Popular now
Debenhams Group returns to growth amid PLT recovery

Debenhams Group returns to growth amid PLT recovery

Currys appoints Fredrik Tønnesen as Group CEO

Currys appoints Fredrik Tønnesen as Group CEO

Inditex sales rise 5.8% after strong start to summer trading

Inditex sales rise 5.8% after strong start to summer trading

Amazon quarterly sales rise 13% to $180bn as AWS growth accelerates

Amazon quarterly sales rise 13% to $180bn as AWS growth accelerates

On this episode of Talking Shop I’m joined by Alain Bejjani—former Group CEO of Middle East retail giant Majid Al Futtaim, and author of the definitive new book, NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities. Drawing on his childhood in war-torn Beirut, and his experience steering a $9.5bn dollar retail and lifestyle empire through a global pandemic, Alain brings an unmatched perspective on leadership under pressure. Today, we break down his crisis survival playbook for retailers operating in distress. We discuss why resilience must always outpace efficiency, the four assets a brand must protect at all costs, and how to turn macro-turmoil into a long-term direction that scales.

Register to get free articles

No spam Unsubscribe anytime

Want unlimited access? View Plans

Already have an account? Sign in

Amazon reported a 13% increase in net sales to $180.2 bn (£135.2 bn) for the three months to 30 September 2025, up from $158.9 bn (£119.2 bn) a year earlier, as artificial intelligence and cloud services drove growth.

North America sales rose 11% year on year to $106.3 bn (£79.7 bn), while international sales increased 14% to $40.9 bn (£30.7 bn), or 10% excluding foreign-exchange changes. Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenue grew 20% to $33.0 bn (£24.8 bn), marking its fastest pace since 2022.

Amazon also reported steady operating income at $17.4 bn (£13.1 bn) compared with the same period last year, but included two one-off charges totalling $4.3 bn (£3.2 bn): a $2.5 bn (£1.9 bn) legal settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission and $1.8 bn (£1.4 bn) in severance costs tied to job reductions. Excluding these items, operating income would have been $21.7 bn (£16.3 bn).

Net income rose to $21.2 bn (£15.9 bn), or $1.95 (£1.46) per diluted share, compared with $15.3 bn (£11.5 bn), or $1.43 (£1.07) per share, in the third quarter of 2024. Results included pre-tax gains of $9.5 bn (£7.1 bn) from Amazon’s investment in Anthropic.

Operating cash flow for the trailing 12 months increased 16% to $130.7 bn (£98.0 bn). Free cash flow fell to $14.8 bn (£11.1 bn), reflecting higher capital spending, compared with $47.7 bn (£35.8 bn) a year earlier.

Looking ahead, Amazon forecast fourth-quarter net sales between $206 bn (£154.5 bn) and $213 bn (£159.8 bn), representing year-on-year growth of 10% to 13%, with an expected foreign-exchange benefit of 190 basis points. Operating income is projected between $21 bn (£15.8 bn) and $26 bn (£19.5 bn), compared with $21.2 bn (£15.9 bn) a year earlier.

Andy Jassy, president and CEO, said: “We continue to see strong momentum and growth across Amazon as AI drives meaningful improvements in every corner of our business. AWS is growing at a pace we haven’t seen since 2022, re-accelerating to 20.2% YoY. We continue to see strong demand in AI and core infrastructure, and we’ve been focused on accelerating capacity – adding more than 3.8 gigawatts in the past 12 months.

“In Stores, we continue to realise the benefits of innovating in our fulfillment network, and we’re on track to deliver to Prime members at the fastest speeds ever again this year, expand same-day delivery of perishable groceries to over 2,300 communities by end of year, and double the number of rural communities with access to Amazon’s Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery.”

Previous Post
Matalan appoints Ruth Golightly as head of buying for childrenswear

Matalan appoints Ruth Golightly as head of buying for childrenswear

Next Post
ME+EM reports 24% sales rise driven by US expansion

ME+EM reports 24% sales rise driven by US expansion