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BUSINESS A25
Wednesday 30 December

AP: Amazon holiday Fitbit likely a hot seller for Christmas holiday
shipping, Christmas

deliveries set record JOSEPH PISANI Macy’s Inc. said the Fitbit’s Amanda Hetherington Fitbit sells several different

LINDA A. JOHNSON AP Business News products sold “very well” at opened a Fitbit Flex on devices that track user’s
NEW YORK (AP) — It was a the department store. Dis- Christmas Eve, a gift from steps, calories or sleep pat-
AP Business Writer very merry Christmas for fit- count retailer Target Corp. her son, and plans to buy terns. They cost as little as
ness-tracking device mak- said the trackers were one more. $60 for a tracker that clips
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — On- er Fitbit. of its top-selling electronics Hetherington, who says she to clothing to about $250
The company’s app was during the holiday season. is working on getting back for a watch. The company
line retailer Amazon has the most downloaded on And Amazon.com Inc. said into shape, downloaded has already sold more than
been a prime beneficiary Apple’s app store Christ-
- of more consumers doing mas Day, a sign that many
, their holiday shopping on- people couldn’t wait to set
s line and procrastinating. up their Fitbit trackers after
a Amazon Prime, the com- unwrapping them. It also
, pany’s $99-a-year loyalty suggests that Fitbit trackers
s program that includes were a hot seller during the
unlimited free two-day holidays, despite increas-
shipping, gained 3 million ing competition from Ap-
new members in the third
week of December alone.
Meanwhile, the number of
k Prime members shopping ple’s smartwatch and oth-
s via mobile more than dou- er wearable devices. Inves-
n bled this holiday season, tors were pleased, sending
d
Amazon said this week. shares of the San Francisco
s Christmas Eve was the big- company higher this week.

gest day yet for deliveries The Fitbit app topped Ap-
n by the company’s Prime ple’s app store in the U.S.
d Now service, which now on Christmas Day and the
n offers free two-hour deliv- day after, according App
t ery to more than 20 metro- Annie, which tracks app
e politan areas. When Prime downloads and rankings.
. Now launched last year, it That’s far better than last
- only delivered within Man-
, hattan. year when the Fitbit app Fitbit CEO James Park shows off one of his devices as he poses for photos outside the New York
t Seattle-based Amazon ranked at No. 18 on Christ- Stock Exchange, before his company’s IPO. The company’s app was the most downloaded on
- also said it shipped a re- mas Day and No. 15 the Apple Inc.’s app store on Christmas Day 2015, a sign that many people set up their Fitbit trackers
cord number of items day after, according to after unwrapping them.
worldwide for the holidays, research from Raymond
with items going to 185 James & Associates. In a (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

countries. note to clients, Raymond

The 20-year-old compa- James analyst Tavis Mc- the Fitbit Charge was one the app on Christmas Day. 13 million devices so far this
ny is profiting from major Court called the numbers of its most popular items Besides steps, she also plans year before the holiday
trends reshaping holiday “impressive.” for customers that used its to track what she eats and shopping season, surpass-

shopping in the U.S. Fitbit declined to comment same-day delivery service how much water she drinks ing the 10.9 million total de-

More and more people Monday. Apple did not in Chicago, Dallas, New with the app. vices it sold last year.

do part or even all of their respond to a request for York and other major cities. She’s already making But like a new gym mem-

shopping online, increas- comment. App downloads could also changes: This weekend she bership, there is still the

ingly using mobile devices While app downloads lead to future sales. Users parked further away from question of how long peo-

such as tablets and smart- don’t necessarily mean a who track their health in- a restaurant to get in more ple will remain dedicated

phones to “window shop” tracker was sold, McCourt formation on the app are steps. to their fitness trackers

and then buy items from said it’s a “good measure more likely to buy another “I love it so much,” said once the novelty wears off.
their couch or their desk at of relative sales success.” Fitbit device when they Hetherington, who lives Research firm Endeavour
work. Retailers are delug- Retailers confirmed Mon- want to upgrade, said Ross near Columbia, South Car- Partners estimated earlier
ing consumers with e-mail day that Fitbit trackers were Rubin, the senior director of olina, “I’ll probably get one this year that about a third
offers for online-only deals. in high demand during the industry analysis at App An- for my husband for Valen- of trackers get abandoned
And procrastinators, once holiday shopping season. nie. tine’s Day.” after six months.q
stuck dealing with huge

crowds at shopping malls Whole Foods to pay $500K to settle overcharging case
and big-box stores right

before Christmas, now can NEW YORK (AP) — Whole packaged food at Whole Mackey had previously ex- priced.
do last-minute shopping Foods said Monday it will Foods and found misla- pressed bewilderment over Whole Foods has already
online. Amazon and some pay New York City $500,000 beled weights on every why “Whole Foods was sin- put in place third-party
other retailers promised to settle allegations it over- one. The overcharging in- gled out for this attention,” audits to ensure pricing
that items ordered as late charged customers for pre- cluded $4.85 for a pack- saying that he doesn’t think accuracy, spokesman Mi-
as the morning of Christ-

mas Eve would arrive by packaged foods. age of chicken tenders the company’s track re- chael Silverman said in an

midnight. The city’s Department of and $14.84 for coconut cord on the matter is any emailed statement.

Amazon said nearly 70 per- Consumer Affairs said the shrimp, the city said. different from other super- Whole Foods refused to

cent of its customers this settlement also requires The investigation gener- markets. consider the city’s initial de-
holiday used a mobile de- Whole Foods Market Inc. ated national headlines, The grocery chain had nev- mand for $1.5 million, but
vice to shop. Worldwide, to conduct quarterly audits prompting Whole Foods ertheless said over the sum- it agreed to the $500,000
on Cyber Monday alone, to ensure products are ac- co-CEOs John Mackey mer that it would take steps settlement to “put this issue
those customers ordered curately weighed and la- and Walter Robb to apolo- to prevent overcharging, behind us,” Silverman said.
more than 35 electronic beled. gize in an online video. Still, including training for work- The Department of Con-
The city had said in June Whole Foods said the bad ers, and pledged to give sumer Affairs said the mon-
items per second and that its investigation tested publicity ended up pinch- away products if customers ey will go into the city’s
80 different types of pre- ing sales. discovered they were mis- budget.q
Adele’s new CD, “25,” ev-
ery 3 seconds.q