Christina Estes/KJZZ

Cyber Monday is the busiest day of the year at the Amazon fulfillment center in southwest Phoenix.

A survey by the National Retail Federation finds 122 million Americans plan to shop this Cyber Monday, that’s a million more than last year. Some of those orders placed through Amazon are being processed in a warehouse in southwest Phoenix.

“This fulfillment center is 1.2 million square feet, which is the size of 28 football fields,” said Allie Lee, a company spokesperson.

Yellow bins are everywhere. Starting in the receiving area, employees stuff them with everything from artwork to zip ties.  

“It looks like chaos,” she said. “But, it’s extremely well organized.”

Like roller coasters, the yellow bins chug up conveyor belts. And, at the top, they stop in what Amazon calls “stow areas.” At first glance, the aisles seem kind of messy. There’s a Spider-Man toy next to a pair of boots, a jar of peanuts next to water picks. 

But, Lee said random storage is the most effective thanks to technology, “It’s directing associates directly to where the product is, so it’s saving time to not have to look for say, A for apple or B for books, it just tells you this is what you need, here’s where it is.”

The yellow bins move on to shipping, then like roller coasters, the rides end and it’s time to leave. It’s a 24/7 operation, and this day is the busiest. Last Cyber Monday, Amazon reported 629 items sold per second.

Lee says 2,500 full-time workers fulfill orders in Phoenix with a few thousand more temporary workers hired to meet holiday demand.