The news: US consumers spent $26.4 billion online during Prime Day from June 23 to 26, up 9.3% YoY compared with the year-earlier event, per Adobe Insights. That slightly topped both Adobe’s $26.3 billion projection and the $26.03 billion we forecast. However, the results also point to shifting consumer spending patterns.

Zooming in: Shoppers are increasingly focused on value, making them more promotion-sensitive, more selective about deal quality, and more likely to comparison shop.

Four trends stood out:

The event served two distinct purposes. Strong promotions encouraged consumers to trade up to higher-priced items, with the share of the most expensive goods rising 19% versus year-to-date averages, including outsize gains in categories like electronics (51%) and toys (37%), per Adobe. At the same time, 69% of items sold were priced at $20 or less, as shoppers stocked up on wellness and essential products like Premier protein shakes, Liquid I.V. packets, and Temptations cat treats, per Numerator.

Consumers are becoming harder to please. While discounts were broadly in line with last year—electronics peaked at 24% versus 23% last year; apparel at 24%, unchanged; toys at 20%, up from 19%; and furniture at 16%, up from 15%—consumers’ impressions of those offers fell. Just 59% of Prime Day shoppers reported high satisfaction with the discounts on Amazon, down from 68% last year, per Numerator.

Prime Day extends far beyond Amazon. While Amazon sets the timing of the event, it doesn’t own the shopping journey. More than half of shoppers compared prices across retailers, and nearly half engaged with competing events, including 49% who shopped or planned to shop Walmart Deals and 32% who did the same with Target Circle Week, per Numerator.

BNPL is playing a larger role. Buy now, pay later accounted for 6.6% of online orders, totaling $2.1 billion, up 9.5% YoY and ahead of the $2.04 billion Adobe expected.

Implications for retailers: Consumers’ sharp focus on value is making them increasingly difficult to satisfy. That puts retailers in a bind: They can’t afford to sit out key moments when shoppers are primed to spend (pun intended), but they also can’t discount aggressively enough to erode margins.

That dynamic is pushing retailers to get more creative about how they deliver value. Some will lean on in-store events and promotions, others will highlight private label or exclusive products, and some will bundle items to make savings feel more tangible. No matter the approach, the common goal is to stand out.

Go further: Read our Prime Day 2026 report.