London: January 16, 2003: Just 24 hours after Bloomsbury announced that the long-awaited fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in JK Rowling's spell-binding Harry Potter series will be published on June 21, 2003, Amazon.co.uk today announced that more than 30,000 customers have already placed orders for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) to ensure they receive their copy as soon as it becomes available.

Within two hours of the books appearing in the catalogue, the child and adult versions had risen to number one and number two respectively in Amazon.co.uk's Hot 100 sales ranking. Amazon.co.uk is offering Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at a 50% discount on the list price of £16.99. This discount is available on both the child and adult versions of the book.

Nearly three years after the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the bestselling Harry Potter series and Amazon.co.uk's largest book pre-order ever, Muggles everywhere can now go to Amazon.co.uk and, without leaving their home or office, guarantee they'll be among the first to receive a copy of this wildly anticipated book when it hits the streets in June.

Customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at Amazon.co.uk will get the book delivered to them directly on the same day it is available in stores. In the past several months, more than 140,000 Amazon.co.uk customers--more than twice the total number of customers who pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)--signed up to be notified as soon as the fifth book became available for pre-order.

Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk Robin Terrell said:

  • Our customers are incredibly excited about the fifth Harry Potter book, and we're thrilled more than 30,000 of them have already taken advantage of our simple and convenient way to order the book at a 50% discount, and ensure that they are among the first to receive a copy when it's released in June

For further information please contact the Amazon.co.uk press office on 020 8636 9280.

About Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998, and strives to be the world's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Amazon.co.uk and sellers list millions of new and used items in categories such as Books, Music, Video, DVD, Software, PC & Video Games, Electronics & Photo, Home & Garden, and Toys & Games!. Through Amazon Marketplace, zShops and Auctions any business or individual can sell virtually anything to Amazon.co.uk's millions of customers. Amazon.co.uk customers enjoy the benefits of industry-leading online-shopping technology, such as secure credit-card payment, personalised recommendations, streamlined, 1-Click® ordering and hassle-free Bid-Click® auction bidding. Through Amazon Anywhere, Amazon.co.uk is also available on mobile phones with WAP technology--see www.amazon.co.uk/anywhere for details.

Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven websites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-looking Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to potential future losses, significant amount of indebtedness, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions, and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, international expansion, consumer trends, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, fraud, and new business areas. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and all subsequent filings.