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Traditionally, the summer is a slower time for retail, with sales in the U.S. typically centered around key holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. In the summer of 2015, Amazon changed everything when it introduced Amazon Prime Day, its own all-purpose summer shopping holiday exclusively for Amazon Prime members. This helped the marketplace giant in two ways: it increased sales during a lull, and it provided an additional incentive to become an Amazon Prime member.
Most European countries offer summer sales that last up to four weeks. France has French Summer Sales that start the last Wednesday in June. Knowing this, Amazon included nine countries in the original Prime Day: the U.S., U.K., Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, and Austria. The event was a huge success and caught the attention of other major retailers, prompting them to create their own summer sale events to compete, extending their Fourth of July specials or their own events to last more than a day. As a result, Amazon Prime Day—now expanded to more than 20 countries—lasts two days, with early deals promoted on multiple channels.
Who are the current major players in the mix?
- Walmart: Walmart Plus Week offers discounts on gas, travel bookings, and early access to new products. It’s in June, so it’s a strategic move to beat Amazon Prime Day to the punch.
- Target: The Target Circle Week sale is the week before Amazon Prime Day – recognizing that summer serves as a precursor to back-to-school shopping, it’s an ideal time to hook customers.
- Best Buy: Best Buy extends its Fourth of July sale with additional sales that align with Amazon Prime Day. Additionally, it offers Top Deals, Outlet Deals, and Deals of the Day, including eight Bonus Deals of the Day.
- Macy’s: Macy’s semi-annual sales in January and June offer 25%–75% discounts. In addition, Macy’s now offers two more sales targeting consumers in the retail space: Macy’s Black Friday in July Sale the week prior to Amazon Prime Day, and All-Star Week, running July 16-23, 2024.
These tactics capitalize on consumers’ fear of missing out, prompting them to check all major sales, similar to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The power of memberships
While these retailers may not see huge profits during these sales due to heavy discounts, they focus on driving annual memberships. Why? Because loyal customers are more valuable in the long run. Walmart Plus attracts higher-income households that historically eluded Walmart, and Target offers a 50% discount on its Target Circle 360 membership during Target Circle Week to help boost membership. These membership programs not only foster loyalty but also provide valuable customer data.
Reports from various news outlets indicate that Amazon may have reached a saturation point with new memberships. While they cannot afford to drop Amazon Prime Day due to existing members, we can expect something new to come from them soon.
Amazon Prime Day continues to break single day sales records. Digital Commerce 360 reports that Amazon Prime Day in 2023 reached $12.7 billion in sales.
In summary
Amazon Prime Day has transformed the summer landscape, turning it into the next Cyber Monday for retailers. As the competition heats up, consumers benefit from more choices and better deals. So, whether you’re browsing Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, or exploring alternatives – this summer holds some exciting opportunities for discounted shopping!
Merchants and marketplaces: Remember, it’s not just about the discounts. It’s about the experience and convenience that keep customers coming back.
When the summer sales are over, the job has just begun for these marketplace vendors. They still need to fulfill the orders, handle returns and chargebacks, and finally make payouts to all the marketplace vendors, all of which put pressure on all those systems and employees.
Fun closing fact: Amazon only ranks #3 in Digital Commerce 360’s new 2023 Global Online Marketplaces Report. Check it out.
ACI Fraud Management for Merchants 
Terry is a seasoned marketing professional with over 30 years of experience. While he has worked in payments for only five years, he has experience with both eCommerce and omnichannel merchants as well as with payment intermediaries. He enjoys building and repairing things with his hands and coming up with innovative ideas to solve complex problems.
