Force Is With Amazon Winners

Americans will be seeing a lot of Madonna, Darth Vader and Dockers khakis in their stockings this holiday season, if Amazon.com is any guide.

On Friday, the leading Web store put out its list of top-selling products from Nov. 1 through this past Tuesday. Among them were not only Madonna's latest album, Confessions on a Dance Floor and the DVD of the latest installment of Darth Vader's story, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, but also khaki pants, an atomic clock and a DVD player priced at $39.99.

Although the day after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, online shoppers typically start days or weeks earlier to allow time for products to be delivered. And while Amazon's revenue is a small fraction of retail giants such as Wal- Mart and Target(TGT Quote), the company's sales are large enough and its selection broad enough to be indicative of larger trends. ...