Heading into Prime Big Deal Days, Stackline’s latest Consumer Pulse survey found most shoppers planned to wait for the right deal and spend the same as or less than last year. Once the deals went live, they spent more than expected.
Retail sales on Amazon US grew 7% year over year during the week of the event, a clear turn from last year’s flat fall event and from a summer Prime Day that came in 6% below 2025. The event also delivered a 35% lift over an average week, slightly ahead of last year. Where that money went tells the more useful story: shoppers leaned into their everyday routines and grew more selective about big-ticket purchases, and those patterns offer an early read on how shoppers will approach the holiday season. The chart above also shows last year’s Turkey 12 (T12), the stretch of holiday shopping around Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, as a benchmark for the season ahead.
Shoppers bought more, and stretched each dollar
The event outpaced Amazon’s broader business, which is up 6% year to date. Growth came from volume: shoppers bought more items while average prices held steady, continuing a pattern seen all year.
Spending concentrated in the departments built around daily routines. Beauty led at +26%, well ahead of its pace for the year, followed by Grocery (+15%) and Apparel & Accessories (+14%). Together, those three departments drove more than 60% of the event’s incremental sales. Personal Care, Shoes, and Automotive each grew 13%, rounding out a strong showing for everyday categories.
Within Grocery, shoppers stocked up on the items that fuel their routines. Energy Drinks & Shots grew 45%, Protein grew 23%, and Candy grew 29%, likely an early boost from Halloween. Household staples showed the same stock-up behavior, with shoppers buying more household supplies at lower prices and pet growth centered on consumables like cat food and dog treats.
Big-ticket categories followed a different pattern
Electronics told a different story, and not a new one. The category has sold fewer items at higher prices all year, and the event followed suit: units came in 10% lower as average prices climbed 8%. The shift is sharpest in computer components, where units fell by nearly half as prices rose.
One likely explanation is that shoppers are prioritizing. As prices climb on discretionary goods, the data suggests shoppers are concentrating spend on the items they buy every week and approaching big-ticket purchases more deliberately.
When shoppers did commit to a big-ticket purchase, they often reached for a higher-value option. Laptops climbed three spots to become the event’s #3 category, driven by higher prices rather than more units.
Toys is the one category where the event broke from its year-long trend. Unit sales during the event fell well below the category’s pace for the year, suggesting toy shoppers may be holding out for deeper discounts closer to the holidays.
Skin care claimed the top spot again
Face Skin Care grew 33% and climbed four spots to become the #1 category on Amazon US, matching its top ranking from Prime Day. The gains came from volume, as shoppers stocked up on the products in their daily routines. K-beauty brands led the surge, including MediCube, a Korean skin care and beauty device brand, and ANUA, a Korean skin care brand known for toners and cleansing oils.
Beyond the top 15, Bath & Body Care (+20%) and Shampoo & Conditioner (+21%) posted two of the event’s largest gains, while 3D Printers & Supplies (+72%) stood out among hobby categories.
Brands found growth in different ways
Thirteen of the top 15 brands on Amazon US grew during the event. Some rode the event’s strongest categories, as MediCube grew alongside the Face Skin Care surge and Levi’s gained with the rise in women’s apparel. Others won on value, like Roborock, a robot vacuum brand. Shark, Ninja, and Anker continued their runs as consistent share gainers across home, kitchen, and tech accessories.
What Prime Big Deal Days signals for the holiday season
Prime Big Deal Days offered an early read on Q4: shoppers are still spending, but on their own terms. With Black Friday less than six weeks away, four priorities stand out for brands.
[01] Win the lead-in to Black Friday. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, 81% of shoppers in Stackline’s Consumer Pulse survey were undecided on what to buy. Brands that build early awareness of upcoming deals through targeted campaigns, compelling content, and paid placement can shape consideration before Black Friday begins.
[02] Optimize winning SKUs. The fall event is a dress rehearsal for the holidays. Brands should identify which products sold out too quickly, drew traffic without converting, or needed more support to earn clicks, then apply those learnings to assortment, inventory, pricing, and advertising.
[03] Turn event shoppers into repeat buyers. Beauty, grocery, and pet consumables grew on unit volume during the event. Bundles, multipacks, Subscribe & Save offers, and remarketing can reengage those shoppers, drive repeat purchases, and build loyalty through the season.
[04] Adapt to AI-savvy, value-driven shoppers. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, 43% of shoppers planned to use AI tools, mostly to compare prices and check price history. Holiday deals need to deliver credible value, and product content should answer the questions shoppers ask most to stay visible in AI-driven discovery.
Demand heading into Q4 is healthy, and it is value-driven. The brands that use the next few weeks to align pricing, inventory, and visibility with where shoppers are already spending will be best positioned for a strong holiday season.
