Amazon.com Inc. extended its Prime Day event to four full days this year, from July 8 to 11, aiming to give shoppers more time to hunt for deals amid persistent economic pressures. But the strategy backfired in unexpected ways, as price-sensitive consumers flocked to competitors like Walmart Inc., drawn by aggressive promotions and everyday low prices. According to a recent analysis, while Amazon touted record-breaking sales, a significant portion of shoppers used the extra time to compare offers across platforms, ultimately diverting spending elsewhere.

This shift highlights a broader evolution in consumer behavior, where inflation-weary buyers are prioritizing value over loyalty. Data from Bloomberg reveals that Walmart captured a notable uptick in traffic and sales during the event, with some estimates showing a 8.9% boost in store visits. Amazon’s own claims of the “biggest Prime Day ever” mask underlying challenges, including slower initial momentum and a focus on low-cost essentials rather than high-margin items.

Intensifying Retail Rivalry

Walmart’s gains weren’t accidental; the retailer ramped up its Walmart+ membership program, appealing especially to lower-income households earning under $50,000 annually. Insights from Carbon6 indicate that while Amazon Prime dominates across demographics, Walmart+ is carving out a niche among value-conscious shoppers, with increasing overlap among higher earners subscribing to both. This dual loyalty underscores how consumers are treating these events as industry-wide sales bonanzas, not Amazon exclusives.

Forbes contributor Greg Petro noted in a piece that Prime Day has morphed into a broader retail showdown, with rivals like Walmart gaining ground both online and in physical stores. Posts on X from retail analysts echo this sentiment, highlighting how shoppers strategically timed purchases, often opting for Walmart’s in-store deals on back-to-school items amid a reported 30.3% surge in overall U.S. online sales during the period, per Adobe data shared widely on the platform.

Shifting Shopper Priorities

Consumer trends during Prime Day 2025 leaned heavily toward affordability, with two-thirds of purchases under $20 and an average order size of $54.78, as detailed in Numerator’s real-time tracker. Top sellers included everyday items like dishwashing tabs and protein shakes, signaling a pullback from big-ticket electronics that defined past events. Feedvisor’s post-event report, drawing from client data, described a “mixed performance” where AI-driven tools boosted Amazon’s traffic but couldn’t fully offset cautious spending habits influenced by economic uncertainty.

Walmart capitalized on this by emphasizing quick delivery and hybrid shopping options, aiming to serve 95% of customers within three hours. Digital Commerce 360’s analysis points to repeating patterns from 2024, such as mobile-first shopping, but new trends like real-time ad bidding and user-generated content are reshaping how sellers compete. X users, including industry watchers, have buzzed about Walmart’s traffic surge, with one post noting an 8.9% increase that outpaced some competitors like Target and Best Buy, based on Consumer Edge data.

Implications for Future Events

The extended format may have inadvertently amplified competition, as Bloomberg reports shoppers surfed the web for better deals, leading to fragmented spending. Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy had hyped the four-day event on X back in June, promising millions of deals, yet the outcome reveals vulnerabilities in a market where economic pressures force strategic, cross-platform buying.

Looking ahead, retailers must adapt to these behaviors. Carbon6’s seller updates suggest AI and data-driven tactics will be key, but Walmart’s hybrid model could redefine mid-year sales. As one X post from a retail expert framed it, consumers are now “more strategic, focusing on value and timing,” potentially eroding Amazon’s dominance if rivals continue to innovate. This Prime Day serves as a cautionary tale: in an era of savvy shoppers, extending time doesn’t guarantee loyalty—it invites comparison.