It’s Amazon Prime Day versus Walmart Deals in a retail discount showdown
Walmart has been powering through the e-commerce world, bringing in $79 billion in revenue last year and growing explosively... just like Amazon in its prime.
When e-commerce titans clash, the ground shakes, websites take longer to load, and (maybe) you get a bargain on that tablet you’ve had your eye on. That’s what could happen as Amazon and Walmart’s flagship annual discount periods are pitting the retail giants head-to-head.
Double dating
This year’s Amazon “Prime Day” promotion will start from July 8 to 11, overlapping with the “Walmart Deals” sale, which runs from July 8 to 13. For the first time, Amazon has also extended its two-day Prime Day(s) sale from two to four days — a change Walmart answered by stretching its own event from four days to six.
Annual discount periods are a significant revenue driver for both online and brick-and-mortar retailers, but they also help platforms stay top of mind for consumers.
This year, Amazon is expected to sell $21 billion worth of goods during its 96-hour extended Prime Day, per Bank of America, a staggering 60% jump on last year’s effort.
Amazon has long dominated the world’s online shopping landscape, but rival Walmart, whose US e-commerce business raked in $79 billion in revenue last year, has been catching up in a daunting, precedented speed — similar to Amazon’s explosive growth in the late 2000s and early 2010s. With a fleet of 4,600 stores as its online unit’s backbone, Walmart’s promotion this year will also feel a little like Amazon’s, with its Prime-like Walmart+ subscription at the center of its discounted period, as members get early access from July 7.
It’s Amazon vs. Walmart. The winner? Maybe bargain-hunting consumers. The losers? Any non-billion-dollar online stores trying to sell stuff over the next week.
