Amazon Hurting as Rival Surges in Popularity
Amazon Prime Day, once the crowned jewel of online shopping events, now finds itself in a shifting landscape. What began as a single-day flash sale in 2015 has evolved into a sprawling, four-day promotion — and not necessarily to Amazon’s advantage.
Longer Sales, Less Loyalty
This year, Amazon and Walmart went head-to-head, launching overlapping summer sales on July 8. Amazon extended Prime Day to four days — the longest since 2018 — while Walmart ran its competing event nearly a full week. In theory, more time should equal more spending. In practice, it gave consumers the gift of time — and comparison.
Shoppers didn’t stay loyal. With more days to browse, people jumped between retailers, scanning for the best bang for their buck. And many landed on Walmart.
The numbers speak volumes. Spending on Walmart.com jumped 24% over last year — a sixfold lead over Amazon’s growth, according to Bloomberg. Website traffic told the same story: Walmart up 14%, Amazon… stagnant. “Shoppers are more willing to do the work,” explained Coresight Research CEO Deborah Weinswig. That work translated into browsing, comparing, and often clicking “buy” on Walmart instead.
Amazon Record-Breaking Claims Come with a Caveat
Amazon insists this year’s Prime Day broke sales records. But of course it did — the event was twice as long. Growth is inevitable when the window widens. What’s less inevitable is loyalty, and that appears to be cracking.
Though Amazon still rules the e-commerce kingdom — snagging about 40 cents of every online dollar — Walmart is clawing its way up fast. With more than 500 million items online and delivery speeds improving dramatically, the Arkansas retail titan is expanding into territory once dominated by Amazon.
Walmart+ Emerges as a Strategic Threat
Their Walmart+ membership, introduced in 2020, undercuts Amazon Prime in cost ($98 versus an anticipated $159), and adds value with perks like fuel discounts and free grocery delivery. The model is working.
Even more telling is the ripple effect: retail traffic in early July is now rivaling the traditional Black Friday boom. Other retailers are mimicking the July sale wave, marking a subtle but significant shift in America’s shopping calendar — a shift that Amazon started, but may no longer dominate.
The summer sales season is here to stay. But Amazon’s grip on it may no longer be unshakable.
