The news: Amazon’s earlier-than-usual Prime Day sale (June 23-June 26) is altering the late-June retail calendar as rival chains line up competing promotions around the event.

• Walmart’s weeklong Summer Deals will run June 22 through June 28. Walmart will include online and in-store offers on electronics, toys, fashion, skincare, and more.
• Target will host Target Circle Deal Days from June 23 to June 26. The sale will include deals across apparel, beauty, home, toys, back-to-school goods, and essentials. Early access for Target Circle 360 members will start June 22.
• Dollar General set a Stars, Stripes and Savings promotion that extends throughout June, with daily offers and weekly themes tied to summer entertainment, backyard barbecues, patriotic decor, and Fourth of July celebrations.

Other retailers are also likely to hold sales events. This year, Prime Day deals will focus heavily on grocery, with Amazon offering a chance to win free groceries for a year to customers who spend $15 on qualifying online grocery orders.

Why it matters: Amazon’s Prime Day has become a major mid-year retail event that prompts competitors to create their own summer savings opportunities. This year’s earlier timing lets retailers link deals to several seasonal needs at once, including summer entertaining, July Fourth prep, and early back-to-school shopping.

Implications for retailers: By timing deals around Amazon’s event, chains can drive traffic and give consumers opportunities to compare promotions. The result will be a wider field of competing price discounts—which are US adults’ most commonly preferred promotion, per a RetailNext report.