The pandemic has put a strain on everyone. We have had to adjust our lives to maintain social distancing while still working or going to school. People lost their jobs and are dealing with heavy financial burdens.
Many are finding alternate sources of income. One method to get some extra cash is to go through your house and find things to sell. There’s a wealth of apps and online marketplaces to utilize for this purpose such as eBay, Craigslist, Letgo, Amazon and more. There are also lesser-known auction sites, which you can read about here.
Speaking of Amazon, how do you think the retail giant made out during the pandemic while smaller businesses struggled or went bust? We know people were scrambling to get supplies, essential or otherwise, and Amazon kept its trucks rolling nonstop through it all. How well did Jeff Bezos’ company do? The reality is shocking!
Prime profit
The long and short of it is that Amazon did very well during the pandemic, according to an earnings release:
- In the 12 months ending March 31, 2021, Amazon had a free cash flow of $26.4 billion. Compare this to $24.3 billion in the 12 months leading to March 31, 2020.
- Operating cash flow increased 69% to $67.2 billion during that same time, compared with $39.7 billion for the trailing 12 months ending March 31, 2020.
- Net sales jumped 44% to $108.5 billion in the first quarter of this year, compared with $75.5 billion in the first quarter last year.
- Amazon now boasts more than 200 million paid Prime members around the globe.
- 175 million Prime members streamed TV shows and movies in the past year.
Ding dong
While many stores closed during the pandemic, Amazon kept the country supplied with pandemic essentials such as toilet paper, water, masks, soap, diapers, batteries, flashlights and more.
AmazonFresh and Amazon Pantry kept the groceries flowing. While supplies were at times sold out or jacked up in price, it was a common sight to see Prime boxes piled up on doorsteps.
People also need to be entertained, and Amazon was there to deliver. Video games, television sets, tablets, toys, board games, streaming devices — anything to keep the mind busy could be found on Amazon.
New hobbies were taken up and people ordered air fryers, knitting supplies, baking/cooking appliances, gardening tools, musical instruments, puzzles and more. Tap or click here to check out some useful smart home gadgets.
Prime Day
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