Amazon has revealed the number of its Prime subscribers for the first time since the service launched, boasting over 100 million members.
In an annual letter to shareholders Jeff Bezos revealed the figure for the first time in over a decade, coming in significantly above analysts’ expectations of 90 million.
The letter also revealed that 5 billion items were shipped by Prime last year.
It has long been thought that Prime has been key to the relentless growth of the online retailer, providing it with a swathe of near-guaranteed and loyal customers.
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Prime now offers free two-day delivery, free music and video services, a six-month Kindle books and six-month subscription to the Washington Post, owned by Bezos. A tie up with Whole Foods is also expected in the near future.
Amazon recently brought Prime to India and it is understood to have gained more members in its first year than any other country, leading it to ramp up investment in the region.
The news comes days after it was revealed that Amazon is now the fifth largest retailer in the UK, approaching the size and influence of the Big 4 supermarkets who have remained unchallenged for years.
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