With Amazon Prime Day One Week Away, Competitors’ Sales Are Missing

With Independence Day now in the rearview mirror, Americans — and shoppers around the world — are gearing up for the next big summer holiday: Amazon Prime Day, set for July 12-13 in more than three dozen countries.

At a time when cash-strapped shoppers are hunting for bargains and looking for deals on everything they can amid rising inflation rates and a slowed supply chain, most competitors of the world’s largest retailer have chosen not to launch their own sales this year, unlike what has been done in the past.

Best Buy temporarily slashed prices on a slew of TVs, laptops, appliances, furniture and other tech to kick off the long July 4 weekend, but other than Target, there haven’t been too many other retailers stepping into the arena to compete with Amazon this year.

Only about one-third of Walmart’s customers were even aware that the company offered Walmart+ Weekend in early June, compared to almost 94% of Amazon shoppers making their lists and checking them twice in anticipation of this year’s Amazon Prime Day offerings.

Last year, Walmart and Target both announced their own multi-day sales immediately on the heels of Amazon’s annual Prime Day announcement, so this year’s silence, especially from Walmart, has been noteworthy.

Related: Amazon, Target Leverage Deal Days to Drive Grocery Sales

In addition to thousands of Prime Day deals, Amazon has also been offering Prime members 20% off “select everyday essentials” from U.S. Amazon Fresh stores since last week. Whole Foods Market shoppers who have the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card are included in an Amazon-wide offer of 6% cashback this month and 5% year-round.

Target Deal Days shoppers will get a $10 Target gift card toward $50 food and beverage purchases during the three-day offering on July 11-13. Unlike Amazon’s Prime Day and Walmart’s Walmart+ weekend, there is “no membership fee required” to access Target Deal Days offers.

PYMNTS research from Amazon and Walmart’s 2021 deal days found that 104 million consumers participated in Amazon Prime Days last year, more than twice Walmart’s 50 million Deal Days participants, and Amazon brought in an estimated $15.4 billion compared to Walmart’s $5.5 billion.