Amazon packages on Prime delivery vans in New York last year. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
key takeaways:
- Amazon’s four-day Prime Day sale ends June 26 as shoppers seek more discounts amid higher gas prices in the wake of the Iran war.
- Adobe expects U.S. consumers to spend $26.3 billion online during the event, up 9% from last year’s four-day sales.
- Shoppers are planning to compare prices between retailers and use AI tools, many of which require discounts of at least 30%.
Patrice Kihlken Amazon.com Inc. She used to be excited about U.S.’s annual Prime Day sale because she found the deals to be “really good.” This year she will browse the site for costumes and art supplies, but she will only buy them if the price is right. She’s keeping an eye on the prices and taking screenshots to make sure.
“A couple of times over the years, something has happened that I’m thinking about and I’m like, ‘Maybe for Prime Day,’ and then you get to Prime Day, and it’s the same price it was two weeks ago,” said Kihlken, 65, who recently moved to Ohio from Texas.
Frustrated by high gas prices in the wake of the Iran war, shoppers have high hopes for deep discounts on Prime Day, which runs for four days ending on June 26. Interest in the event – now in its 12th year – remains strong. Nearly 90% of Amazon Prime customers plan to shop in the sale, according to a survey conducted in April by marketing agency Tinuity Inc.
But they will also surf the web and use artificial intelligence tools to find the best deals. According to Tinuity’s survey, more than 7 in 10 shoppers said they had to discount products by at least 30% for them to be considered a good deal, while 1 in 5 considered at least half off as a good discount.
Adobe Inc., a company that tracks visits to retail websites. According to , US consumers will spend $26.3 billion online with Amazon and other retailers during the event, up 9% from four-day sales in July last year. The discounts are expected to be in line with last year, when apparel and electronics sellers offered discounts of around 23%. Adobe expects back-to-school apparel to be a leading category.
Finding good deals on school supplies during Prime Day has become an annual tradition for Texas teacher Savannah Lopez, who typically leaves about $300 to prepare for the new school year. These purchases have become more important, he said, as government funding for classroom supplies has declined.
“When I started teaching eight years ago, they used to give us $50 to go to Educational Outfitters for things you want for your classroom,” Lopez said. “But now the budgets are really low, and they don’t do it anymore.”
To increase her accountability, Lopez keeps track of supplies throughout the year, shares classroom wish lists online and compares prices through teacher groups and Facebook Marketplace.
According to a survey by Numerator, which tracks online spending, nearly half of shoppers said inflation is a factor driving them to look for deals on Prime Day. The average household plans to spend about $187 during Prime Day and will compare prices at competing sites such as Walmart Inc., Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp., according to the survey.
If the deals aren’t impressive enough, Kihlken has a backup plan: “I’m just going to save up.”
Amazon is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America and No. 1 on the TT Top 50 list of the largest global freight companies. It is ranked 15th on the TT100 list of the largest private carriers in North America.
Walmart and Costco ranked No. 1 and 53, respectively, on the private carrier list.
