.0 makes it possible for new types of applications to be built and for developers to significantly improve existing ones to offer better customer experiences. Members of the AWS developer community who participated in a beta test of version 4.0 built or enhanced the following applications:</p><p>WWWinkazon (www.naturallyopen.com/wwwinkazon): Access Amazon.com products from any site on the Web. By simply highlighting text on a Web page and clicking on the browser's WWWinkazon icon, shoppers can open a pane right in their browser that includes a list of Amazon.com products and images pertaining to the keywords they selected. Shoppers can then click on a product or image to open an Amazon.com page where they can make a purchase or view the full Amazon.com product page. For example, a person reading a news article about a new stereo who wants to learn its price or availability at Amazon.com could simply highlight the name of the stereo using their mouse, click on the WWWinkazon icon, and get the information -- without ever leaving the article. Using the increased product information and image access in ECS 4.0, WWWinkazon now allows users to view illustrated product information from all Amazon.com categories.</p><p>Pluck (www.pluck.com): Perform persistent searches ("perches") for Amazon.com new and used products that fit complex and specific attributes, such as version, price, memory, and speed. The new version of Pluck leverages the myriad new product attributes accessible to AWS developers. For example, a person purchasing a laptop computer can set up a persistent search for a specific model and easily sort and filter large result sets based upon attributes like memory levels, speed, screen size and price. The perch regularly searches Amazon.com and notifies the user as it finds new matches or detects price changes. Pluck's solution for Amazon.com helps users find the best deals on exactly what they need, without having to continuously visit the site to perform the same searches.</p><p>The Hive Group (www.hivegroup.com/amazon): Discover Amazon.com products on a single screen using an innovative visual search interface. The Hive Group's Honeycomb software lets users filter the massive selection of computers in the Amazon.com Electronics Store by sliding minimum and maximum bars on a scale for various attributes, such as manufacturer, CPU type, CPU speed, hard drive capacity, RAM, price, average customer rating, and sales rank. Computers that match a user's specific filters are represented by colored tiles which can be hovered over with a mouse to present a photo and several other details about the product. The ability for users to discover the product that precisely matches the specifications they desire is made possible by the full access developers have to product attributes in ECS 4.0.</p><p>FeedBurner (www.feedburner.com): Earn Amazon Associates referral fees from RSS feeds by inserting relevant Amazon.com products. RSS publishers match Amazon stores to their own content categories and ECS 4.0 uses keywords to match the specific content of the RSS feeds to relevant Amazon.com products. For example, the author of a blog on politics could automatically program FeedBurner to insert relevant political books into the RSS feeds they publish. When a consumer of the blogger's RSS feeds clicks on a book and makes purchase, the blogger earns referral fees from Amazon.com.</p><p>Simplest-Shop (www.simplest-shop.com): Compare and contrast consumer electronics and other Amazon.com products using dozens of attributes. With Simplest-Shop's integration of the additional product attributes from ECS 4.0, shoppers can select products and their attributes to compare side-by-side. The comparison-shopping features of Simplest-Shop offer shoppers yet another tool for making informed purchase decisions.</p><p>AWS Zone (www.awszone.com): Experiment and learn more about what's possible with Amazon Web Services at this portal that includes a developer scratch pad, prototyping tool, and code samples. For example, developers can use the scratch pad tool to see how data would appear in real-time -- without affecting their live applications.</p><p>Amazon Products Feed (www.mrrat.com/aws): Obtain "scripts" for creating Amazon Associates sites that use the enhanced features available through ECS 4.0. Thousands of Associates like www.shopforpowertools.com and www.playlandstation.com have used developer MrRat's scripts during the past two years to build sites that include enhanced features such as real-time pricing, sales rank and customer reviews only available through AWS. Dozens more Associates are currently working on sites that merchandise products in the new categories accessible through ECS 4.0.</p><p>"We continue to be surprised by the innovative applications and businesses developers are building using Amazon Web Services," said Andy Jassy, Vice President of Web Services at Amazon. "Every time we expose new features, developers everywhere find clever ways to derive business value from them. Releasing ECS 4.0 and AWIS is another meaningful step in this direction. We continue to be committed to exposing the guts of Amazon.com for developers to build creative applications and businesses on top of our functionality and data."</p><p>About Amazon.com, Inc.</p><p>Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric Website, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com's affiliates and third party sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchen and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo, toy, baby, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions, and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com, which is operated in cooperation with affiliates.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><p>About Amazon Services, Inc.</p><p>Amazon Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. that makes the technology and services that power Amazon.com available to third-parties. Amazon Web Services is a division of Amazon Services.</p><p>CONTACT: Amazon Media Relations, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</p>

Amazon.com, Microsoft Team Against Online Fraud; Companies file lawsuits against spammers and phishers

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Amazon.com-Microsoft-Team-Against-Online-Fraud-Companies-file-lawsuits-against-spammers-and-phishers

09/28/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com, Microsoft Team Against Online Fraud; Companies file lawsuits against spammers and phishers

09/28/2004

2004

REDMOND, Wash. & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) today announced the filing of several lawsuits against phishers and spammers who targeted consumers by spoofing Amazon.com's domain name and perpetrating phishing scams with spoofed Amazon.com Web sites. The two Washington companies have teamed up in an attempt to eliminate e-mail scams that affect Internet users worldwide including customers of both companies. The two Seattle-area neighbors have worked together to identify the architects of these schemes, and are collaborating to test possible technical solutions that would make it more difficult to deliver fraudulent and deceptive e-mail to consumers. Amazon.com and Microsoft filed a joint federal lawsuit against a Canadian spamming operation allegedly responsible for sending millions of deceptive e-mail messages, including e-mail forgeries falsely purporting to have come from Amazon.com, Hotmail.com, and other domains (a practice called "spoofing"). The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges that Gold Disk Canada Inc., located in Kitchener, Ontario, along with co-defendants including Barry Head and his two sons Eric and Matthew, mounted illegal and deceptive spamming campaigns that have misused Microsoft's MSN(R) Hotmail(R) services and forged the name of Amazon.com. Both companies have been at the forefront in the fight against two of the more insidious tactics used by online thieves to mislead and defraud consumers: spoofing and phishing. "Spoofing," or using a forged e-mail address, is an illegal online marketing scheme that conceals a sender's true identity and falsely identifies someone else as the sender. "Phishing" is an even more egregious tactic designed to steal credit card and other financial information from its victims. Phishers send fraudulent e-mail that is disguised to look as though it comes from a respected company. The e-mail message either asks recipients for confidential financial information or directs recipients to a Web site -- designed to mimic a trusted Web site -- where they are asked to input private personal data such as login information, passwords and credit card numbers. In addition to the lawsuit filed jointly with Microsoft, Amazon.com filed another three lawsuits in King County Superior Court in Seattle against unidentified defendants allegedly involved in phishing schemes designed to defraud Amazon.com customers. Microsoft, too, filed a new and separate lawsuit against Leonid ("Leo") Radvinsky and his Chicago-based businesses Activsoft, Inc. and Cybertania, Inc. along with several additional unidentified defendants against whom Amazon.com filed suit in August 2003. The lawsuit alleges that Radvinsky sent millions of illegal and deceptive e-mail messages to MSN Hotmail customers, including messages that were falsely labeled as coming from Amazon.com. "The best way to stop spammers and phishers is to hit them hard in the pocketbook," said Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire. "I am pleased to see Microsoft and Amazon.com team up and use our laws as they were intended. They pose a powerful legal threat and will send a strong message that there will be a high cost to pay for those who flood our mail boxes with irritating, offensive and fraudulent junk mail." "Since August 2003, Amazon.com has received tens of thousands of e-mails from customers, alerting us to potentially fraudulent e-mail activity," said David A. Zapolsky, vice president and associate general counsel for Amazon.com. "We are going to continue our efforts to protect customers from these schemes and will prosecute those responsible to the fullest extents of the law." "Today's alliance should be yet another wake-up call for spammers and phishers that the industry is teaming up, pooling resources and sharing investigative information to put them out of business," said Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft. "We are pleased to be working closely with Amazon.com to find creative and effective solutions that make it harder for spammers to continue this kind of deception." To help combat the problem, in August 2003 Amazon.com established an e-mail address, stop-spoofing@amazon.com, to which customers can send complaints about spoofed e-mail messages or e-mail thought to be sent by phishers. The text of the lawsuits announced today is available online at http://www.amazon.com/stopspoofing and is summarized in a case fact sheet below. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchen and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo, toy, baby, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions, and outdoor living items. Amazon.com operates seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com which is operated in cooperation with affiliates. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft, MSN and Hotmail are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft(R) Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp. Case Fact Sheet The following is a summary of the allegations contained in the five lawsuits filed on Monday, September 27, 2004. Joint Action by Amazon.com and Microsoft Corp. Filed in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Seattle Defendants Gold Disk Canada Inc., a foreign corporation; Eric Head, Matthew Head and Barry Head, d/b/a "Leads Canada"; "Infinite Technologies"; and John Does 1-20. Case number: CV4 2035Z Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail advertising "Human Growth Hormone," cable descramblers, penis enlargement products, debt consolidation, merchant card processing services and other goods and services of questionable value. -- Sent unsolicited e-mail from spoofed third-party domain names, including hotmail.com and amazon.com. -- Sent unsolicited e-mail with deceptive subject lines. -- Obscured the point of origin of the unsolicited e-mail. -- Opened thousands of MSN Hotmail accounts and sent fewer than 100 unsolicited e-mails through each of those accounts in a conscious effort to avoid detection by Microsoft. Complaint for trademark infringement, cyberpiracy and other violations of state and federal law Amazon.com Filed in the King County Superior Court of the State of Washington, Seattle Defendants John Does 1-20 d/b/a update-information.us. Case number: 04-2-25672-1 SEA. Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from Amazon.com that notified the recipient that someone has recently attempted to buy an item that the recipient had for sale on the Amazon.com site, but the sale could not be completed because of a problem with the recipient/seller's information. The e-mail instructed the recipient to follow the links in the e-mail to a Web page where the recipient was asked to provide his e-mail address and Amazon.com password. -- The e-mail and corresponding Web page both use the Amazon.com trademark without permission from Amazon.com. -- Defendants intentionally used the Amazon.com trademark to trade on the fame and goodwill associated with the Amazon.com mark, to deceive Amazon.com customers into providing personal information to Defendants, and to evade customers' anti-spam filters specifically designed to permit the receipt of e-mail from Amazon.com. Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Defendants John Does 1-20 d/b/a Spamming-Stoper.com. Case number: 04-2-25665-8 SEA. Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from Amazon.com that notified the recipient that his Amazon.com account may have been accessed by an unauthorized party and, "as a preventative measure," the recipient needed to follow the links in the e-mail to a Web page where the recipient was asked to provide his e-mail address, Amazon.com password, and credit card information. -- The e-mail and corresponding Web page both use the Amazon.com trademark without permission from Amazon.com. -- Defendants intentionally used the Amazon.com trademark to trade on the fame and goodwill associated with the Amazon.com mark, to deceive Amazon.com customers into providing personal information to Defendants, and to evade customers' anti-spam filters specifically designed to permit the receipt of e-mail from Amazon.com. Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Defendants John Does 1-20 d/b/a Auctions-Amazon-FraudProtection.s5.com and Amazon.com.Accounting.8m.com. Case number: 04-2-25660-7 SEA. Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from Amazon.com that notified the recipient that someone has tried to log into the recipient's Amazon.com account and, for security reasons, the recipient needed to follow the links in the e-mail to a Web page where the recipient was asked to provide his Amazon.com User ID, password, e-mail address, credit card information and bank account information. -- The e-mail and corresponding Web page both use the Amazon.com trademark without permission from Amazon.com. -- Defendants intentionally used the Amazon.com trademark to trade on the fame and goodwill associated with the Amazon.com mark, to deceive Amazon.com customers into providing personal information to Defendants, and to evade customers' anti-spam filters specifically designed to permit the receipt of e-mail from Amazon.com. Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Microsoft Filed in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Seattle Defendants Leonid "Leo" Radvinsky, an individual; Cyberpower Pty Ltd., a foreign corporation; Cybertania Inc., an Illinois corporation; Activsoft Inc., an Illinois corporation; and John Does 1-20. Case number: CV4 2033C Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail advertising "Free Grants." -- Sent unsolicited e-mail from spoofed third-party domain names, including hotmail.com and msn.com. -- Sent unsolicited e-mail with deceptive subject lines. -- Obscured the point of origin of the unsolicited e-mail. -- Amazon.com sued Defendants Radvinsky, Cyberpower and Activsoft in 2003 and 2004, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, No. C03-2620P, alleging trademark infringement, cyberpiracy and other causes of action based on unsolicited e-mail that purported to be from "amazon.com" Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Note: The currently pending Amazon.com lawsuit against the Radvinsky defendants is in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Case No. C03-2620P, entitled, "Amazon.com Inc., a Delaware corporation, Plaintiff, v. Cyberpower Pty Ltd., a foreign corporation, Leonid "Leo" Radvinsky, an individual, Activsoft Inc., an Illinois corporation, and John Does 3-20, Defendants." It is assigned to Judge Marsha J. Pechman. A trial has been set for May 2, 2005. CONTACT: Amazon.com Media Relations (Press Only) Patty Smith, 206-266-7180 or Waggener Edstrom for Microsoft (Press Only) Marc Lallaman, 503-443-7228 marcl@wagged.com Rapid Response Team, 503-443-7070 rrt@wagged.com SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>REDMOND, Wash. &amp; SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) today announced the filing of several lawsuits against phishers and spammers who targeted consumers by spoofing Amazon.com's domain name and perpetrating phishing scams with spoofed Amazon.com Web sites. The two Washington companies have teamed up in an attempt to eliminate e-mail scams that affect Internet users worldwide including customers of both companies. The two Seattle-area neighbors have worked together to identify the architects of these schemes, and are collaborating to test possible technical solutions that would make it more difficult to deliver fraudulent and deceptive e-mail to consumers.</p><p>Amazon.com and Microsoft filed a joint federal lawsuit against a Canadian spamming operation allegedly responsible for sending millions of deceptive e-mail messages, including e-mail forgeries falsely purporting to have come from Amazon.com, Hotmail.com, and other domains (a practice called "spoofing"). The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges that Gold Disk Canada Inc., located in Kitchener, Ontario, along with co-defendants including Barry Head and his two sons Eric and Matthew, mounted illegal and deceptive spamming campaigns that have misused Microsoft's MSN(R) Hotmail(R) services and forged the name of Amazon.com.</p><p>Both companies have been at the forefront in the fight against two of the more insidious tactics used by online thieves to mislead and defraud consumers: spoofing and phishing. "Spoofing," or using a forged e-mail address, is an illegal online marketing scheme that conceals a sender's true identity and falsely identifies someone else as the sender. "Phishing" is an even more egregious tactic designed to steal credit card and other financial information from its victims. Phishers send fraudulent e-mail that is disguised to look as though it comes from a respected company. The e-mail message either asks recipients for confidential financial information or directs recipients to a Web site -- designed to mimic a trusted Web site -- where they are asked to input private personal data such as login information, passwords and credit card numbers.</p><p>In addition to the lawsuit filed jointly with Microsoft, Amazon.com filed another three lawsuits in King County Superior Court in Seattle against unidentified defendants allegedly involved in phishing schemes designed to defraud Amazon.com customers. Microsoft, too, filed a new and separate lawsuit against Leonid ("Leo") Radvinsky and his Chicago-based businesses Activsoft, Inc. and Cybertania, Inc. along with several additional unidentified defendants against whom Amazon.com filed suit in August 2003. The lawsuit alleges that Radvinsky sent millions of illegal and deceptive e-mail messages to MSN Hotmail customers, including messages that were falsely labeled as coming from Amazon.com.</p><p>"The best way to stop spammers and phishers is to hit them hard in the pocketbook," said Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire. "I am pleased to see Microsoft and Amazon.com team up and use our laws as they were intended. They pose a powerful legal threat and will send a strong message that there will be a high cost to pay for those who flood our mail boxes with irritating, offensive and fraudulent junk mail."</p><p>"Since August 2003, Amazon.com has received tens of thousands of e-mails from customers, alerting us to potentially fraudulent e-mail activity," said David A. Zapolsky, vice president and associate general counsel for Amazon.com. "We are going to continue our efforts to protect customers from these schemes and will prosecute those responsible to the fullest extents of the law."</p><p>"Today's alliance should be yet another wake-up call for spammers and phishers that the industry is teaming up, pooling resources and sharing investigative information to put them out of business," said Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft. "We are pleased to be working closely with Amazon.com to find creative and effective solutions that make it harder for spammers to continue this kind of deception."</p><p>To help combat the problem, in August 2003 Amazon.com established an e-mail address, stop-spoofing@amazon.com, to which customers can send complaints about spoofed e-mail messages or e-mail thought to be sent by phishers. The text of the lawsuits announced today is available online at http://www.amazon.com/stopspoofing and is summarized in a case fact sheet below.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as apparel and accessories, electronics, computers, kitchen and housewares, books, music, DVDs, videos, cameras and photo, toy, baby, software, computer and video games, cell phones and service, tools and hardware, travel services, magazine subscriptions, and outdoor living items.</p><p>Amazon.com operates seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca and www.joyo.com which is operated in cooperation with affiliates.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><p>About Microsoft</p><p>Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.</p><p>Microsoft, MSN and Hotmail are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.</p><p>The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.</p><p>Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft(R) Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp.</p><p>Case Fact Sheet</p><p>The following is a summary of the allegations contained in the five lawsuits filed on Monday, September 27, 2004.</p><p>Joint Action by Amazon.com and Microsoft Corp.</p><p>Filed in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Seattle</p><p>Defendants</p><p>Gold Disk Canada Inc., a foreign corporation; Eric Head, Matthew Head and Barry Head, d/b/a "Leads Canada"; "Infinite Technologies"; and John Does 1-20. Case number: CV4 2035Z</p><pre> Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail advertising "Human Growth Hormone," cable descramblers, penis enlargement products, debt consolidation, merchant card processing services and other goods and services of questionable value. -- Sent unsolicited e-mail from spoofed third-party domain names, including hotmail.com and amazon.com. -- Sent unsolicited e-mail with deceptive subject lines. -- Obscured the point of origin of the unsolicited e-mail. -- Opened thousands of MSN Hotmail accounts and sent fewer than 100 unsolicited e-mails through each of those accounts in a conscious effort to avoid detection by Microsoft.</pre><p>Complaint for trademark infringement, cyberpiracy and other violations of state and federal law</p><p>Amazon.com</p><p>Filed in the King County Superior Court of the State of Washington, Seattle</p><p>Defendants</p><p>John Does 1-20 d/b/a update-information.us. Case number: 04-2-25672-1 SEA.</p><pre> Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from Amazon.com that notified the recipient that someone has recently attempted to buy an item that the recipient had for sale on the Amazon.com site, but the sale could not be completed because of a problem with the recipient/seller's information. The e-mail instructed the recipient to follow the links in the e-mail to a Web page where the recipient was asked to provide his e-mail address and Amazon.com password. -- The e-mail and corresponding Web page both use the Amazon.com trademark without permission from Amazon.com. -- Defendants intentionally used the Amazon.com trademark to trade on the fame and goodwill associated with the Amazon.com mark, to deceive Amazon.com customers into providing personal information to Defendants, and to evade customers' anti-spam filters specifically designed to permit the receipt of e-mail from Amazon.com. Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Defendants</pre><p>John Does 1-20 d/b/a Spamming-Stoper.com. Case number: 04-2-25665-8 SEA.</p><pre> Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from Amazon.com that notified the recipient that his Amazon.com account may have been accessed by an unauthorized party and, "as a preventative measure," the recipient needed to follow the links in the e-mail to a Web page where the recipient was asked to provide his e-mail address, Amazon.com password, and credit card information. -- The e-mail and corresponding Web page both use the Amazon.com trademark without permission from Amazon.com. -- Defendants intentionally used the Amazon.com trademark to trade on the fame and goodwill associated with the Amazon.com mark, to deceive Amazon.com customers into providing personal information to Defendants, and to evade customers' anti-spam filters specifically designed to permit the receipt of e-mail from Amazon.com. Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Defendants</pre><p>John Does 1-20 d/b/a Auctions-Amazon-FraudProtection.s5.com and Amazon.com.Accounting.8m.com. Case number: 04-2-25660-7 SEA.</p><pre> Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail purporting to be from Amazon.com that notified the recipient that someone has tried to log into the recipient's Amazon.com account and, for security reasons, the recipient needed to follow the links in the e-mail to a Web page where the recipient was asked to provide his Amazon.com User ID, password, e-mail address, credit card information and bank account information. -- The e-mail and corresponding Web page both use the Amazon.com trademark without permission from Amazon.com. -- Defendants intentionally used the Amazon.com trademark to trade on the fame and goodwill associated with the Amazon.com mark, to deceive Amazon.com customers into providing personal information to Defendants, and to evade customers' anti-spam filters specifically designed to permit the receipt of e-mail from Amazon.com. Complaint for damages and injunctive relief Microsoft</pre><p>Filed in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Seattle</p><p>Defendants</p><p>Leonid "Leo" Radvinsky, an individual; Cyberpower Pty Ltd., a foreign corporation; Cybertania Inc., an Illinois corporation; Activsoft Inc., an Illinois corporation; and John Does 1-20. Case number: CV4 2033C</p><pre> Alleged Illegal Activity -- Sent unsolicited e-mail advertising "Free Grants." -- Sent unsolicited e-mail from spoofed third-party domain names, including hotmail.com and msn.com. -- Sent unsolicited e-mail with deceptive subject lines. -- Obscured the point of origin of the unsolicited e-mail. -- Amazon.com sued Defendants Radvinsky, Cyberpower and Activsoft in 2003 and 2004, United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, No. C03-2620P, alleging trademark infringement, cyberpiracy and other causes of action based on unsolicited e-mail that purported to be from "amazon.com" Complaint for damages and injunctive relief</pre><p>Note: The currently pending Amazon.com lawsuit against the Radvinsky defendants is in U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, Case No. C03-2620P, entitled, "Amazon.com Inc., a Delaware corporation, Plaintiff, v. Cyberpower Pty Ltd., a foreign corporation, Leonid "Leo" Radvinsky, an individual, Activsoft Inc., an Illinois corporation, and John Does 3-20, Defendants." It is assigned to Judge Marsha J. Pechman. A trial has been set for May 2, 2005.</p><pre> CONTACT: Amazon.com Media Relations (Press Only) Patty Smith, 206-266-7180 or Waggener Edstrom for Microsoft (Press Only) Marc Lallaman, 503-443-7228 marcl@wagged.com Rapid Response Team, 503-443-7070 rrt@wagged.com SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</pre>

Amazon.com to Webcast Third Quarter 2004 Financial Results Conference Call

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Third-Quarter-2004-Financial-Results-Conference-Call/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Third-Quarter-2004-Financial-Results-Conference-Call

09/24/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Third Quarter 2004 Financial Results Conference Call

09/24/2004

2004

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will hold a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2004 financial results on October 21, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The event will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir. CONTACT: Amazon.com Public Relations Patty Smith, 206/266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will hold a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2004 financial results on October 21, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>The event will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p><pre> CONTACT: Amazon.com Public Relations Patty Smith, 206/266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</pre>

Star Wars is Amazon.co.uk's Biggest Pre-Selling DVD Ever!

/news/news-details/2004/Star-Wars-is-Amazon.co.uks-Biggest-Pre-Selling-DVD-Ever/default.aspx

Star-Wars-is-Amazon.co.uks-Biggest-Pre-Selling-DVD-Ever

09/17/2004 00:00:00

Star Wars is Amazon.co.uk's Biggest Pre-Selling DVD Ever!

09/17/2004

2004

September 17, 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced that it has received more than 85,000 pre-orders for the Star Wars Trilogy DVD (Episodes IV-VI) which is set for release on Monday September 20. The title is Amazon.co.uk's biggest DVD pre-order title of all time. The Star Wars Trilogy has broken The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers previous pre-order sales record. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers took a total of 50,000 pre-orders in advance of its release back in August 2003. The Star Wars Trilogy has dramatically beaten this tally, becoming Amazon.co.uk's biggest pre-selling DVD title ever. Amazon.co.uk customers can order their copy of the Star Wars Trilogy for just £26.99 (a saving of 40%). For a limited time Amazon.co.uk is also offering its customers free first class UK delivery on this highly sought after title. Amazon.co.uk has been packing the Star Wars Trilogy DVD box sets under tight security at its distribution centre in Milton Keynes. The DVDs will be shipped out over the weekend to ensure customers who pre-ordered the title by September 15 receive their copy on the day of release. Star Wars Fun Facts If the more than 85,000 pre-ordered copies of the Star Wars Trilogy were stacked one on top of the other, the DVD box sets would be over 16,000 metres tall, that's three times the height of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or 124 times higher than the London Eye The total weight of the more than 85,000 pre-ordered DVDs is 42 tons, the equivalent of 8 African elephants or 2.5 bendy buses! For further information visit www.amazon.co.uk/starwars For further information please contact:Laura Martin / Lyndsey Honour at Idea Generation:Tel no: 020 7428 4943 / 020 7427 2629laura@ideageneration.co.uk / Lyndsey@ideageneration.co.uk Rachel Silk at Amazon.co.uk:Tel no: 020 8636 9280rsilk@amazon.co.uk Terms and conditions Offers available for a limited time only and are subject to availability. Products may change from time to time. Information correct at time of issue. Discounts and savings refer to savings on RRP for DVDs. Free Delivery available for orders of Star Wars trilogy placed on the Amazon.co.uk Web site (excluding third-party sites and sellers) for deliveries within the United Kingdom. See Amazon.co.uk Web site for further details, terms and conditions. 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 & Kids!. 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 operates 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 , which is operated in cooperation with affiliates. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>September 17, 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced that it has received more than 85,000 pre-orders for the Star Wars Trilogy DVD (Episodes IV-VI) which is set for release on Monday September 20. The title is Amazon.co.uk's biggest DVD pre-order title of all time.</p><p>The Star Wars Trilogy has broken The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers previous pre-order sales record. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers took a total of 50,000 pre-orders in advance of its release back in August 2003. The Star Wars Trilogy has dramatically beaten this tally, becoming Amazon.co.uk's biggest pre-selling DVD title ever.</p><p>Amazon.co.uk customers can order their copy of the Star Wars Trilogy for just £26.99 (a saving of 40%). For a limited time Amazon.co.uk is also offering its customers free first class UK delivery on this highly sought after title.</p><p>Amazon.co.uk has been packing the Star Wars Trilogy DVD box sets under tight security at its distribution centre in Milton Keynes. The DVDs will be shipped out over the weekend to ensure customers who pre-ordered the title by September 15 receive their copy on the day of release.</p><p>Star Wars Fun Facts</p><ul><li>If the more than 85,000 pre-ordered copies of the Star Wars Trilogy were stacked one on top of the other, the DVD box sets would be over 16,000 metres tall, that's three times the height of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or 124 times higher than the London Eye</li><li>The total weight of the more than 85,000 pre-ordered DVDs is 42 tons, the equivalent of 8 African elephants or 2.5 bendy buses!</li></ul><p>For further information visit www.amazon.co.uk/starwars</p><p>For further information please contact:Laura Martin / Lyndsey Honour at Idea Generation:Tel no: 020 7428 4943 / 020 7427 2629laura@ideageneration.co.uk / Lyndsey@ideageneration.co.uk</p><p>Rachel Silk at Amazon.co.uk:Tel no: 020 8636 9280rsilk@amazon.co.uk</p><p>Terms and conditions</p><p>Offers available for a limited time only and are subject to availability. Products may change from time to time. Information correct at time of issue. Discounts and savings refer to savings on RRP for DVDs.</p><p>Free Delivery available for orders of Star Wars trilogy placed on the Amazon.co.uk Web site (excluding third-party sites and sellers) for deliveries within the United Kingdom.</p><p>See Amazon.co.uk Web site for further details, terms and conditions.</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>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 &amp; Video Games, Electronics &amp; Photo, Home &amp; Garden, and Toys &amp; Kids!. 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.</p><p>Amazon.com operates 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 , which is operated in cooperation with affiliates.</p><p>Forward looking statement</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

A9.com Launches New Web Site to Make Internet Search More Effective; A9.com: A Search engine with a memory

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A9-com-Launches-New-Web-Site-to-Make-Internet-Search-More-Effective-A9-com-A-Search-engine-with-a-memory

09/15/2004 00:00:00

A9.com Launches New Web Site to Make Internet Search More Effective; A9.com: A Search engine with a memory

09/15/2004

2004

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sep 15, 2004 -- A9.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), today launched A9.com (www.a9.com) to make searching the Internet more effective. The new site, which builds on a beta test version that began earlier this year, helps users discover information from several different sources, makes it easy to manage and organize their search results, and remembers what they have done in the past. A9.com offers users search results from five powerful information sources, which are presented through convenient selectable and adjustable columns: Web and image search provided by Google, book text of more than 100,000 titles from Amazon.com's Search Inside The Book(TM), movie information from the Internet Movie Database, and reference information (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.) through GuruNet.com. Additionally, A9.com is a search engine with a memory as it returns results from the user's information, so with every search, users will see results from their own history, bookmarks, and diary. "A9.com gives people an incredible amount of power to discover information from diverse and comprehensive data sources and to manage that information effectively and easily," said Amazon.com CEO and Founder Jeff Bezos. "The search landscape is evolving at such a rapid pace that we must continue working hard to build innovative technologies that offer a great user experience." Every time a user returns to A9.com and is signed in to their account, the site recognizes them, remembers what they searched in the past and displays features that help them manage and organize their information. A9.com was specifically designed to be at its best when combined with the A9 Toolbar, which is easy to download from a convenient link located in the upper right corner of the A9.com site. With the A9 Toolbar running, A9.com users can quickly find any site they have ever visited -- in addition to their previous searches. The following features help A9.com users effectively manage their online search: -- Search History is stored and displayed to users anytime they are signed-in either from home or from work. Users can view and edit past search results and sites they've visited by clicking on Search History on the A9 Toolbar or through an adjustable column on the main page. Site History tells users if and when they previously visited a listed site. Users can even search their own history, finding sites they have visited any time in the past. -- A9's Diary allows users to record, save and reference notes about any Web page they visit. Entries are automatically saved when a user finishes typing, and can be easily searched from the A9.com site or the A9 Toolbar. -- Bookmarks can be set by users to mark their favorite web sites, and view them from work or from home. These links are viewable through an adjustable column on the main A9.com page or on the A9 Toolbar. Bookmarks can be set using the A9 Toolbar or through dragging a link from one of the search results columns and dropping onto the Bookmarks button on the right side of the main A9.com page. -- Lists -- new to the A9 Toolbar -- enables users to browse search results or other lists of links with a single click on a forward or back arrow, eliminating the inconvenience of returning back to the original site to find and click on the next link. Users can also create and save lists of their favorite sites under a particular heading for convenient, regular browsing. -- Drag and drop convenience allows users to easily drag and drop any item from search results, bookmarks, and history entries, into their bookmark column, as well as organizing the bookmarks themselves through drag and drop. Users can even drag and drop any item into the search box. -- Discover, a new feature still in beta, presents the user with both recommended sites based on their own surfing history as well as different views of their history, such as most-frequently visited sites. A9.com will be testing new Discover features and making changes to recommendations based on user feedback. "Search has become an integral part of many people's work," said A9.com CEO Udi Manber. "We strive to extend current search tools by helping people not only discover information easily, but also remember and manage that information." About A9.com A9.com, Inc., a separately branded and operated subsidiary of Amazon.com, opened its Palo Alto, California office in October 2003 to research and build innovative search technologies. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com operates 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, which is operated in cooperation with affiliates. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. SOURCE: A9.com, Inc.

<p>PALO ALTO, Calif., Sep 15, 2004 -- A9.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), today launched A9.com (www.a9.com) to make searching the Internet more effective. The new site, which builds on a beta test version that began earlier this year, helps users discover information from several different sources, makes it easy to manage and organize their search results, and remembers what they have done in the past.</p><p>A9.com offers users search results from five powerful information sources, which are presented through convenient selectable and adjustable columns: Web and image search provided by Google, book text of more than 100,000 titles from Amazon.com's Search Inside The Book(TM), movie information from the Internet Movie Database, and reference information (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.) through GuruNet.com. Additionally, A9.com is a search engine with a memory as it returns results from the user's information, so with every search, users will see results from their own history, bookmarks, and diary.</p><p>"A9.com gives people an incredible amount of power to discover information from diverse and comprehensive data sources and to manage that information effectively and easily," said Amazon.com CEO and Founder Jeff Bezos. "The search landscape is evolving at such a rapid pace that we must continue working hard to build innovative technologies that offer a great user experience."</p><p>Every time a user returns to A9.com and is signed in to their account, the site recognizes them, remembers what they searched in the past and displays features that help them manage and organize their information. A9.com was specifically designed to be at its best when combined with the A9 Toolbar, which is easy to download from a convenient link located in the upper right corner of the A9.com site. With the A9 Toolbar running, A9.com users can quickly find any site they have ever visited -- in addition to their previous searches.</p><p>The following features help A9.com users effectively manage their online search:</p><pre> -- Search History is stored and displayed to users anytime they are signed-in either from home or from work. Users can view and edit past search results and sites they've visited by clicking on Search History on the A9 Toolbar or through an adjustable column on the main page. Site History tells users if and when they previously visited a listed site. Users can even search their own history, finding sites they have visited any time in the past. -- A9's Diary allows users to record, save and reference notes about any Web page they visit. Entries are automatically saved when a user finishes typing, and can be easily searched from the A9.com site or the A9 Toolbar. -- Bookmarks can be set by users to mark their favorite web sites, and view them from work or from home. These links are viewable through an adjustable column on the main A9.com page or on the A9 Toolbar. Bookmarks can be set using the A9 Toolbar or through dragging a link from one of the search results columns and dropping onto the Bookmarks button on the right side of the main A9.com page. -- Lists -- new to the A9 Toolbar -- enables users to browse search results or other lists of links with a single click on a forward or back arrow, eliminating the inconvenience of returning back to the original site to find and click on the next link. Users can also create and save lists of their favorite sites under a particular heading for convenient, regular browsing. -- Drag and drop convenience allows users to easily drag and drop any item from search results, bookmarks, and history entries, into their bookmark column, as well as organizing the bookmarks themselves through drag and drop. Users can even drag and drop any item into the search box. -- Discover, a new feature still in beta, presents the user with both recommended sites based on their own surfing history as well as different views of their history, such as most-frequently visited sites. A9.com will be testing new Discover features and making changes to recommendations based on user feedback.</pre><p>"Search has become an integral part of many people's work," said A9.com CEO Udi Manber. "We strive to extend current search tools by helping people not only discover information easily, but also remember and manage that information."</p><p>About A9.com</p><p>A9.com, Inc., a separately branded and operated subsidiary of Amazon.com, opened its Palo Alto, California office in October 2003 to research and build innovative search technologies.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com operates 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, which is operated in cooperation with affiliates.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><p>SOURCE: A9.com, Inc.</p>

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation and First Quarter 2004 Financial Results Conference Call

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentation-and-First-Quarter-2004-Financial-Results-Conference-Call/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Webcast-Investor-Conference-Presentation-and-First-Quarter-2004-Financial-Results-Conference-Call

03/26/2004 16:02:00

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation and First Quarter 2004 Financial Results Conference Call

03/26/2004

2004

SEATTLE--March 26, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will speak at the Bank of America Consumer Conference in New York on March 31, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET. Additionally, the company will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2004 financial results on April 22, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. These events will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides of both will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.

<p>SEATTLE--March 26, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will speak at the Bank of America Consumer Conference in New York on March 31, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>Additionally, the company will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2004 financial results on April 22, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.</p><p>These events will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides of both will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.</p>

Paris Hilton Launches New Jewelry Line Exclusively on Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2004/Paris-Hilton-Launches-New-Jewelry-Line-Exclusively-on-Amazon.com/default.aspx

Paris-Hilton-Launches-New-Jewelry-Line-Exclusively-on-Amazon.com

09/01/2004 00:00:00

Paris Hilton Launches New Jewelry Line Exclusively on Amazon.com

09/01/2004

2004

Hilton's First Commercial Product Line is Featured in an Online Boutique that Includes the Entire 10-Piece Collection and Exclusive Content SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the launch of the Paris Hilton Collection, a line of jewelry designed by Paris Hilton and available exclusively at the Amazon.com Jewelry Store. Amazon has created a special Paris Hilton Boutique, www.amazon.com/parishilton, where customers can see photographs of Hilton wearing the designs and detailed product images and descriptions. "I grew up surrounded by the finest fashion and jewelry designs, and I really wanted to create a line that was beautiful and very high quality, yet affordable and available to everyone," said Paris Hilton. "Amazon.com is the perfect place to launch the line because customers everywhere can shop for it -- whether they live in LA or New York or a very small town. This jewelry is for the heiress in everyone." The 10-piece collection includes necklaces, earrings, a charm bracelet, an ankle bracelet, a belly chain and a belly bar. Priced from $15 to $95, the designs are crafted from the highest quality sterling silver and set with Swarovski crystals. The line is inspired by Hilton's personal style -- feminine, flirtatious and glamorous -- with heart, star and cross motifs. "The Paris Hilton Collection is a wonderful addition to the Amazon.com Jewelry Store," said Eric Broussard, Amazon.com's vice president of Jewelry & Watches. "The boutique on Amazon.com offers a blend of entertainment and shopping that customers can't find elsewhere, including beautiful images of Paris wearing the jewelry that could be from the pages of a fashion magazine, as well as a personal video message from Paris." Renowned fashion photographer and artist Marc Baptiste created the images of Hilton wearing the designs that are now featured in the Amazon.com boutique. Behind-the-scenes video footage of the photo shoot is available for viewing in the boutique, as well as footage of Hilton working in the design studio. Hilton also recorded a personal video message to Amazon.com shoppers who visit the boutique. Every piece from the Paris Hilton Collection is delivered to customers in Amazon.com's signature midnight-blue velvet jewelry pouches, and includes a keepsake card with a note from Paris Hilton featuring her signature tiara logo. While shopping the Paris Hilton Boutique, customers can also purchase "The Simple Life" DVD and pre-order "Confessions of an Heiress," Hilton's new book slated for release this September. To visit the Paris Hilton boutique at Amazon.com, go to www.amazon.com/parishilton. On the launch day of her new line in Amazon.com's Jewelry Store, Hilton spoke to reporters from Miami, where she is shooting her latest movie, "National Lampoon's Pledge This!" Her other projects include a prominent role in "House of Wax," a movie from Joel Silver, producer of "The Matrix", and a debut CD slated for release this fall. About the Amazon.com Jewelry Store Amazon.com's Jewelry Store (www.amazon.com/jewelry) provides the easiest way for customers to find, discover and buy high-quality jewelry and watches at industry-leading prices. As part of the store's high-quality standards, customers will find detailed product specifications, independent certifications, a Learning Center and a Create a Diamond Ring feature all in one convenient destination. The store also features merchandise from merchant partners including Fortunoff, Ice.com, Kane Marie Fine Arts Gallery, Luxuria, Mondera and others. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. CONTACT: Amazon.com Molly Ingle, 206-266-3111 ingle@amazon.com SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Hilton's First Commercial Product Line is Featured in an Online Boutique that Includes the Entire 10-Piece Collection and Exclusive Content</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the launch of the Paris Hilton Collection, a line of jewelry designed by Paris Hilton and available exclusively at the Amazon.com Jewelry Store. Amazon has created a special Paris Hilton Boutique, www.amazon.com/parishilton, where customers can see photographs of Hilton wearing the designs and detailed product images and descriptions.</p><p>"I grew up surrounded by the finest fashion and jewelry designs, and I really wanted to create a line that was beautiful and very high quality, yet affordable and available to everyone," said Paris Hilton. "Amazon.com is the perfect place to launch the line because customers everywhere can shop for it -- whether they live in LA or New York or a very small town. This jewelry is for the heiress in everyone."</p><p>The 10-piece collection includes necklaces, earrings, a charm bracelet, an ankle bracelet, a belly chain and a belly bar. Priced from $15 to $95, the designs are crafted from the highest quality sterling silver and set with Swarovski crystals. The line is inspired by Hilton's personal style -- feminine, flirtatious and glamorous -- with heart, star and cross motifs.</p><p>"The Paris Hilton Collection is a wonderful addition to the Amazon.com Jewelry Store," said Eric Broussard, Amazon.com's vice president of Jewelry &amp; Watches. "The boutique on Amazon.com offers a blend of entertainment and shopping that customers can't find elsewhere, including beautiful images of Paris wearing the jewelry that could be from the pages of a fashion magazine, as well as a personal video message from Paris."</p><p>Renowned fashion photographer and artist Marc Baptiste created the images of Hilton wearing the designs that are now featured in the Amazon.com boutique. Behind-the-scenes video footage of the photo shoot is available for viewing in the boutique, as well as footage of Hilton working in the design studio. Hilton also recorded a personal video message to Amazon.com shoppers who visit the boutique.</p><p>Every piece from the Paris Hilton Collection is delivered to customers in Amazon.com's signature midnight-blue velvet jewelry pouches, and includes a keepsake card with a note from Paris Hilton featuring her signature tiara logo. While shopping the Paris Hilton Boutique, customers can also purchase "The Simple Life" DVD and pre-order "Confessions of an Heiress," Hilton's new book slated for release this September. To visit the Paris Hilton boutique at Amazon.com, go to www.amazon.com/parishilton.</p><p>On the launch day of her new line in Amazon.com's Jewelry Store, Hilton spoke to reporters from Miami, where she is shooting her latest movie, "National Lampoon's Pledge This!" Her other projects include a prominent role in "House of Wax," a movie from Joel Silver, producer of "The Matrix", and a debut CD slated for release this fall.</p><p>About the Amazon.com Jewelry Store</p><p>Amazon.com's Jewelry Store (www.amazon.com/jewelry) provides the easiest way for customers to find, discover and buy high-quality jewelry and watches at industry-leading prices. As part of the store's high-quality standards, customers will find detailed product specifications, independent certifications, a Learning Center and a Create a Diamond Ring feature all in one convenient destination. The store also features merchandise from merchant partners including Fortunoff, Ice.com, Kane Marie Fine Arts Gallery, Luxuria, Mondera and others.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><pre>CONTACT: Amazon.comMolly Ingle, 206-266-3111ingle@amazon.comSOURCE: Amazon.com</pre>

Amazon.co.uk Lowers Threshold For Free Super Saver Delivery To Just £19

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.uk-Lowers-Threshold-For-Free-Super-Saver-Delivery-To-Just-19/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-Lowers-Threshold-For-Free-Super-Saver-Delivery-To-Just-19

09/01/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk Lowers Threshold For Free Super Saver Delivery To Just £19

09/01/2004

2004

LONDON, September 1 2004 -- As a result of the popularity of its free Super Saver Delivery option and its ongoing commitment to lowering prices for customers, Amazon.co.uk today announced it is lowering the order size threshold for free Super Saver Delivery to £19 from £25. This announcement comes just over a year after Amazon.co.uk lowered the order size threshold on free Super Saver Delivery to £25 from £39 and nearly two years after a free delivery offer was first introduced to the site. Free Super Saver Delivery is not a seasonal or limited time promotion, but an indefinite, everyday, 365-days-a-year offer. Today's announcement marks yet another significant price decrease at Amazon.co.uk, furthering its long-term strategy of working hard to find ways to continually lower prices for customers. Amazon.co.uk is committed to offering low prices across the site with at least 30% off DVD bestsellers, 30% off books over £10 and chart CDs from just £8.49. There are low prices on 1,000s of products in the Electronics & Photo store including multi-region DVD players from just £29.99 and the All New Apple iPod 20GB with click wheel for £214.99. "We have been delighted with the customer response to our free delivery option", said Robin Terrell, Managing Director for Amazon.co.uk. "Customer adoption has been strong in the UK and we're pleased to lower the delivery threshold even further to just £19 in time for Christmas. With the combination of low product prices available across the site and our Free Super Saver Delivery option, it is easier than ever for customers to make significant savings in both time and money, when they shop on Amazon.co.uk." Free Super Saver Delivery takes three to five days longer than standard delivery and is free on qualifying orders over £19. For more details visit: www.amazon.co.uk/supersaverdelivery For further information please contact Marie Fagan/Rachel Silk in the Amazon.co.uk Press Office on 0208 636 9280. Terms and Conditions Prices exclude postage and packaging. Offers available for a limited time only and are subject to availability. Products may change from time to time. Information correct at time of issue. Discounts and savings, unless indicted otherwise, refer to savings on RRP for books, DVDs, videos, software products and PC and video games and on our previous price for electronics, home and garden products, music and toys. For Chart CDs, "chart" refers to Amazon.co.uk's "Hot 100 albums", together with selected pre-release future hot 100 albums. Amazon.co.uk's selection is updated regularly. For 30% off books over £10, books included in this promotion will specifically and clearly feature a 30% discount on the product information page of the title (which will be the only discount that will apply to such titles, so that, by way of example, a further 30% discount will not be available against titles already discounted by 30%). All titles that don't feature this discount on the product information page are excluded from this promotion (this includes books that have no discount and refer to "our price" and books that have a percentage discount of less or more than 30%). Free Super Saver Delivery applies on orders of £19 and over of eligible product (which is to be delivered to a single UK address), placed on the Amazon.co.uk Web site (excluding third-party sites and sellers) on or after September 1 2004. See Amazon.co.uk Web site for further details, terms and conditions. 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 & Kids!. 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 operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com International Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).

<p>LONDON, September 1 2004 -- As a result of the popularity of its free Super Saver Delivery option and its ongoing commitment to lowering prices for customers, Amazon.co.uk today announced it is lowering the order size threshold for free Super Saver Delivery to £19 from £25. This announcement comes just over a year after Amazon.co.uk lowered the order size threshold on free Super Saver Delivery to £25 from £39 and nearly two years after a free delivery offer was first introduced to the site.</p><p>Free Super Saver Delivery is not a seasonal or limited time promotion, but an indefinite, everyday, 365-days-a-year offer. Today's announcement marks yet another significant price decrease at Amazon.co.uk, furthering its long-term strategy of working hard to find ways to continually lower prices for customers. Amazon.co.uk is committed to offering low prices across the site with at least 30% off DVD bestsellers, 30% off books over £10 and chart CDs from just £8.49. There are low prices on 1,000s of products in the Electronics &amp; Photo store including multi-region DVD players from just £29.99 and the All New Apple iPod 20GB with click wheel for £214.99.</p><p>"We have been delighted with the customer response to our free delivery option", said Robin Terrell, Managing Director for Amazon.co.uk. "Customer adoption has been strong in the UK and we're pleased to lower the delivery threshold even further to just £19 in time for Christmas. With the combination of low product prices available across the site and our Free Super Saver Delivery option, it is easier than ever for customers to make significant savings in both time and money, when they shop on Amazon.co.uk."</p><p>Free Super Saver Delivery takes three to five days longer than standard delivery and is free on qualifying orders over £19. For more details visit: www.amazon.co.uk/supersaverdelivery</p><p>For further information please contact Marie Fagan/Rachel Silk in the Amazon.co.uk Press Office on 0208 636 9280.</p><p>Terms and Conditions</p><p>Prices exclude postage and packaging. Offers available for a limited time only and are subject to availability. Products may change from time to time. Information correct at time of issue. Discounts and savings, unless indicted otherwise, refer to savings on RRP for books, DVDs, videos, software products and PC and video games and on our previous price for electronics, home and garden products, music and toys.</p><p>For Chart CDs, "chart" refers to Amazon.co.uk's "Hot 100 albums", together with selected pre-release future hot 100 albums. Amazon.co.uk's selection is updated regularly. For 30% off books over £10, books included in this promotion will specifically and clearly feature a 30% discount on the product information page of the title (which will be the only discount that will apply to such titles, so that, by way of example, a further 30% discount will not be available against titles already discounted by 30%). All titles that don't feature this discount on the product information page are excluded from this promotion (this includes books that have no discount and refer to "our price" and books that have a percentage discount of less or more than 30%).</p><p>Free Super Saver Delivery applies on orders of £19 and over of eligible product (which is to be delivered to a single UK address), placed on the Amazon.co.uk Web site (excluding third-party sites and sellers) on or after September 1 2004.</p><p>See Amazon.co.uk Web site for further details, terms and conditions.</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>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 &amp; Video Games, Electronics &amp; Photo, Home &amp; Garden, and Toys &amp; Kids!. 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.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com International Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).</p>

Amazon.co.uk Taps Into Home Improvement Market With Launch Of DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.uk-Taps-Into-Home-Improvement-Market-With-Launch-Of-DIY--Tools-and-Garden--Outdoors/default.aspx

Amazon.co.uk-Taps-Into-Home-Improvement-Market-With-Launch-Of-DIY--Tools-and-Garden--Outdoors

03/24/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.uk Taps Into Home Improvement Market With Launch Of DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors

03/24/2004

2004

London: March 24, 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced the launch of two new categories--DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors--that offer a wide range of DIY, gardening and home-improvement products at low prices. The new categories can be found in Amazon.co.uk's new Home & Garden shop (www.amazon.co.uk/homeandgarden), which will also incorporate Amazon.co.uk's existing Kitchen & Home and Personal Care categories. Amazon.co.uk's DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors categories will offer low prices on thousands of items at launch, from biscuit jointers to long-nose pliers, lawnmowers and bird tables. With top brands on offer--including Black & Decker, Bosch, DeWalt, Draper, Stanley and Faithfull--and free delivery on qualifying orders over £25, the launch will answer the growing demand for online home-improvement shopping. As an introductory offer, Amazon.co.uk customers will receive a free Stanley 9-way screwdriver set when they spend over £20 in the DIY & Tools shop. For more details, visit www.amazon.co.uk/homeandgarden. Robin Terrell, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, commented: "Amazon.co.uk's goal is to be the place where customers can find and discover anything they want to buy online. Today's move into DIY, gardening and home improvement products is a natural progression towards achieving that goal. The launch of DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors follows our successful expansion into new categories including consumer electronics, kitchen items and personal care." Visitors to Amazon.co.uk's Home & Garden shop will discover deep selection and great prices on leading brands: DIY & TOOLS Power tools such as cordless drills and screwdrivers, biscuit jointers, circular saws, orbital sanders, hammer drills and routers Hand tools such as chisels, hammers, mallets, saw files, screwdrivers, axes and shovels Hardware and Safety products such as eye/ear protection, gloves and masks KITCHEN & HOME Cookware, bakeware and cutlery Small appliances Tableware Vacuums Bar tools and glasses PERSONAL CARE Shavers & hair removers Oral care Hair and nail care Massagers GARDEN & OUTDOORS Barbecues, tools and accessories Garden tools & equipment such as lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and shears Garden furniture including patio heaters, lounges, recliners, parasols and bases Other products such as picnic hampers and bird tables Among the top brands in Home & Garden are Black & Decker, Bosch, Braun, Carmen, DeWalt, Draper, Dualit, Dyson, Estwing, Faithfull, George Foreman, Henckels, Karcher, Kitchenaid, Le Creuset, Meyer Prestige, Philishave, Remington, Revlon, Stanley, Tefal and Wilkinson Sword. HOT OFFERS Black and Decker Wm536 Dual Height Workmate - Amazon.co.uk price: £49.97 Black and Decker Hp12kd Esprit Cordless Variable Speed Drill - Amazon.co.uk price: £53.97 Vitrex 10 2330 Flat Bed Tile Cutter 400mm - Amazon.co.uk price: £18.97 Black & Decker Ka197e Orbital Sander - Amazon.co.uk price: £25 Amazon.co.uk Home & Garden customers will find all the information they need to make informed purchases. Helpful editorial and customer reviews, product recommendations and buying guides are just some of the features that make Amazon.co.uk's Home & Garden section the best place to buy DIY, gardening and home-improvement products online. The Home & Garden shop also offers individuals and businesses the opportunity to sell related new and used products alongside Amazon.co.uk retail offerings via Marketplace, the third-party programme that increases choice for Amazon.co.uk customers. Any companies interested in selling Home & Garden items at Amazon.co.uk should e-mail Chris Calverley at ccalverl@amazon.co.uk or log onto www.amazon.co.uk/marketplace. For further information please contact:Marie Fagan / Rachel SilkAmazon.co.ukTel no: 020 8636 9280mfagan@amazon.co.uk High resolution images are available for the media to view and download free of charge from: http://www.vismedia.co.uk About Amazon.co.uk Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, Amazon 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and toys. 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 has strategic alliances with Carphone Warehouse, Waterstones and Expedia.co.uk. Amazon.co.uk customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; personalized recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk also is available on mobile phones with WAP technology; look at www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details. Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>London: March 24, 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced the launch of two new categories--DIY &amp; Tools and Garden &amp; Outdoors--that offer a wide range of DIY, gardening and home-improvement products at low prices. The new categories can be found in Amazon.co.uk's new Home &amp; Garden shop (www.amazon.co.uk/homeandgarden), which will also incorporate Amazon.co.uk's existing Kitchen &amp; Home and Personal Care categories.</p><p>Amazon.co.uk's DIY &amp; Tools and Garden &amp; Outdoors categories will offer low prices on thousands of items at launch, from biscuit jointers to long-nose pliers, lawnmowers and bird tables. With top brands on offer--including Black &amp; Decker, Bosch, DeWalt, Draper, Stanley and Faithfull--and free delivery on qualifying orders over £25, the launch will answer the growing demand for online home-improvement shopping.</p><p>As an introductory offer, Amazon.co.uk customers will receive a free Stanley 9-way screwdriver set when they spend over £20 in the DIY &amp; Tools shop. For more details, visit www.amazon.co.uk/homeandgarden.</p><p>Robin Terrell, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, commented: "Amazon.co.uk's goal is to be the place where customers can find and discover anything they want to buy online. Today's move into DIY, gardening and home improvement products is a natural progression towards achieving that goal. The launch of DIY &amp; Tools and Garden &amp; Outdoors follows our successful expansion into new categories including consumer electronics, kitchen items and personal care."</p><p>Visitors to Amazon.co.uk's Home &amp; Garden shop will discover deep selection and great prices on leading brands:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>DIY &amp; TOOLS</p><p>Power tools such as cordless drills and screwdrivers, biscuit jointers, circular saws, orbital sanders, hammer drills and routers</p><p>Hand tools such as chisels, hammers, mallets, saw files, screwdrivers, axes and shovels</p><p>Hardware and Safety products such as eye/ear protection, gloves and masks</p><p>KITCHEN &amp; HOME</p><p>Cookware, bakeware and cutlery</p><p>Small appliances</p><p>Tableware</p><p>Vacuums</p><p>Bar tools and glasses</p><p>PERSONAL CARE</p><p>Shavers &amp; hair removers</p><p>Oral care</p><p>Hair and nail care</p><p>Massagers</p><p>GARDEN &amp; OUTDOORS</p><p>Barbecues, tools and accessories</p><p>Garden tools &amp; equipment such as lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and shears</p><p>Garden furniture including patio heaters, lounges, recliners, parasols and bases</p><p>Other products such as picnic hampers and bird tables</p><p>Among the top brands in Home &amp; Garden are Black &amp; Decker, Bosch, Braun, Carmen, DeWalt, Draper, Dualit, Dyson, Estwing, Faithfull, George Foreman, Henckels, Karcher, Kitchenaid, Le Creuset, Meyer Prestige, Philishave, Remington, Revlon, Stanley, Tefal and Wilkinson Sword.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><u>HOT OFFERS</u></p><ul><li>Black and Decker Wm536 Dual Height Workmate - Amazon.co.uk price: £49.97</li><li>Black and Decker Hp12kd Esprit Cordless Variable Speed Drill - Amazon.co.uk price: £53.97</li><li>Vitrex 10 2330 Flat Bed Tile Cutter 400mm - Amazon.co.uk price: £18.97</li><li>Black &amp; Decker Ka197e Orbital Sander - Amazon.co.uk price: £25</li></ul><p>Amazon.co.uk Home &amp; Garden customers will find all the information they need to make informed purchases. Helpful editorial and customer reviews, product recommendations and buying guides are just some of the features that make Amazon.co.uk's Home &amp; Garden section the best place to buy DIY, gardening and home-improvement products online.</p><p>The Home &amp; Garden shop also offers individuals and businesses the opportunity to sell related new and used products alongside Amazon.co.uk retail offerings via Marketplace, the third-party programme that increases choice for Amazon.co.uk customers. Any companies interested in selling Home &amp; Garden items at Amazon.co.uk should e-mail Chris Calverley at ccalverl@amazon.co.uk or log onto www.amazon.co.uk/marketplace.</p><p>For further information please contact:Marie Fagan / Rachel SilkAmazon.co.ukTel no: 020 8636 9280mfagan@amazon.co.uk</p><p><u>High resolution images are available for the media to view and download free of charge from:</u> http://www.vismedia.co.uk</p><p>About Amazon.co.uk</p><p>Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, Amazon 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, CDs, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and toys. 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 has strategic alliances with Carphone Warehouse, Waterstones and Expedia.co.uk. Amazon.co.uk customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; personalized recommendations; streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk also is available on mobile phones with WAP technology; look at www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details.</p><p>Amazon.co.uk is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr; the German-language site Amazon.de; the Japanese-language site Amazon.co.jp and Amazon.ca. Amazon.co.uk is the trading name for Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc., and Amazon.com International Auctions, Inc., which are both wholly owned subsidiaries of global online retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

Amazon.co.jp Offers the Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for Immediate Pre-order

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.jp-Offers-the-Japanese-version-of-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-for-Immediate-Pre-order/default.aspx

Amazon.co.jp-Offers-the-Japanese-version-of-Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-for-Immediate-Pre-order

03/18/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.jp Offers the Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for Immediate Pre-order

03/18/2004

2004

Amazon.co.jp Offers the Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for Immediate Pre-order; Date-of Release Delivery for pre-order customers on the Publication Day, September 1 for Free! On-The-Day Delivery is the first realization in the history of Amazon.co.jp March 15, 2004　– Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/), has announced that it has begun accepting pre-orders for the Japanese-language version of fifth installment in JK Rowling's beloved Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (price: 4,000 JPY excluding tax). For the first time, Amazon.co.jp customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will have the added convenience of having the two-volume set delivered to their door on September 1, 2004, thus avoiding the time and trouble of traveling to the stores.*1In addition, customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at Amazon.co.jp will also receive a complimentary commemorative Amazon.co.jp Harry Potter book cover and book marker *1, and an email edition of the Amazon.co.jp "Harry Potter Special E-mail Magazine," featuring summaries of the first four books in the Harry Potter series, highlights from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and a Harry Potter one-point English lesson.Fans of Harry Potter can also find a complete selection of their favorite books, movies, music and hundreds of other items featuring their favorite wizard in the Amazon.co.jp Harry Potter store (http://www.amazon.co.jp/harry/). Visitors to the store can find and order Harry Potter-related products from across the world, including the English, German, French, Spanish, and UK versions of all five books in the Harry Potter series."We have a great selection of Harry Potter items, and by pre-ordering now, Amazon.co.jp customers will be among the first to receive the book when it's released on September 1," said Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan K.K.As of today, Harry Potter series have been extremely popular with Amazon.co.jp customers. The Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4) was the best-selling title of Japanese books for Amazon.co.jp, and the English-language version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5) became the best-selling title in the history of Amazon.co.jp.*1 Details about conditions of the campaign are provided on Amazon.co.jp Books store from today and on the site www.amazon.co.jp/hp_promo from March 16th.*The prices stated on this press release reflect that of March 15, 2004.For more information or to arrange an interview with an Amazon.co.jp editor, please contact:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jpOr contact the PR Agent:Vector, Inc. K.K.Kaori Nishida / Sayaka Ishigaki / Saori KiryuTel: 03-3403-2230E-mail: amazon@vectorinc.co.jpPlease direct inquiries from readers:Amazon.co.jp Customer Centerhttp://www.amazon.co.jp/contact-usAbout Amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.jpAmazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and Home& Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Anywhere mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering.Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>Amazon.co.jp Offers the Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for Immediate Pre-order; Date-of Release Delivery for pre-order customers on the Publication Day, September 1 for Free! On-The-Day Delivery is the first realization in the history of Amazon.co.jp</p><p>March 15, 2004　– Amazon.co.jp (http://www.amazon.co.jp/), has announced that it has begun accepting pre-orders for the Japanese-language version of fifth installment in JK Rowling's beloved Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (price: 4,000 JPY excluding tax). For the first time, Amazon.co.jp customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will have the added convenience of having the two-volume set delivered to their door on September 1, 2004, thus avoiding the time and trouble of traveling to the stores.*1In addition, customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at Amazon.co.jp will also receive a complimentary commemorative Amazon.co.jp Harry Potter book cover and book marker *1, and an email edition of the Amazon.co.jp "Harry Potter Special E-mail Magazine," featuring summaries of the first four books in the Harry Potter series, highlights from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and a Harry Potter one-point English lesson.Fans of Harry Potter can also find a complete selection of their favorite books, movies, music and hundreds of other items featuring their favorite wizard in the Amazon.co.jp Harry Potter store (http://www.amazon.co.jp/harry/). Visitors to the store can find and order Harry Potter-related products from across the world, including the English, German, French, Spanish, and UK versions of all five books in the Harry Potter series."We have a great selection of Harry Potter items, and by pre-ordering now, Amazon.co.jp customers will be among the first to receive the book when it's released on September 1," said Jasper Cheung, President of Amazon Japan K.K.As of today, Harry Potter series have been extremely popular with Amazon.co.jp customers. The Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4) was the best-selling title of Japanese books for Amazon.co.jp, and the English-language version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5) became the best-selling title in the history of Amazon.co.jp.*1 Details about conditions of the campaign are provided on Amazon.co.jp Books store from today and on the site www.amazon.co.jp/hp_promo from March 16th.*The prices stated on this press release reflect that of March 15, 2004.For more information or to arrange an interview with an Amazon.co.jp editor, please contact:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jpOr contact the PR Agent:Vector, Inc. K.K.Kaori Nishida / Sayaka Ishigaki / Saori KiryuTel: 03-3403-2230E-mail: amazon@vectorinc.co.jpPlease direct inquiries from readers:Amazon.co.jp Customer Centerhttp://www.amazon.co.jp/contact-usAbout Amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.jpAmazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, 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.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and Home&amp; Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Anywhere mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering.Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

Election 2004 Boutique Launches on Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2004/Election-2004-Boutique-Launches-on-Amazon.com/default.aspx

Election-2004-Boutique-Launches-on-Amazon.com

08/31/2004 00:00:00

Election 2004 Boutique Launches on Amazon.com

08/31/2004

2004

Nine Leading Political Commentators Offer Their Views and Insights on Upcoming Presidential Election Exclusively for Amazon.com Customers SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 31, 2004-- Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com company (Nasdaq:AMZN), today launched its Election 2004 boutique (www.amazon.com/election2004), an area dedicated to helping customers find and discover books and exclusive content related to the 2004 presidential race. Ranging from politicians to pundits to award-winning authors and journalists, contributors Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Al Franken, David Frum, Ariana Huffington, Molly Ivins, Jon Stewart, Gore Vidal and Bob Woodward discuss the upcoming election in interviews conducted exclusively for Amazon.com customers. These nine participants share their perspectives on the upcoming election as well as their thoughts on the most crucial issues for consideration as voters make their way to the polls in November. Each answered the same set of questions, but did so in wildly disparate -- and in some cases humorous -- fashion, addressing topics such as the importance of this presidential election, key lessons from President Bush's term thus far and what a Kerry administration would mean for America's future. "Amazon.com customers are turning to us as they educate themselves about the upcoming election, looking for topical books and other resources as they decide whom to vote for in November," said Tom May, editor for the Amazon.com Book store. "We wanted to make it even easier for our customers to find and discover helpful information by offering them exclusive election commentary from some of the leading figures discussing the presidential race, as well as their recommendations for helpful election year reads." The Election 2004 boutique on Amazon.com is located in the Great Political Debate area of the Amazon.com Book store, which highlights relevant titles for customers on topics such as foreign policy, domestic issues, the conservative and liberal debates, political satire and humor, political and news magazines and more. To read these exclusive interviews with leading political commentators, as well as find and discover books about the upcoming election and other political issues, visit the Election 2004 boutique on Amazon.com at www.amazon.com/election2004. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com and its affiliates seek to be Earth's most customer-centric companies, creating a place where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and to offer customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com affiliates and sellers offer millions of unique new and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. Other Amazon related Websites include: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. CONTACT: For more information, including product photos, contact:Amazon Media RelationsKristin Mariani, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>Nine Leading Political Commentators Offer Their Views and Insights on Upcoming Presidential Election Exclusively for Amazon.com Customers</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 31, 2004-- Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com company (Nasdaq:AMZN), today launched its Election 2004 boutique (www.amazon.com/election2004), an area dedicated to helping customers find and discover books and exclusive content related to the 2004 presidential race. Ranging from politicians to pundits to award-winning authors and journalists, contributors Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Al Franken, David Frum, Ariana Huffington, Molly Ivins, Jon Stewart, Gore Vidal and Bob Woodward discuss the upcoming election in interviews conducted exclusively for Amazon.com customers.</p><p>These nine participants share their perspectives on the upcoming election as well as their thoughts on the most crucial issues for consideration as voters make their way to the polls in November. Each answered the same set of questions, but did so in wildly disparate -- and in some cases humorous -- fashion, addressing topics such as the importance of this presidential election, key lessons from President Bush's term thus far and what a Kerry administration would mean for America's future.</p><p>"Amazon.com customers are turning to us as they educate themselves about the upcoming election, looking for topical books and other resources as they decide whom to vote for in November," said Tom May, editor for the Amazon.com Book store. "We wanted to make it even easier for our customers to find and discover helpful information by offering them exclusive election commentary from some of the leading figures discussing the presidential race, as well as their recommendations for helpful election year reads."</p><p>The Election 2004 boutique on Amazon.com is located in the Great Political Debate area of the Amazon.com Book store, which highlights relevant titles for customers on topics such as foreign policy, domestic issues, the conservative and liberal debates, political satire and humor, political and news magazines and more.</p><p>To read these exclusive interviews with leading political commentators, as well as find and discover books about the upcoming election and other political issues, visit the Election 2004 boutique on Amazon.com at www.amazon.com/election2004.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com and its affiliates seek to be Earth's most customer-centric companies, creating a place where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and to offer customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com affiliates and sellers offer millions of unique new and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Other Amazon related Websites include: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><p>CONTACT: For more information, including product photos, contact:Amazon Media RelationsKristin Mariani, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.com to Acquire Joyo.com Limited

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-to-Acquire-Joyo.com-Limited/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Acquire-Joyo.com-Limited

08/19/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Acquire Joyo.com Limited

08/19/2004

2004

SEATTLE & BEIJING--Aug. 19, 2004--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Joyo.com Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company, which operates the Joyo.com Web sites -- www.joyo.com and www.joyo.com.cn -- in cooperation with Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates. The Joyo.com Web sites are the largest online retailers of books, music and videos in China. Founded in 2000, Joyo.com offers customers a wide selection of books, videos and DVDs, music, software, toys and gifts, among other products. Through this acquisition, Amazon.com will blend Joyo.com's expertise in serving the Chinese market with Amazon.com's experience as one of the world's leading online retailers. This combination will allow Joyo.com to improve its customer experience and grow its business. "Becoming a part of the Amazon family is great news for our customers," said Lin Shuixing, president of Joyo.com Limited. "Amazon.com has always put the customer at the center of everything it does, and we look forward to making Joyo.com even better for our customers in the time to come." "This transaction is a recognition of Joyo's accomplishments over the past four years," said Lei Jun, founder and chairman of Joyo.com and president of Kingsoft Holdings Limited, the largest shareholder of Joyo.com. "I am confident that Amazon.com's expertise in global e-commerce, in combination with Joyo's entrepreneurial management team and employees, will bring the development of e-commerce and online customer experience in China to a new level." Joyo.com will become Amazon.com's seventh global Web site. Amazon.com's entry into China will allow it to service the more than 80 million consumers already online in China.(1) "We are very pleased to be entering the Chinese market with Joyo.com," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "In a relatively short time, Joyo.com has established itself as the leading online destination for books, music and videos in China, and we're happy to be part of one of the world's most dynamic markets." "It is extremely gratifying to have a world-class company like Amazon.com recognize the value of Joyo.com's opportunity in China," said Liu Chuanzhi, chairman of Legend Capital, one of the largest shareholders of Joyo.com. "We look forward to watching Joyo.com become even more successful as part of Amazon.com." The transaction is valued at approximately $75 million, including approximately $72 million in cash and the assumption of employee stock options. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter 2004, although it is subject to customary closing conditions. Amazon.com does not expect the acquisition to have a significant impact on net sales or operating profit in third quarter 2004 or fiscal 2004. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. About Joyo.com Joyo.com was founded in May 2000 and today is the largest online book, music, video and DVD store in China. In addition, it sells IT software products, health and beauty products, as well as gifts and toys online. Forward-Looking Statement of Amazon.com 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 the regulation of Internet and retail companies in China, the enforceability of contracts necessary for the management and control of Joyo.com, the reaction of customers and suppliers of Joyo.com to the transaction, political and economic conditions in China, potential future losses, competition, retention of key Joyo.com personnel, disruption of our ongoing business, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, limited operating history, other 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 Current Report on Form 8-K filed concurrently with this announcement and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and all subsequent filings. (1) Source: China Internet Network Information Center, July 2004 SOURCE: Amazon.com

<p>SEATTLE &amp; BEIJING--Aug. 19, 2004--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Joyo.com Limited, a British Virgin Islands Company, which operates the Joyo.com Web sites -- www.joyo.com and www.joyo.com.cn -- in cooperation with Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates. The Joyo.com Web sites are the largest online retailers of books, music and videos in China.</p><p>Founded in 2000, Joyo.com offers customers a wide selection of books, videos and DVDs, music, software, toys and gifts, among other products. Through this acquisition, Amazon.com will blend Joyo.com's expertise in serving the Chinese market with Amazon.com's experience as one of the world's leading online retailers. This combination will allow Joyo.com to improve its customer experience and grow its business.</p><p>"Becoming a part of the Amazon family is great news for our customers," said Lin Shuixing, president of Joyo.com Limited. "Amazon.com has always put the customer at the center of everything it does, and we look forward to making Joyo.com even better for our customers in the time to come."</p><p>"This transaction is a recognition of Joyo's accomplishments over the past four years," said Lei Jun, founder and chairman of Joyo.com and president of Kingsoft Holdings Limited, the largest shareholder of Joyo.com. "I am confident that Amazon.com's expertise in global e-commerce, in combination with Joyo's entrepreneurial management team and employees, will bring the development of e-commerce and online customer experience in China to a new level."</p><p>Joyo.com will become Amazon.com's seventh global Web site. Amazon.com's entry into China will allow it to service the more than 80 million consumers already online in China.(1)</p><p>"We are very pleased to be entering the Chinese market with Joyo.com," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "In a relatively short time, Joyo.com has established itself as the leading online destination for books, music and videos in China, and we're happy to be part of one of the world's most dynamic markets."</p><p>"It is extremely gratifying to have a world-class company like Amazon.com recognize the value of Joyo.com's opportunity in China," said Liu Chuanzhi, chairman of Legend Capital, one of the largest shareholders of Joyo.com. "We look forward to watching Joyo.com become even more successful as part of Amazon.com."</p><p>The transaction is valued at approximately $75 million, including approximately $72 million in cash and the assumption of employee stock options. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter 2004, although it is subject to customary closing conditions.</p><p>Amazon.com does not expect the acquisition to have a significant impact on net sales or operating profit in third quarter 2004 or fiscal 2004.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>About Joyo.com</p><p>Joyo.com was founded in May 2000 and today is the largest online book, music, video and DVD store in China. In addition, it sells IT software products, health and beauty products, as well as gifts and toys online.</p><p>Forward-Looking Statement of Amazon.com</p><p>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 the regulation of Internet and retail companies in China, the enforceability of contracts necessary for the management and control of Joyo.com, the reaction of customers and suppliers of Joyo.com to the transaction, political and economic conditions in China, potential future losses, competition, retention of key Joyo.com personnel, disruption of our ongoing business, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, limited operating history, other 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 Current Report on Form 8-K filed concurrently with this announcement and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and all subsequent filings.</p><p>(1) Source: China Internet Network Information Center, July 2004</p><p>SOURCE: Amazon.com</p>

Amazon.co.jp Launches New Computer Store

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.co.jp-Launches-New-Computer-Store/default.aspx

Amazon.co.jp-Launches-New-Computer-Store

03/16/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.co.jp Launches New Computer Store

03/16/2004

2004

Expanded PC Selections of Laptops and Desktops offering "up to 15% Reward Program" plus an additional 10,000 JPY gift certificate for the purchase of a computer-item costing over 100,000 JPY. March 16, 2004 --- Amazon.co.jp http://www.amazon.co.jp/ has launched its new Computer store http://www.amazon.co.jp/pc as part of its existing Electronics Store, offering an extensive list of PC and related accessories such as printer scanners. Amazon.co.jpfs Computer store offers a great number of PC items including Desktop PC, Laptops PC and Servers at attractive prices. The store features rich selection from the major manufacturers such as Apple, Sony, NEC and Fujitsu, and additional new items from the manufacturers which have been newly expanded such as Mouse Computer and eMachines. In addition, the store offers a variety of other PC related items such as Printer, Scanner, Related accessories and parts, PDA & electronic dictionaries and Software to buy together with the PC, which makes it easy for customers to find what they want. Amazon.co.jp provides customers the easiest way to shop for PCs and related accessories with its easy-to-use site navigation and by recommending related accessories and peripherals to accompany electronics purchases alongside the products. Launched in July, 2003, Amazon.co.jpfs Electronics Store, offers customers great values always at competitive price. Customers who purchase an item from Amazon.co.jpfs Electronics store costing more than 5,000 JPY (tax excluded) will receive an Amazon.co.jp gift certificate valid for up to 15% of the purchase price, redeemable on a future Amazon.co.jp order. In addition, between now and April 12, customers who purchase a computer-item priced over 100,000 JPY (excluding tax), will receive an Amazon.co.jp gift certificate worth 10,000 JPY, redeemable on a future Amazon.co.jp order. For example, customers who purchase a 200,000 JPY(excluding tax) computer between now and April 12 will receive up to 40,000 JPY in Amazon.co.jp gift certificates (including both 15% of the purchase price and 10,000 JPY gift certificate) to use toward a future purchase. Please see site www.amazon.co.jp/electronics for details. Amazon.co.jp also offers free delivery to anywhere in Japan for purchases of 1,500 JPY or more (tax excluded), as well as convenient cash on delivery payment options. *The prices stated on this press release are as of March 16, 2004. Please direct inquiries related to this press release to:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jp Or contact the PR Agent:Vector, Inc. K.K.Kaori Nishida / Sayaka Ishigaki / Saori KiryuTel: 03-3403-2230E-mail: amazon@vectorinc.co.jp Please direct inquiries from readers:Amazon.co.jp Customer Centerhttp://www.amazon.co.jp/contact-us About Amazon.co.jp http://www.amazon.co.jp Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, and strives to be the worldfs most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.co.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC & video games, electronics and Home& Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Anywhere mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering. Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>Expanded PC Selections of Laptops and Desktops offering "up to 15% Reward Program" plus an additional 10,000 JPY gift certificate for the purchase of a computer-item costing over 100,000 JPY.</p><p>March 16, 2004 --- Amazon.co.jp http://www.amazon.co.jp/ has launched its new Computer store http://www.amazon.co.jp/pc as part of its existing Electronics Store, offering an extensive list of PC and related accessories such as printer scanners. Amazon.co.jpfs Computer store offers a great number of PC items including Desktop PC, Laptops PC and Servers at attractive prices. The store features rich selection from the major manufacturers such as Apple, Sony, NEC and Fujitsu, and additional new items from the manufacturers which have been newly expanded such as Mouse Computer and eMachines. In addition, the store offers a variety of other PC related items such as Printer, Scanner, Related accessories and parts, PDA &amp; electronic dictionaries and Software to buy together with the PC, which makes it easy for customers to find what they want. Amazon.co.jp provides customers the easiest way to shop for PCs and related accessories with its easy-to-use site navigation and by recommending related accessories and peripherals to accompany electronics purchases alongside the products.</p><p>Launched in July, 2003, Amazon.co.jpfs Electronics Store, offers customers great values always at competitive price. Customers who purchase an item from Amazon.co.jpfs Electronics store costing more than 5,000 JPY (tax excluded) will receive an Amazon.co.jp gift certificate valid for up to 15% of the purchase price, redeemable on a future Amazon.co.jp order.</p><p>In addition, between now and April 12, customers who purchase a computer-item priced over 100,000 JPY (excluding tax), will receive an Amazon.co.jp gift certificate worth 10,000 JPY, redeemable on a future Amazon.co.jp order. For example, customers who purchase a 200,000 JPY(excluding tax) computer between now and April 12 will receive up to 40,000 JPY in Amazon.co.jp gift certificates (including both 15% of the purchase price and 10,000 JPY gift certificate) to use toward a future purchase. Please see site www.amazon.co.jp/electronics for details.</p><p>Amazon.co.jp also offers free delivery to anywhere in Japan for purchases of 1,500 JPY or more (tax excluded), as well as convenient cash on delivery payment options.</p><p>*The prices stated on this press release are as of March 16, 2004.</p><p>Please direct inquiries related to this press release to:Amazon Japan K.K.PR: Misao Konishi / Megumi MiyazakiTel: 03-4288-4020E-mail: press@amazon.co.jp</p><p>Or contact the PR Agent:Vector, Inc. K.K.Kaori Nishida / Sayaka Ishigaki / Saori KiryuTel: 03-3403-2230E-mail: amazon@vectorinc.co.jp</p><p>Please direct inquiries from readers:Amazon.co.jp Customer Centerhttp://www.amazon.co.jp/contact-us</p><p>About Amazon.co.jp http://www.amazon.co.jp</p><p>Amazon.co.jp opened its virtual doors in November 2000, and strives to be the worldfs most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.co.jp today offers millions of Japanese and foreign language books, videos, DVDs, software titles, PC &amp; video games, electronics and Home&amp; Kitchen items. Through the Amazon Anywhere mobile commerce platform, Amazon.co.jp is also accessible via i-mode, EZweb and Vodafone Llive! wireless devices. Amazon.co.jp customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading, online shopping technology such as secure credit-card payment; COD payment; personalised recommendations; and streamlined, 1-Click ordering.</p><p>Amazon.co.jp is one of five internationally focused websites operated by Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, USA; the others are the French-language site Amazon.fr, the German-language site Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

Amazon Services to Provide American Express Merchants with Special Offer for Selling Through Amazon.com

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon-Services-to-Provide-American-Express-Merchants-with-Special-Offer-for-Selling-Through-Amazon.com/default.aspx

Amazon-Services-to-Provide-American-Express-Merchants-with-Special-Offer-for-Selling-Through-Amazon.com

07/29/2004 00:00:00

Amazon Services to Provide American Express Merchants with Special Offer for Selling Through Amazon.com

07/29/2004

2004

SEATTLE & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), and American Express today announced an agreement to give merchants who accept the American Express card a special offer to sell their merchandise on the Amazon.com Web site. Through this agreement, businesses in the U.S. that accept the American Express(R) Card can join the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program to sell on Amazon.com with no subscription charges for the first three months. American Express merchants can find more information and take advantage of the offer by visiting American Express Business Savings at www.americanexpress.com/bizsavings. "Amazon Services is excited to join American Express in offering their merchant network a special offer for creating incremental sales of their products through the power of the Amazon e-commerce platform," said Tom Beckwith, Amazon Services Vice President for Service Sales. "With the busy holiday retail season just around the corner, the timing is perfect for American Express merchants to begin offering their products to the millions of shoppers who visit Amazon.com." Hundreds of thousands of active seller accounts offer new, used, and collectible products on Amazon.com using Amazon Services solutions designed for retailers of all types and sizes. The Pro Merchant program offers retailers volume-listing tools, Amazon.com storefront capabilities, and unlimited free listings for a monthly subscription cost of $39.99 plus a commission when products sell. Some of the many Pro Merchant product categories which qualify for the Amazon Services-American Express offer are Apparel & Accessories, Gourmet Foods, and Sports & Outdoors. "American Express is pleased to make the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program even more compelling through our Business Savings Program," said Elizabeth Rutledge, Vice President, Establishment Services, American Express. "With Amazon Services, merchants can realize true costs savings while expanding their businesses, simply as a benefit of accepting the American Express Card." Business Savings from American Express is offered at no cost to any and all merchants in the American Express network across the U.S., regardless of size or location. Merchants do not have to enroll in Business Savings and can access the many expense savings offerings through www.americanexpress.com/bizsavings. In addition to the Amazon Services Pro Merchant Program, American Express merchants can receive special savings on car rentals, office supplies, delivery services and more. Tens of millions of active Amazon.com customer accounts and high traffic volumes give retailers who sell on the Amazon.com e-commerce platform a wide audience for their brand and products. Amazon Services ensures that sellers have tools to maximize this exposure with Seller Central, a web-based suite of tools for managing listings. Amazon Services also handles all payment processing and fraud protection. Fred Waters of SmoothFitness sells his company's products through the Amazon.com Sports & Outdoors Store as a Pro Merchant. "Selling on Amazon.com as a Pro Merchant has given my business a new sales channel for our products," said Waters. "In addition to reaching these new customers, our presence on Amazon.com has increased our brand recognition." With today's announcement, American Express will be helping new retailers grow their businesses through the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program at a significant cost savings. "Our Merchant Referral Program presents businesses like American Express with the opportunity to offer their customers the chance to grow their retail businesses using their existing technology investment," said Anne Wilbur, Amazon Services Director of Channel Development. "We look forward to working with American Express to find even more ways to help its merchants improve their businesses on the Web." About Amazon Services, Inc. Amazon Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) which offers the technology and services that power Amazon.com to retailers seeking a world-class, cost effective e-commerce offering for their customers. Amazon Services offers its retail partners use of Amazon's leading e-commerce website technology, best-in-class fulfillment and customer service, and access to tens of millions of active customer accounts on Amazon.com (Note: active customers accounts represent the number of unique e-mail addresses which have placed an order from Amazon.com or third party sellers on Amazon sites within the prior twelve months; active seller accounts represent the number of third party seller accounts who have sold at least one item to an Amazon customer within the past twelve months). About American Express Establishment Services is the merchant network of American Express which acquires and maintains millions of merchants around the globe and across industries who welcome the American Express Card. American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, network, and financial services provider founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, investment products, insurance and international banking. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. CONTACT: Amazon.com Public Relations 206-266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon Services, Inc.

<p>SEATTLE &amp; NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), and American Express today announced an agreement to give merchants who accept the American Express card a special offer to sell their merchandise on the Amazon.com Web site. Through this agreement, businesses in the U.S. that accept the American Express(R) Card can join the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program to sell on Amazon.com with no subscription charges for the first three months. American Express merchants can find more information and take advantage of the offer by visiting American Express Business Savings at www.americanexpress.com/bizsavings.</p><p>"Amazon Services is excited to join American Express in offering their merchant network a special offer for creating incremental sales of their products through the power of the Amazon e-commerce platform," said Tom Beckwith, Amazon Services Vice President for Service Sales. "With the busy holiday retail season just around the corner, the timing is perfect for American Express merchants to begin offering their products to the millions of shoppers who visit Amazon.com."</p><p>Hundreds of thousands of active seller accounts offer new, used, and collectible products on Amazon.com using Amazon Services solutions designed for retailers of all types and sizes. The Pro Merchant program offers retailers volume-listing tools, Amazon.com storefront capabilities, and unlimited free listings for a monthly subscription cost of $39.99 plus a commission when products sell. Some of the many Pro Merchant product categories which qualify for the Amazon Services-American Express offer are Apparel &amp; Accessories, Gourmet Foods, and Sports &amp; Outdoors.</p><p>"American Express is pleased to make the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program even more compelling through our Business Savings Program," said Elizabeth Rutledge, Vice President, Establishment Services, American Express. "With Amazon Services, merchants can realize true costs savings while expanding their businesses, simply as a benefit of accepting the American Express Card."</p><p>Business Savings from American Express is offered at no cost to any and all merchants in the American Express network across the U.S., regardless of size or location. Merchants do not have to enroll in Business Savings and can access the many expense savings offerings through www.americanexpress.com/bizsavings. In addition to the Amazon Services Pro Merchant Program, American Express merchants can receive special savings on car rentals, office supplies, delivery services and more.</p><p>Tens of millions of active Amazon.com customer accounts and high traffic volumes give retailers who sell on the Amazon.com e-commerce platform a wide audience for their brand and products. Amazon Services ensures that sellers have tools to maximize this exposure with Seller Central, a web-based suite of tools for managing listings. Amazon Services also handles all payment processing and fraud protection.</p><p>Fred Waters of SmoothFitness sells his company's products through the Amazon.com Sports &amp; Outdoors Store as a Pro Merchant. "Selling on Amazon.com as a Pro Merchant has given my business a new sales channel for our products," said Waters. "In addition to reaching these new customers, our presence on Amazon.com has increased our brand recognition."</p><p>With today's announcement, American Express will be helping new retailers grow their businesses through the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program at a significant cost savings.</p><p>"Our Merchant Referral Program presents businesses like American Express with the opportunity to offer their customers the chance to grow their retail businesses using their existing technology investment," said Anne Wilbur, Amazon Services Director of Channel Development. "We look forward to working with American Express to find even more ways to help its merchants improve their businesses on the Web."</p><p>About Amazon Services, Inc.</p><p>Amazon Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) which offers the technology and services that power Amazon.com to retailers seeking a world-class, cost effective e-commerce offering for their customers. Amazon Services offers its retail partners use of Amazon's leading e-commerce website technology, best-in-class fulfillment and customer service, and access to tens of millions of active customer accounts on Amazon.com (Note: active customers accounts represent the number of unique e-mail addresses which have placed an order from Amazon.com or third party sellers on Amazon sites within the prior twelve months; active seller accounts represent the number of third party seller accounts who have sold at least one item to an Amazon customer within the past twelve months).</p><p>About American Express</p><p>Establishment Services is the merchant network of American Express which acquires and maintains millions of merchants around the globe and across industries who welcome the American Express Card. American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, network, and financial services provider founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, investment products, insurance and international banking.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><pre>CONTACT: Amazon.com Public Relations206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon Services, Inc.</pre>

Amazon.com Announces 45% Free Cash Flow Growth and 26% Sales Growth, Fueled by Low Prices and Free Shipping; Raises Financial Guidance

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Announces-45-Free-Cash-Flow-Growth-and-26-Sales-Growth-Fueled-by-Low-Prices-and-Free-Shipping-Raises-Financial-Guidance/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Announces-45-Free-Cash-Flow-Growth-and-26-Sales-Growth-Fueled-by-Low-Prices-and-Free-Shipping-Raises-Financial-Guidance

07/22/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com Announces 45% Free Cash Flow Growth and 26% Sales Growth, Fueled by Low Prices and Free Shipping; Raises Financial Guidance

07/22/2004

2004

Q2 2004 Financial Results Statement of Cash Flows Statement of Operations Pro Forma Statement of Operations Segment Information Supplemental Net Sales Information Balance Sheets Supplemental Financial Information Operational Highlights AMZN Q2, 2004Financial Results Download WordVersion 1.21MB Download PDFVersion 224KB AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 45% FREE CASH FLOW GROWTH AND 26% SALES GROWTH, FUELED BY LOW PRICES AND FREE SHIPPING; RAISES FINANCIAL GUIDANCE SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2004. Operating cash flow was $410 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $285 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2003. Free cash flow grew 45% to $354 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $245 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2003. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards outstanding totaled 434 million at June 30, 2004, compared with 433 million a year ago. Net sales were $1.39 billion in the second quarter, compared with $1.10 billion in second quarter 2003, an increase of 26%. Net sales, excluding the $47 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 22% compared with second quarter 2003. Operating income was $86 million in the second quarter, compared with $42 million in second quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income grew 50% to $101 million in the second quarter, compared with $67 million in second quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income, excluding the $4 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 44% compared with second quarter 2003. Net income was $76 million in the second quarter, or $0.18 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $43 million, or $(0.11) per share, in second quarter 2003. Pro forma net income in the second quarter grew 77% to $75 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, compared with $42 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in second quarter 2003. "Worldwide adoption of our everyday free shipping reached another record high point this quarter," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "While free shipping is expensive for the Company, it saves our customers tens of millions of dollars each quarter, and we plan to keep it in place indefinitely." Amazon.com continues to offer Free Super Saving Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com and also has free shipping offers at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com offers 30% off books over $15 and continues to lower prices every day across its product offerings, ranging from electronics to jewelry to sports and outdoors items to tools. See "Financial Measures" for additional information. Highlights North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, grew 13% to $792 million and segment operating income grew 21% to $66 million, compared with second quarter 2003. International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 50% to $595 million. Net sales, excluding the benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 38% compared with second quarter 2003. International segment operating income grew to $35 million, compared with $13 million in second quarter 2003. International segment sales on a trailing-twelve-month basis were $2.51 billion, representing 42% of worldwide net sales. Electronics & Other General Merchandise sales were $1.36 billion for the trailing twelve months, representing 23% of worldwide net sales. Inventory turns for the trailing twelve months were 18, down from 20 a year ago, as the Company continues to expand selection and availability. The Company introduced two new stores in the U.S., offering more than 20,000 Beauty products and over 30,000 Musical Instrument items. Financial Guidance The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of July 22, 2004. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below. Third Quarter 2004 Guidance Third quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.425 billion and $1.525 billion, or grow between 26% and 34%, compared with third quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $80 million and $100 million, or grow between 9% and 36%, compared with third quarter 2003. Operating income is expected to be between $50 million and $70 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on September 30, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $54.40 on June 30, 2004. Full Year 2004 Expectations Net sales are expected to be between $6.625 billion and $6.925 billion. Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $475 million and $535 million. Operating income is expected to be between $400 million and $460 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $54.40 on June 30, 2004. A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available at least through September 30, 2004, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results. These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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. Financial Measures The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures. Free Cash Flow Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating cash flow--is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics." Consolidated Segment Operating Income Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, and Other operating expense (income). A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating income--is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." Pro Forma Net Income  Pro forma net income excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations: Stock-based compensation, Other operating expense (income), and Remeasurements and other. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--net income (loss)--is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations." For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.    Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page Back to top of Page Back to top of Page  Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page    Back to top of Page AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited) Quarterly Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year, unless otherwise stated) Net Sales In the second quarter 2003 we sold over 1.4 million units worldwide of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was $84 million, up 5% from $80 million. Cost of Sales Cost of sales consists of the purchase price of consumer products sold by us, inbound and outbound shipping charges to us, packaging supplies, and certain costs associated with our service revenues. Outbound shipping-related costs totaled $119 million, up from $106 million. Net shipping cost was $34 million, up from a net cost of $26 million, resulting primarily from our free shipping offers. We view free shipping as an effective marketing tool and intend to continue offering it indefinitely. Direct Segment Operating Expenses Second quarter direct segment operating expenses as a percentage of net sales: 2004 2003 Fulfillment 8.8% 9.8% Marketing 2.3% 2.3% Technology and content 4.2% 4.7% General and administrative 2.0% 2.0%  Depreciation was $18 million in second quarter 2004 and $70 million over the trailing twelve months.     Fulfillment Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees, and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations. Costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment. Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions are based on the gross purchase price of underlying transactions, and therefore represent a larger percentage of our recorded commission revenue than credit card fees on our retail sales. Accordingly, this negatively affects fulfillment costs as a percentage of net sales. We announced the opening of a new European fulfillment center in Scotland, which is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2004. The center is approximately 300,000 square feet and over time will employ approximately 300 associates.     Technology and content Our spending in technology and content has increased as we are adding computer scientists and software engineers to continue to improve our process efficiency and enhance the customer experience on our websites. We expect absolute dollars spent in technology and content to increase over time.     General and administrative The increase in general and administrative expense is primarily due to increases in legal fees. We expect general and administrative costs to increase in absolute dollars over time. Stock-Based Compensation Stock-based compensation consisted of $9 million expense for stock awards under variable accounting and $13 million for stock awards under fixed accounting plus matching stock contributions under our 401(k) program. Payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards is not classified in "Stock-based compensation". We granted 2 million stock awards, primarily restricted stock units, during the quarter at a per share weighted average fair value of $47. Stock-based awards generally fully vest over service periods of between three and six years. At June 30, 2004, there were 28 million stock awards outstanding, consisting of 21 million stock options with a $13 weighted average exercise price, 6 million restricted stock units and 0.5 million shares of restricted stock (included in common stock outstanding). Since October 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units, under fixed accounting, are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense on an accelerated basis over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation. At June 30, 2004, 1 million outstanding stock awards, primarily options, were subject to variable accounting. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002, are subject to variable accounting treatment. Variable accounting treatment results in expense or contra-expense recognition using the cumulative expense method, calculated based on the quoted price of our common stock and vesting schedules of underlying awards. For example, since the closing price of our common stock on June 30, 2004 ($54.40), was greater than the closing price on March 31, 2004 ($43.28), we recorded an expense associated with variable accounting treatment for the second quarter of 2004. Other Operating Expense (Income) Included in "Other operating expense (income)" are restructuring-related expenses and amortization of other intangibles. Our first quarter 2001 operational restructuring plan is complete; however, we may periodically adjust our restructuring-related estimates, such as lease obligations, in the future if necessary. During the second quarter we determined that some of the office space previously vacated as part of our 2001 restructuring, which we had been unable to sublease due to poor real estate market conditions, was necessary for our future needs. This resulted in a gain of $7 million for the second quarter. Future lease payments for this office space will be expensed over the lease period and classified to the corresponding operating expense categories on the consolidated statements of operations. We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $2 million in 2004, and $17 million thereafter. Amounts due within twelve months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of $25 million (we have signed sublease agreements for $14 million). Cash payments resulting from our 2001 operational restructuring were $1 million, compared with $4 million in second quarter 2003. We plan to streamline our organizational structure in France and reduce our operating costs. We anticipate the costs associated with these efforts will be approximately $5 million;, however, the reorganization is subject to regulatory review, which may impact the severance terms. We anticipate the number of employees affected and severance terms will be finalized in third quarter 2004 and corresponding costs will be recorded at that time and classified in "Other operating expense (income)". Other Income (Expense), Net Other expense in second quarter 2004 was primarily miscellaneous foreign, state and other income taxes. Remeasurements and Other Remeasurements includes foreign-currency gains on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $8 million, compared with a loss of $38 million in second quarter 2003. Other includes a $7 million loss from remeasurement of intercompany balances, which are to be repaid amongst subsidiaries. Other also includes a gain of $14 million related to the sale of an equity investment, classified within "Investing Activities" on our statement of cash flows. Income Taxes At June 30, 2004, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.8 billion, primarily related to U.S. federal taxes. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.8 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent that any of this amount is realized for tax purposes but not financial reporting purposes, the resulting tax benefits will be credited to stockholders' equity rather than results of operations. Net Income (Loss) We do not believe that our reported net income for the second quarter 2004 should be viewed, on its own, as a material positive event or should be considered predictive of future results. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the effect that fluctuations in foreign currency rates will have on the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances. Additionally, we are unable to forecast the effect on stock-based compensation of changes in the quoted price of our common stock due to variable accounting treatment. The remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS represented significant gains during the quarter and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods. Foreign Exchange As our financial reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar, our total sales, profit, and operating and free cash flow have benefited significantly the past eight quarters from weakness in the U.S. Dollar in comparison to the currencies of our international websites. We believe it is important to evaluate our growth rates after the effect of currency changes. The effect of changes in exchange rates in the second quarter is as follows (in millions):  Effect of exchange rate on: 2004 2003 Net Sales $ 47 $ 55 Gross Profit 10 12 Operating Income 4 3 Net Interest Expense & Other (1) (2) Remeasurements & Other (1) 3 (35) Net Income (Loss) 6 (34) Earnings Per Share $0.02 $(0.09) (1)Includes foreign-currency gains (losses) on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances, and realized currency-related gains associated with sales of Euro-denominated investments held by a U.S. functional-currency subsidiary.   These amounts represent the impact on reported results that is due to year-over-year changes in exchange rates. Absent year-over-year changes in exchange rates, reported amounts would have been lower (higher) by these amounts. Cash Flows and Balance Sheet Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, vendor payment terms and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. For example, in second quarter 2003 we purchased and received customer payment for over 1.4 million units of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, for which payment was generally not due to our vendors until after the second quarter of 2003. Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.15 billion, at fair value, primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term securities, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, certificates of deposit, and asset-backed and agency securities. Included is amounts held in foreign currencies of $645 million, primarily in Euros and British Pounds. We have pledged $80 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $87 million as of December 31, 2003. "Other assets" includes, among other things, deferred issuance costs on long-term debt, intangibles and other equity investments. "Unearned revenue" is recorded when payments are received from third parties in advance of our providing the associated service. "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" includes, among other things, liabilities for gift certificates, marketing activities, and workforce costs, including accrued payroll, vacation, and other benefits. "Long-term debt and other" primarily includes the following (in millions): Principalat Maturity Interest Rate PrincipalDue Date Convertible Subordinated Notes $ 900 (1) (2) 4.750% February 2009 PEACS 841   (3) 6.875% February 2010 _____________(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.375% of the principal, which decreases every February by 47.5 basis points until maturity, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.(2) During the previous twelve-month period we redeemed an aggregate principal amount of $350 million: $150 million in February 2004 and $200 million in November 2003.(3) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share ($103.50 per share based on the exchange rate as of June 30, 2004). We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. We do not hedge any portion of the PEACS. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio.(4) The "if converted" number of shares associated with each of our convertible debt instruments (approximately 20 million total shares) are excluded from diluted shares as their effect is anti-dilutive. Certain Definitions and Other We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation and other operating expenses (income), each of which is not allocated to segment results. Other centrally incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates. The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca; from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com; from our mail-order tool catalog; and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp; from internationally focused Syndicated Stores; and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca. We provide supplemental sales information within each segment for three categories: "Media", "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software, video games and video game consoles. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics and office, kids and baby, tools, home and garden, apparel, sports and outdoors, gourmet food, jewelry, health and personal care and beauty. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. Operating cycle is number of days of sales in inventory plus number of days of sales in accounts receivable minus accounts payable days. Inventory turnover is the quotient of annualized cost of sales to average inventory. Accounts payable days is calculated as the quotient of accounts payable to cost of sales, multiplied by the number of days in the period. References to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our websites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops, and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationship. A customer is considered active upon placing an order. References to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold through catalogs and at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates. Contacts: Amazon.com Investor Relations                                       Amazon.com Public RelationsTim Stone, 206/266-2171, ir@amazon.com                    Patty Smith, 206/266-7180www.amazon.com/ir

<p>Q2 2004 Financial Results</p><table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Statement of Cash Flows</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Statement of Operations</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pro Forma Statement of Operations</p></td></tr><tr><td>Segment Information</td></tr><tr><td>Supplemental Net Sales Information</td></tr><tr><td><div>Balance Sheets</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Supplemental Financial Information</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Operational Highlights</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td><div>AMZN Q2, 2004Financial Results</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>Download WordVersion 1.21MB</p></td><td><div>Download PDFVersion 224KB</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><p>AMAZON.COM ANNOUNCES 45% FREE CASH FLOW GROWTH AND 26% SALES GROWTH, FUELED BY LOW PRICES AND FREE SHIPPING; RAISES FINANCIAL GUIDANCE</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2004.</p><p>Operating cash flow was $410 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $285 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2003. Free cash flow grew 45% to $354 million for the trailing twelve months, compared with $245 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2003.</p><p>Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards outstanding totaled 434 million at June 30, 2004, compared with 433 million a year ago.</p><p>Net sales were $1.39 billion in the second quarter, compared with $1.10 billion in second quarter 2003, an increase of 26%. Net sales, excluding the $47 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 22% compared with second quarter 2003.</p><p>Operating income was $86 million in the second quarter, compared with $42 million in second quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income grew 50% to $101 million in the second quarter, compared with $67 million in second quarter 2003. Consolidated segment operating income, excluding the $4 million benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 44% compared with second quarter 2003.</p><p>Net income was $76 million in the second quarter, or $0.18 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $43 million, or $(0.11) per share, in second quarter 2003. Pro forma net income in the second quarter grew 77% to $75 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, compared with $42 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in second quarter 2003.</p><p>"Worldwide adoption of our everyday free shipping reached another record high point this quarter," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "While free shipping is expensive for the Company, it saves our customers tens of millions of dollars each quarter, and we plan to keep it in place indefinitely."</p><p>Amazon.com continues to offer Free Super Saving Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com and also has free shipping offers at its U.K., German, French, Japanese and Canadian sites. Amazon.com offers 30% off books over $15 and continues to lower prices every day across its product offerings, ranging from electronics to jewelry to sports and outdoors items to tools.</p><p>See "Financial Measures" for additional information.</p><p>Highlights</p><ul><li>North America segment sales, representing the Company's U.S. and Canadian sites, grew 13% to $792 million and segment operating income grew 21% to $66 million, compared with second quarter 2003.</li><li>International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, French and Japanese sites, grew 50% to $595 million. Net sales, excluding the benefit from changes in foreign exchange rates, grew 38% compared with second quarter 2003. International segment operating income grew to $35 million, compared with $13 million in second quarter 2003.</li><li>International segment sales on a trailing-twelve-month basis were $2.51 billion, representing 42% of worldwide net sales.</li><li>Electronics &amp; Other General Merchandise sales were $1.36 billion for the trailing twelve months, representing 23% of worldwide net sales.</li><li>Inventory turns for the trailing twelve months were 18, down from 20 a year ago, as the Company continues to expand selection and availability.</li><li>The Company introduced two new stores in the U.S., offering more than 20,000 Beauty products and over 30,000 Musical Instrument items.</li></ul><p>Financial Guidance</p><p>The following forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com's expectations as of July 22, 2004. Results may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the emerging nature and rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce, and the various factors detailed below.</p><blockquote><p>Third Quarter 2004 Guidance</p></blockquote><ul><li>Third quarter net sales are expected to be between $1.425 billion and $1.525 billion, or grow between 26% and 34%, compared with third quarter 2003.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $80 million and $100 million, or grow between 9% and 36%, compared with third quarter 2003.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $50 million and $70 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on September 30, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $54.40 on June 30, 2004.</li></ul><blockquote><p>Full Year 2004 Expectations</p></blockquote><ul><li>Net sales are expected to be between $6.625 billion and $6.925 billion.</li><li>Consolidated segment operating income is expected to be between $475 million and $535 million.</li><li>Operating income is expected to be between $400 million and $460 million, assuming, among other things, that the Company does not record any further revisions to its restructuring-related estimates and that the closing price of Amazon.com common stock on December 31, 2004, is identical to the closing price of $54.40 on June 30, 2004.</li></ul><p>A conference call will be Webcast live today at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET, and will be available at least through September 30, 2004, at www.amazon.com/ir. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company's financial and operating results.</p><p><em>These forward-looking statements are inherently difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, in addition to the factors discussed above, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments; the mix of products sold to customers; the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services; competition; risks of inventory management; the degree to which the Company enters into, maintains and develops commercial agreements and strategic transactions; seasonality; international growth and expansion; and risks of fulfillment throughput and productivity. Other risks and uncertainties include, among others, risk of future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, potential fluctuations in operating results, management of potential growth, system interruptions, consumer trends, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</em></p><p>Financial Measures</p><p>The following measures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures.</p><p><em>Free Cash Flow</em></p><p>Operating cash flow is net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, including cash outflows for interest and excluding proceeds from the exercise of stock-based employee awards. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less cash outflows for purchases of fixed assets, including internal-use software and website development. A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--operating cash flow--is included in the attached "Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics."</p><p><em>Consolidated Segment Operating Income</em></p><p>Consolidated segment operating income is the sum of segment operating income of our individual segments and excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li><ul><li>Stock-based compensation, and</li><li>Other operating expense (income).</li></ul></li></ul><p>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure<em>--</em>operating income--is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."</p><p><em>Pro Forma Net Income </em></p><p>Pro forma net income excludes the following line items on the Company's statements of operations:</p><ul><li><ul><li>Stock-based compensation,</li><li>Other operating expense (income), and</li><li>Remeasurements and other.</li></ul></li></ul>A tabular reconciliation of differences from the comparable GAAP measure--net income (loss)--is included in the attached "Pro Forma Statements of Operations."<p>For additional information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures, see Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 8-K filed contemporaneously with the issuance of this release.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p></td></tr><tr><td>   Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td> Back to top of Page</td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>   Back to top of Page</div></td></tr><tr><td><p>AMAZON.COM, INC.Financial and Operational Highlights(unaudited)</p><p>Quarterly Results of Operations (comparisons are with the equivalent period of the prior year, unless otherwise stated)</p><p><em>Net Sales</em></p><ul><li>In the second quarter 2003 we sold over 1.4 million units worldwide of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.</li><li>Shipping revenue, which excludes amounts earned from third-party sellers, was $84 million, up 5% from $80 million.</li></ul><p><em>Cost of Sales</em></p><ul><li>Cost of sales consists of the purchase price of consumer products sold by us, inbound and outbound shipping charges to us, packaging supplies, and certain costs associated with our service revenues.</li><li>Outbound shipping-related costs totaled $119 million, up from $106 million. Net shipping cost was $34 million, up from a net cost of $26 million, resulting primarily from our free shipping offers. We view free shipping as an effective marketing tool and intend to continue offering it indefinitely.</li></ul><p><em>Direct Segment Operating Expenses</em></p><ul><li>Second quarter direct segment operating expenses as a percentage of net sales:<table><tbody><tr><td><u>2004</u></td><td><u>2003</u></td></tr><tr><td>Fulfillment</td><td>8.8%</td><td>9.8%</td></tr><tr><td>Marketing</td><td>2.3%</td><td>2.3%</td></tr><tr><td>Technology and content</td><td>4.2%</td><td>4.7%</td></tr><tr><td>General and administrative</td><td>2.0%</td><td>2.0%</td></tr></tbody></table></li><li> Depreciation was $18 million in second quarter 2004 and $70 million over the trailing twelve months.</li></ul><p><em>    Fulfillment</em></p><ul><li>Fulfillment costs represent those costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers, credit card fees, and bad debt costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain third-party seller transactions. Fulfillment costs also include amounts paid to third parties, who assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations.</li><li>Costs incurred in operating and staffing our fulfillment and customer service centers on behalf of other businesses, such as Toysrus.com and Target, are classified as cost of sales rather than fulfillment.</li><li>Credit card fees associated with third-party seller transactions are based on the gross purchase price of underlying transactions, and therefore represent a larger percentage of our recorded commission revenue than credit card fees on our retail sales. Accordingly, this negatively affects fulfillment costs as a percentage of net sales.</li><li>We announced the opening of a new European fulfillment center in Scotland, which is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2004. The center is approximately 300,000 square feet and over time will employ approximately 300 associates.</li></ul><p><em>    Technology and content</em></p><ul><li>Our spending in technology and content has increased as we are adding computer scientists and software engineers to continue to improve our process efficiency and enhance the customer experience on our websites. We expect absolute dollars spent in technology and content to increase over time.</li></ul><p><em>    General and administrative</em></p><ul><li>The increase in general and administrative expense is primarily due to increases in legal fees. We expect general and administrative costs to increase in absolute dollars over time.</li></ul><p><em>Stock-Based Compensation</em></p><ul><li>Stock-based compensation consisted of $9 million expense for stock awards under variable accounting and $13 million for stock awards under fixed accounting plus matching stock contributions under our 401(k) program. Payroll tax expense resulting from exercises of stock-based awards is not classified in "Stock-based compensation".</li><li>We granted 2 million stock awards, primarily restricted stock units, during the quarter at a per share weighted average fair value of $47.</li><li>Stock-based awards generally fully vest over service periods of between three and six years.</li><li>At June 30, 2004, there were 28 million stock awards outstanding, consisting of 21 million stock options with a $13 weighted average exercise price, 6 million restricted stock units and 0.5 million shares of restricted stock (included in common stock outstanding).</li><li>Since October 2002, we have awarded restricted stock units as our primary form of stock-based compensation. Restricted stock units, under fixed accounting, are generally measured at fair value on the date of grant based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as an expense on an accelerated basis over the corresponding service period. To the extent that restricted stock units are forfeited prior to vesting, the corresponding previously recognized expense is reversed as an offset to stock-based compensation.</li><li>At June 30, 2004, 1 million outstanding stock awards, primarily options, were subject to variable accounting. Stock option grants after December 31, 2002, are subject to variable accounting treatment. Variable accounting treatment results in expense or contra-expense recognition using the cumulative expense method, calculated based on the quoted price of our common stock and vesting schedules of underlying awards. For example, since the closing price of our common stock on June 30, 2004 ($54.40), was greater than the closing price on March 31, 2004 ($43.28), we recorded an expense associated with variable accounting treatment for the second quarter of 2004.</li></ul><p><em>Other Operating Expense (Income)</em></p><ul><li>Included in "Other operating expense (income)" are restructuring-related expenses and amortization of other intangibles.</li><li>Our first quarter 2001 operational restructuring plan is complete; however, we may periodically adjust our restructuring-related estimates, such as lease obligations, in the future if necessary.</li><li>During the second quarter we determined that some of the office space previously vacated as part of our 2001 restructuring, which we had been unable to sublease due to poor real estate market conditions, was necessary for our future needs. This resulted in a gain of $7 million for the second quarter. Future lease payments for this office space will be expensed over the lease period and classified to the corresponding operating expense categories on the consolidated statements of operations.</li><li>We estimate, based on currently available information, the remaining net cash outflows associated with restructuring-related leases and other commitments will be $2 million in 2004, and $17 million thereafter. Amounts due within twelve months are included within "Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" and the remaining amounts within "Long-term debt and other" on our balance sheet. These amounts are net of anticipated sublease income of $25 million (we have signed sublease agreements for $14 million).</li><li>Cash payments resulting from our 2001 operational restructuring were $1 million, compared with $4 million in second quarter 2003.</li><li>We plan to streamline our organizational structure in France and reduce our operating costs. We anticipate the costs associated with these efforts will be approximately $5 million;, however, the reorganization is subject to regulatory review, which may impact the severance terms. We anticipate the number of employees affected and severance terms will be finalized in third quarter 2004 and corresponding costs will be recorded at that time and classified in "Other operating expense (income)".</li></ul><p><em>Other Income (Expense), Net</em></p><ul><li>Other expense in second quarter 2004 was primarily miscellaneous foreign, state and other income taxes.</li></ul><p><em>Remeasurements and Other</em></p><ul><li>Remeasurements includes foreign-currency gains on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS from Euros to U.S. Dollars of $8 million, compared with a loss of $38 million in second quarter 2003.</li><li>Other includes a $7 million loss from remeasurement of intercompany balances, which are to be repaid amongst subsidiaries.</li><li>Other also includes a gain of $14 million related to the sale of an equity investment, classified within "Investing Activities" on our statement of cash flows.</li></ul><p><em>Income Taxes</em></p><ul><li>At June 30, 2004, we had net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) of approximately $2.8 billion, primarily related to U.S. federal taxes. Utilization of NOLs, which begin to expire at various times starting in 2010, may be subject to certain limitations. Approximately $1.8 billion of our NOLs relate to tax deductible stock-based compensation in excess of amounts recognized for financial reporting purposes--to the extent that any of this amount is realized for tax purposes but not financial reporting purposes, the resulting tax benefits will be credited to stockholders' equity rather than results of operations.</li></ul><p><em>Net Income (Loss)</em></p><ul><li>We do not believe that our reported net income for the second quarter 2004 should be viewed, on its own, as a material positive event or should be considered predictive of future results. For example, we are unable to forecast the effect on our future reported results of certain items, including the effect that fluctuations in foreign currency rates will have on the remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances. Additionally, we are unable to forecast the effect on stock-based compensation of changes in the quoted price of our common stock due to variable accounting treatment. The remeasurement of our 6.875% PEACS represented significant gains during the quarter and may result in significant charges or gains in future periods.</li></ul><p><em>Foreign Exchange</em></p><ul><li>As our financial reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar, our total sales, profit, and operating and free cash flow have benefited significantly the past eight quarters from weakness in the U.S. Dollar in comparison to the currencies of our international websites. We believe it is important to evaluate our growth rates after the effect of currency changes.</li><li>The effect of changes in exchange rates in the second quarter is as follows (in millions): <table><tbody><tr><td>Effect of exchange rate on:</td><td><div><u>2004</u></div></td><td><div><u>2003</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Net Sales</td><td><div>$ 47</div></td><td><div>$ 55</div></td></tr><tr><td>Gross Profit</td><td><div>10</div></td><td><div>12</div></td></tr><tr><td>Operating Income</td><td><div>4</div></td><td><div>3</div></td></tr><tr><td>Net Interest Expense &amp; Other</td><td><div>(1)</div></td><td><div>(2)</div></td></tr><tr><td>Remeasurements &amp; Other (1)</td><td><div>3</div></td><td><div>(35)</div></td></tr><tr><td>Net Income (Loss)</td><td><div>6</div></td><td><div>(34)</div></td></tr><tr><td>Earnings Per Share</td><td><div>$0.02</div></td><td><div>$(0.09)</div></td></tr></tbody></table>(1)Includes foreign-currency gains (losses) on remeasurement of 6.875% PEACS and intercompany balances, and realized currency-related gains associated with sales of Euro-denominated investments held by a U.S. functional-currency subsidiary.   These amounts represent the impact on reported results that is due to year-over-year changes in exchange rates. Absent year-over-year changes in exchange rates, reported amounts would have been lower (higher) by these amounts.</li></ul><p>Cash Flows and Balance Sheet</p><ul><li>Operating cash flows and free cash flows can be volatile and are sensitive to many factors, including changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific point in time is subject to many variables, including world events, seasonality, the timing of expense payments, discounts offered by vendors, vendor payment terms and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. For example, in second quarter 2003 we purchased and received customer payment for over 1.4 million units of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, for which payment was generally not due to our vendors until after the second quarter of 2003.</li><li>Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $1.15 billion, at fair value, primarily consist of cash, commercial paper and short-term securities, U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, certificates of deposit, and asset-backed and agency securities. Included is amounts held in foreign currencies of $645 million, primarily in Euros and British Pounds.</li><li>We have pledged $80 million of our marketable securities as collateral for property leases and other contractual obligations, compared with $87 million as of December 31, 2003.</li><li>"Other assets" includes, among other things, deferred issuance costs on long-term debt, intangibles and other equity investments.</li><li>"Unearned revenue" is recorded when payments are received from third parties in advance of our providing the associated service.</li><li>"Accrued expenses and other current liabilities" includes, among other things, liabilities for gift certificates, marketing activities, and workforce costs, including accrued payroll, vacation, and other benefits.</li><li>"Long-term debt and other" primarily includes the following (in millions):</li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><div>Principal<u>at Maturity</u></div></td><td><div>Interest <u>Rate</u></div></td><td><div>Principal<u>Due Date</u></div></td></tr><tr><td>Convertible Subordinated Notes</td><td><div>$ 900 (1) (2)</div></td><td><div>4.750%</div></td><td><div>February 2009</div></td></tr><tr><td>PEACS</td><td><div><u>841   (3)</u></div></td><td><div>6.875%</div></td><td><div>February 2010</div></td></tr></tbody></table>_____________(1) Convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at $78.0275 per share. We have the right to redeem the Convertible Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price of 102.375% of the principal, which decreases every February by 47.5 basis points until maturity, plus any accrued and unpaid interest.(2) During the previous twelve-month period we redeemed an aggregate principal amount of $350 million: $150 million in February 2004 and $200 million in November 2003.(3) €690 million principal amount, convertible at the holders' option into our common stock at €84.883 per share ($103.50 per share based on the exchange rate as of June 30, 2004). We have the right to redeem the PEACS, in whole or in part, by paying the principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. We do not hedge any portion of the PEACS. The U.S. Dollar equivalent principal, interest and conversion price fluctuates based on the Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange ratio.(4) The "if converted" number of shares associated with each of our convertible debt instruments (approximately 20 million total shares) are excluded from diluted shares as their effect is anti-dilutive.<p>Certain Definitions and Other</p><ul><li>We present segment information along two lines: North America and International. We measure operating results of our segments using an internal performance measure of direct segment operating expenses that excludes stock-based compensation and other operating expenses (income), each of which is not allocated to segment results. Other centrally incurred operating costs are fully allocated to segment results. Our operating results, particularly for the International segment, are affected by movements in foreign exchange rates.</li><li>The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca; from North America focused Syndicated Stores, such as www.cdnow.com; from our mail-order tool catalog; and from non-retail activities such as North America focused Merchant.com, marketing and promotional agreements.</li><li>The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from third-party sellers) through www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp; from internationally focused Syndicated Stores; and from non-retail activities such as internationally focused marketing and promotional agreements. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr and www.amazon.co.jp (including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada), but excludes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca.</li><li>We provide supplemental sales information within each segment for three categories: "Media", "Electronics and other general merchandise" and "Other." Media consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of books, music, DVD/video, magazine subscriptions, software, video games and video game consoles. Electronics and other general merchandise consists of amounts earned from retail sales from all sellers of items not included in Media, such as electronics and office, kids and baby, tools, home and garden, apparel, sports and outdoors, gourmet food, jewelry, health and personal care and beauty. The Other category consists of non-retail activities, such as the Merchant.com program and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities.</li><li>Operating cycle is number of days of sales in inventory plus number of days of sales in accounts receivable minus accounts payable days. Inventory turnover is the quotient of annualized cost of sales to average inventory. Accounts payable days is calculated as the quotient of accounts payable to cost of sales, multiplied by the number of days in the period.</li><li>References to customers mean customer accounts, which are unique e-mail addresses, established either when a customer's initial order is shipped or when a customer orders from certain third-party sellers on our websites. Customer accounts include customers of Amazon Marketplace, Auctions and zShops, and our Merchants@ and Syndicated Stores Programs, but exclude Merchant.com Program customers, Amazon.com Payments customers, our catalog customers and the customers of select companies with whom we have a technology alliance or marketing and promotional relationship. A customer is considered active upon placing an order.</li><li>References to units mean units sold (net of returns and cancellations) by us and third-party sellers at Amazon.com domains worldwide--such as www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de and www.amazon.co.jp--and at Syndicated Stores domains, as well as Amazon.com-owned items sold through catalogs and at non-Amazon.com domains, such as books, music and DVD/video items ordered from Amazon.com's store at www.target.com. Units do not include Amazon.com gift certificates.</li></ul><p>Contacts:</p><p>Amazon.com Investor Relations                                       Amazon.com Public RelationsTim Stone, 206/266-2171, ir@amazon.com                    Patty Smith, 206/266-7180www.amazon.com/ir</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

Amazon.de opens new House & Garden shop

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.de-opens-new-House--Garden-shop/default.aspx

Amazon.de-opens-new-House--Garden-shop

03/10/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.de opens new House & Garden shop

03/10/2004

2004

Thousands of products from leading manufacturers offering everything from "Do It Yourself" items to "Garden & Leisure Time", "Body Care & Bath" and "Kitchen & Houseware" articles. Specially low-priced offers to celebrate the kickoff include: T.I.P. Akku-Schlagbohrschrauber 18 Volt with 2 Akkus for 15,99 EUR; BOSCH lawn-trimmer Art. 23 G for 24.99 euros, and GARDENA Landmann Rundgrill for 5,95 euros According to an Amazon.de study, 88% of Germany's Internet users are also do-it-yourselfers and more than one in every five Internet users describes himself as having professional-level skills Munich, March 10, 2004 - Amazon.de has opened its new "House & Garden" shop, which offers Internet users a selection of thousands of favorably priced, brand-name products made by leading manufacturers. The "House & Garden" shop offers merchandise in the following categories: "Do It Yourself," "Garden & Leisure Time," "Body Care & Bath" and "Kitchen & Household." Amazon.de offers free delivery on orders worth 20 EUR or more (see site for details). From backyard ponds to garden dwarves No matter whether its an electric lawn-trimmer, a handheld weed-puller, garden scissors, a barbecue, a hose system, backyard furniture, a backyard pond, a picnic basket, flowerpots, or accessories for plants: Internet users can conveniently place orders online for items in the new "Garden and Leisure Time" category, which includes everything they for their balconies, gardens, and backyards. Customers can order products from brand-name manufacturers such as Bosch, Kärcher, and Gardena. Everything for professional craftsmen and enthusiastic do-it-yourselfers Everything one could possibly need for one's home workshop is available in the new "Do It Yourself" category, which offers items such as electric drills, rechargeable battery-powered screwdrivers, combination pliers, Allen wrenches, steam cleaners and high-pressure cleaners, right-angle grinders, work clothes, toolboxes, carpenter's nails, etc. Among the other items offered here, Amazon.de sells products made by brand-name manufacturers such as Bosch, AEG, Black & Decker, and T.I.P. "Our goal with the new "House & Garden" shop is to offer Internet users everything they need for their homes and gardens - and to sell those items at the most attractive prices possible," says Ralf Kleber, VP Amazon.de Retail & Marketplace. "Our customers can already select among thousands of products for all areas of daily life. And the assortment is getting bigger every day. We and our partners are continually working to widen our selection of merchandise." Services in the "House & Garden" Shop Internet users who visit www.amazon.de/haus will find comprehensive information about the products. This information includes reviews of the merchandise written by Amazon.de's editors, critiques submitted by fellow consumers, plus hourly updated Amazon.de bestseller lists. Amazon.de's customers can use functions that they're already familiar with from previous purchases at Amazon.de. For example, they can use the "comparison function" to compare the specifications and prices of similar products from different manufacturers. So regardless of whether it's for a wedding, a garden party, or a housewarming, everyone can select their favorite items from Amazon.de's enormous selection and enter their choices in a "wish list" at www.amazon.de/wunschzettel. Then you simply send the list to your friends and relatives - and look forward to seeing your dreams come true. Via Amazon.de Marketplace, house & garden articles that are no longer needed can be posted at Amazon.de within minutes, where they are offered for sale as new or second-hand merchandise. For additional information, please visit www.amazon.de/marketplace. An Amazon.de online study proves it: "do it yourself" is in and women are "doing it themselves" too There's a strong trend towards "doing it yourself" - and progressively larger numbers of women are taking hammer in hand. In Amazon.de's representative online study, 88% of Internet users described themselves as "do it yourselfers." Heads up men: you're not the only ones who wear the pants nowadays! Eighty-six percent of the women surveyed not only make minor repairs around the house, they also paint their walls, assemble their furniture, or perform skilled tasks such as laying tiles (compared to 90% of the men surveyed). Fifteen percent of women "do it yourselfers" described themselves as having professional-level skills, compared to 39% of their male counterparts. Interior decoration as self-expression. The "decorative area" tops the list of favorite do-it-yourself activities: 95% of women do-it-yourselfers and 93% of men do-it-yourselfers design their own home interiors; 19% of the people queried even build their own furniture. Women love to shop, but that's by no means the end of the story. More than one-third (67%) of all "do-it-herselfers" feel that they can let their imagination run free by decorating their own homes; 49% of the men expressed a similar view. Furthermore, women don't like to buy mass-produced articles (26% of the "do-it-herselfers" compared to 18% of the "do-it-him selfers"). Six percent of the people surveyed said that they achieve better results than professional craftspeople. "Doing it yourself" is relaxing, and professional contractors are too expensive: 40% of the men and 32% of the women said that "doing it yourself" is recreational and relaxing. Men and women agree that professional handymen are simply too costly: that's the opinion of 95% of the men and 89% of the women. Both genders would rather "do it themselves" and save money that they'd otherwise have to pay to a professional contractor. Men believe that "doing it yourself" is sexy: 15% of the men repair leaky faucets or paint their own walls to impress their wives or girlfriends. But beware: 4% of the men use "do it yourself" tasks as an excuse to avoid going along on excursions with their families or girlfriends. Home sweet home! Building one's own home is very popular, especially in eastern Germany. More than one person in ten (12%) in eastern Germany (compared to 7% in western Germany) occasionally does roofing or masonry work in their spare time. Why should I do it myself, when you can do it yourself? Two percent of the people surveyed shy away from even the simplest tasks, e.g. replacing a light bulb. They said that they have "two left hands," that they're congenitally clumsy, and that the man (or woman) they live with is much more skilful and more dexterous anyway. Another excuse for not doing it themselves: it takes too much time to go to a home-supply store and being there isn't much fun. The complete selection available from Amazon.de's new "Household & Garden" shop can be viewed at www.amazon.de/haus. The selections in the new catalogues can be viewed at www.amazon.de/garten and www.amazon.de/heimwerken. Für weitere Informationen:Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.de häberlein & mauerer agagentur für public relationsMarion JüstelFranz-Joseph-Straße180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: marion.juestel@haebmau.de (1) This representative online survey was commissioned by Amazon.de and conducted by Innofact AG from February 18 - 20, 2004. A total of 1,006 Internet users participated in the survey.

<p>Thousands of products from leading manufacturers offering everything from "Do It Yourself" items to "Garden &amp; Leisure Time", "Body Care &amp; Bath" and "Kitchen &amp; Houseware" articles. Specially low-priced offers to celebrate the kickoff include: T.I.P. Akku-Schlagbohrschrauber 18 Volt with 2 Akkus for 15,99 EUR; BOSCH lawn-trimmer Art. 23 G for 24.99 euros, and GARDENA Landmann Rundgrill for 5,95 euros According to an Amazon.de study, 88% of Germany's Internet users are also do-it-yourselfers and more than one in every five Internet users describes himself as having professional-level skills</p><p>Munich, March 10, 2004 - Amazon.de has opened its new "House &amp; Garden" shop, which offers Internet users a selection of thousands of favorably priced, brand-name products made by leading manufacturers. The "House &amp; Garden" shop offers merchandise in the following categories: "Do It Yourself," "Garden &amp; Leisure Time," "Body Care &amp; Bath" and "Kitchen &amp; Household." Amazon.de offers free delivery on orders worth 20 EUR or more (see site for details).</p><p>From backyard ponds to garden dwarves</p><p>No matter whether its an electric lawn-trimmer, a handheld weed-puller, garden scissors, a barbecue, a hose system, backyard furniture, a backyard pond, a picnic basket, flowerpots, or accessories for plants: Internet users can conveniently place orders online for items in the new "Garden and Leisure Time" category, which includes everything they for their balconies, gardens, and backyards. Customers can order products from brand-name manufacturers such as Bosch, Kärcher, and Gardena.</p><p>Everything for professional craftsmen and enthusiastic do-it-yourselfers</p><p>Everything one could possibly need for one's home workshop is available in the new "Do It Yourself" category, which offers items such as electric drills, rechargeable battery-powered screwdrivers, combination pliers, Allen wrenches, steam cleaners and high-pressure cleaners, right-angle grinders, work clothes, toolboxes, carpenter's nails, etc. Among the other items offered here, Amazon.de sells products made by brand-name manufacturers such as Bosch, AEG, Black &amp; Decker, and T.I.P.</p><p>"Our goal with the new "House &amp; Garden" shop is to offer Internet users everything they need for their homes and gardens - and to sell those items at the most attractive prices possible," says Ralf Kleber, VP Amazon.de Retail &amp; Marketplace. "Our customers can already select among thousands of products for all areas of daily life. And the assortment is getting bigger every day. We and our partners are continually working to widen our selection of merchandise."</p><p>Services in the "House &amp; Garden" Shop</p><p>Internet users who visit www.amazon.de/haus will find comprehensive information about the products. This information includes reviews of the merchandise written by Amazon.de's editors, critiques submitted by fellow consumers, plus hourly updated Amazon.de bestseller lists. Amazon.de's customers can use functions that they're already familiar with from previous purchases at Amazon.de. For example, they can use the "comparison function" to compare the specifications and prices of similar products from different manufacturers. So regardless of whether it's for a wedding, a garden party, or a housewarming, everyone can select their favorite items from Amazon.de's enormous selection and enter their choices in a "wish list" at www.amazon.de/wunschzettel. Then you simply send the list to your friends and relatives - and look forward to seeing your dreams come true.</p><p>Via Amazon.de Marketplace, house &amp; garden articles that are no longer needed can be posted at Amazon.de within minutes, where they are offered for sale as new or second-hand merchandise. For additional information, please visit www.amazon.de/marketplace.</p><p>An Amazon.de online study proves it: "do it yourself" is in and women are "doing it themselves" too</p><ul><li>There's a strong trend towards "doing it yourself" - and progressively larger numbers of women are taking hammer in hand. In Amazon.de's representative online study, 88% of Internet users described themselves as "do it yourselfers." Heads up men: you're not the only ones who wear the pants nowadays! Eighty-six percent of the women surveyed not only make minor repairs around the house, they also paint their walls, assemble their furniture, or perform skilled tasks such as laying tiles (compared to 90% of the men surveyed). Fifteen percent of women "do it yourselfers" described themselves as having professional-level skills, compared to 39% of their male counterparts.</li><li>Interior decoration as self-expression. The "decorative area" tops the list of favorite do-it-yourself activities: 95% of women do-it-yourselfers and 93% of men do-it-yourselfers design their own home interiors; 19% of the people queried even build their own furniture. Women love to shop, but that's by no means the end of the story. More than one-third (67%) of all "do-it-herselfers" feel that they can let their imagination run free by decorating their own homes; 49% of the men expressed a similar view. Furthermore, women don't like to buy mass-produced articles (26% of the "do-it-herselfers" compared to 18% of the "do-it-him selfers"). Six percent of the people surveyed said that they achieve better results than professional craftspeople.</li><li>"Doing it yourself" is relaxing, and professional contractors are too expensive: 40% of the men and 32% of the women said that "doing it yourself" is recreational and relaxing. Men and women agree that professional handymen are simply too costly: that's the opinion of 95% of the men and 89% of the women. Both genders would rather "do it themselves" and save money that they'd otherwise have to pay to a professional contractor.</li><li>Men believe that "doing it yourself" is sexy: 15% of the men repair leaky faucets or paint their own walls to impress their wives or girlfriends. But beware: 4% of the men use "do it yourself" tasks as an excuse to avoid going along on excursions with their families or girlfriends.</li><li>Home sweet home! Building one's own home is very popular, especially in eastern Germany. More than one person in ten (12%) in eastern Germany (compared to 7% in western Germany) occasionally does roofing or masonry work in their spare time.</li><li>Why should I do it myself, when <u>you</u> can do it yourself? Two percent of the people surveyed shy away from even the simplest tasks, e.g. replacing a light bulb. They said that they have "two left hands," that they're congenitally clumsy, and that the man (or woman) they live with is much more skilful and more dexterous anyway. Another excuse for not doing it themselves: it takes too much time to go to a home-supply store and being there isn't much fun.</li></ul><p>The complete selection available from Amazon.de's new "Household &amp; Garden" shop can be viewed at www.amazon.de/haus. The selections in the new catalogues can be viewed at www.amazon.de/garten and www.amazon.de/heimwerken.</p><p>Für weitere Informationen:Amazon.de GmbHPublic RelationsChristine HögerMoosacher Straße 5180809 MünchenTelefon: 089/35803-233Telefax: 089/35803-481E-Mail: choeger@amazon.de</p><p>häberlein &amp; mauerer agagentur für public relationsMarion JüstelFranz-Joseph-Straße180801 MünchenTelefon: 089/38 108-107Telefax: 089/38 108-150E-Mail: marion.juestel@haebmau.de</p><p>(1) This representative online survey was commissioned by Amazon.de and conducted by Innofact AG from February 18 - 20, 2004. A total of 1,006 Internet users participated in the survey.</p>

Amazon.com to Launch Software Development Centre in Scotland

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-to-Launch-Software-Development-Centre-in-Scotland/default.aspx

Amazon.com-to-Launch-Software-Development-Centre-in-Scotland

07/21/2004 00:00:00

Amazon.com to Launch Software Development Centre in Scotland

07/21/2004

2004

July 21 2004: Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that it will open a software development centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. Amazon Development Centre, Scotland will focus on developing new and innovative website features to help Amazon's customers find and discover anything they want to buy online. The new centre is looking for exceptional computer scientists and software engineers with entrepreneurial spirit to join the start-up team. There will be an emphasis at launch on recruiting outstanding professionals with more than three years of industry experience in C++ or Java, who are ready for a bigger and more challenging role. Backgrounds in distributed system architecture, large scale websites, machine learning, statistics or human / computer interface will be of benefit. Candidates should have experience designing and building complex yet maintainable systems, and should be able to do so in about one third the time most competent people think possible. Successful candidates will receive meaningful equity compensation. Amazon Development Centre, Scotland is expected to open during the second half of 2004. Interested candidates may apply now at www.amazondc.com. Matt Round, Managing Director of the new centre commented: "We are delighted to announce the launch of Amazon Development Centre, Scotland. Amazon's technology teams have already built a world-class e-commerce platform and many industry leading features for the Amazon family of global web sites. The new centre will offer software developers in the UK the chance to play their part in driving the evolution of e-commerce." Scotland's Enterprise Minister, Jim Wallace, welcomed Amazon.com's announcement. He said: "The announcement by Amazon.com today that it intends to site its new remote software development centre in the Lothians is tremendous news. Plans to create up to 40 high value jobs mainly in software development and design is testimony to the calibre of our highly-skilled talent pool. It is also evidence we can secure cutting-edge research and design-based work to provide high quality graduates with rewarding career opportunities here in Scotland. "I am pleased that the Scottish Executive is prepared to support Amazon's software development centre with a Regional Selective Assistance offer of up to £250,000. Attracting investment in growth industries is an important strand of the Smart, Successful Scotland strategy. "I would also like to thank Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian for working alongside the company to demonstrate that Scotland is a highly competitive location for innovative and creative business to grow." The team at Amazon Development Centre, Scotland will own the business and technology side of features developed and will be involved in all aspects of the process - from idea generation, business analysis and technical design through to front, middle and back-tier software development across a variety of architectures and technologies. At launch specific roles on offer include Technology and Business Managers, Software Engineers, Senior Software Engineers and a Graphical Designer. Candidates interested in finding out more about the opportunities available at Amazon Development Centre, Scotland should log onto www.amazondc.com or call Obvious Solutions on 0870 046 8080. For further information, please contact:Rachel Silk / Marie FaganAmazon Press OfficeTel no: 020 8636 9280 / 07768 695759Email: rsilk@amazon.co.uk About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>July 21 2004: Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that it will open a software development centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. Amazon Development Centre, Scotland will focus on developing new and innovative website features to help Amazon's customers find and discover anything they want to buy online.</p><p>The new centre is looking for exceptional computer scientists and software engineers with entrepreneurial spirit to join the start-up team. There will be an emphasis at launch on recruiting outstanding professionals with more than three years of industry experience in C++ or Java, who are ready for a bigger and more challenging role. Backgrounds in distributed system architecture, large scale websites, machine learning, statistics or human / computer interface will be of benefit. Candidates should have experience designing and building complex yet maintainable systems, and should be able to do so in about one third the time most competent people think possible.</p><p>Successful candidates will receive meaningful equity compensation.</p><p>Amazon Development Centre, Scotland is expected to open during the second half of 2004. Interested candidates may apply now at www.amazondc.com.</p><p>Matt Round, Managing Director of the new centre commented: "We are delighted to announce the launch of Amazon Development Centre, Scotland. Amazon's technology teams have already built a world-class e-commerce platform and many industry leading features for the Amazon family of global web sites. The new centre will offer software developers in the UK the chance to play their part in driving the evolution of e-commerce."</p><p>Scotland's Enterprise Minister, Jim Wallace, welcomed Amazon.com's announcement. He said: "The announcement by Amazon.com today that it intends to site its new remote software development centre in the Lothians is tremendous news. Plans to create up to 40 high value jobs mainly in software development and design is testimony to the calibre of our highly-skilled talent pool. It is also evidence we can secure cutting-edge research and design-based work to provide high quality graduates with rewarding career opportunities here in Scotland.</p><p>"I am pleased that the Scottish Executive is prepared to support Amazon's software development centre with a Regional Selective Assistance offer of up to £250,000. Attracting investment in growth industries is an important strand of the Smart, Successful Scotland strategy.</p><p>"I would also like to thank Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian for working alongside the company to demonstrate that Scotland is a highly competitive location for innovative and creative business to grow."</p><p>The team at Amazon Development Centre, Scotland will own the business and technology side of features developed and will be involved in all aspects of the process - from idea generation, business analysis and technical design through to front, middle and back-tier software development across a variety of architectures and technologies.</p><p>At launch specific roles on offer include Technology and Business Managers, Software Engineers, Senior Software Engineers and a Graphical Designer. Candidates interested in finding out more about the opportunities available at Amazon Development Centre, Scotland should log onto www.amazondc.com or call Obvious Solutions on 0870 046 8080.</p><p>For further information, please contact:Rachel Silk / Marie FaganAmazon Press OfficeTel no: 020 8636 9280 / 07768 695759Email: rsilk@amazon.co.uk</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

Flybar 1200 Now Available for Pre-Order Exclusively in Amazon.com's Sports & Outdoors Store

/news/news-details/2004/Flybar-1200-Now-Available-for-Pre-Order-Exclusively-in-Amazon.coms-Sports--Outdoors-Store/default.aspx

Flybar-1200-Now-Available-for-Pre-Order-Exclusively-in-Amazon.coms-Sports--Outdoors-Store

07/08/2004 00:00:00

Flybar 1200 Now Available for Pre-Order Exclusively in Amazon.com's Sports & Outdoors Store

07/08/2004

2004

New High-Performance Sports Apparatus Co-Developed by Eight-Time World Cup Champion Skateboarder Andy Macdonald; Exclusive Videos and Photos Introduce Flybar to Amazon.com Customers SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) company, and SBI Enterprises, widely recognized as the maker of the finest pogo sticks available, today announced that the Flybar 1200 -- a high-performance mobile exercise and stunt bar that enables riders to clear heights over five feet by bouncing on a rubber-like spring system -- is now available for pre-order online exclusively in Amazon's Sports & Outdoors store, at www.amazon.com/flybar. The Flybar 1200 will be shipped to customers on September 15, 2004, its scheduled release date. In addition to being the exclusive online retailer of the Flybar 1200 through the end of 2004, Amazon.com is offering customers exclusive content to help them learn about the product. This includes a video message from eight-time World Cup Champion skateboarder and co-developer of the Flybar, Andy Macdonald, and photos that provide the first detailed look inside the Flybar's innovative patented spring system. The Flybar 1200 is being offered for $299.99. "Amazon.com is fortunate to be the exclusive online retailer for the Flybar 1200," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Amazon's Sports & Outdoors store. "The Flybar is a great addition to Amazon's Sports & Outdoors selection, and we expect it will be extremely popular among our large group of early adopter customers who constantly search out cool new products." Flybar is the joint vision of pro skateboarder Andy Macdonald and Irwin Arginsky, president of SBI enterprises. Macdonald, who as a child developed a strong appetite for bouncing, had long been unable to find a pogo substantial enough to support his weight, strength, and the demands of a world-class athlete. Arginsky, whose company has been manufacturing pogo sticks since 1918, was continually searching for an opportunity to develop a product that would bring the "excitement of elevation" to a new level and create a new product category, not just a new fad -- and had a prototype of a patented spring system that could clear heights over five feet. Macdonald became aware of Arginsky and his quest in August 2001, and the two began collaborating on the Flybar shortly thereafter. Powered solely by a rider's leg strength and body weight, the Flybar enables riders to clear heights over five feet by bouncing on a rubber-like spring system that feels similar to a trampoline. The one-of-a-kind patented elastomeric spring system, invented by MIT-trained physicist Bruce Middleton, can be adjusted to accommodate riders of varying ages, weights, and skill levels. The Flybar 1200 supports riders up to 250 pounds. "Amazon's Sports & Outdoors store is the perfect place to introduce Flybar to consumers," said Andy Macdonald. "Amazon has the unique ability to present the Flybar to its more than 41 million active customer accounts with in-depth product and technical information, including exclusive videos and photos that bring the Flybar to life and enable their customers to really grasp how the Flybar works, how to use it, and what it's capable of." Award-Winning Product at ISPO The Flybar 1200 recently received the 2004 Delrin BrandNew Award given by Dupont for the best new hardware product at ISPO, the world's largest sporting goods trade show. Additional models tailored to intermediate riders and kids, who don't require the same level of thrust as provided by the Flybar 1200, will be introduced beginning in spring 2005. About SBI Enterprises SBI Enterprises, based in Ellenville, NY, has been manufacturing pogo sticks since 1918 and is the original holder of the Hansburg Pogo patents. SBI is widely recognized as the maker of the finest pogo sticks available thanks to its worldwide success in designing, manufacturing and selling that product for the last 86 consecutive years. David Jargowsky is a principal of SBI Enterprises based in New York City. He serves as the Flybar Division team leader and project coordinator. Bruce Middleton is the inventor of the patented technology at the core of the Flybar. Middleton is an MIT-trained physicist and full-time inventor. He lives in Vancouver, BC. About Amazon Services, Inc. Amazon Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. created in order to make the technology and services that power Amazon.com available to retailers seeking a world-class, cost-effective e-commerce offering to their customers. Amazon Services offers its merchant partners use of Amazon's leading e-commerce Web site technology, best-in-class fulfillment and customer service, and access to tens of millions of visitors per month. The creation of Amazon services now allows the company to focus additional resources on helping more retailers. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. CONTACT: For more information, including product photos, contact: Amazon Media Relations Kristin Mariani, 206-266-7180 or Flybar/SBI Media Relations John Flanagan, 203-222-9013 SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>New High-Performance Sports Apparatus Co-Developed by Eight-Time World Cup Champion Skateboarder Andy Macdonald; Exclusive Videos and Photos Introduce Flybar to Amazon.com Customers</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) company, and SBI Enterprises, widely recognized as the maker of the finest pogo sticks available, today announced that the Flybar 1200 -- a high-performance mobile exercise and stunt bar that enables riders to clear heights over five feet by bouncing on a rubber-like spring system -- is now available for pre-order online exclusively in Amazon's Sports &amp; Outdoors store, at www.amazon.com/flybar. The Flybar 1200 will be shipped to customers on September 15, 2004, its scheduled release date.</p><p>In addition to being the exclusive online retailer of the Flybar 1200 through the end of 2004, Amazon.com is offering customers exclusive content to help them learn about the product. This includes a video message from eight-time World Cup Champion skateboarder and co-developer of the Flybar, Andy Macdonald, and photos that provide the first detailed look inside the Flybar's innovative patented spring system. The Flybar 1200 is being offered for $299.99.</p><p>"Amazon.com is fortunate to be the exclusive online retailer for the Flybar 1200," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Amazon's Sports &amp; Outdoors store. "The Flybar is a great addition to Amazon's Sports &amp; Outdoors selection, and we expect it will be extremely popular among our large group of early adopter customers who constantly search out cool new products."</p><p>Flybar is the joint vision of pro skateboarder Andy Macdonald and Irwin Arginsky, president of SBI enterprises. Macdonald, who as a child developed a strong appetite for bouncing, had long been unable to find a pogo substantial enough to support his weight, strength, and the demands of a world-class athlete. Arginsky, whose company has been manufacturing pogo sticks since 1918, was continually searching for an opportunity to develop a product that would bring the "excitement of elevation" to a new level and create a new product category, not just a new fad -- and had a prototype of a patented spring system that could clear heights over five feet. Macdonald became aware of Arginsky and his quest in August 2001, and the two began collaborating on the Flybar shortly thereafter.</p><p>Powered solely by a rider's leg strength and body weight, the Flybar enables riders to clear heights over five feet by bouncing on a rubber-like spring system that feels similar to a trampoline. The one-of-a-kind patented elastomeric spring system, invented by MIT-trained physicist Bruce Middleton, can be adjusted to accommodate riders of varying ages, weights, and skill levels. The Flybar 1200 supports riders up to 250 pounds.</p><p>"Amazon's Sports &amp; Outdoors store is the perfect place to introduce Flybar to consumers," said Andy Macdonald. "Amazon has the unique ability to present the Flybar to its more than 41 million active customer accounts with in-depth product and technical information, including exclusive videos and photos that bring the Flybar to life and enable their customers to really grasp how the Flybar works, how to use it, and what it's capable of."</p><p>Award-Winning Product at ISPO</p><p>The Flybar 1200 recently received the 2004 Delrin BrandNew Award given by Dupont for the best new hardware product at ISPO, the world's largest sporting goods trade show. Additional models tailored to intermediate riders and kids, who don't require the same level of thrust as provided by the Flybar 1200, will be introduced beginning in spring 2005.</p><p>About SBI Enterprises</p><p>SBI Enterprises, based in Ellenville, NY, has been manufacturing pogo sticks since 1918 and is the original holder of the Hansburg Pogo patents. SBI is widely recognized as the maker of the finest pogo sticks available thanks to its worldwide success in designing, manufacturing and selling that product for the last 86 consecutive years.</p><p>David Jargowsky is a principal of SBI Enterprises based in New York City. He serves as the Flybar Division team leader and project coordinator.</p><p>Bruce Middleton is the inventor of the patented technology at the core of the Flybar. Middleton is an MIT-trained physicist and full-time inventor. He lives in Vancouver, BC.</p><p>About Amazon Services, Inc.</p><p>Amazon Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. created in order to make the technology and services that power Amazon.com available to retailers seeking a world-class, cost-effective e-commerce offering to their customers. Amazon Services offers its merchant partners use of Amazon's leading e-commerce Web site technology, best-in-class fulfillment and customer service, and access to tens of millions of visitors per month. The creation of Amazon services now allows the company to focus additional resources on helping more retailers.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><pre>CONTACT: For more information, including product photos, contact:Amazon Media RelationsKristin Mariani, 206-266-7180orFlybar/SBI Media RelationsJohn Flanagan, 203-222-9013SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</pre>

Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store Reaches One Millionth Customer Account

/news/news-details/2004/Amazon.com-Apparel--Accessories-Store-Reaches-One-Millionth-Customer-Account/default.aspx

Amazon.com-Apparel--Accessories-Store-Reaches-One-Millionth-Customer-Account

03/09/2004 09:04:00

Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store Reaches One Millionth Customer Account

03/09/2004

2004

-- A Host of Top Apparel Retailers and Brands, Including Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J. Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear, Samsonite, Shady LTD, Teva Sports Sandals and XOXO Joining Store SEATTLE--March 9, 2004-- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that several leading apparel retailers and brands, including Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J. Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear, Samsonite, Shady LTD, Teva Sports Sandals and XOXO are joining more than 200 apparel sellers in the Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store (www.amazon.com/apparel), which offers more than 2,000 brands featuring over 150,000 clothing styles with more than one million color and size combinations. Amazon.com's integration of new apparel partners continues to accelerate, with more than 50 new merchant partners integrated in the past few months. Since its launch in November 2002, more than one million customer accounts have ordered an apparel item from among their favorite apparel brands the Amazon.com way -- with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, customer reviews and other helpful information. Sales in the first two months of 2004 are up approximately 90 percent year-over-year in the Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store. A sampling of orders from that time period includes 52,000 pairs of shoes, 48,000 pairs of pants and jeans, 25,000 pairs of underwear, 21,000 jackets, coats and fleeces, and 15,000 men's dress shirts. "We're excited to be serving our one-millionth customer account in the Amazon.com Apparel Store," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president for Apparel at Amazon.com. "These are brands and products that our customers know and love, and are great additions to our ever-expanding selection of more than one million unique items." "Pacific Sunwear selected Amazon.com because of the exposure to millions of new customers who haven't yet experienced our brand," said Carl Womack, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. "Amazon.com and Pacific Sunwear combined, offer customers the best of both worlds -- access to popular action sports apparel, footwear and accessories, in an exceptional online shopping environment." Amazon.com combines experience in online retailing with its expertise in providing customers with the most helpful features and information, and offers this best-of-breed e-commerce experience to apparel and other retailers. Additionally, Amazon.com merchant partners benefit from helpful site features, such as top sellers lists, product descriptions, and similarities that customers have come to expect from Amazon.com. To experience all that Amazon.com's Apparel & Accessories Store has to offer, visit www.amazon.com/apparel or go straight to Amazon.com and click on the Apparel & Accessories tab. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby and home and garden. Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.

<p>-- A Host of Top Apparel Retailers and Brands, Including Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J. Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear, Samsonite, Shady LTD, Teva Sports Sandals and XOXO Joining Store</p><p>SEATTLE--March 9, 2004-- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that several leading apparel retailers and brands, including Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J. Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear, Samsonite, Shady LTD, Teva Sports Sandals and XOXO are joining more than 200 apparel sellers in the Amazon.com Apparel &amp; Accessories Store (www.amazon.com/apparel), which offers more than 2,000 brands featuring over 150,000 clothing styles with more than one million color and size combinations. Amazon.com's integration of new apparel partners continues to accelerate, with more than 50 new merchant partners integrated in the past few months.</p><p>Since its launch in November 2002, more than one million customer accounts have ordered an apparel item from among their favorite apparel brands the Amazon.com way -- with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, customer reviews and other helpful information. Sales in the first two months of 2004 are up approximately 90 percent year-over-year in the Amazon.com Apparel &amp; Accessories Store. A sampling of orders from that time period includes 52,000 pairs of shoes, 48,000 pairs of pants and jeans, 25,000 pairs of underwear, 21,000 jackets, coats and fleeces, and 15,000 men's dress shirts.</p><p>"We're excited to be serving our one-millionth customer account in the Amazon.com Apparel Store," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president for Apparel at Amazon.com. "These are brands and products that our customers know and love, and are great additions to our ever-expanding selection of more than one million unique items."</p><p>"Pacific Sunwear selected Amazon.com because of the exposure to millions of new customers who haven't yet experienced our brand," said Carl Womack, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. "Amazon.com and Pacific Sunwear combined, offer customers the best of both worlds -- access to popular action sports apparel, footwear and accessories, in an exceptional online shopping environment."</p><p>Amazon.com combines experience in online retailing with its expertise in providing customers with the most helpful features and information, and offers this best-of-breed e-commerce experience to apparel and other retailers. Additionally, Amazon.com merchant partners benefit from helpful site features, such as top sellers lists, product descriptions, and similarities that customers have come to expect from Amazon.com.</p><p>To experience all that Amazon.com's Apparel &amp; Accessories Store has to offer, visit www.amazon.com/apparel or go straight to Amazon.com and click on the Apparel &amp; Accessories tab.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and sellers list millions of unique new and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com operates six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p>

"Arthur Celebrity Audiobook'' Now Available for Purchase Exclusively at Amazon.com

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Arthur-Celebrity-Audiobook-Now-Available-for-Purchase-Exclusively-at-Amazon.com

07/02/2004 00:00:00

"Arthur Celebrity Audiobook'' Now Available for Purchase Exclusively at Amazon.com

07/02/2004

2004

Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, Kelly Ripa, and other Celebrities Narrate Stories from Marc Brown's Top-rated Children's Series; Clay Aiken Shares Exclusive Bonus Track with Amazon Customers SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 2004-- Amazon.com LLC, an Amazon.com, Inc. company (Nasdaq:AMZN), today announced that the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" -- a new children's audiobook featuring such notable artists as Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, and Kelly Ripa narrating stories from the popular "Arthur Adventure Series" -- is now available for purchase exclusively on Amazon.com. Arthur is the first title in the new "Stories for Heroes" audiobook series, in which children's stories are brought to life by popular sports and entertainment personalities. A majority of the "Stories for Heroes" sales proceeds benefit children's charities. Visitors to Amazon.com can also access a free audio stream of an exclusive bonus story, "Arthur's Teacher Trouble," narrated by Clay Aiken. The audiobook and bonus track can be easily accessed at www.amazon.com/arthur. "We're very excited to be sharing 'Stories for Heroes' with consumers, and have chosen to launch the series exclusively on Amazon.com to make it easy for people to find and discover the 'Arthur Celebrity Audiobook' and help us support these important children's charities," said Clay Aiken, recording artist and narrator on the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook." A majority of the sales proceeds from the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" will be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which is the worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS; the National Education Association Health Information Network, which is dedicated to improving the health and safety of students and school personnel; and the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which provides services and financial assistance to facilitate the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of children without. "The Arthur children's series is a perennial Amazon.com customer favorite," said Amazon editor Daphne Durham. "We're honored to support the 'Stories for Heroes' launch by introducing the 'Arthur Celebrity Audiobook' to our customers, who are not only sure to enjoy the audiobook, but also the exclusive bonus story from Clay Aiken." The "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" is an enhanced audio CD that features stories, pictures, music, games, and educational content for children, parents and teachers, and was produced by New York-based (212)MEDIA. To learn more about the audiobook, enjoy the exclusive bonus content, and explore more Arthur products, visit www.amazon.com/arthur. The "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" is eligible for Amazon.com's free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. About the Arthur Children's Series Created by Marc Brown, Arthur is one of the premier brands in children's entertainment. The PBS television program is the top-Nielson rated show for kids ages 2 to 5, reaching nearly 9 million homes twice a day. More than 49 million Arthur books have been sold since 1996, and more than 7 million Arthur videos are sold annually. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Sellers on the Amazon.com Website offer millions of unique new and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden. Amazon.com's affiliates operate six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca. 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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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. CONTACT: Amazon Media Relations Kristin Mariani, 206-266-7180 SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

<p>Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, Kelly Ripa, and other Celebrities Narrate Stories from Marc Brown's Top-rated Children's Series; Clay Aiken Shares Exclusive Bonus Track with Amazon Customers</p><p>SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 2004-- Amazon.com LLC, an Amazon.com, Inc. company (Nasdaq:AMZN), today announced that the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" -- a new children's audiobook featuring such notable artists as Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, and Kelly Ripa narrating stories from the popular "Arthur Adventure Series" -- is now available for purchase exclusively on Amazon.com.</p><p>Arthur is the first title in the new "Stories for Heroes" audiobook series, in which children's stories are brought to life by popular sports and entertainment personalities. A majority of the "Stories for Heroes" sales proceeds benefit children's charities.</p><p>Visitors to Amazon.com can also access a free audio stream of an exclusive bonus story, "Arthur's Teacher Trouble," narrated by Clay Aiken. The audiobook and bonus track can be easily accessed at www.amazon.com/arthur.</p><p>"We're very excited to be sharing 'Stories for Heroes' with consumers, and have chosen to launch the series exclusively on Amazon.com to make it easy for people to find and discover the 'Arthur Celebrity Audiobook' and help us support these important children's charities," said Clay Aiken, recording artist and narrator on the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook."</p><p>A majority of the sales proceeds from the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" will be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which is the worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS; the National Education Association Health Information Network, which is dedicated to improving the health and safety of students and school personnel; and the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which provides services and financial assistance to facilitate the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of children without.</p><p>"The Arthur children's series is a perennial Amazon.com customer favorite," said Amazon editor Daphne Durham. "We're honored to support the 'Stories for Heroes' launch by introducing the 'Arthur Celebrity Audiobook' to our customers, who are not only sure to enjoy the audiobook, but also the exclusive bonus story from Clay Aiken."</p><p>The "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" is an enhanced audio CD that features stories, pictures, music, games, and educational content for children, parents and teachers, and was produced by New York-based (212)MEDIA. To learn more about the audiobook, enjoy the exclusive bonus content, and explore more Arthur products, visit www.amazon.com/arthur. The "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" is eligible for Amazon.com's free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.</p><p>About the Arthur Children's Series</p><p>Created by Marc Brown, Arthur is one of the premier brands in children's entertainment. The PBS television program is the top-Nielson rated show for kids ages 2 to 5, reaching nearly 9 million homes twice a day. More than 49 million Arthur books have been sold since 1996, and more than 7 million Arthur videos are sold annually.</p><p>About Amazon.com</p><p>Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened its virtual doors on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Sellers on the Amazon.com Website offer millions of unique new and used items in categories such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, kids and baby, and home and garden.</p><p>Amazon.com's affiliates operate six Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp and www.amazon.ca.</p><p>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, commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, foreign exchange rates, management of potential growth, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, fulfillment center optimization, 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.</p><pre>CONTACT: Amazon Media RelationsKristin Mariani, 206-266-7180SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.</pre>