Amazon.com's Prime Day event will be held June 21-22, with Walmart and other major retailers joining the fray with their own sales. According to market research, the summer sales offered by Amazon and its rivals may not be as lucrative as the door-busting sales available before the holidays.
According to Adobe research, the Prime Day discounts are usually below 10% according to their analysis. This was based on data from Adobe that analyzed sales data from Amazon and other retailers starting in 2020. Their analysis revealed that Cyber Monday, an annual weekend after Thanksgiving, offers discounts twice as deep.
This may not stop shoppers from shopping on Amazon Prime Day. Adobe has reported that 6 out 10 Americans said they intend to shop during Prime Day. As the pandemic subsides, Americans are opening up their wallets like never. Adobe surveyed almost a third of respondents and found that they plan to spend some stimulus money on the shopping event.
Jason Woosley from Adobe Experience Cloud, vice president commerce product and platform, stated that Prime Day in 2019 will exceed 2020 Cyber Monday levels of spending. It's an incredible lift that took place in June.
Toys and electronics are the best categories for securing deals. Last year's Prime Day saw discounts of approximately 8% and 7% respectively, Adobe data showed. The smallest discount was at 1.2% for sporting goods.
Woosley stated that there is not much discounting. It's acceptable for retailers to do this -- they can generate buzz and not sacrifice too much.
Prime Day was first launched by Amazon in 2015. It was scheduled for July 2015 -- the same date it kept until the pandemic. Amazon moved Prime Day from July to October 2020 due to disruption. Amazon has moved Prime Day this year a month earlier than usual.
Marketing experts suggested that this could be because they don't want to share the spotlight with the 2021 Olympics. However, some experts point out the fact that moving the event to June puts the sale in the second half of the year -- which is a slow time for retailers. Amazon is also facing difficult comparisons to the year before, when many people switched to online shopping due to lockdowns, fears about brick-and mortar shopping, and fear of pandemic spreading.
Don't overlook the appeal of the final Prime Day blockbuster for Amazon founder, CEO Jeff Bezos. Andy Jassy was the previous chief executive and passed the torch to Bezos on July 5, 27, 27 years ago.
It's possible that the semiconductor shortage could impact the pricing and availability of some products that need chips, such as TVs, said Nathan Burrows, senior deals editor at the New York Times' product-recommendation site, Wirecutter. He said that goods such as game consoles, which were in short supply due to rising demand and shortages of suppliers, will likely sell at full or near-full price.
Burrows said that the rising inflation in household goods could have an effect on Prime Day. This could lead to lower discounts than in previous years. Recent data shows that prices for everything, from groceries to appliances, are rising.
Burrows stated that all of this makes it more difficult for shoppers to believe in sham deals.
Burrows says that while it may be difficult to find "legitimate sales", consumers will have more options to compare shop in the coming year.
Walmart is offering a "Deals for Days" sale, which began a day before Prime Day and will end a day later -- June 20-23. According to the retailer, it will offer electronics such as the iHome Nova Autoempty Mopping Robot at $299.00 instead of its regular $599.00 price.
Best Buy has been running their "The Bigger Deal", sale that ends June 22. Target is hosting a "Deal Days” event, which runs from June 20-22. Experts advise that consumers compare shop to avoid losing out on additional retailers' sales.
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Burrows stated that Amazon is likely to continue its tradition of offering steep discounts for its electronics such as the Echo smart speakers and Kindle e-book reader.
Wirecutter recommends that you also keep an eye out for kitchen appliances such as instant pots and coffee makers, personal hygiene appliances such electric toothbrushes, baby gear like car seats and strollers, vacuums, and headphones.
Amazon offered pre-Prime Day discounts, including $50 off the Apple Watch Series 6 GPS model (40mm) and $150 off Shark’s AI Robot Vacuum(RV2001).
Adobe's Woosley advised that you do your research before buying. He said, "Don't assume it's the most affordable deal just because it's presented to you."
