Prime Day Summer Sales Event Tops Forecasts To Reach $24.1 Billion In Online Sales
Prime packages are being delivered in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America on July ... More 6th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images
This year's Prime Day summer event got off to a slow start, with Tuesday, July 8 online sales totaling $7.9 billion, representing only a 9.9% increase over last year, but sales quickly picked up over day two through four.
With new tariffs looming, consumers took advantage of deep discounts to shop ahead of price increases with especially strong online sales reported in office supplies (up 105%), electronics (+95%), books (+81%), tools and home improvement (+76%), home and garden (+58%) and baby/toddler (+55%).
Kid's apparel, back to school supplies and dorm room essentials moved quickly, as did a wide range of typically higher-ticket items made more appealing by deep discounts, such as home appliances, furniture, computers, smartphone accessories, exercise equipment, power tools and small kitchen appliances.
Mobile shopping accounted for just over half of Prime Day sales, making it the dominant transaction channel over desktop shopping.
The industry's online Prime Day take added up to two 'Black Fridays,' which totaled $10.8 billion in online spending last year, and according to Adobe, 'sets a new benchmark for the summer shopping season.'
Amazon launched Prime Day in 2015 as a single July day sales event that grew to two days in 2019 and, for the first time this year, it was extended to four days. Not to be outdone, retailers far and wide have leveled up with competing events, such as Walmart Deal Days and Target Circle Week. In effect, the Prime Day sales event has become a virtual discounters' arms race, with retailers locked in fierce competition to attract consumers' attention and spending. Adobe observed that many of this year's discounts were better than last year. For example, apparel was discounted an average of 24% from list price compared to 20% last year, toys were off 19% (vs. 15%), and appliances discounted 17% (vs. 14%). Crucial Quote
'The big story this year? The sheer excessiveness of it all. The unprecedented 4-day length, overlapping retailer events, massive deal depths, and deals dominating search results,' said Tristan Williams, Envision Horizons. 'Prime Day has evolved from a shopping event into a shopping season.'
Sales promotions are a double-edged sword for retailers: they can drive increased traffic and sales, but at the cost of thinner margins and lower profits. They can also condition shoppers to wait for the next sale, creating a vicious cycle of delayed purchases and margin pressure. Further Reading
US Online Spending Surges $24.1 Billion As Steep Discounts Boost Sales (Reuters, 7/12/2025) Forbes Amazon Disputes Claim Of Plunging Prime Day Sales After Reported 41% Drop By Zachary Folk Forbes Forbes Daily: Sales Numbers Show Amazon Prime Day Off To A Slow Start By Danielle Chemtob Forbes Tariff Fears To Power Amazon Prime Day And Walmart, Target Competing Sales Events By Pamela N. Danziger Forbes Amazon Prime Day Expected To Drive $23.8 Billion In U.S. Online Sales By Joan Verdon
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