How did Amazon celebrate its first sales?
In Amazon's early days, a bell rang in the office every time a customer made a purchase.
When Amazon launched in 1995, the team celebrated every sale with a physical bell. However, the site became an instant hit. Within weeks, the bell rang so frequently that it became a distraction and had to be disabled. By the end of its first month, the startup had already shipped books to all 50 U.S. states and 45 countries.
Nerd Mode
Amazon officially opened its virtual doors on July 16, 1995, operating out of Jeff Bezos's garage in Bellevue, Washington. To foster a sense of excitement among the small team, an employee named Tom Alburg installed a bell that would chime whenever a customer placed an order. This ritual was intended to celebrate the company's growth in real-time.The experiment was short-lived because growth exceeded all expectations. In the first week alone, Amazon secured $12,000 in orders, which was a massive sum for a fledgling internet company at the time. By the end of the first month, sales had surged to $20,000 per week. The constant ringing made it impossible for the staff to focus on fulfilling orders.The rapid expansion was fueled by Amazon's massive catalog of over one million titles, which dwarfed physical competitors like Barnes & Noble. Within two months, the company was selling books in all 50 U.S. states and 45 different countries. This early momentum proved that the 'Long Tail' retail model could work effectively on the web.By October 1995, Amazon had its first 100-order day, further cementing the need to move away from manual celebrations. Jeff Bezos eventually moved the company to a larger office in Seattle's SoDo district to handle the logistical demands. The bell remains a legendary piece of corporate lore, symbolizing the transition from a small startup to a global retail giant.
Verified Fact
FP-0009112 · Feb 20, 2026