Amazon set to continue its stellar growth

The group – whose best-selling item in 2009 was the smash video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – took two million UK orders on its busiest day in the run-up to Christmas, with 23 items bought every second.

Managing director Brian McBride said: "I'm not saying we're recession-proof but when times are tough, people are looking for value."

His comments came as the US-based firm posted a 71 per cent hike in profits to 238m in the three months to December 31 and forecast sales up to 43 per cent higher than a year ago in the current quarter.

The firm also launched an Amazon application for the iPhone – the first dedicated mobile shopping 'app' to help users browse and buy using their handsets.

This year Mr McBride expects video games and the new book from Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown to be among the biggest sellers, as well as a boost in demand for LCD televisions ahead of the World Cup this summer.

The company opened a new distribution base in Swansea in 2008 to cope with increased demand, but the UK chief added that he had "no doubt" the group would need more capacity in coming years at the current rate of growth.

Sales across the overall group reached 5.9bn in the fourth quarter – 42 per cent ahead of a year earlier.