Getting ‘Primed’ for Amazon Prime Day 2018

The event can be lucrative for brands—but the competition is fierce

Since its 2015 inception, Amazon Prime Day has quickly rippled across the industry and reshaped the dynamics of the summer and back-to-school shopping seasons. Cooper Smith, director of Amazon research at Gartner L2, spoke with eMarketer’s Andrew Lipsman about what to expect on Prime Day 2018, and how marketers can capitalize on this fast-growing and influential retail phenomenon. Smith was interviewed as part of eMarketer’s July report, "Amazon Prime Day 2018: How a One-Day Promotion Changed the Back-to-School Season, and What Marketers Can Do Around This New Shopping Holiday."

eMarketer:

Amazon Prime Day saw an estimated $1 billion in sales in 2017 and 60% growth each of the past two years—why do you think it has become such a retail phenomenon?

Cooper Smith:

There are really only three things that consumers care about when it comes to shopping: low prices, massive product selection and a convenient experience. Amazon outperforms every other retailer in each of these areas. Prime Day basically takes those three things and puts them on steroids.

Interview conducted on May 24, 2018

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