SEATTLE — Amazon delivered a strong first quarter, with retail operations continuing to anchor performance. North America segment sales rose 12% year over year to $104.1 billion, helping lift total company revenue 17% to $181.5 billion.
The company’s stores business showed renewed momentum, with unit growth reaching 15%, the highest level since the tail end of the pandemic. Amazon attributed the gains to a combination of faster delivery speeds, an expanded assortment, and continued investments in the customer experience, particularly across everyday essentials and frequently replenished categories.
Speed remains a central competitive lever. Amazon said it has already delivered more than one billion items on a same-day or overnight basis in 2026, reflecting the continued buildout of its regional fulfillment network and last-mile capabilities. The company is also scaling one-hour and three-hour delivery options across more than 90,000 products in the U.S., now available in hundreds to thousands of markets, depending on the service tier.
At the same time, Amazon is pushing further into ultra-fast delivery through its “Amazon Now” offering, which provides fulfillment in 30 minutes or less in select international markets and is expected to expand more broadly, including in the U.S.
Merchandising and assortment expansion are also playing a key role. During the quarter, Amazon added more than 600 new brands to its platform across categories such as grocery, beauty, household goods, and apparel. The company continues to emphasize breadth and availability as it seeks to capture a larger share of routine consumer spending and increase purchase frequency.
In consumables and health-related categories, Amazon is deepening its omnichannel healthcare and pharmacy strategy. The company plans to expand same-day pharmacy delivery to nearly 4,500 U.S. cities and towns by year-end and to increase access to GLP-1 treatments through its pharmacy and One Medical ecosystem. These moves position Amazon more aggressively in high-growth, high-frequency healthcare categories that intersect with retail.
Amazon is also adding new digital capabilities to improve conversion and shopper engagement. Enhancements to its AI-powered shopping tools, including real-time product insights and interactive features, are designed to deliver more personalized and informative purchase journeys, particularly as assortments expand and decision-making grows more complex.
CEO Andy Jassy said customer response to these improvements is helping drive growth across the retail segment as Amazon continues to balance infrastructure investments with efforts to improve efficiency and margins.
Despite strong top-line performance, the company’s elevated capital expenditures, largely tied to infrastructure and technology investments, continue to pressure free cash flow. However, Amazon views these investments as critical to maintaining long-term retail and logistics advantages.
Looking ahead, Amazon expects continued retail momentum in the second quarter, supported in part by its annual Prime Day event, scheduled for June and remaining a key driver of traffic, conversion and new customer acquisition across its marketplace.
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