Is Prime Day Losing Its Spark? Early Numbers Say Shoppers Aren’t Impressed
Reports show a huge day-one sales drop compared to the first day of Prime Day in July 2024.
Amazon’s Prime Day used to feel like an adrenaline rush—fast, loud, and full of can’t-miss deals. But this year, the vibe is noticeably different.
The sale officially kicked off Tuesday, July 8, and for the first time, Amazon stretched the event from two days to four. The thinking behind the change is to give shoppers more breathing room to explore, compare, and buy at their pace. But early signs suggest that the strategy isn’t paying off, at least not yet.
According to data from Momentum Commerce, which manages over $7 billion in annual Amazon sales for brands like Crocs and Beats, day one of Prime Day 2025 saw a 41% drop in sales compared to last year’s kickoff. That’s not just a slow start; it’s a real sign of hesitation from shoppers.
“Shoppers are hunting, not buying,” said Momentum CEO John Shea. With a longer window to score deals, customers are hesitating, carting items, but waiting to see if prices drop further. That urgency that used to define Prime Day is noticeably missing.
People Are Still Shopping. But, Just Not the Way They Used To.
But more cracks are showing in the way people are shopping: According to consumer data firm Numerator, low-ticket items are dominating. Nearly two-thirds of Prime Day purchases on day one were under $20. Just 3% topped $100. Even the average order value dropped slightly, from $60.03 last year to $57.12. Purchases like a big-screen TV are staying on the wishlist. Instead, people are stocking up on dish soap and protein shakes.
Sentiment on social media also seems lukewarm. MarketWatch polls on X, Instagram, and WhatsApp found that a majority of users either weren’t shopping at all or were just window-shopping. That lack of urgency, that sense of “maybe I’ll check later,” is exactly what Amazon’s four-day strategy may have unintentionally encouraged.
Momentum also pointed to another factor that could be cooling things off: tariffs and pricing uncertainty. According to the firm, discounts were smaller this year, averaging 21%, down from 24% in 2024. Behind the scenes, brands are reportedly being more cautious with pricing and ad spend due to ongoing supply chain and trade policy disruptions.
Amazon, for its part, isn’t buying the bad news. A spokesperson dismissed the numbers as “highly inaccurate,” while VP Jamil Ghani told Bloomberg it’s “very early” and that the company is “pleased” with customer engagement so far.
Whether sales are or it's just the elongated 4-day effect, understanding the context matters. This year’s Prime Day falls closer to Father’s Day and July 4th sales. It also faces stiff competition from rival events as Walmart, Wayfair, and Target run parallel sales simultaneously to Prime Day for the first time.
But the early numbers reported by Adobe Analytics said that overall U.S. online sales on Tuesday hit $7.9 billion, up 9.9% from last year’s Prime Day opener. That suggests consumers are still spending, just not exclusively on Amazon.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
Despite this grim outlook, Momentum hasn’t ruled out a comeback. Shea said their clients could still finish Prime Day 9.1% ahead of last year’s total if enough people follow through on those abandoned carts. But that forecast is already a downgrade from the 14% growth they were projecting just a month ago.
Still, these rough early numbers may not tell the whole story. With the event still ongoing, many shoppers could be holding off until the final days to make their purchases, especially if they're waiting to see if prices dip further. It’s possible that what looks like a slow start could even out by the end of the week. As some analysts have pointed out, the longer format makes it harder to compare apples to apples with past Prime Days, which were condensed into two-day sprints.
With one day left, Amazon still has time to turn things around. But for now, it’s clear: the Prime Day magic doesn’t feel quite the same.
