Pandemic Shifts Amazon Prime Day to Start Holiday Shopping Season Early
Amazon Prime Day moves to October this year due to the pandemic, with experts predicting it will kick off the holiday shopping season and generate up to $10 billion in sales. About two-thirds of consumers plan to shop the event, outpacing traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday expectations.
Amazon shifts its annual Prime Day event to October due to the coronavirus pandemic, testing whether consumers are ready to spend despite a weak economy. The retail giant originally launches the event in 2015 to boost Prime memberships, growing from 40 million members to 150 million by early 2020.
About two-thirds of consumers plan to shop during Prime Day, exceeding the expected turnout for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Retail analysts predict this delayed event generates up to $10 billion in total sales and officially kicks off the 2020 holiday shopping season.
Shoppers look to lock in deals early this year as rivals like Target and Best Buy also offer October discounts to reduce in-store crowds later in the year. Retail experts warn that the intense shopping period stretches continuously from mid-October through December without a break.