Amazon Prime Day boosts US online sales to record $14.2 billion, Adobe says

(Reuters) -Shoppers spent a record $14.2 billion online across retailers in the United States during the 48-hour Amazon Prime Day event, according to a report from Adobe Analytics on Thursday.

The Amazon sales event has also got retailers such as Walmart and Target launching deals to attract customers looking for steep discounts.

The two-day Amazon shopping event has turned July, traditionally a slow time for retailers, into a season when parents look for bargains, especially on back-to-school clothing, electronics, uniforms, backpacks, dorm decorations and supplies.

This year, back-to-school shopping started about two days earlier than in prior years as retailers across the U.S. dangle discounts to rake in dollars that otherwise could go to Amazon.

Total online sales rose 11% on July 16 and 17 from $12.7 billion over the two days in 2023, Adobe said.

Sales this year were driven in part by back-to-school shopping with related spending up 216% across both days, compared to daily sales levels in June 2024, according to Adobe.

Consumers looking to upgrade devices and add new technology helped push online sales for the electronics category up 61% across retailers, Adobe said. It relies on direct-to-consumer transactions based on more than 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail websites.

Amazon.com said the Prime Day event this year saw record sales and more items sold during the two days than any previous year.

During the two days, Amazon Prime members bought products from brands such as Sol de Janeiro, Apple and Dyson, as well as small businesses including TruSkin and Native Pet.

(Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)