Latest news with #PrimeDay
Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Business
- Canada News.Net
Online shopping soars on deep summer deals, Adobe reports
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. shoppers rushed to cash in on early back-to-school bargains this past week, driving a massive US$24.1 billion in online spending from July 8 to 11 — a surge that exceeded industry forecasts and cemented July as a new retail high point. The shopping period, often referred to as "Black Friday in Summer," featured major deal events, including Amazon Prime Day and other promotions across large retailers. According to Adobe Analytics, online sales grew by 30.3 percent, outpacing its original projection of 28.4 percent. In comparison, online retail sales during the same stretch last year totalled $14.2 billion, an 11 percent annual increase. "Prime Day has now clearly become a 'back-to-school' shopping moment," Adobe said, with consumers eager to snap up essentials early — and at steep discounts. Multiple major retailers extended their sales events and widened discount categories, luring shoppers to spend on higher-ticket items they might otherwise avoid. Amazon, for instance, doubled its usual 48-hour Prime Day window to 96 hours, offering aggressive markdowns on everything from electronics to clothing. Adobe said discounts across U.S. retailers ranged from 11 percent to 24 percent, slightly higher than previous forecasts. Apparel saw the steepest cuts at 24 percent, up from 20 percent last year, while electronics held steady at 23 percent. Mobile devices accounted for 53.2 percent of online purchases, surpassing Adobe's forecast of 52.5 percent. This indicates growing consumer comfort with shopping on the go. The surge comes amid economic uncertainty, with rising trade tensions and tariff deadlines under the Trump administration pushing both consumers and businesses to act early on significant purchases.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Zepto Cafe cools; Ecommerce sales pick up
Happy Wednesday! Zepto's 10-minute food delivery arm has scaled down operations due to multiple hurdles. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch. Also in the letter: ■ Indian AI startups take US flight ■ ETtech Done Deals■ Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth Zepto Cafe scales down amid sourcing, staffing hurdles Zepto Cafe, the 10-minute food delivery arm of quick commerce firm Zepto, is scaling down operations as it battles supply chain issues and a shortage of trained kitchen staff. The slowdown comes just as rivals Blinkit's Bistro and Swiggy's Snacc push deeper into key urban markets. By the numbers: Daily order volumes fell to 65,000–67,000 in May and June, down from 120,000–130,000 at their peak. Back in February, founder and CEO Aadit Palicha had claimed on LinkedIn that the service had crossed 100,000 daily orders. Zepto pulled the plug on Cafe operations at 44 of roughly 1,000 dark stores in May. Behind the scenes: The company has hit pause on several fried items as it retools its kitchen workflows. Suppliers say Zepto Cafe has cut back on order volumes and delayed pickups, with some reporting a fall in monthly order value from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 40–50 lakh. Also Read: Govt may increase scrutiny on quick commerce firms following hygiene, food safety issues What's next: As Zepto trims its cash burn and recalibrates, the company is in talks with investors, including General Catalyst and Avenir Growth, to raise $500 million ahead of a planned IPO in 2026. Also Read: Quick commerce fires up record discounts with rivals getting quicker Mid-year ecomm sales spike sets the stage for cracking festive season Ecommerce order volumes during the recent sale window rose 19% over the same time last year, well ahead of the sector's annual growth rate of 10–12% in 2024. Deep discounts helped fuel demand across various categories, including smart TVs, headphones, air conditioners, kids' essentials, and luggage. Bright ecommerce outlook: The July 11-14 sale window saw overlapping campaigns from marketplaces like Amazon India, Flipkart, and a clutch of D2C brands. Analysts say this burst of activity could boost performance in the ongoing quarter, offering a breather amid what has otherwise been a sluggish period for ecommerce. Uptick in sales: Brands such as boAt, Eume, Uppercase, Atomberg, Solara and Zouk reported a strong jump in gains. Pradeep Krishnakumar, founder of fashion brand Zouk, said, 'Typically, Prime Day is seen as a play for legacy brands and for discounts. We saw something slightly different…that Zouk as a brand actually grew more than the category.' Festive sale preparations: Several executives said this sale window effectively kicked off festive season preparations, with brands ramping up supply chains, launching new products, and pushing fresh categories. Many are now revising their Diwali forecasts upwards, looking to stock up in line with the current surge in demand. Also Read: Ecommerce platforms target tier-2 and tier-3 cities for festive sales growth in India Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: ETtech Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and employees. The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: Interested? Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship opportunities. Scoring with AI not enough to crack US enterprise code Indian artificial intelligence (AI) startups heading to the US in search of growth are running into new roadblocks, founders and investors told ET. Fierce competition and slower decision-making are making it harder to close deals and run pilots. Moving timelines: Sales cycles that once lasted 6–9 months are now dragging on to 12–18, as enterprises test multiple solutions and delay fresh engagements, said Pradeep Ayyagari, cofounder of agentic platform SnowMountain AI, told ET. Venk Krishnan, founder of IT firm NuWare, added that big companies in the US now face pitches from 20 firms offering nearly identical products. Too little time: Firms don't have enough time to demo with every firm that approaches them. The market is 'equally miserable' for buyers, another founder, Vivek Khandelwal said. The field has become too noisy, confusing the buyers as well. Strategic partnerships: To cut through the clutter, startups are relying on investor networks and domain experts for warm introductions, while many founders are spending extended time in the US to stay close to customers and iterate more quickly. Keeping Count Other Top Stories By Our Reporters Shivali Goyal and Pritish Gupta, founders, Trupeer AI Trupeer AI bags $3 million: Trupeer AI, an AI video platform, has raised $3 million in seed funding from early-stage investor RTP Global, with participation from Salesforce Ventures and angel investors. Voice AI startup Navana AI raises Rs 7 crore: has developed three products: a voice AI contact centre, a speech recognition API, and the contact centre intelligence API. The company currently has more than 40 clients supporting voice bots in over 12 languages across the country. A Shux-cess: After 18 days in space, Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla felt gravity again on Tuesday. Stepping out of the Dragon capsule with a smile and the Indian flag on his shoulder, Shukla, or Shux, became the second Indian to travel to space and the first to enter the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission. WeWork India's road to IPO: WeWork India Management, the country's largest premium flexible workspace operator by revenue, has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to launch its initial public offering. Global Picks We Are Reading ■ Microsoft and OpenAI's AGI fight is bigger than a contract (Wired) ■ xAI says it has fixed Grok 4's problematic responses (TechCrunch) ■ How BYD caught up with Tesla in the global EV race (FT) Updated On Jul 16, 2025, 07:16 AM IST
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Mid-year ecommerce sales spike sets the stage for cracking festive season
Ecommerce order volumes during the recent sale period grew 19% compared with a year earlier, according to market trackers and sharp discounts-driven rise in consumer demand, across categories such as smart TVs, headphones, air conditioners, kids' essentials, and luggage, is seen setting the tone for the festive season that starts in September, according to brands and industry July 11-14 sale window, which saw overlapping campaigns from marketplaces like Amazon India and Flipkart as well as direct-to-consumer brands, marked a notable uptick in volumes, according to ecommerce software company Unicommerce. Analysts say this momentum could help lift performance in the current quarter, offering some respite amid a broader slowdown in ecommerce tier-I and metro cities saw a 15% year-on-year rise in order volumes, tier-II and tier-III cities recorded faster growth at 21% and 22%, respectively during this year's sale period compared to 2024, Unicommerce assumes significance as ecommerce companies look to rebound from sluggish growth last year, when the sector posted 10-12% annual growth as per a Bain-Flipkart report, compared with 20-30% till a few years sale events – such as Amazon 's Great Indian Festival Sale and Flipkart's The Big Billion Days – during the festive season typically account for almost half of the gross merchandise value these companies report in a for Flipkart and Amazon India said the platforms posted strong growth in consumer electronics, smartphones, beauty, fashion and other categories during the recent events.'Premium segments are performing exceptionally well, with high-end smartphones, TVs and consumer electronics showing double-digit growth led by Samsung, Apple, Sony , Lenovo and OnePlus,' an Amazon India spokesperson said.'TVs perform better during this (sale) period because they are appliances that people plan to buy and often wait for the best deals,' ecommerce consultancy firm Datum Intelligence's Satish Meena said. 'Tablets saw some increase – better than smartphones – but still remained under 10%. Standard headphones, on the other hand, have performed very well this time too. Even air-conditioner sales have exceeded expectations, despite the summer not being particularly strong.'Consumer electronics company Boat, luggage makers Eume and Uppercase, home appliances brand Atomberg, kitchen equipment manufacturer Solara and fashion brand Zouk posted strong sales during the July sale saw a rise in sales during Prime Day, with overall growth in the audio category expected to exceed 20%, said the IPO-bound company's chief operating officer, Gaurav Nayyar. Kitchen appliance startup Beyond Appliances said it recorded a fivefold increase in sales over the last two days compared with business-as-usual (BAU).Atomberg saw double-digit growth in fan sales during the sale period, while its mixer grinder category posted an eightfold increase in volumes, the Mumbai-based consumer appliances maker Krishnakumar, founder of fashion brand Zouk, said its sales rose fourfold across marketplaces compared with usual business levels. Shreyans Jain, cofounder of sports nutrition startup Nutrabay, said it saw a threefold jump in sales compared with BAU and a 43% increase over last year's brand Uppercase witnessed a sixfold jump in sales during the sale period compared to normal days, with year-on-year growth of nearly 80%. Eume said its revenue for Q1 FY26 is roughly 80 % higher than the previous quarter and it expects a similar momentum in Q2.'We usually give a discount of 15-20% on a BAU day and during this promotion period, that will go anywhere between 40% and 45% depending on the stock that we have of the particular product. So, if we want to liquidate, this is the right time,' said Uppercase cofounder and managing director Sudip executives said these sales marked the beginning of festive season preparations, with brands now ramping up their supply efforts with new product launches and category push.'One aspect of preparation is very supply-focused, where I think a lot of the inbounding of products into warehouses will start in about a month. We have a bunch of new products for the festive season that we will be launching,' Krishnakumar of fashion brand Zouk are now revising their estimates for Diwali based on the current demand to have enough inventory ahead of the event.'Diwali is our key focus, and these numbers have prompted us to re-forecast for the year. Last year was relatively slow for both Amazon and the broader market, but this time, Prime Day is shaping up to be a strong indicator for the upcoming festive season. The positive signals we're seeing now are the reason we're recalibrating our plans,' said Solara's founder and chief executive Gopal Ghose said the company has new product launches planned for the festive season, which also coincides with peak travel months, a period when categories like check-in luggage are expected to see strong Ventures-backed kids' personal care brand Tuco Intelligent, which said it saw a twofold increase in sales, said it plans to launch new gifting SKUs in skincare, lotions, and makeup in time for Diwali.'Overall, consumer spending is returning to the market, so we can expect higher spending during the Diwali sales,' said Datum's Meena.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Mid-year ecommerce sales spike sets the stage for cracking festive season
ETtech Ecommerce order volumes during the recent sale period grew 19% compared with a year earlier, according to market trackers and sharp discounts-driven rise in consumer demand, across categories such as smart TVs, headphones, air conditioners, kids' essentials, and luggage, is seen setting the tone for the festive season that starts in September, according to brands and industry analysts. The July 11-14 sale window, which saw overlapping campaigns from marketplaces like Amazon India and Flipkart as well as direct-to-consumer brands, marked a notable uptick in volumes, according to ecommerce software company Unicommerce. Analysts say this momentum could help lift performance in the current quarter, offering some respite amid a broader slowdown in ecommerce growth. While tier-I and metro cities saw a 15% year-on-year rise in order volumes, tier-II and tier-III cities recorded faster growth at 21% and 22%, respectively during this year's sale period compared to 2024, Unicommerce assumes significance as ecommerce companies look to rebound from sluggish growth last year, when the sector posted 10-12% annual growth as per a Bain-Flipkart report, compared with 20-30% till a few years ago. The sale events – such as Amazon's Great Indian Festival Sale and Flipkart's The Big Billion Days – during the festive season typically account for almost half of the gross merchandise value these companies report in a year. Spokespeople for Flipkart and Amazon India said the platforms posted strong growth in consumer electronics, smartphones, beauty, fashion and other categories during the recent events. 'Premium segments are performing exceptionally well, with high-end smartphones, TVs and consumer electronics showing double-digit growth led by Samsung, Apple, Sony, Lenovo and OnePlus,' an Amazon India spokesperson said. 'TVs perform better during this (sale) period because they are appliances that people plan to buy and often wait for the best deals,' ecommerce consultancy firm Datum Intelligence's Satish Meena said. 'Tablets saw some increase – better than smartphones – but still remained under 10%. Standard headphones, on the other hand, have performed very well this time too. Even air-conditioner sales have exceeded expectations, despite the summer not being particularly strong.' Keeping count Consumer electronics company Boat, luggage makers Eume and Uppercase, home appliances brand Atomberg, kitchen equipment manufacturer Solara and fashion brand Zouk posted strong sales during the July sale saw a rise in sales during Prime Day, with overall growth in the audio category expected to exceed 20%, said the IPO-bound company's chief operating officer, Gaurav Nayyar. Kitchen appliance startup Beyond Appliances said it recorded a fivefold increase in sales over the last two days compared with business-as-usual (BAU).Atomberg saw double-digit growth in fan sales during the sale period, while its mixer grinder category posted an eightfold increase in volumes, the Mumbai-based consumer appliances maker Krishnakumar, founder of fashion brand Zouk, said its sales rose fourfold across marketplaces compared with usual business levels. Shreyans Jain, cofounder of sports nutrition startup Nutrabay, said it saw a threefold jump in sales compared with BAU and a 43% increase over last year's brand Uppercase witnessed a sixfold jump in sales during the sale period compared to normal days, with year-on-year growth of nearly 80%. Eume said its revenue for Q1 FY26 is roughly 80 % higher than the previous quarter and it expects a similar momentum in Q2.'We usually give a discount of 15-20% on a BAU day and during this promotion period, that will go anywhere between 40% and 45% depending on the stock that we have of the particular product. So, if we want to liquidate, this is the right time,' said Uppercase cofounder and managing director Sudip Ghose. Prep for festive sales Several executives said these sales marked the beginning of festive season preparations, with brands now ramping up their supply efforts with new product launches and category push.'One aspect of preparation is very supply-focused, where I think a lot of the inbounding of products into warehouses will start in about a month. We have a bunch of new products for the festive season that we will be launching,' Krishnakumar of fashion brand Zouk are now revising their estimates for Diwali based on the current demand to have enough inventory ahead of the event.'Diwali is our key focus, and these numbers have prompted us to re-forecast for the year. Last year was relatively slow for both Amazon and the broader market, but this time, Prime Day is shaping up to be a strong indicator for the upcoming festive season. The positive signals we're seeing now are the reason we're recalibrating our plans,' said Solara's founder and chief executive Gopal Ghose said the company has new product launches planned for the festive season, which also coincides with peak travel months, a period when categories like check-in luggage are expected to see strong Ventures-backed kids' personal care brand Tuco Intelligent, which said it saw a twofold increase in sales, said it plans to launch new gifting SKUs in skincare, lotions, and makeup in time for Diwali.'Overall, consumer spending is returning to the market, so we can expect higher spending during the Diwali sales,' said Datum's Meena. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Leadership shakeups cloud Ola Electric's revival attempts Trent trips on the ramp. Is it still worth the splurge or time to change brands? Just before the Air India crash, did India avert another deadly mishap? Can Indian IT protect its high valuation as AI takes centre stage? Stock Radar: Why is Hindustan Zinc looking good for a short-term bounce after falling over 35% from highs? These large-caps have 'strong buy' & 'buy' recos and an upside potential of more than 25% Buy, Sell or Hold: Motilal Oswal maintains buy rating on HCL Tech; ICICI Securities maintains sell call on Tata Technologies Consolidation: An opportunity or threat? Depends on…. 5 mid-cap stocks from different sectors with upside potential of over 26%
Indianapolis Star
5 hours ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
What did people buy during Amazon Prime Day? These were the 20 most popular picks
Amazon Prime Day 2025 shattered records, expectations and my sleep schedule. Running from Tuesday, July 8 through Friday, July 11, this year's first-ever four-day sales event was the biggest in Amazon's history, with U.S. shoppers spending an estimated $24.1 billion, according to Adobe Analytics. But what exactly did people buy? While popular tech deals like Apple AirPods Pro 2 and home essentials like Bissell vacuums predictably topped the charts for our readers, some of the most popular items were surprisingly quirky and incredibly useful, like this portable neck fan. Now that we're all coming down from the week-long shopping craze, I've rounded up the best-selling Prime Day deals from the July 2025 sale, according to our readers. Check out the most popular items below. Spoiler alert: Some Prime Day deals are still live, so you have a little more time to save! The AirPods Pro 2 come with Active Noise Cancellation and are currently the lowest price of the year. Shop this Prime Day deal to get the earbuds for less than $150! Save 40% at Amazon More: Apple AirPods Pro 2 are still under $150: Shop the best deals at Amazon Never eat undercooked meat again with this easy-to-use digital meat thermometer. Save 35% at Amazon Make yard clean-up a breeze with this standing weed puller. Buy at Amazon Over 100,000 people have purchased these pore pads multiple times, which tells you that they work! Save 52% at Amazon Get the best-selling garden hose with 90,000 reviews for less than $70 at Amazon during Prime Day 2025. Save 37% at Amazon This popular portable tire inflator is still on sale post-Amazon Prime Day! Save 34% at Amazon This portable neck fan might be your answer to how you can beat the scorching summer heat. Get it for less than $27 at Amazon. Save 33% at Amazon Save on the top-rated set of Apple AirTags that are super helpful for keeping track of your valuables. Save 19% at Amazon More: ⌚️ The top-selling Apple Watch Series 10 is still $120 off at Amazon 30,000 people bought this top-rated handheld vacuum last month. Get it at Amazon today. Buy at Amazon With this portable luggage scale, you'll never have to worry about your checked bag meeting its weight requirements again. Save 23% at Amazon Get this editor-approved outdoor tool on sale for less than $40 at Amazon. Save 33% at Amazon More: 🛠️ 5 editor-approved Prime Day tool deals: Save up to 51% on DeWalt, Ryobi, Fanttik Snuggle up in one of Amazon's coziest products and save 38% on the viral marshmallow blanket loved by Amazon shoppers, editors and TikTok users alike. Save 38% at Amazon More: I own this fluffy marshmallow blanket in 3 colors—get it for 38% off at Amazon ☁️ Save on the super popular Crest 3D Whitestrips with this best-selling Amazon deal. Save 15% at Amazon Everyone raves about this powerful multi-use cleaner, including USA TODAY Shopping editors! Shop this Prime Day deal today to save 22%. Save 22% at Amazon Dash kitchen appliances are some of the cutest things. This easy ice cream maker is no exception. Save 11% at Amazon Get the top-selling Waterpik Aquarius on sale for an insane post-Prime Day discount. Save 40% at Amazon This golf rangefinder has a range of 5-1200 yards with an accuracy of 0.5 yards. Get it for less than $90 at Amazon. Save 31% at Amazon More: Spoil yourself with Amazon Prime Day deals that are actually worth it Save 20% on this brush with 23,000 Amazon reviews right now. Save 20% at Amazon Save on two Kasa Smart Plugs and turn your house into a smart home on a budget! Save 5% at Amazon This portable charger was a top-selling during Amazon's 2025 Prime Day sale. Buy at Amazon More: Prime Day Apple deals are the lowest prices of 2025. Here's what you can still buy The 2025 Amazon Prime Day sale started on Tuesday, July 8 and ended on Friday, July 11. USA TODAY Shopping covers all the hottest product launches, best sales and more, so be sure to follow along! Yes, you must be an Amazon Prime member to access the exclusive Prime Day deals. The July Prime Day sale has tons of special Prime-exclusive discounts on select products that can help members save more than anyone else. Plus, joining Prime helps guarantee you get other perks like fast shipping all year long, access to Prime Video, Prime Reading, Prime Gaming and more. → More: Is an Amazon Prime membership worth it? Here's what you need to know New members can try one week of Amazon Prime benefits for just $1.99. After that, Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Sign up for an Amazon Prime membership to get exclusive perks and benefits all year. Join Amazon Prime
