Amazon's order volume plummets—sellers call it 'the worst day of the year!'

The national average gasoline price in the U.S. surged from $2.98 per gallon before the conflict to $4.43—a nearly 50% increase. Rising fuel prices have driven up the cost of virtually everything, yet wages haven’t kept pace. Inflation rose year-on-year to 3.8% in April—the highest since 2023—and has now outpaced average wage growth. In simple terms: money just doesn’t go as far as it used to. 57% of consumers report that high prices are draining their wallets. So how are consumers responding? Two-thirds say they’ve reduced overall spending due to rising prices. Most are buying fewer items—or postponing purchases of expensive goods. Categories seeing the sharpest cuts include apparel & footwear, games & toys, and hobby-related products—precisely the core categories for many Chinese sellers on Amazon. Shopping habits are shifting too. With higher fuel costs, consumers are less willing to drive to physical stores. Foot traffic data shows: — Non-essential retail stores have seen foot traffic decline year-on-year for four consecutive weeks. — Essential retail stores have posted year-on-year increases for four consecutive weeks. Consumers are concentrating their spending on food, daily necessities, and fresh produce. While e-commerce holds an advantage in fast delivery, this mainly benefits fresh food and daily essentials—not categories like electronics, home goods, apparel, or toys—offering little lift to sellers in those segments. Industry analysts judge that, given current geopolitical conditions and inflation trends, sales performance won’t improve in May—and June is unlikely to fare much better. So what about Prime Day? Should sellers play defensively—or go on the offensive—in June? This year, Amazon has moved Prime Day forward from July to June—running from June 23 to 26, a total of four days. In recent years, other retailers have followed Amazon’s lead and launched mid-year promotions to ride its traffic wave. This year, with Amazon moving earlier, others are following suit: — Best Buy: June 22–28 (starts earlier and ends later than Amazon); — Target: June 23–26 (Circle Deal Days; paid members get early access starting June 22); — Walmart: Expected to follow—though it traditionally held its promotion in July, it’s highly likely to shift forward this year; — Crutchfield, Home Depot, and others are also expected to join. Though the overall promotional ‘cake’ is growing, competition will inevitably divert traffic away from Amazon’s exclusive event. So this year’s Prime Day will be a tough battle. Amazon’s promotional focus this year is crystal clear. Jamil Ghani, VP of Amazon Prime, stated directly: “Groceries and household essentials will be the *true focus* of this year’s promotion.” Fresh produce, hot dog buns, meat products—starting at just $1; select personal care items like soap—up to 50% off. Amazon itself is adapting to shifting consumer behavior: If customers are buying essentials, Amazon pushes essentials. Ghani added: “We recognize that the current economic environment is highly uncertain. We remain deeply sensitive and attentive to these shifts. And we understand that everyone is striving to make every dollar, euro, or rupee stretch further.” In recent years, buyers have increasingly used Prime Day to stock up on daily essentials—not luxury or indulgent items—especially amid broader economic uncertainty. Beyond perennial bestsellers like the Instant Pot multi-cooker, buyers are now snapping up everyday staples such as trash bags and dishwasher detergent pods in bulk during Prime Day. Sellers must take note of this shift. Accordingly, conversion rates for high-ASP, non-essential items will likely fall further. Inventory planning this year demands extra caution.

Official announcement! Amazon Prime Day 2026 scheduled for June 23–26—the earliest ever, marking the first time in history. How should sellers respond?

First, the bottom line: Prime Day 2026 has changed. Amazon has officially announced that Prime Day 2026 will run from June 23 to 26—a four-day event. This marks the first time since 2021 that Prime Day has shifted from its traditional July slot to June. Don’t underestimate this timing shift—it sends far more complex signals than it appears on the surface. For sellers, it represents both a challenge and the biggest opportunity window of the year. I. Why the shift? Three key trend signals: 1. Consumers are downgrading—essentials are now the battleground. Internal Amazon data shows that shoppers’ purchasing focus during Prime Day has shifted—from premium, non-essential items toward essential daily goods. A critical signal: Amazon has explicitly stated that fresh groceries and household essentials will be the flagship categories for this year’s promotion. This is no coincidence. According to University of Michigan data released in May, U.S. consumer confidence has fallen to a historic low amid ongoing economic pressures—meaning this year’s Prime Day will be dominated by ‘stock-up’ behavior. 2. Back-to-school season creates a natural ‘double-buff’. Late June coincides with the pre-back-to-school shopping rush in the U.S. Prime Day naturally overlaps with demand for school-related essentials—and Amazon has already designated “back-to-school essentials” as one of this year’s core promotional categories. In other words, this year’s Prime Day traffic pool is larger than in previous years. 3. Last year’s record-breaking results forced an earlier start. During Prime Day 2025, U.S. online retail sales hit $24.1 billion—an increase of 30.3% year-on-year. With such a massive pie, Amazon naturally wants to slice it earlier—and bigger. Moving to June allows Amazon to avoid promotional clashes with other retail giants in July and capture consumers’ budgets exclusively. II. Seller alert: New deadlines for deal submissions To accommodate the schedule shift, Amazon has extended submission deadlines for Lightning Deals and Best Deals in select marketplaces: Marketplace — Submission Deadline — Status U.S. — June 9 — Less than three weeks remaining

Amazon Prime Day to Gauge US Consumer Strain as Focus Shifts to Basics

Jun 22, 2026

Amazon Prime Day shifts focus to essentials like groceries and household items amid inflation, projecting $21.6 billion in sales despite consumer spending strain.

reuters

2026-06-22

Amazon Prime Day to Gauge US Consumer Strain as Focus Shifts to Basics

Amazon Prime Day to Gauge US Consumer Strain as Focus Shifts to Basics

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