Amazon says 2007 holiday sales best ever

Shares of online U.S. retailer Amazon.com have risen more than 2 per cent after the online retailer said the 2007 holiday season was its strongest since it opened in 1994.

On December 10, its busiest day during the current season, Amazon said shoppers ordered more than 5.4 million items, or 62.5 items per second.

By comparison, the busiest day of the holiday season in 2006 was December 11, when customers ordered more than 4 million items, according to its website.

This year, top sellers included toys such as the Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye, video games including Nintendo's (7974.OS: Quote, Profile, Research) Wii video game systems and Super Mario Galaxy, and consumer electronics products like the Garmin GPS (GRMN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Samsung LCD (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) high definition TVs.

Other popular items, based on items ordered between November 15 and December 19, ranged from Black & Decker's auto wrench to Kenneth Cole Reaction men's wool pea coat.

The company also said it sold about 17 Nintendo Wii systems per second when they had them in stock.

Shares of Amazon closed up $US1.84, or 2.02 per cent, to $US92.85 on the Nasdaq, above its 50-day moving average of $US87.58, but below its 52-week high of $US101.09 set Oct 23.

- Reuters