The news: Amazon announced its Prime Day sale will run from July 8 at 12:01am PDT through July 11, starting eight days earlier than last year and lasting twice as long as previous events.
The details: The four-day sale is designed to give shoppers more time to explore deals across 35 product categories, including offers from new-to-Amazon brands such as Away Travel and Unwell Hydration.
- Amazon is introducing “Big Deals”—limited-time, themed offers that will drop nightly at midnight PDT to drive ongoing engagement.
- The retailer is leaning into AI and voice-powered tools to enhance the experience. Customers with Early Access to Alexa+ can ask to be alerted when a specific item goes on sale. Both Alexa+ and Amazon’s generative AI assistant, Rufus, will help users navigate the sale with natural language prompts such as “help me redecorate my living room in a post-modern style.”
- Prime Day will now span 27 countries, with Ireland and Colombia joining a roster that includes the UK, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and Spain.
- Beyond Amazon.com, third-party sellers using the Buy with Prime program—such as Steve Madden, JLab, and Wyze—will feature Prime Day deals directly on their own websites. The program lets brands access Prime’s customer base while leveraging Amazon’s logistics and payments infrastructure.
- Amazon is also spotlighting exclusive perks for Prime members, including: $1 off per gallon on one fuel purchase during the July Fourth weekend at bp, Amoco, and ampm locations; $10 off Grubhub orders of $20 or more through July 7; and up to 30% off base rates with Avis.
The rationale: There are several benefits to a longer Prime Day event.
- More ad revenues. Doubling the length significantly expands Amazon’s advertising inventory, which is important given the broad array of brands and sellers eager to capture shoppers’ eyeballs throughout this marquee sales event.