Prime Day Was Supposed To Kick Off Holiday Shopping, But Was More About Stocking Up On Essentials

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Only 23% of shoppers bought gifts during October Prime Day.
• Meanwhile, 28% of shoppers said they purchased mundane items.
• The astir celebrated products purchased by ZDNET readers were inexpensive tech devices. 

Shoppers utilized this week's Prime Big Deal Days sale, which ran from Oct. 7-8, to banal up connected waste items and acquisition mundane equipment alternatively of large vacation gift purchases, according to a caller search study of complete 5,000 October Prime Day shoppers conducted by information institution Numerator.

Also: The champion October Prime Day deals still live

In September, Amazon said nan Prime Big Deal Days arena was meant to motorboat nan 2025 vacation shopping season. "Prime Big Deal Days kicks disconnected nan vacation shopping play pinch exclusive deals for Prime members connected must-have items and celebrated gifts," said Carmen Nestares, vice president of North America Marketing and Prime Tech, successful nan September release. The sale, however, seemed to constituent toward a different reality. 

A recent study from our sister tract CNET recovered that of those readying to shop early for nan holidays, 56% planned to do truthful betwixt August and October. However, according to the Numerator data, 28% of October Prime Day shoppers purchased mundane goods, for illustration groceries aliases family items, 25% stocked up connected waste items, and 45% purchased an point they've been waiting to bargain connected sale. The apical shopped categories were besides each essentials.

Numerator reports nan apical categories shoppers opportunity they bought during nan first time of Prime Big Deal Days were apparel and shoes (26%), family essentials (26%), location beauty & cosmetics (22%), wellness & wellness items (21%), and location equipment (21%). These are akin to numbers reported in Numerator's July Prime Day survey.

Also: Over half of vacation tech shoppers concerned by value hikes and tariffs, CNET study finds

With turbulent economical conditions, nan upcoming vacation season, and increasing inflation, it's nary astonishment that shoppers focused connected essentials. According to CNET's survey, astir 87% of those readying to shop for tech products this twelvemonth said they are worried astir rising costs owed to tariffs and inflation, and nan readiness of celebrated products, for illustration nan Nintendo Switch 2.

A move from flagship tech to inexpensive gadgets

Missing from Prime Day shopping trends described supra is flagship tech. ZDNET's ain top-selling Prime Day products from Prime Big Deal Days yielded akin results. Though immoderate purchases included discounted laptops and TVs, nan astir celebrated products for ZDNET readers were inexpensive gadgets and gizmos --  mainly nether $100. 

Also: The apical 10 products our readers bought during Prime Day 2025 (no. 1 is still beautiful odd)

Our readers' apical purchase was a $15 receptor camera tool. Smaller applicable devices rounded retired nan mostly of nan list: a streaming stick, an AirPods cleaning tool, inexpensive USB-C accessories, smart plugs, mobile accessories, and mundane tech items for illustration AirTags. 

Even ZDNET's only outlier, nan much costly Google Pixel Tablet (our No. 4 top-seller), remained priced astatine $250 connected sale. 

ZDNET's no. 1 trading October Prime Day merchandise is simply a $15 receptor camera tool. 

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Since these purchases don't look to beryllium early vacation shopping indicators, I person to wonderment if Amazon's autumn arena is an illustration of nan notorious "lipstick effect" in nan shape of gizmos and gadgets. 

Also: Our No. 1 trading Prime Day merchandise wasn't moreover connected waste (and it's benignant of bizarre)

What does this mean for vacation shopping?

Though CNET's study indicated that astir half of shoppers scheme to shop for tech early betwixt August and October, Numerator's survey found that only 23% of shoppers really took advantage of Prime Big Deal Days to get a jump connected vacation shopping. Of those surveyed, 55% said they weren't yet judge what they needed aliases wanted for nan holidays, while different 32% said it felt excessively early to make their vacation purchases. Christmas and Hanukkah are astir 11 weeks away. 

Last year, nan National Retail Federation reported that 45% of shoppers planned to get a caput commencement connected vacation shopping earlier November. This year, nan NRF will merchandise its vacation forecast connected Nov. 6, a fewer weeks later than successful years past. 

According to Adobe's 2025 Cyber Week Spend Forecast, US online income are expected to deed $254.3 cardinal this vacation play betwixt November and December, pinch Cyber Monday clocking successful arsenic nan largest shopping time of some nan wintertime shopping unreserved and nan year, pinch an anticipated $14.5 cardinal successful user spending, up 6.3% twelvemonth complete twelvemonth (YoY).

Also: Worried astir rising tech prices? Try these 5 easy ways to shop smarter correct now

Adobe anticipates that complete half of online spending this shopping play will beryllium comprised of furniture, apparel, and electronics categories, pinch nan second expected to rake successful $57.5 billion, up 4% YoY. At nan aforesaid time, smaller categories for illustration groceries and cosmetics are seeing accelerated growth, pinch groceries expected to beryllium up 9.2% this year, totaling astir $23.5 billion. 

We'll person to hold and spot what this vacation shopping play really looks like, but truthful far, early autumn income don't look to beryllium enticing Americans to shop for gifts, and astir shoppers usage them to prevention connected nan staple items they usage each day. Cyber Week is still nan commerce king, and events for illustration Prime Day whitethorn person mislaid their luster. 

After all, "early" vacation shopping is only feasible if you tin spend to do it -- and galore Americans look to beryllium emotion nan squeeze.

When was October Prime Day 2025? 

October Prime Day (or Prime Big Deal Days) ran from Tuesday, Oct. 7,  through Wednesday, Oct. 8 this year. 

When is Black Friday 2025? 

This twelvemonth Black Friday returns connected Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Cyber Monday follows soon aft connected Monday, Dec. 1.