Amazon Prime Day kicks off Tuesday, July 8, and what used to be a 24-hour shopping frenzy has now evolved into a nearly week-long sales event. However, this year, the real giant faces some economic headwinds.
The Wall Street Journal reports that interest in Prime Day has waned in recent years, with year-over-year growth stuck in the single digits. Shoppers are also keeping a close eye on looming tariffs from the Trump administration, which could raise prices on everyday goods in the months ahead.
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What are customers buying?
Analysts expect consumers to focus on deeper discounts now, especially on big-ticket items like TVs. Senior analyst Zam Stambor at eMarketer said customers are “very focused on getting value where and when they can right now.”
One third-party seller told the Journal that while he expects strong momentum on Day 1, interest may taper off later in the week. Still, he believes sales will outpace a typical July day.
BuzzFeed highlighted top deals on items such as Stanley Quenchers, Sol de Janeiro body cream, AirPods Pro, the Philips Sonicare toothbrush and the Nespresso Vertuo Plus coffee maker.
Amazon leans on AI tools
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Amazon processed 5.9 billion packages in 2023, or about 673,500 per hour, according to CapitalOne Shopping Research.
To boost the shopping experience, Amazon is promoting Rufus, its relatively new AI-powered product comparison tool available in the Amazon app. While it helps customers narrow down options, some users say it still struggles to interpret more complex questions.
Amazon officials hope extending Prime Day will supercharge Amazon’s revenues, which already bring in more than $50 billion annually. The sales event drives major ad spending from sellers looking to outshine competitors offering similar products.
The CEO of Bartesian, a cocktail machine maker, says he will use Prime Day to build brand awareness ahead of the more competitive Black Friday season. He also warned that prices may rise later this year, depending on the impact of tariffs.
Prime memberships and revenue expectations
Amazon is also hoping to use the event to convert more shoppers into Prime members. Current membership costs $139 per year, which includes perks such as fast shipping and TV streaming offers.
According to eMarketer, Amazon is projected to bring in a record $12.9 billion in the U.S. during Prime week — a jump of more than 50% compared to last year.
This year’s event follows spring campaigns like Pet Day, Book Day and the Summer Beauty Haul — all part of Amazon’s effort to stretch its sales calendar year-round.
