Net sales for Q2 of this year at Amazon were $52.9 billion, a 39% growth on the same period last year.

From that, operating income was $3 billion, as against $628 million last year. Net income saw good growth too, from $197 million last year to $2.5bn this year.

In a statement about the quarterly results, Amazon reeled off a long list of highlights, which included its recent announcement about “an offering that helps entrepreneurs build their own companies by delivering Amazon packages”.

Amazon repeated its enticement that: “Business owners can grow their companies by accessing Amazon’s delivery technology and package volume, as well as receiving discounts on a suite of assets and services such as vehicle leases and comprehensive insurance.”

The company added that it has “committed $1m to fund startup costs for eligible military veterans to start their own delivery businesses”.