The finding: Twice as many shoppers participated in Amazon Prime Day compared with Walmart+ Week—but the latter is quickly bridging the gap when it comes to member participation rates, according to a PYMNTS study.

By the numbers: Roughly 40% of consumers made a purchase during Prime Day, while around 20% bought something during Walmart+ Week.

• But an equal proportion of members—56%—reported participating in the respective events, which is a positive sign for Walmart as it tries to grow its subscriber base and turn its service into a must-have for shoppers seeking convenience and value.
• Walmart+ Week shoppers also spent 45% more on average compared with Prime Day participants—$473 to $326—a reflection of the retailer’s success in courting high-income consumers, who purchased more big-ticket items and groceries during the event than any other cohort.

The big picture: There’s no question that in the duel of the sales events, Amazon has the edge. Over two-thirds (67.8%) of the US population is a Prime user, per our forecast, compared with just 9.1% for Walmart+. But Amazon’s lead, while great, is not insurmountable, especially as more shoppers get used to marquee July sales events.

• Amazon’s share of Prime Day sales fell for the third consecutive year in 2024, according to our estimates, while its competitors saw slightly higher ecommerce growth (6.4%) than the retail giant (5.5%).