Well, Prime Day(X4) Has Arrived

Well, it's Prime Day, or Prime Day multiplied by four, as it happens this year. As the AP reports, Amazon is extending its annual Prime Day and offering new membership perks to Gen Z shoppers amid tariff-related worries and possibly some consumer boredom with an event in its 11th year. The behemoth's promised blitz of deals started at 3:01am Eastern on Tuesday. Prime members ages 18-24, who pay $7.49 per month instead of the $14.99 that older customers pay, will receive 5% cash back on purchases. What's in store:

• Competitors: Best Buy, Target, and Walmart are offering their own July deals, with Walmart is adding two more days to its promotional period, which starts Tuesday and runs through Sunday.
• Prime Daze: Shoppers "wanted more time to shop and save," Amazon Prime VP Jamil Ghani says. Analysts are unsure the extra days will translate into more purchases given renewed inflation worries and potential price increases from tariffs. Adobe Digital Insights predicts the event will drive $23.8 billion in overall online spending from July 8 to July 11, 28.4% more than the similar period last year.
• Tariffs: Amazon execs reported in May that it and many third-party sellers tried to beat big import tax bills by stocking up on foreign goods before President Trump's tariffs took effect. And because of that, Adobe Digital Insights' expects discounts to remain on par with last year and for other US retail companies to mark 10% to 24% off the MSRP between Tuesday and Friday.
• Necessities or splurges? July sales have historically helped jump-start back-to-school spending and encouraged advance planners to buy other seasonal merchandise earlier. Analysts said they expected US consumers to make purchases this week out of tariffs fear.

• Some of the deals: As usual, Alexa-enabled products like Echo, Fire TV, and Fire tablets. Walmart said its sale includes a 32-inch Samsung smart monitor for $199 instead of $299.99. Target is maintaining 2024 prices on key back-to-school items, including a $5 backpack.
• How will Amazon's third-party sellers fare? Independent businesses that sell through Amazon account for more than 60% of its sales. Some third-party sellers are expected to sit out Prime Day. Others are looking to make a dent in the inventory they built up to avoid tariffs. "All the product that we have on Amazon right now is ... inventory that we got before the tariffs went into effect," says Patrick Jones, founder of Outdoor Fellow. "So we're still able to offer the discount."