Amazon Prime is a key offering from the Seattle based ecommerce giant. It’s a central programme that ties shoppers into the platform and ensures loyalty and repetitive buying. Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos is so keen to add value to being a Prime subscriber that he has said that he wants not being on Prime to be the “irresponsible choice”.
But how many people are indeed responsible and subscribing diligently? According to CIRP, 63% of Amazon’s US customers are Prime members, and in the past year they say that the total subscriber base has grown by 38%.
They claim that Amazon now counts 90 million US households as Amazon Prime subscribers, if you believe the findings from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). And when you consider that households are most usually more than one individual, we’re talking about a very significant chunk of Americans who can access Amazon Prime.
They estimate that Amazon Prime subscribers spend $1,300 per year, nearly double the $700 per year the average non-member spends there.
Stateside Amazon Prime Costs $99 per annum as a subscription service and that offers free two-day shipping and discounted rates on overnight delivery. Prime customers can also get access to Amazon’s streaming video library, free e-books and rather a lot of other perks.
Needless to say, the British offering isn’t as tasty as that on the other side of the Atlantic but, proportionality it’s a bit more expensive here. The video options are also not as expansive either.
The offering in the UK is not dissimilar but it seems unlikely that there is equal penetration here in comparison to US usage. Prime is doubtless less well used in the UK but, in the absence of similar analysis, it’s impossible to be clear on exact numbers.
Are you taking advantage of the perks by being an Amazon Prim subscriber?
7 Responses
Hard to believe as there are only 126M households in the States. It would equate to 72% of US households being Prime members.
This does not compute either with 63% of Amazon’s customers being Prime members…
Its a big market share for sure. For me its not an ‘irresponsible choice’ to not have Prime. Amazon Video is good, but not essential. Mainly I am finding the things I want cheaper elsewhere including shipping – recently a lot cheaper in fact, and supporting UK businesses that are more likely to pay their fair share of taxes.
I don’t use Prime myself. Increasingly I’ve found that Amazon is not the cheapest (inc. shipping). So perhaps they are focusing on convenience. A couple of weeks ago Amazon was over-taken by Alibaba as the world’s largest e-commerce company, I think some competition would be useful.
As damaging as I think Amazon are and the cost to UK business, and society they take a lot more out than they ever put back in.
The proposition is just leagues above the rest. Take the shopping out of it (they are not always the best price now) as their fees are so high, we do not like actually selling on their platform but alas sometimes you have no choice, this is where the public go now, not to eBay but Amazon 🙁 I swear people dont even compare we are so much more expensive on Amazon and they outsell eBay totally bonkers.
Am actually sitting here looking at a load of stock to be stickered up and sent in really did not want to either.
The TV channel is probably worth it there is a few shows I like, and we have the music also, I however hate that Alexa thing in the kitchen.
Anyway that is a big share of the US market.
However there has been a COST go and look at what has happened to the Malls in the US if you can find any still open.
Ok guys so what are you going to do about all these buyers who have Prime. Ignore them?
Or sell to them?
Your choice.
Living in Britain usually means getting the thin edge of the wedge and it’s alive on Amazon!
It really grates me that these big American corporations are trying very hard to get the public hooked by an annual subscription as they think it breeds loyalty. I don’t know about you but I try to buck this trend.
How incredibly arrogant to suggest that NOT being a member is thought of as a mistake. What a toss pot.
These subscriber numbers don’t add up at all.
So you pay for a subscription and yet you have to pay for film streaming on top of this? What a rip off!