Amazon has unveiled the 2019 date for its annual members-only discount event.
Amazon is promising more than a million deals over the course of a longer, 48-hour, event. The event aims to reward members of the paid-for Amazon Prime subscription club, while encouraging more people to sign up for it. Prime members in 18 markets, including the UK, can take part in this year’s event.
The event starts at 00.01am on Monday July 15 and will last for two days.
Jeff Wilde, Amazon CEO worldwide consumer, said: “Get ready, as we pull back the curtain to reveal exclusive products, specialist performances and two full days of phenomenal deals this Prime Day. Our vision is that Prime Day should be the absolute best time to be a member – when you can enjoy shopping, savings, entertainment and some of the best deals Prime members have ever seen. Stay tuned as we reveal thousands of new product launches as well as world-class entertainment and more, leading up to Prime Day on July 15 and 16.”
Savings come both from Amazon’s own products, such as Alexa-enabled voice commerce devices, and from the brands that sell via Amazon – including L’Oreal and Thomas Sabo Jewellery. Deals will also include content from its subscription-based entertainment services, Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch Prime.
Last year, more than $1.5bn in sales came via small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon – and this year thousands of Prime Day deals will be available from businesses of that size.
In past years, Amazon has used Prime Day to draw attention to its delivery services, promising fast deliveries. This year it’s also focusing on lightning deals, offering time-limited deals on relatively small quantities of stock.
Commenting, Hugh Fletcher, global head of innovation at Wunderman Thompson Commerce, said: “Amazon’s ability to create a successful day around its subscription and delivery offering only proves how much customers are becoming more loyal to a speedy and convenient service even over a brand itself; the fact that over a third of UK are Prime members speaks for itself. In the past year, we have seen other marketplaces such as eBay face up to Amazon by introducing its own Sales Day last year. Amazon’s response this year has therefore been to extend Prime Day to 48 hours in the hope of signing up more customers to its Prime offering in advance of the event, tapping into shoppers’ thirst for summer bargains.
“While consumers will be excited to grab the best deals, it is important to remember that the real winner from Prime day is Amazon. Prime day is not about giving customers the best deals, it’s about enticing new customers to become Prime customers and encouraging existing ones to remain. And why does Amazon do this? We know from our research that Prime customers perceive Amazon to be better than those who are not Prime members. They perceive this across price, service, reviews, returns and most importantly, Prime customers spend a greater proportion of their online wallets with Amazon.
“It’s vital for other retailers to take note of – and react to – these ‘proactive peak days’. The nature of sales and peak trading periods such as Christmas, Summer and January is changing and consumers are looking elsewhere in the year to grab a bargain. Even Black Friday (which was once a single day) has turned into a two week Black Friday period led predominantly by Amazon.”
Amazon is the UK’s largest online retailer and is ranked Elite in IRUK Top500 research.
Image courtesy of Amazon