Search
Close this search box.

EDITORIAL Is Amazon Prime Day set to bring a smile to the wider retail industry?

Amazon's Smile boxes are heralding the annual peak shopping event

Amazon's Smile boxes are heralding the annual peak shopping event

In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter, we’re looking ahead to Amazon Prime Day and considering the opportunities it presents not only for Amazon itself, but for a host of other retailers. We have analysis that suggests retail revenues rise across the board around this annual event, and that retailers currently have more discounted electricals on sale now than they did for Black Friday. 

Like all good innovations, the benefits of Prime Day are being felt well beyond the business that originally developed it. Just as the Argos-developed click and collect service has been used well beyond that industry, so Prime Day has brought a new approach to summer sales that makes these into an event. The approach has been used not only in this country: Singles Day first emerged in China as an Alibaba event, but now it’s taken up across that market and the effect has been seen on sales in this country.

In a timely guest comment, Steve Borges of Biglight sets out how the Amazon problem has been an adversity for other retailers that can also be the mother of invention. Certainly, other retailers seem to have come up with their own solutions to ensure they also benefit from Prime Day.

Today we’re also casting an interested eye over the latest Brexit white paper, this one on the future relationship with the EU, and considering what it might mean for ecommerce and digital.

This week’s updates on IRUK Top500 retailers report on Dunelm, Asos and Burberry: the common theme is the growth of online and mobile retailing, often at the cost of in-store sales. 

We’re reporting on how consumers think artificial intelligence should be used, and on a seeming reluctance by retailers to adopt that approach, and on an Accenture report that outlines the possibilities for traders to work together to share customer insights, technology and knowledge.

Webinars

Find out more about upcoming InternetRetailing webinars and register for free on the InternetRetailing webinar page. You can also catch up with past webinars on the page.

Image courtesy of Amazon

Read More

Register for Newsletter

Group 4 Copy 3Created with Sketch.

Receive 3 newsletters per week

Group 3Created with Sketch.

Gain access to all Top500 research

Group 4Created with Sketch.

Personalise your experience on IR.net