Amazon Doubles Deliveries in 2016 for Third-Party Sellers

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) shipped 50 percent more items this holiday season than last for third-party vendors and doubled the amount for 2016 overall, the Seattle-based retail giant said on Wednesday. The news offers new data points for investors hoping Amazon, known for roller coaster results in years past, will post a profit for the fourth quarter when announcing results in the coming weeks; it has forecast that operating income would range from nothing to $1.25 billion.
As quoted in the press release:

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has said the 2016 holiday was its best-ever shopping season. However, high spending on warehouses and video production are expected to drag on profits.
More sellers are paying the company to store, pack and ship their goods through the Fulfillment by Amazon service. Amazon more than doubled the items it delivered for other sellers in 2016 from the year prior to exceed two billion, a spokesman said.

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