Amazon’s October Prime Day Results Give Ecommerce Sellers New Insight for Black Friday Planning

US online spending reached $9.86 billion during Amazon’s October 6–7 Prime Big Deal Days, giving ecommerce sellers new data to consider when planning for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The total covers US retailers, rather than Amazon alone, according to Adobe data reported by Retail Dive. Discounts encouraged purchases across categories including electronics, toys and apparel, while mobile devices accounted for 52% of online spending.

Numerator found that more than a third of shoppers completed at least half their holiday shopping during the event. Intent to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday declined four and five percentage points, respectively, compared with last year’s event.

For ecommerce sellers, the findings suggest some holiday demand may have moved into October. However, the results do not establish how individual products or channels will perform in November.

Sellers can compare October sales with their forecasts, review remaining stock and supplier lead times, and adjust replenishment where their own data supports it. Reviewing margins after discounts, marketplace fees and fulfillment costs can also help determine which promotions to repeat or revise.

Book a Descartes demo to learn how our ecommerce solutions can help you coordinate inventory, purchasing and fulfillment as you prepare for holiday promotions.