Amazon plans to shift annual Prime Day sale to June from July

Published Fri, Mar 13, 2026 · 07:07 AM

[SEATTLE] Amazon.com is moving up its annual Prime Day sale to June from July, according to sources familiar with the matter, shifting the schedule for an event that’s become a big part of the e-commerce economy.

The timing is expected to be late June, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the plans are not yet public. A representative for Amazon declined to comment.

The change will affect both Amazon and its constellation of third-party vendors, which count on the discounting surge to attract shoppers. Since Amazon captures about 40 US cents of every US dollar spent online, the timing of Prime Day is also closely watched by competitors, which look to draft off of the promotions and web traffic.

Amazon launched its summer sale in 2015 to attract new Prime members, who pay US$139 a year for shipping discounts, video streaming and other perks. Over the past decade, the company has attempted to keep Prime Day fresh and exciting, a challenge in the face of numerous rival events.

Last year, Amazon stretched Prime Day to four days from two, which gave shoppers more time to browse but also reduced the sense of urgency to make purchases in the moment.

The latest change has implications for Amazon’s financial reporting, with sales from the event coming in the second quarter rather than the third. The event also serves as a barometer of broader consumer sentiment, especially in times of economic uncertainty. Online spending across all retailers during last year’s four-day sale increased 30 per cent from a year earlier to US$24.1 billion, according to Adobe.

Events from Walmart and Target typically overlap with Amazon’s. For retailers, summer is one of the most important periods because consumers are doing their back-to-school shopping. It’s also an opportunity to build loyalty among customers ahead of the year-end holiday season.

Consumer spending has remained fairly consistent in recent months despite tariffs and a lukewarm job market, though war in the Middle East now threatens to affect shopping plans. On the positive side, tax-refund season is expected to generate an influx of spending money for families. BLOOMBERG