Amazon says it shipped over five billion items through its Prime program worldwide in 2017, with more members signing up to the loyalty program last year than ever before.

It’s the first time the e-commerce giant has publicised the scale of Prime, and while the disclosure did not come with any comparable figures from 2016, growth is not surprising given that Amazon launched the scheme into Mexico, Singapore, Luxembourg and the Netherlands last year.

Amazon’s Prime program entitles members to exclusive deals, free shipping and access to a range of video, streaming and music services for a monthly or annual fee.

The company said the top selling items among Prime members, at least in the US, were its Fire TV stick and Echo Dot devices – a sign that Amazon is further cementing its living room ambitions.

On Amazon’s Prime Video service, The Grand Tour Season 1 and Sneaky Pete were among the most streamed original productions

More than 50 million items on the US site are now also being sold on a two-day shipping model, with over 100 million items delivered under the program for free to members last year.

That scale drove the size of the company’s fulfilment and shipping network up 30 per cent in square footage, the company said.

“Our Best of Prime feature not only demonstrates what was trending this year, it also gives us insight into what members love, providing additional inspiration as we continue to innovate, invest and make Prime even better in 2018,” said Greg Greeley, vice president, Amazon Prime.

The disclosure shows the pace at which Amazon’s flagship loyalty program has grown at since launching in 2005 and may be a signal of what may come for the local retail market when the giant brings Prime Down Under.

Amazon Australia has said it is working to bring Prime to Australia, with current indications that the program could launch later this year in time for Prime’s annual shopping holiday ‘Prime Day’ in July.

Although a fully fledged Prime offer, which would include free two-day shipping, would likely need to include the launch of fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) in Australia.

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