Amazon has announced that Prime Day 2024, its biggest annual sales event, will run for four days (from July 8 to July 11) expanding from its usual two-day format. The extended sale gives shoppers more time to access exclusive deals on electronics, home goods, fashion, and more.
Jamil Ghani, Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Prime, told Reuters that the decision was driven by customer demand. “We’re extending Prime Day to four days because our members have told us they just need more time to shop the deals,” Ghani said.
The move comes as U.S. retailers brace for potential price fluctuations due to tariffs, which could impact product availability, according to Rob Garf, Senior Vice President at retail analytics firm Cordial.
Last year’s Prime Day event (July 2024) saw U.S. shoppers spend $14.2 billion, an 11% increase from the previous year, as reported by Adobe Analytics. This year, Amazon aims to surpass that figure with deeper discounts and an extended shopping window.
While Amazon dominates e-commerce, competitors like Walmart (WMT) Target (TGT), and TikTok Shop (ByteDance) are launching rival sales events to attract shoppers. These retailers are focusing on back-to-school deals and back-to-college essentials, including electronics, apparel, and home goods, to compete with Amazon Prime Day discounts.
To boost subscriptions, Amazon is offering discounted Prime memberships for users aged 18 to 24, along with additional perks. A standard Amazon Prime subscription costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, but the company hopes discounted rates will attract younger consumers ahead of Prime Day 2024.