Amazon India extends Prime Day to 3 days as it pushes into smaller cities

Business Standard

9 hours ago

Amazon India said Prime Day 2025 will run for three days for the first time, from 12:00 am on July 12 to 11:59 pm on July 14. The 72-hour event will offer deals and new product launches exclusively for Prime members. For the first time, members will get an additional 24 hours to shop across major brands and small businesses.
This expansion reflects Amazon India's push to grow its Prime membership base in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with a clear shift in adoption patterns beyond traditional metropolitan strongholds. Akshay Sahi, director, Prime, deliveries and returns for India and emerging markets, emphasised the widening geographic footprint of Prime, citing that last Prime Day the firm had 60 per cent or higher sign-ups from cities outside the top 20.
'We have a bunch of new FCs which have actually come up or are coming up... in the hinterland of India,' Sahi told Business Standard, referring to fulfilment centres aimed at enabling faster delivery—same-day and next-day—in underserved regions.
Sahi also highlighted the need to tailor offerings by geography and customer segment: 'Our job is to serve customers from wherever they come,' he said, adding that Amazon is simultaneously making Prime 'more affordable, more accessible' in urban areas while driving speed and savings in emerging markets. The company recently introduced a Rs 5 fee per order, even for Prime members, which Sahi called a very small charge compared to the cost of shipments, noting that such pricing aligns with standard industry practice in India.
To support this geographic expansion, Amazon India has significantly scaled its logistics network to boost delivery speed and reliability in smaller cities. The company has expanded its same-day and next-day delivery footprint. 'We've increased the number of pin codes served by over 10 per cent in 2024,' Sahi said, adding that the pace of growth has continued into 2025. Amazon's sub-same-day delivery speeds now start at 'a couple of hours,' with ongoing investments aimed at bringing products closer to customers. Sahi said quicker deliveries not only improve customer satisfaction but also reduce return rates. 'When products get to customers faster, they actually return less,' he said. 'Expectation is met faster.'
The push into smaller cities has intensified competition, with Amazon's chief rival Flipkart—owned by Walmart—also ramping up its same-day delivery capabilities across a range of product categories, targeting customers in both metro and non-metro regions. The initiative is supported by a network of fulfilment centres strategically located across the country, enabling faster order processing and delivery at scale.
As quick-commerce players like Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto reset consumer expectations around delivery times, Amazon India is also doubling down on its core advantage: the breadth of its selection combined with progressively faster delivery.
Sahi acknowledged the growing demand for instant gratification but stressed the importance of consumer choice. 'It's not that you or I want everything in 10 minutes... but there are certain things which you want faster and there are certain things which you're willing to wait for,' he said.
Amazon is actively testing its quick-commerce service 'Now' in Bengaluru but remains focused on delivering value across a broader range. 'It's obviously impossible to serve tens of millions of products in 10 minutes,' Sahi said.
Prime Day Details
During the upcoming three-day Prime Day event, Amazon will offer Prime members early access to thousands of new product launches from over 400 Indian and global brands, alongside offerings from small and medium businesses.
The Prime Day will feature over 1,600 new product launches from more than 190 small and medium businesses, alongside deals across smartphones, appliances, fashion, groceries and more. Prime members will also enjoy same-day delivery on over 1 million products and next-day delivery on 4 million items, spanning everything from baby care to electronics.
Shoppers can unlock 10 per cent savings using ICICI and SBI credit and debit cards, including EMI options.
Last year's Prime Day marked Amazon India's biggest ever, with a 24 per cent increase in Prime member participation and record sign-ups, highlighting growing demand across the country.
'It's the best time to become a Prime member,' he added.