Amazon Sold a Record $12.7 Billion in Merchandise Over its Two-Day Prime Event

Shoppers across the U.S. spent $12.7 billion on deals during Amazon’s two-day Prime Day sales event, setting a new record for the online retailer, according to data from cloud-based software firm Adobe Analytics. 

Amazon’s 9th annual Prime Day, created as a way to give Prime members access to exclusive deals, logged 6.1% more in sales over last year's two-day shopping event. 

Amazon sold 52% more appliances on Wednesday, the second of the two-day event, when compared to the average daily sales in June. Sales of housekeeping supplies for the day were up 27% compared with average daily sales last month, according to Adobe, which tracks over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites. Stationary, office supplies and apparel added to the increase in sales too, up 76% and 24% from June’s average, respectively.

Shoppers also appear to like Amazon’s Buy Now Pay Later option, which gives consumers a flexible way to pay for their purchases. The tool accounted for 6.5% of orders during both days, driving $927 million in revenue and marking an increase of 20% when compared to last year, according to Adobe.

“For months, consumers have felt the effects of persistent inflation and an uncertain economic environment, and it has pushed shoppers to embrace more flexible ways to manage their spending around the Prime Day event,” said Vivek Pandya, a lead analyst at Adobe, who predicts this year’s event is a preview of what can be expected in the months ahead, especially as the holiday shopping season nears. 

Mobile shopping could signal another significant revenue stream for Amazon. Smartphones drove 44.8% of online sales on July 12, up from 41.5% the year prior. 

Amazon’s latest Prime Day event marks the retailer’s most successful to date. In 2021, the retailer recorded $11.9 billion in sales, an increase from $10.4 billion in sales in 2020, Adobe said.