Amazon Prime’s Big Deal Days Were a Success. Here’s What Items People Bought.

Just under 60% of Prime Big Deal Days shoppers were satisfied with the deals offered by Amazon, according to a Numerator survey. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Key Points

• Amazon’s website traffic increased by about 21% during the first 36 hours of Prime Big Deal Days compared with the prior five days.
• The average household spend during Prime Big Deal Days was about $104.69, with 58% of shoppers satisfied with deals.
• About 45% of shoppers bought items for themselves, while 30% used the sale for holiday gifts and 30% for everyday essentials.

Amazon.com’s Prime Big Deal Days were a hit with deal-hunting consumers looking to stock up on household essentials, early data suggests.

Analysts expected Amazon’s two-day October sale, which ended Wednesday, to kick-start the holiday shopping season. And while some shoppers did start thinking about their gift lists, getting a deal on day-to-day necessities took precedence.

Amazon’s website traffic increased about 21% in the first 36 hours of Prime Big Deal Days compared with the prior five days, marking a “robust response” to the sales, writes Joseph Feldman, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, citing data from Google Trends.

“Overall, we believe Amazon executed well on Prime Big Deal Days—
including marketing effectively before and during the event, offering a wide assortment at attractive prices, and executing efficiently,” Feldman added.

A Numerator survey of a little over 5,100 people who shopped on Prime Day found that 58% of shoppers said they were very or extremely satisfied with the deals offered by Amazon. The average spend per order was $45.42, but about half of households placed two or more orders, bringing the average household spend on Big Deal Days to about $104.69.

Some shoppers took advantage of the sale to kick-start their holiday shopping, with 30% of respondents saying they used the sale to purchase gifts or items like decorations and wrapping supplies, according to Numerator.

But gifts weren’t the biggest draws for the October sales week. Just under 30% of people said they shopped for everyday items like groceries or household goods, and 45% said they bought something for themselves that they had been waiting to buy on sale. Top-selling items included Dawn Platinum Powerwash, Premier Protein Shakes, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, Squishmallows, and Liquid I.V. Hydration Packets, Numerator found.

Most respondents—84%—said they are planning to keep shopping on Amazon over the next three months for more holiday items.

“Prime Big Deal Days also helped to put Amazon at the front of consumers’ minds as they think of shopping this holiday season, which should support growth,” Feldman added.

Although Amazon’s sale was the main event of the week, consumers also took advantage of other retailers’ competing discounts. A little over half of respondents said they compared prices and products at other retailers before purchasing on Amazon, with Walmart, Target, and club stores such as Costco Wholesale or Sam’s Club being the most popular alternatives. Roughly a third, on average, also bought items from Target and Walmart, per Numerator.

Traditional retailers were ready for the uptick in demand, Feldman noted. Most had sufficient inventory and were able to offer appealing sales. Of 68 brands surveyed by Feldman’s team, about 46% were able to offer deals that were “generally similar” to last October, while 24% were even more promotional. Only 21% trimmed their discounts compared with last year, Feldman found.

While the Prime event is over, some retailers’ sales are still ongoing. Target’s Circle Week ends Oct. 11, and Walmart’s Deals end Oct. 12

Write to Sabrina Escobar at sabrina.escobar@barrons.com