Prime Day 2020 created unique milestones for an already unique year. Held on October 13-14 this year – three months later than its historical dates – Prime Day 2020 kickstarted the holiday shopping season rather than an end of summer, back-to-school blowout. The best deals still covered electronics and tech from AirPods to a Surface Pro X to kitchen appliances and smart pet cameras. Some Prime Day deals are still lingering, suggesting a sales push lasting throughout the holiday season to encourage more shopping.
NetElixir found that Prime Day had an impact on eCommerce sites beyond the Amazon marketplace. Lingering Prime Day sales could continue to boost online traffic and sales, as the initial two day sales event had a rub-off effect across the digital landscape.
What Did You Buy On Prime Day?
Prime Day is a communal event, as friends and coworkers share the best finds. As a hotly anticipated sales event, Prime Day 2020 did not disappoint.
NetElixir found a 61% lift in revenue per day on the Amazon platform within our dataset, compared to regular shopping days throughout the week. While we had bullishly predicted a 90% increase in YoY online sales during Prime Day, the sales event showed a positive start to the holiday shopping season.
Prime Day encourages splurges on large orders and this year saw a 14% higher average order value (AOV) for purchases compared to the days leading up to the sales event. During this hectic holiday season, consumers are inclined to wait for a sale as they are more conscious about their holiday budgets. With time for more browsing and research, shoppers are on the lookout for the best deals and promotions, leading them to search related products and deals across search engines and social sites. This research prompted a dramatic rise in non-Amazon website traffic and sales.
NetElixir found that 53% of user traffic came on the first day of Prime Day (October 13th), while 57% of the revenue came on the second day (October 14th) within our dataset. Consumers seemed to spend the first day researching the best deals and products out there, while following through with purchasing on the second day. Day two of Prime Day saw 12% lesser clicks and a 7% higher conversion rate compared to day one. Additionally, majority of the high-value products were purchased on day two, leading to a 44% higher AOV compared to day one.
While Amazon may want to encourage impulse purchases, consumers are a bit more hesitant this year. Expect consumers to continue to research carefully prior to purchasing throughout the holiday season. Retailers should make promotions and sales information prevalent on their website for easy user navigation.
Across the board, while not releasing their own numbers, Amazon announced that Prime Day generated more than $3.5B for third-party sellers, as this year the retail giant focused more on supporting small businesses. Those billions led to a 60% increase from last year’s sales for small and mid-sized businesses selling on Amazon’s platform – in line with NetElixir’s own research.
The Residual Impact of Prime Day on eCommerce Websites
While those retailers who participated in Prime Day were able to boost their sales and brand awareness, many retailers saw success beyond the scope of the Amazon marketplace itself. NetElixir had advised retailers to continue promotions across search and social media channels to leverage the surge in online traffic during the two day sales event.
Prime Day triggered a site-wide growth across eCommerce websites that were not linked to Amazon marketplace. During the two days of Prime compared to non-sales days, websites saw the following increase in site performance metrics:
- Website sessions increased by 19%
- Site orders jumped 39%
- ECommerce revenue rose 42%
- Website conversion rates increased by 17%
Over the course of the two days of Prime, shoppers searched for brand and product information across other channels as they conducted thorough research prior to purchasing. Prime Day searches gained 23% more interactions across search engines and social media than non-sales days.
By creating a cohesive digital presence around Prime Day – advertising on non-Amazon channels, showcasing product deals on social media, and leveraging key words like “Prime” and “best deals” – retailers were able to tap into the surge in online traffic and demand generated by the sales event. By showcasing products related to what was on sale during Prime Day, retailers had opportunities to gain market share.
Consumers were already online; retailers didn’t necessarily have to sell on Amazon to reach Prime customers. A strong digital presence will be the key to success this holiday season, as well as timely marketing campaigns around expected surges in online traffic as giant retailers push their eCommerce channels more and more.
