Get your website ready. Shoppers aren’t just gearing up to shop on Amazon during their Prime Big Day Deals event this October.

As marketers prepare for their main event—BFCM—another big day(s) on the horizon is proving to be worthy of its name. On October 10-11, Amazon will be hosting their fall Prime Day event. Watchers are speculating that Prime Big Deal Days may be bigger than its summer predecessor, and that it’ll put consumers in the full holiday shopping swing. With no clear picture of what to expect this holiday season, Amazon's event is the best potential signal of what's to come.

We surveyed 600 consumers across the United States, asking them how they’re approaching this major shopping moment. Are they making a list of items for themselves, or for others (or both)? Are they waiting to start their gift shopping until BFCM? And most importantly, will they be searching for deals on brands’ sites, too? Here’s what they told us (and how you can be ready). 

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Consumers are ready to shop, with or without deals 

Of those who plan to shop on Prime Day, 53% will do so regardless of the offers they find. The remaining 47% of consumers will click “buy” if they come across a good deal. 

Shoppers are going in with a plan to cross items off their wishlist, but they’re open to more ideas from brands. 54% of consumers have some items picked out, but are willing to hear more. And 33% aren’t sure what they’re going to buy yet.

Brands have an opportunity to make sure they’re on shoppers’ wishlists ahead of the sale, grabbing their attention with teasers of upcoming deals and recommendations for their best-sellers. 

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Consumers aren’t limiting themselves to just Amazon

While Amazon is the obvious destination for Prime Day, savvy shoppers know there are more places to snag a deal. 50% of consumers plan to shop at both Amazon and other brands' sites. That means they’ll be especially responsive to limited-time offers, exclusive promos, and more—anything that makes them feel like they’re getting the best value. 

It’s worth noting that 44% of shoppers do plan on exclusively sticking to Amazon. So if your brand has a presence on the site, make sure your SMS and email subscribers know they can add your products to their Prime Day cart. 

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They’ll be crossing out items on their wishlists (and their weekly shopping lists)

You know that wishlist you've been curating for ages? Well, you're not alone. 86% of consumers have been waiting to purchase at least one item on Prime Day. And more than half (55%) have three or more items they’re ready to add to their cart. 

Consumers are also in the mood to treat themselves. 58% will purchase both essential and nice-to-have items, and another 18% will exclusively splurge on discretionary purchases. Meanwhile, 23% will take advantage of the sale to stock up on their day-to-day items. 

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Prime Day is driving the Black Friday creep  

While shoppers are treating themselves, 62% are feeling generous and planning to shop for both themselves and others. Another 12% will just be on the lookout for gifts. 

It's worth noting that while 62% of shoppers haven't started their holiday shopping yet, Prime Day might be when they start crossing off gifts in earnest. Of those shoppers, 56% are ready to kick off their holiday shopping if they find the right deals, and 31% will officially start their holiday shopping on Prime Day regardless of the deals. 

Of the shoppers who plan to hold off on holiday shopping on Prime Day, only 25% will wait until Black Friday to snag gifts. Between years of navigating supply chain delays and economic uncertainty, one thing is clear: The big holiday shopping window has flipped, running between Prime Day and Black Friday, rather than from Black Friday to Christmas Day. 

Need ideas for how you can take full advantage of these days? Check out these 5 Amazon Prime Day Ideas to Try. 

Methodology

In September 2023, Attentive conducted a survey of 600 US consumers aged 18+ about their sentiments toward Amazon Prime Day Big Deal Days.