Orders Doubled, Profits Halved? Did You See a Sales Boom on Day One of Prime Day?

The annual Amazon Prime Day has officially kicked off. According to the official announcement, this year’s event has been extended to 4 days (a total of 96 hours) for the first time. Starting from July 8 and ending on July 11, the promotion spans 24 global marketplaces, including the newly added Ireland site.

However, unlike in previous years when the atmosphere was filled with excitement and high expectations of "order booms," this year’s Prime Day seems unusually quiet among sellers. Industry insiders have observed that discussions around sales performance and traffic surges have significantly decreased in social groups. Many sellers even remarked they "didn’t feel like the event had started." Overall engagement and market sentiment appear subdued, and first-day performance has shown a clear polarization.

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01

Some Sellers Boomed, Others Flopped

Looking at real-time platform dashboards, many sellers did see a sales surge on Day One. One seller’s backend data showed 4,116 orders and over $100,000 in total sales on July 8—a 386% increase from the previous day. Ad sales revenue grew by a whopping 483% YoY. Another seller reported $56,000 in sales on the U.S. marketplace, with over 1,000 daily orders—almost double the previous day’s figures.

Image Source: Seller community screenshots

But at the same time, other voices were notably subdued:

• “Didn’t sign up for the event, just doubled the usual volume.”

• “About twice the normal, not bad, made an extra $1,000.”

• “European orders are okay, but North America is dead.”

• “Why is mine worse than usual? Am I the only one?”

• “Orders doubled on Prime Day, but profits halved.”

The feedback reveals a common sentiment: sales grew, but not as much as expected. Some sellers outright said: “It’s honestly disappointing; I don’t expect much from the next three days.”

Notably, some sellers saw better-than-expected ad performance. One reported an ACOS of around 21%, down 2 percentage points from usual. They spent $2,336 on ads and generated over $10,000 in sales, with a 500% YoY increase in ad-related orders.

However, others had different experiences: “I don’t know who’s booming, but I know my ACOS exploded.” While ads drove exposure and conversions, costs also soared. Some products had high ad spending but poor conversion.

Unlike previous years’ "wall-to-wall" excitement after Day One of Prime Day, this year’s buzz is significantly toned down. As one seller commented: “Not like before—whether you had a great day or not, group chats used to explode. This year is just quiet.” This reflects both the cooler macroeconomic climate and a shift toward seller rationality, with lower expectations for the event.

Coupled with ongoing global consumer pressure, increased marketplace competition, and rising ad costs, Prime Day is no longer a “close your eyes and win” kind of event—it’s more like a comprehensive test of strategy and optimization.

02

Facing Heavy Competition from Rival Platforms

Many sellers weren’t surprised by the subdued start to Prime Day. They seemed mentally prepared. This year’s four-day duration offers more opportunity, but the extended timeline also changes consumer behavior.

Data from Momentum Commerce showed that sales in the first four hours of Prime Day were down nearly 14% compared to the same period last year. Media analysts believe this dip is partially due to the event’s extended duration. Year-over-year comparisons become trickier, and consumers may delay purchases in hopes of deeper discounts later in the event.

Meanwhile, other e-commerce platforms had already jumped the gun before Prime Day officially launched, siphoning off a significant share of consumer traffic. Many Amazon sellers had already complained about plummeting order volume days before the event, attributing it to rival platforms grabbing early attention. Some sellers even expected a lackluster performance during Prime Day itself.

Retail giants like Walmart, Temu, and TikTok Shop all launched major promotions around Prime Day, clearly aiming to grab traffic.

Temu launched its “Temu Week” campaign as early as June 28, offering tiered discounts of 15%, 20%, and 30%. The campaign runs through July 19—a whopping 21-day duration. TikTok Shop also went all-in with resources, running its European and UK campaign from June 23 to July 1, and its U.S. campaign from July 7 to July 19.

Still, this is just the first day of Amazon’s extended Prime Day. There are three more days of opportunity. According to a forecast released Monday by Adobe Analytics, U.S. consumers are expected to spend $23.8 billion online during the 96-hour event, with demand for discounted back-to-school items ranging from clothing to electronics.

The report predicts a 28.4% increase in sales compared to the same period last year. In July 2023, online retail sales during Amazon’s two-day shopping festival hit $14.2 billion. Adobe noted that this year’s Prime Day is equivalent to “two Black Fridays,” with budget-conscious shoppers using generative AI to hunt for deals and begin their back-to-school shopping early.

With three more days to go, there’s still a real shot at spiking sales. Sellers should keep a close eye on ads, promotions, and quickly adjust operational tactics as needed.