Amazon merchants rang up over $4.8 billion in global sales Black Friday through Cyber Monday, a 60 percent increase over 2019 sales for the same period.

More than 71,000 independent small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide have surpassed $100,000 in sales this holiday season to date, Amazon said in a statement on Tuesday (Dec. 1).

Record demand for goods has helped merchants’ bottom line during a challenging economic time due to the worldwide pandemic. Almost all of the independent retailers on Amazon are small and midsize businesses (SMBs).

“In a holiday season unlike any other, it’s clear that customers still want great deals on gifts for their loved ones or a little something extra for themselves, and we’re glad to help deliver smiles throughout the season,” said Jeff Wilke, chief executive officer, Amazon Worldwide Consumer.

Wilke thanked shoppers, merchants and employees for “making this our biggest holiday season to date.”

Black Friday and Cyber Monday were also the busiest shopping days ever for independent merchants on Amazon, with global sales up 60% over 2019.

The eCommerce giant launched Black Friday sales just after Prime Day in October to allow people more time to find deals.

Amazon committed $100 million to assist SMBs in selling to more customers over the holiday season. SMBs have sold an average of 9,500 items per minute this holiday season to date

Best sellers so far include the Echo Dot, Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land,” and the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush.

Although the majority of shopping was done online, younger shoppers flocked to physical stores, with 42 percent heading to Target and 60 percent going to Walmart. Other retailers with a large volume of shoppers at brick-and-mortar stores include Kohl’s (23.2 percent), Macy’s (18.7 percent) and Nordstrom (9.2 percent).