Prime Day Sales Climb 9% as Fatigued Consumers Seek Deals

American shoppers spent more than $26.4 billion on this year’s Amazon Prime Day.

That’s a 9.3% increase over last year’s eCommerce event, Reuters reported Saturday (June 27), citing Adobe Analytics data. Retail experts chalked the increase up to high inflation combined with consumers focusing on more discretionary, long-lasting items.

Per the report, Adobe’s findings said that steep discounts during the four-day event led many shoppers to pick up higher-priced products such as electronics, toys, appliances and personal care products, which indicates that retailers might need to keep discounts in place to sell their goods during the holiday shopping season.

Beyond discounts, tax refunds “could have provided a sizable tailwind to a lot of these discretionary categories,” CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said.

The report noted that tax refunds will not be a factor for most shoppers in the fall and winter months, with refunds increasing 11.1% to $3,462 in 2026, per IRS data.

Consumers also bought kids’ items and apparel ahead of back-to-school season, personal hygiene products and home goods, indicating that the Prime Day customers planned to stock up on products “that they were going to buy anyway,” Sonia Lapinsky, managing director of retail at consultancy Alix Partners, told Reuters.

“It’s really pointing to that fatigued consumer. They’re not necessarily spending more — they’re just trying to spread what they have over better deals and discounts,” she said.

The news comes days after Amazon supplanted Walmart as America’s largest retailer, according to a report by J.P. Morgan. The banking giant attributed Amazon’s gains to its selection, pricing and speedy delivery.

Meanwhile, the latest edition of the PYMNTS Consumer Expectations Index report examines why weak consumer confidence has not halted spending.

“Consumers are not moving as one bloc,” PYMNTS wrote last week. “Some have enough savings and job security to keep buying. Others still spend, but hunt harder for value. A third group is losing cushion fast. For merchants, banks and payments providers, the lesson is clear: A single sentiment number can blur the signals that shape real purchase behavior.”

Among the findings in the report: job security improved even as confidence declined. Between October and May, consumers’ perceived job-loss risk rose 7 points, peer-layoff risk improved 4.8 points and job replaceability ticked up 2.8 points. At the same time, short-term macro outlook dropped 3.4 points and buying conditions fell 2.9 points.

“Consumers may dislike the economic weather, but many still trust the roof over their own heads,” PYMNTS added.