Prime Day Sale Breaks E-Commerce Records As US Shoppers Splurge $24.1 Billion Online, Adobe Data Shows
Mobile devices played a leading role, generating more than half of the total digital spend at $12.8 billion. Categories like appliances saw phenomenal gains (up 112% from June averages).
Prime Day Sale: The 2025 Prime Day event has officially redefined the scale of online shopping in the US, with consumers shelling out a staggering $24.1 billion between July 8 and 11. According to final data from Adobe, this marks a 30.3% year-over-year surge, outpacing even the combined revenue of two Black Fridays from the previous holiday season. The insights come from Adobe’s comprehensive tracking of over 1 trillion site visits and 100 million product listings across 18 retail categories.
Mobile devices played a leading role, generating more than half of the total digital spend at $12.8 billion. Categories like appliances saw phenomenal gains (up 112% from June averages), followed by office supplies (105%), electronics (95%), and books (81%).
Among the hottest items flying off virtual shelves were kids' apparel (up 250%), home security products (185%), refrigerators (160%), and vacuum cleaners (140%).
Back-To-School and Big-Ticket Buys Dominate Trends
Prime Day has now evolved beyond deal-chasing; it’s become a strategic back-to-school shopping moment. Essentials for students like backpacks, binders, and kids' clothing saw a 175% increase in sales, while dorm-related items such as mini-fridges and bedding were up by 84%.
Consumers also made the most of attractive deals to “trade up” to premium goods. Adobe reported that the share of the most expensive items sold rose by 20% overall, and by a massive 57% in electronics alone. Shoppers were similarly drawn to high-end appliances, sporting gear, and furniture, while groceries remained an area where buyers stuck to budget-friendly options.
"Strong discounts during the Prime Day event drove many shoppers to ‘trade up’ to higher-ticket items," Adobe noted in its report.
AI Assistants and Influencers Steer Digital Foot Traffic
Technology and social media proved to be powerful allies for retailers. Generative AI tools helped shoppers discover deals and make purchasing decisions, leading to a 3,300% year-over-year spike in AI-driven traffic to retail websites. Though still a smaller slice of the pie compared to paid search and email marketing, the growth signals a shift in how consumers navigate online deals.
Social influencers were another game-changer. Adobe revealed that while paid search still led with a 28.5% share of online revenue, affiliates and influencer content surged to a 19.9% share, up 15% from last year. In fact, influencer-led conversions were found to be ten times more effective than standard social media.
Flexible Payments and Falling Prices Boost Buyer Confidence
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services continued gaining traction, accounting for $2 billion in purchases—an 8.1% share of all orders and a 33.3% rise from 2024. Adobe’s consumer survey indicated that shoppers primarily used BNPL for electronics, apparel, and home essentials.
While inflation remains a concern in broader economic narratives, it wasn’t the driver behind this year’s online shopping surge. In fact, Adobe's Digital Price Index reported a 2.1% year-over-year drop in e-commerce prices as of June, marking 34 consecutive months of online price declines.
"Strong spending during the Prime Day event was driven by net-new demand, as opposed to higher prices," Adobe emphasised.
The takeaway? Deep discounts, mobile shopping convenience, AI-savvy consumers, and influencer clout combined to make Prime Day 2025 a landmark moment in American e-commerce history.
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