Amazon says this year's holiday shopping period has been its biggest ever. Obama's presidential memoir, the Echo Dot speaker, and a DNA test are among its bestsellers.

• The 2020 holiday shopping season has been Amazon's biggest yet, it said in a blog post Tuesday.
• Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, sales at independent businesses on Amazon were up 60% on last year, it said.
• Current best-sellers on Amazon include the Echo Dot, Barack Obama's memoir "A Promised Land," and colorful sports wear.
• The pandemic has caused online sales to skyrocket. This year's Cyber Monday is expected to be the biggest online shopping day in US history, according to Adobe Analytics.

The 2020 holiday season has been Amazon's biggest yet, the e-commerce giant said in a blog post Tuesday.

Independent businesses on the platform are seeing "record demand," it added. These businesses sold goods totaling $4.8 billion between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Amazon said, 60% up on last year.

"Through Cyber Monday, 2020 has been the largest holiday shopping season so far in our company's history," Amazon said.

Current best-sellers include the Echo Dot, Barack Obama's presidential memoir "A Promised Land," and a health and ancestry DNA test by 23andMe.

Read more: How Jeff Bezos' "customer obsession" transformed Amazon from an online bookseller into a $1.4 trillion retail giant that's burrowed into every corner of daily life

This record growth in online sales isn't just limited to Amazon.

Cyber Monday 2020 was expected to be the biggest online shopping day in US history so far, with digital sales reaching $12.7 billion, according to estimates from Adobe Analytics. This is a rise of more than a third compared to Cyber Monday 2019.

US consumers spent a record $9 billion online on Black Friday, Adobe Analytics said, which was an increase of around 22% from last year, as in-store shopping plummeted.

Total US online sales over the holiday shopping season will reach around $189 billion, Adobe Analytics added. This represents two years of growth in just one season.

Holiday shopping has started earlier than ever

More customers than ever started their holiday shopping early, Amazon said.

As well as starting holiday shopping, people have also been listening to festive music earlier than usual. Global requests for holiday playlists and stations on Amazon Music via its home assistant Alexa have increased 90% compared to this time last year, Amazon said.

Customers have also been looking for self-care, cozy comfort, and nesting at home products as people continue to work from home. The most popular categories include beauty, home, fashion, sports, and pets, Amazon said.

Best-selling toys include the Lego Star Wars Mandalorian Battle Pack, Hot Wheels 20 Car Gift Pack, and L.O.L. Surprise! Present Surprise Doll, while Amazon fashion trends include colorful sports wear, tie-dye, and animal print.