Amazon reports jump in sales and profit

SEATTLE - Web retail giant Amazon saw fourth quarter earning surge 71 percent thanks to a strong holiday season and heavy demand for its electronic book reader the Kindle, the company said Thursday.

Amazon said sales jumped 42 percent to $9.52 billion, helping push profits up from $225 million a year ago to $284 million.

Amazon said sales of electronics and general merchandise were particularly strong, rising 60 percent to $4.6 billion. Media sales grew 29 percent to $4.68 billion.

Sales in North America were $4.96 billion, up 36 percent from the fourth quarter 2008, while international sales, representing the company’s British, German, Japanese, French and Chinese sites, were $4.56 billion, up 49 percent from the fourth quarter 2008.