NEW YORK - INTERNET retail giant Amazon.com reported record holiday sales on Friday, a rare good performance in one of the most dismal holiday shopping seasons in years.

The Seattle, Washington-based online store did not provide a breakdown of sales figures but said online orders reached record levels during the holiday shopping season for the 14th year in a row.

It said in a statement that more than 6.3 million items were ordered worldwide and 5.6 million units shipped on its peak day, Dec 15.

Amazon said it shipped items to more than 210 countries between Nov 14 and Dec 24 and more than 99 per cent of its orders arrived in time for the holidays.

Amazon said best-selling holiday items this year included the Samsung 52-inch HDTV, the Apple iPod, the Acer netbook computer and Nintendo Wii.

According to a MasterCard survey published on Friday, retail sales dropped by up to eight per cent during the traditional November-December shopping period this year even after retailers slashed prices to woo bargain hunters.

The holiday season is seen as make-or-break for many retailers and key to the struggling US economy, which relies on consumer spending for 70 per cent of activity. -- AFP