Amazon’s decision to expand Prime Day from two days to four days this year looks like it will likely pay off despite a significant decrease in sales during the first two days. Sales during those first two days—the traditional length of the discounting event—were down 35% year-over-year, according to PMG-owned ecommerce consultancy Momentum Commerce.
Momentum Commerce’s data comes from 50 brands that account for more than $7 billion in sales on Amazon.
While Momentum Commerce’s findings do not include the final day of the sale on July 11, the data shows consumers held off on purchasing to see if there would be additional discounts later in the week. Momentum Commerce said that sales during the third day of the event were up 165% year-over-year. Consumers also added more products to their carts than they bought.
“Click-through rates are up—indicating high engagement—but conversion rates in the first half of the event are softer as shoppers wait for what they perceive to be the best deals,” said Mike Feldman, svp of commerce at Flywheel. “This isn’t fatigue—it’s a new kind of Prime Day marathon.”
Amazon did not dispute Momentum Commerce’s specific findings but noted the company’s low sample size.
“The response from customers has been very positive, and we look forward to the last day of this year’s Prime Day event,” said an Amazon spokesperson.
More deals, smaller discounts
Momentum Commerce tracked the prices of 30 million products in the U.S. during Prime Day.
The data shows that 25.3% of products sold on Amazon had a Prime Day discount during the first three days of the event, representing a 7% year-over-year increase.
However, the deals weren’t as steep as previous years. The average Prime Day discount netted out to 21.6% during the first three days of the sale, a decrease from 24.4% last year. Collectively, discounts were 11% lower than last year during the first three days of the sale, according to Momentum Commerce.
Still, some brands did offer steeper discounts as the sale progressed. The average discount on the first day of Prime Day was 22.7%, growing to 26.7% on the third day, according to Momentum Commerce.
“The urgency that used to drive conversion on day one has softened,” said Kashif Zafar, CEO of Xnurta, an AI advertising platform. “We’re seeing higher carting rates without immediate checkout, especially in mid-ticket categories like kitchenware and household goods. Consumers are clearly browsing more, clicking more, and waiting to see how deals shake out. That creates a longer runway for brands, but also a risk of wasted spend if you’re not adapting in real time.”
