Get All Access for $5/mo

Sales Could Top $14 Billion on Amazon Prime Day, Hitting an All-Time High — Here's Why Prime Day(s) is on July 16 and 17.

By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut

Key Takeaways

  • Since it started a decade ago, Amazon Prime Day sales have increased every single year.
  • According to Adobe Analytics research released Monday, online retail sales are expected to hit $14 billion on this year's Prime Day on July 16 and 17.
  • That would be a 10.5% increase from last year's $12.7 billion in sales during the event.

Since starting the first Prime Day in 2015, Amazon has seen the 48-hour event become a massive revenue generator. New estimates project that this year's Prime Day on July 16 and 17 may surpass last year's $12.7 billion in sales.

Adobe Analytics, the e-commerce research arm of Adobe used by over 85% of the top 100 U.S. retailers, told Reuters on Monday that overall online spending throughout Amazon's two-day Prime Day event this week could rise 10.5% from last year to about $14 billion.

Prime Day is an exclusive event for Amazon Prime members. Monthly membership prices are $7.49 for students and $14.99 for everyone else.

The expected 10.5% increase in sales this year is more than the 6.1% growth in revenue from Prime Day 2022 to 2023. Global sales netted $12 billion in 2022 and grew to $12.9 billion the following year, per Statista estimates. Amazon had its largest sales day ever on the first day of Prime Day last year.

Related: You're Probably Falling for All of Amazon Prime Day's Psychological Sales Tactics. A Marketing Professor Reveals Them — and How You Can Actually Get the Best Deal.

In the past decade that Amazon has run Prime Day, the e-commerce giant has seen sales swell for the event — every single year. From 2019 to 2020, for example, Amazon saw an over $4 billion increase in Prime Day revenue — from $7.16 billion to $10.39 billion.

How does Amazon keep making more money on Prime Day?

The answer could be the prime timing of the sale and the increasing number of Prime members that have access to it.

Prime Day has become a major back-to-school opportunity, especially for clothing and electronics. Adobe Analytics expects "really strong momentum" in online sales in the back-to-school category, per Reuters.

Related: These Coworkers-Turned-Friends Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — Now It's a 'Full Hustle' Earning Over $20 Million a Year: 'Jump in With Both Feet'

Adobe also anticipates that electronics will be the most highly discounted category in online sales on Prime Day this year, with 22% savings. Clothing, home goods and furniture, and sporting goods are expected to have 20%, 17%, and 11% discounts respectively.

More U.S. households are also opting for Prime memberships. From 2017 to 2020, the number of Prime members doubled from 100 million to 200 million, while the percentage of Amazon sellers offering fast Prime Shipping increased from about 60% to over 80%.

Amazon packages shipped during the Prime event will likely be accompanied by 100% recycled paper filler instead of plastic air pillows, if any packaging at all. Amazon has committed to the switch for all deliveries in North America by the end of the year and has already swapped out 95% of delivery packaging so far.

Related: Amazon Is the Fifth Company in History to Join the Coveted $2 Trillion Tech Club

Sherin Shibu

Entrepreneur Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.