5 things to watch for this Prime Day

The Amazon Effect // June 22, 2026 5 things to watch for this Prime Day By Allison Smith Ivy Liu Amazon’s Prime Day event is returning June 23-26, marking the second year in a row that the company has stretched the sale to four days. But this year’s event comes with another major change.

Amazon moved Prime Day up by several weeks, turning what has traditionally been a July shopping event into the unofficial kickoff to the summer sales season. Prime Day arrives against a backdrop of economic uncertainty.

Gas prices have soared since the start of the war in Iran, and while a peace deal has arrived, the national average for regular gas is above $4 a gallon. Meanwhile, Americans’ paychecks have failed to keep up with inflation, dampening consumer confidence. And yet, consumers are still opening their wallets. U. S.

retail sales rose in May, beating expectations. That resilience could help fuel another busy Prime Day. Sellers also appear more upbeat than they were a year ago. Many sellers told Modern Retail that tariff concerns have eased compared to last summer, giving them more confidence heading into one of Amazon’s biggest shopping events of the year.

At the same time, brands remain cautious about profitability. Prime Day is expected to generate more than $26 billion in online sales across retailers during the four-day event, according to eMarketer forecasts. Here are five things to watch. Consumer participation is rising, but shoppers want real deals Amazon appears poised to draw more shoppers this year.

According to marketing platform Omnisend, 55% of consumers say they plan to shop Prime Day this year, up from 45% last year. Marketing agency Tinuiti likewise found that 88% of Prime members intend to participate, up from 81% a year ago.

Two-thirds of Omnisend’s respondents said they expect to spend the same amount or more than they did during last year’s Prime Day. Apparel and electronics rank among the most popular planned purchases, while a sizable share of consumers also said they intend to stock up on groceries and household essentials.

Still, many consumers say they are holding out for deeper discounts than usual. Roughly one in five shoppers view 50% off as the minimum threshold for a good deal, while a similar share want at least 40% off, according to Tinuiti. Consumers have become increasingly savvy about finding deals, according to Sky Canaves, principal analyst at eMarketer.

“There’s always a huge emphasis on discounts, and consumers become savvier and savvier about how to find them,” she said. “They will check prices across retailers, they’ll turn to social media review sites for advice on the best deals, and then they’ll increasingly use Amazon’s own tools, such as new AI-powered price tracking or price history features.”

Indeed, Amazon has made it easier than ever for customers to track prices thanks to its revamped Alexa for Shopping chatbot. The updated shopping assistant lets users track up to a year of price history.

Earlier this year, The Information reported that Amazon would implement new pricing rules ahead of Prime Day to prevent sellers from offering misleading promotions. Everyday essentials will remain a major draw Amazon is leaning heavily into grocery and household savings this year.

The company is promoting deals on fresh foods and other everyday items as it tries to encourage shoppers to buy more frequently from Amazon. For example, Amazon is touting fresh pantry and produce staples priced at $3 or less, with some items as low as $1.

Amazon is also offering 40% off its $99 annual grocery subscription plan for Prime members who are not current subscribers. Brad Jashinsky, director analyst at Gartner, said Amazon’s unusually heavy emphasis on grocery promotions stands out compared to previous Prime Day events.

He said the retailer appears to be using Prime Day to build momentum around grocery delivery and compete more directly with Walmart and traditional supermarket chains. Amazon has made grocery a major focus across recent earnings calls, announcements and delivery initiatives. “There’s never been this big of a focus on grocery,” Jashinsky said.

Amazon is betting that shoppers will use Prime Day to stock up on everyday necessities rather than splurge on expensive items. “We have seen the gradual shift of Prime Day away from being a very consumer electronics or bigger-ticket purchase focused event into more grocery, household essentials, personal care and beauty,” Canaves said.

The numbers back that up. More than half of Prime Day shoppers say they plan to buy products they would have purchased anyway, according to Tinuiti. Meanwhile, the average amount shoppers spend per item during Prime Day has fallen steadily over the past several years. Average spend per unit was down 27. 3% in 2025 compared to 20