Amazon Reports Record-Breaking Prime Day Sales — Retail Bum

Online U.S. sales during the Amazon Prime Day event increased by 6.1% to $12.7 billion compared to last year, with more U.S. consumers hunting for online bargain deals.

During the two-day event, Prime members bought over 375 million items globally and saved more than $2.5 billion shopping for deals — making 2023 the biggest Prime Day event in history.

On the first day, online sales increased by 6% to $6.4 billion compared to last year. And on day two, shoppers spent a collective $6.3 billion, with many seeking discounts on products such as appliances and toys even though many consumers have cut back on their non-essential purchases.

Overall, online appliances sales on July 12 were up 52% compared to the average daily sales the month before. Meanwhile, apparel sales rose by 24%, while office supplies were up 76%.

The rise in demand for stationery products and office supplies was primarily tied to the back-to-school season, according to data from Adobe Digital Insights.

“The numbers came in the range that we anticipated,” according to Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights.

“Last year, we saw discounts in the mid-single digits… (this year) we have them in the higher single digits, almost a bit into the double digits,” Pandya said.

This year, Amazon also gave customers access to discounts on booking hotels through its marketplace on Prime Day through an exclusive partnership with Priceline. Customers were given an additional 20% off on Priceline’s Hotel Express deals, which typically give them 60% off on hotels.

Originally published at https://retailbum.com on July 14, 2023.