Amazon is seeing “record-breaking” Black Friday sales, with Dave Clark, Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO, saying customers were engaged.
Clark, speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” said Sunday (Nov. 28), customers had spent on a myriad of items, including clothes, holiday decor and children’s toys.
He said there had been fewer electronics purchases than expected — as people had spent a lot on those kinds of things during the period of the quarantine for COVID-19.
He also wasn’t worried about inflation, he told CBS.
“I don’t see inflation particularly impacting consumers this holiday season so far, and we’re very optimistic about what’s to come,” he said.
PYMNTS wrote last week that the digital shift that came on with the pandemic and its economic windfalls was likely to affect Black Friday this year.
Read more: Black Friday Could See Greater Digital Shift Than Ever
The report says almost 75% of consumers had begun their holiday shopping days early.
In 2020, three in four shoppers bought items online, while 3 in 10 bought them only online. But this year, it was likely to be even more.
The reasons are in-line with the conditions that have existed during the pandemic, including the convenience of shopping online and lingering virus concerns.
Consumers’ preferences have been shifting in general – with many people wanting things like frictionless experiences and more robust rewards as they shop. The focus has turned more to practicality and purchasing ease.