Summer “Prime Day”–style events remain marquee dates in retail. Amazon’s official data and third-party analyses show Prime Day 2024 was the largest ever, about $14.2 billion in U.S. e‑commerce sales (up 11% YoY). According to a recent report, 60% of Amazon Prime Day households placed multiple orders, driving an average household spend of $152.
By contrast, Walmart’s member‑only June 2024 Walmart+ Week drew far fewer shoppers but higher per‑shopper spending. Surveys find 40% of consumers shopped on Prime Day versus 20% for Walmart+ Week. However, Walmart+ members who did shop spent roughly 45% more per shopper ($473 vs. $326 on Prime Day).
Key Takeaways
- Amazon’s Prime Day continues to attract broad consumer awareness and volume of sales, while Walmart is building out its member events with new perks.
- Both retailers note inflation-sensitive shoppers: about 60% said rising prices influenced their decision to participate.
- Amazon’s strategy includes multiple Prime Day events (July and October) and deep discounts (average 22% off), while Walmart has offered perks like half-priced memberships for low-income consumers, free Paramount+ trials, and a Burger King benefit.
- These tactics aim to grow Walmart+ subscribers (forecast to reach 31.8 M by end-2024) and close the gap with Amazon Prime’s 180M U.S. members (200 M+ globally).
Amazon Prime Day vs. Walmart+: Sales Performance & Volume
Amazon Prime Day 2024 emerged as a record-breaking event, marking the company’s biggest sales day ever. U.S. online spending surged to approximately $14.2 billion during the event, reflecting an 11% increase from the $12.7 billion recorded in 2023. Electronics and Back-to-School categories were standout performers, with electronics sales soaring by 61% and tablet sales climbing a staggering 117%. On July 16 alone, consumers across all retailers spent $7.2 billion online, setting a new single-day spending record according to Adobe Analytics.
In comparison, Walmart+ Week 2023, held from July 10 to 13, drew a smaller audience, with consumer spending estimated at $10.5 billion, still trailing Prime Day’s $12.7 billion from the same year. A notable portion of this spending was directed toward groceries, which made up 52% of total shopper expenditures. While total sales figures for Walmart+ Week 2024 remain undisclosed, surveys indicate that although participation was limited to about 20% of consumers (compared to nearly 40% for Prime Day), individual shopper spending was significantly higher. Moreover, spending during Walmart+ Week 2023 had already doubled compared to its 2022 iteration, signaling growing consumer interest in alternative sales events.
Consumer Engagement and Digital Reach
Consumer awareness around major retail events shows a clear disparity, particularly between Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week. In July 2023, around 40% of U.S. consumers reported shopping during Prime Day, while only about 20% did so during Walmart+ Week. Strikingly, nearly half of the surveyed consumers admitted they weren’t even aware that Walmart+ Week was taking place. In sharp contrast, nearly all Prime Day participants—about 98%—were aware of the event beforehand. This pattern persisted into 2024, with participation rates remaining relatively unchanged, highlighting Walmart’s ongoing challenge in boosting event visibility.
In terms of digital engagement, while detailed traffic data is limited, insights suggest Amazon significantly outpaces Walmart. The Amazon Commerce blog noted that nearly half of Prime Day purchases occurred on mobile devices, with a strong push from social media referrals. Although Walmart holds the #2 spot in U.S. online retail and typically experiences traffic surges during promotional events, specific figures for Walmart+ Week remain undisclosed. Anecdotal trends, however, consistently show that Amazon Prime Day drives far higher levels of web and app traffic compared to Walmart’s member-based events.
Consumer behavior during major retail events reveals distinct patterns between Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week, particularly in order frequency, spending levels, and product categories. Prime Day continues to drive multiple small-to-midsize purchases. In 2023, 57% of Prime Day orders came from households placing two or more orders, with 11% making five or more. The average order value rose from $53.14 in 2022 to $56.64 in 2023, while average household spend climbed to approximately $134. By 2024, around 60% of Prime Day households placed multiple orders, pushing average household spend to about $152 and the typical order value to $58.
In contrast, Walmart+ Week shoppers displayed more concentrated, higher-value behavior. In 2023, the average Walmart+ shopper spent $200, significantly higher than Amazon’s $126 average. By 2024, that number soared to $473 per Walmart+ shopper, compared to $326 for Prime Day participants. Walmart+ Week buyers also purchased more items per trip, averaging 20 items per transaction versus just 11 for Amazon shoppers, reflecting bulk-buying behavior often centered on essentials.
Product category preferences further distinguish the events. Grocery dominated Walmart+ Week, accounting for 52% of spend in 2023 and purchased by over half of shoppers, twice the rate of Amazon’s grocery buyers. Prime Day, on the other hand, leaned heavily into electronics, apparel, beauty, and Amazon-branded devices. Notably, both events saw strong Health & Beauty category performance in 2024, with 62% of Walmart+ shoppers and 44% of Prime Day shoppers purchasing in that segment.
Despite the perception of deep discounts, a sizable portion of purchases were made at full price—41% during Prime Day and 44% during Walmart+ Week in 2024—indicating that shoppers use these events to stock up on necessities as much as to find deals. Amazon’s average discount was around 22% off list price. Inflation played a noticeable role in consumer behavior, with 62% of Prime Day and 55% of Walmart+ Week shoppers citing it as a factor in their purchase decisions. While Prime Day 2024 sales technically grew year-over-year, the modest 1.4% increase was largely attributed to a 6.4% rise in average ticket prices, suggesting that inflation, rather than higher unit volumes, drove the growth.
Subscribers & Strategic Shifts
Amazon and Walmart continue to chart divergent paths in membership scale and strategic positioning, though both are actively refining their subscription offerings and promotional approaches. As of March 2024, Amazon Prime boasted an estimated 180 million U.S. members—an 8% increase year-over-year—while its global paid membership surpassed 200 million. In contrast, Walmart+ remains significantly smaller but is gaining momentum, with an estimated 31.8 million members projected by the end of 2024, up from around 29 million in 2023. Despite its smaller scale, Walmart+ has achieved impressive year-over-year growth, particularly among younger and middle-income consumers.
When it comes to event participation, both Amazon and Walmart see about half of their members actively shop during their flagship sales, roughly a 56% participation rate. However, Amazon’s much larger subscriber base translates to twice as many shoppers overall during Prime Day compared to Walmart+ Week. This participation gap underscores the strategic importance for Walmart to grow its subscriber base, as increasing conversions from regular Walmart shoppers to Walmart+ members could significantly boost event performance and close the sales gap.
Both companies have also leaned into evolving their value propositions. Walmart has expanded Walmart+ benefits to include gas savings, free shipping, and exclusive perks through new partnerships. Notable additions include six months of free Paramount+ streaming and periodic Burger King discounts. Walmart also rolled out a 50% membership discount for low-income families, aligning more closely with Amazon’s long-standing Prime discount for SNAP recipients.
Amazon, meanwhile, has broadened its Prime Day strategy, adding a second event in October and sharpening its focus on innovation and small business support. The company continues to promote its latest devices and is increasingly integrating AI features, such as personalized shopping assistants, into the experience. Additionally, the broader retail landscape is now syncing with Prime Day’s calendar, competitors like Target, Best Buy, and TikTok launched parallel promotions, some seeing notable results. For instance, Walmart reported a 23% lift in sales during its July 2024 “Walmart Deals” event, reflecting the ripple effect of Amazon’s influence on the broader retail calendar.
Consumer Trends & Industry Context
Consumer trends surrounding major retail events like Amazon Prime Day and Walmart+ Week reveal evolving behaviors shaped by economic pressures, demographic shifts, and new payment habits. One notable shift is the rising use of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services. In 2024, approximately 7–7.6% of Prime Day orders were financed through BNPL, representing a 16% increase from the previous year. This trend is especially pronounced among lower-income shoppers and Gen Z consumers, who increasingly use flexible financing options to manage spending during high-volume sales events.
Demographic profiles also differ markedly between the two events. Prime Day tends to attract a more affluent, suburban, and female-skewing customer base. In contrast, Walmart+ Week resonates more with larger, value-driven households that prioritize grocery and bulk buying. About 40% of Walmart+ households have four or more members, compared to 32% among Amazon Prime households. Gen Z shoppers played a particularly active role during Walmart+ Week 2024, purchasing an average of 22 items per order, more than any other age group, further highlighting the generation’s appetite for bulk deals and practical essentials.
Against the backdrop of ongoing inflation and tightened household budgets, these summer sales events have become essential tools for driving volume and maintaining engagement. Retailers are increasingly positioning them not just as mid-year promotions, but as the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Deals on everyday goods and early gift purchases help shape consumer expectations, providing an early glimpse into spending patterns that are likely to extend into Q4. Walmart leadership has stressed the importance of making Walmart+ appeal to all income levels, reinforcing the brand’s broader ambition to serve as a value leader in a strained economic environment.
Conclusion
While Amazon Prime Day continues to dominate in scale and visibility, Walmart+ Week is gaining ground through deeper per-shopper engagement and targeted member incentives. Amazon leverages its massive subscriber base, strong mobile presence, and established brand awareness to drive high-volume sales, particularly in electronics and branded merchandise.
Walmart, meanwhile, is focusing on value-driven households with higher transaction sizes, especially in essential categories like groceries. Both retailers are adapting to inflation-conscious consumers and shifting payment habits, with flexible financing options and discount membership strategies. As mid-year sales events increasingly signal the start of the holiday shopping season, the competition between Amazon and Walmart reflects broader changes in consumer behavior and retail strategy.
