Amazon Signals Prime Day Will Start on Oct. 13
Amazon.com has made signals over the past few weeks that Prime Day could kick off in the coming weeks, CNBC reported. The e-commerce giant confirmed in July that it would be postponing the two-day shopping event in the U.S. and said Prime Day would take place in the fourth quarter. It previously told third-party sellers to use the week of Oct. 5 as a “placeholder date” for Prime Day promotions, however, an internal Amazon email allegedly said Prime Day will take place on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, with an official announcement scheduled for Sept. 27.
CNBC reported that Amazon told its warehouse workers last week that full-time employees will not be able to submit new vacation requests between Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Amazon has also restricted brands from submitting deals during the week of Oct. 13, signaling that Prime Day will take place around that time.
Total Retail's Take: The Amazon Prime Day delay was widely expected due to the coronavirus crisis. Back in April, Amazon experienced unprecedented demand from shoppers stuck at home due to mandated lockdowns to help limit the spread of COVID-019. This increase in demand caused supply chain shortages and delivery delays, and made postponing the traditional midsummer shopping event, Prime Day, inevitable. It will be interesting to see how Amazon juggles the usual busy holiday shopping season with the move of Prime Day from July to October. However, at least one industry exec doesn't see the delay having a negative impact on the online retail giant.
“This year’s Prime Day has the makings to be one of Amazon's most successful," Sara Spivey, chief marketing officer, Braze, said in an email to Total Retail. "Consumers have shifted to digital channels, with 83 percent saying they will shop online the same or more post COVID-19, according to Braze data. Delaying Prime Day means it will hit right at the beginning of this holiday shopping season, potentially moving in on Cyber Monday’s slice of the holiday pie. With economic uncertainty looming over consumers, the coveted deals of Prime Day will mark the new unofficial start to the holiday shopping season. Retailers should anticipate a holiday season marked by a pull back in spending, with 42 percent of global consumers saying they expect to decrease their spending. Creating a cross-channel customer journey will yield the best performance for an unprecedented shopping season.”
- Companies:
- Amazon.com
- People:
- Sara Spivey
Ashley Chiaradio is the Senior Content Strategist at Total Retail. Ashley has been creating content for more than 7 years, and provides a unique insight in covering the retail industry having worked directly for retailers in the past. She’s passionate about profiling women leadership in the space.
