No one knows for sure how many consumers are members of
Amazon.com'southward
(AMZN
1.74%)
Prime loyalty program. The company broke a long silence in early on 2018 to say subscriber rolls had topped 100 meg worldwide, but that was the last official effigy Amazon released about its Prime number membership.
While Amazon hasn't provided whatever updates, information technology's currently estimated that 105 1000000 -- or 82% of the 127 million of U.S. households -- have an Amazon Prime account, according to market research company Consumer Intelligence Inquiry Partners (CIRP).
With Black Friday and the ensuing holiday shopping flavor kicking off in just a week, the question many of the holdouts are asking themselves is "Should I finally sign up for Amazon Prime?"
Image source: Amazon.com.
Free i-day shipping and much, much more
The biggest draw for many consumers is the expedited aircraft -- and Amazon recently took its delivery-speed up a notch. Subsequently providing ii-day or faster shipping for years, Prime number customers can now get millions of items in just ane mean solar day. That can be a big incentive for those who desire to avoid the soul-burdensome feel of Blackness Friday bargain hunting and the hordes of customers at big-box stores and shopping malls.
While expedited shipping is the nigh publicized benefit of Prime membership, there are many more than. In an era where streaming video increasingly becomes the norm rather than the exception, Prime number members gain access to a growing library of accolade-winning Amazon Originals, a itemize of popular older movies and television programs, and a host of live events -- all included with membership. The platform besides makes it easy to sign up for more than 100 partner channels, including Outset andAT&T's HBO and Cinemax, every bit well as niche favorites like IFC,
AMC Network's Shudder, and Britbox -- and watch them all in one place.
For music lovers, Amazon offers Prime Music, providing unlimited advertizement-gratuitous access to more than ii 1000000 pop songs and hundreds of Prime playlists. Members likewise get discounts on Amazon Music Unlimited, which offers more fifty million songs for the serious audiophile at $7.99 per month for Prime number subscribers, a 20% discount off the regular price.
Amazon as well offers benefits for gaming enthusiasts via Twitch, the world's leading live streaming platform for gamers. Twitch.TV users who link their Amazon Prime number account become a free Twitch channel subscription each month and exclusive access to free gaming content. Members also receive exclusive discounts on preorder games.
Then there's Amazon Prime 24-hour interval. Billed every bit the visitor's "Black Friday in July," the customer-appreciation day auction -- which stretched to 48 hours in 2019 -- offers some of the company's best deals of the yr, with a rotating list of deeply discounted products and new wink sales every 60 minutes.
A holiday bonanza
While the everyday benefits offer plenty of enticement for customers to join Prime, the vacation deals may provide the biggest incentive. While the holiday shopping season officially begins on Black Fri, Amazon offers more than a calendar week of deals and discounts, which kick off on Friday, Nov. 22. The company is offering a laundry list of its most popular items at big discounts, including the Fire 7 tablet for $29 (40% off), $l on the Echo Show viii for $99, and the Repeat Dot for $35, 30% off the retail toll.
The tech giant is besides offering
steep
discounts on a laundry list of televisions, smartphones, electronics, toys and games, apparel, and more -- with far too many deals to list here -- at savings of between 15% and 60%.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why all the deals?
All retailers offer a host of deals for the holidays, then why does Amazon offer so many other benefits to its Prime subscribers? The answer is simple economics. Once they lay out the annual membership fee, Prime customers want to become their money'south worth, spending an average of $i,400 per year, more than than double the $600 nonmembers spend, according to data earlier this twelvemonth from CIRP.
Subscriber renewal rates improve over time, too. Sixty-four pct of trial members convert to a paid membership, 93% of members renew later on the first year, and 98% continued their subscription after 2 years.
But what most for
just
Black Fri?
One of the nigh appealing points about Amazon Prime for vacation shoppers is the 30-day costless trial. Customers tin sign upwardly, avail themselves of all the holiday deals -- which are just a keystroke away -- and cancel within a month if they're not satisfied.
To become in on the deals, Amazon customers pay $119 per year or $12.99 per month, so information technology'south piece of cake to see why consumers flock to the programme, given the slew of benefits that come with membership.
Consumers truly accept nothing to lose -- and plenty to salvage -- past signing up for the gratuitous-trial. Who knows? Once customers sign up for the holiday deals and come across how easy it is to avoid the traffic and crowded stores, you may just stick effectually, as I did.
