As summer sales events like Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week capture consumers’ attention each year, a recent PYMNTS Intelligence report examines key insights into shopper behavior and sales trends.
The report, “Shoppers flocked to Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week for more than just discounts,” examines how consumers used these promotions, what they bought, and the wider impact it had for both retailers.
Many purchases were for regular price items
Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week are often viewed as discount events, but recent data shows a more nuanced reality. Contrary to this perception, a significant portion of purchases during these events were made at regular price. Specifically, 41% of items purchased on Amazon Prime Day were sold at full price, while 44% of purchases during Walmart+ Week were not discounted.
Generational trends further illustrate this complexity: Baby Boomers and seniors predominantly preferred discounted items on Prime Day, while Gen Z took a more balanced approach, purchasing both discounted and regular-priced goods. During Walmart+ Week, 61% of Gen Z consumers chose discounted products.
Additionally, during Walmart+ Week, 56% of purchases were made on sale and 44% were made at full price. These findings suggest that while discounts are a great incentive, consumers are also using these sales events to stock up on essentials regardless of price. This trend highlights how such events drive overall spending growth and benefit both discounted and regular-priced items.
Health and beauty products are leading
Both Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week highlighted the significant role of health and beauty products in customers’ shopping carts. During Amazon Prime Day, 44% of participants purchased health and beauty items, while 42% chose clothing and accessories. During Walmart+ Week, the preference was even greater, with 62% of shoppers purchasing health and beauty products. This trend highlights the appeal of the category due to its affordability and consumability, which encourages bulk purchases during these sales events.
The price differences between the two retailers could explain Walmart’s higher share of sales in the health and beauty category. Walmart offers more low-priced options, while Amazon offers a range of luxury items. This difference could influence consumer preferences and purchasing habits during these sales events.
Consumers prefer to buy stocks rather than individual items
Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week showed that consumers have a strong tendency to stock up on a range of products. Walmart+ Week shoppers purchased an average of 20 items per purchase, far exceeding the 11 items purchased by Amazon Prime Day participants. This trend was particularly pronounced among younger consumers, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the way, purchasing more items than their older counterparts during both sales events.
Specifically, during Walmart+ Week, Gen Z and Millennials purchased an average of 22 and 21 items, respectively, while Baby Boomers and Seniors purchased an average of 16 items. On Amazon Prime Day, Gen Z and Millennials purchased an average of 12 and 13 items, respectively.
While both events attract bargain hunters, this trend suggests that the higher number of products per shopper at Walmart+ Week indicates a greater focus on groceries and essentials. Amazon Prime Day attendees also took the opportunity to stock up, but with less emphasis on groceries compared to Walmart.
Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week are more than just special deals; they are crucial periods to capture consumer spending across different product categories. Consumers use these events not only to get discounts but also to make essential purchases and stock up on essentials. Based on the report’s findings, Amazon and Walmart continue to use these events as a strategic battleground to strengthen their market positions and target different consumer segments.
