Amazon ramps up to meet Cyber Monday demand
RUSKIN (FOX 13) - The humming of conveyor belts rang through the million-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center in Ruskin, as Cyber Monday orders came in back to back from the company's website.
Adobe Digital insights estimated people would spend about $6.6 billion shopping online on Monday, a 16-percent increase from last year, and a potentially record breaking number of sales.
"Last year, our customers ordered over 64 million items worldwide. That's 740 items per second," said Robin Handaly, a spokesperson for Amazon.
Deep discounts paired with the convenience of shopping from home has lured many people to the online retailer. According to Amazon officials, electronics and toys are typically big sellers on Cyber Monday.
"A popular one is our new Amazon Echo Dot. [It] is on sale today for $29.99. That's $20 off of our normal prices," said Handaly.
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Major brands are not the only ones benefiting from Cyber Monday. Some small businesses see a big boost in sales by selling their merchandise through the Amazon Marketplace.
South Tampa resident Theo Prodromitis started her business Spa Destinations in 2003, but eventually began selling her line of natural sponges on Amazon.
She said being featured on such a popular online retailer, especially on Cyber Monday, has helped her business grow.
"Our sales have actually doubled because of the Amazon programs. They've actually invested in us and offered us an Amazon lending program to expand our line," explained Prodromitis. "Cyber Monday in particular, we are looking at doubling our business from last year, because we did it for Black Friday."
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Amazon is expected to capture half of all online sales on Cyber Monday. Target and Toys-R-Us will offer 15-percent off most items on their websites. Walmart tripled the amount of items available for sale online this year.
Analysts with Creditcards.com recommend shoppers be careful of the websites where they use their credit cards to avoid their personal information getting stolen.