Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days in October drove $9.86 billion in online sales for U.S. retailers, according to Adobe. The two-day event, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, saw a 7.3% increase in sales compared to the previous year, when it generated $9.09 billion.
Discounts Drive Sales
Discounted prices were a major factor in the sales boost, with 20% markdowns on items like computers, televisions, and electronics. Adobe noted that shoppers were focused on getting the best value for their money, with many trading up to higher-ticket items. This trend was particularly evident in electronics and personal care products, where the share of high-end items increased by 45% and 34%, respectively.
Mobile shopping played a significant role, accounting for 52% of all online sales during the event. Mobile sales grew by 12.8% year over year, reaching $5.1 billion, showing its dominance as the primary transaction channel for impulse purchases.
Pre-Holiday Boost for Retailers
The October sales events, led by Amazon, gave retailers a pre-holiday season boost. Across all categories, the share of the most expensive goods increased by 21%.
Essentials were also popular, with household cleaning products, personal hygiene items, pet food, and apparel basics seeing sales increases of 55%, 45%, 45%, and 25%, respectively. This shift in consumer behavior reflects a growing trend of early holiday shopping, which may impact November sales events. Adobe noted that the event has reshaped the holiday shopping season, prompting retailers to manage promotions and inventory more effectively to capture this pre-season spike in interest.
Competing Sales and Consumer Behavior
Amazon’s event drew competing sales from retailers like Target and Walmart. According to Numerator, half of the shoppers during Prime Big Deal Days compared prices at other retailers. However, those who bought from both Amazon and Walmart spent 8% more on Amazon, highlighting its competitive edge.
Amazon’s sales outpaced Walmart, with average household spending reaching $114, just below the $122 spent during June’s Prime Day. The event also saw household spending on Amazon nearly double what an average Tuesday and Wednesday would be, with a lift four times that of Walmart’s sale. This disparity shows Amazon’s ability to drive higher consumer engagement during its events.
Inflation played a significant role in consumer behavior, with 74% of shoppers citing it as a reason for participating in the event. Budget-conscious shoppers utilized Amazon’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) option, which accounted for 6% of total online orders, or $692.3 million. Adobe projected BNPL usage to increase as the holiday season unfolds, forecasting it would drive more than $1 billion in sales on Cyber Monday.
More than a third of shoppers completed at least half of their holiday shopping during Prime Big Deal Days, while intent to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday fell 4 and 5 points, respectively, compared with last year’s event. This early shopping surge may reduce spending in November, putting pressure on traditional sales events.
