During the first day of Prime Day 2022, online sales in the U.S. surpassed $6 billion, making it the biggest day for online spending to date in 2022, according to data from research firm Adobe Analytics’ Digital Economy Index. 

That spending total was a 7.8% increase from the first day of last year’s Prime Day. Amazon.com Inc., No. 1 in the Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000, is holding its 2022 two-day Prime Day shopping event on July 12 and 13. In 2021, Prime Day came earlier, on June 21 and 22. 

“The early momentum and strong growth for the first day of the Prime Day event supports retailers trying to unlock new levels of growth in an inflationary market environment,” Pat Brown, vice president at Adobe, said in a statement. 

Adobe says the amount consumers spent on the first day of Prime Day also surpassed total online revenue for 2021’s Thanksgiving Day when spending reached $5.1 billion. 

The Adobe Digital Economy Index uses analysis from Adobe Analytics, covering more than a trillion visits to U.S. retail sites and over 100 million SKUs in 18 product categories, 

Among Adobe’s other findings: 

• Toys saw the biggest average discounts at 15.4%. Discounts for apparel also showed sizable discounts, averaging 11%. Average electronics discounts were about 6%. Within the electronics category, computer prices dipped by 8%. For TVs, prices decreased by approximately 3%.  
• Conversion rates for retailers that offer at-store pickup were 11.8% higher compared to an average day in June. 
• Email (197%) and display advertising (201%) channels saw the largest increase in revenue contribution increases during the first day of Prime Day. Organic and paid search saw smaller gains, with each at 133%. Social networks landed in the middle of the range at 154%. 

Shopping trends

The average household shopping Amazon’s 2022 Prime Day event spent $116.58 by 9 a.m. Eastern Time on July 13, according to Chicago-based market research firm Numerator. That’s up 26.6% from $92.09 by the comparable point during last year’s Prime Day.

Numerator looked at Prime Day transaction data as of 9 a.m. EDT July 13.  It also found that 52% of households shopping Prime Day placed two or more orders by that time. 9% had placed five or more orders.

At the same point during last year’s Prime Day, 45% of households shopping on Prime Day made two or more orders and 6% placed five or more orders. The average order size at 9 a.m. EDT on July 13 was $53.14, up about 12.7% from $47.14 during the comparable point in 2021’s Prime Day. The data was based on more than 17,000 observed orders and more than 1,000 buyer surveys.

The top items sold so far during 2022’s Prime Day are Fire TV Sticks, Echo Dot 4th Gens, Amazon Gift Card Reloads and Frito-Lay Variety Packs, Numerator says.

Most Prime Day items (57%) have sold for under $20, while 5% have sold for over $100, the firm says. The top categories consumers say they have purchased are household essentials (32%), health and beauty (28%) and consumer electronics (27%).

Bargains are important to shoppers

Digital Commerce 360 estimates consumers spent $11.19 billion globally with Amazon during 2021’s Prime Day event, up 7.7% from $10.4 billion in 2020. A key reason Prime Day endures is that shoppers like bargains.

A January survey of 1,108 U.S. online shoppers by Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights found that free shipping — cited by 76% or respondents — led the list of attributes consumers look for when shopping online. Close behind was “the right price,” which 73% of surveyed shoppers chose.

Bargains are especially popular with women, the survey showed. 43% of female shoppers listed free shipping as an attribute that would lead them to buy, compared with 33% of men. And 40% of women cited “the right price,” compared with 33% of men.

An April survey of 1,137 American adults conducted for the deals and shopping website RetailMeNot Inc., found that the average Prime Day shopper plans to spend $388 on Prime Day this year. A similar RetailMeNot survey a year earlier found consumers planning to spend $594.

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