Amazon boasts record sales for Prime Day as US shoppers spend $12.7 billion on sale event

Amazon announced today that the first 24 hours of Prime Day marked the “biggest sale day in the company’s history,” and that the two-day event was “the biggest Prime Day ever.” On both days, consumers in the United States spent $12.7 billion, according to Adobe Analytics data. Adobe says this represents a 6.1% year-over-year growth, setting a new record for event sales. Amazon’s annual Prime Day event takes place on July 11 and 12 this year.

The online retail giant said shoppers bought more than 375 million items during the two-day sale event, up from 300 million items sold last year. According to Adobe, the first day of Amazon’s two-day Prime Day event saw US sales jump nearly 6% year over year to $6.4 billion. Consumers spent $6.3 billion on day two of Prime Day, up 6.4% year over year.

Shares of Amazon rose as much as 2.1% in pre-opening trading on Thursday.

Customers have spent more per order this year, with an average order size of $54.05, up from $52.26 during last year’s Prime Day event, according to the report. Numerator data company.

Amazon says Prime members have saved more this year than any other Prime Day event, as it saved more than $2.5 billion on its deals. Household goods, fashion and beauty were among the top categories in the sale event.

Adobe said sales were driven by a few different categories on day two of the sales event. Appliances were up 52% ​​from average daily sales in June. Sales of home appliances increased 27%, while electronics increased 15%. Other strong gainers included clothing, up 24%, and office supplies, up 76% in part due to back-to-school shoppers.

Interestingly, Adobe’s data also shows that consumers are increasingly comfortable shopping on smaller screens, as smartphones accounted for 44.8% of sales on the second day of the sale. goods, up from 41.5% last year.

On both days, 6.5% of orders using the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) leverage brought in $927 million in revenue, up 20% year over year. Adobe says BNPL usage continues to be driven by categories including clothing, furniture/home and electronics.

“For months, consumers have felt the impact of persistent inflation and an uncertain economic environment, and that has given a boost,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. Shoppers adopt more flexible ways to manage their spending around Prime Day.” statement. “Sales growth through Buy Now Pay Later is a preview of what we can expect in the coming months, especially as we near the end of the year shopping season.”

Amazon held its first Prime Day event in 2015 and has held it every year since. Sales events give the company the opportunity to attract new paying customers, while strengthening relationships with existing customers. Amazon also uses the sale event to advertise its own devices, such as the Echo smart speaker and the Fire tablet.

Last year, Amazon had two Prime Day sales, with the first taking place on July 12-13 and the second one above October 11-12. It’s unknown if Amazon plans to hold two Prime Day events this year.