Amazon is stretching its annual Prime Day to four days, from July 8 to 11, as it works to overwhelm the mid-year retail calendar and secure interest of younger consumers.
The extension, which doubles last year’s two-day event, is a celebratory nod to Prime Day’s 10-year milestone with a goal to boost shopper engagement, flush out stagnant inventory, and fend off an aggressive lineup of retail challengers, from Walmart and Target to TikTok Shop and Temu.
“We’re extending it to four days because our members have told us they just need more time to shop the deals,” said Jamil Ghani, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide Prime.
That added time may also be Amazon’s way of pulling more money from shoppers already walking a tightrope between inflation and digital temptation.
In 2024, consumers in the U.S. spent $14.2 billion during Prime Day, an 11% climb from the year before, Adobe Analytics reported. The average household shelled out $152, and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) use surged by 16.4%, reflecting how financial pressure is fuelling alternative spending strategies.
Mobile purchases made up nearly 50% of all sales, while social media platforms emerged as key traffic funnels, second only to paid display ads.
TikTok Shop is drawing in younger spenders with its own flash deals, slashing prices on tech, clothes, and dorm-room essentials.
ByteDance’s U.S. retail arm is promoting “Deals For You Days” to coincide with Amazon’s big week, while Walmart is running “Deals Days” and Temu has launched “Temu Week,” offering up to 90% off select goods.
However, Amazon is actively recruiting the next generation of loyalists by offering discounted Prime memberships to people aged 18 to 24. This is paired with youth-oriented perks like free Audible trials, Grubhub+ access, and exclusive product drops, often promoted by influencers embedded within Gen Z’s algorithmic feeds.
To keep shoppers glued to their carts, Amazon will unleash “Today’s Big Deals” every day and introduce new offers every five minutes during high-traffic periods. The goal is to maintain a steady dopamine drip of urgency and novelty.
Retail experts see the shift not just as a longer sale, but as a broader signal that Amazon is adapting its retail machinery to meet evolving consumer expectations.
“There’s real uncertainty about how global economic shifts and potential tariffs might impact both product availability and pricing in the coming months,” said Rob Garf, senior vice president at retail intelligence firm Cordial. “Amazon wants to front-load those sales while they can.”
