Amazon boasts record Prime Day sales fueled by electronics and back-to-school shopping

What you need to know

• This year's Prime Day was a record-breaker for Amazon, with online sales in the U.S. alone reaching around $14.2 billion.
• Sales rose by 11% compared to last year, and factors contributing to this increase could include better discounts offered by Amazon and the event being closer to the back-to-school season in the country.
• Members enjoyed deals from brands like Sol de Janeiro, Apple, Dyson, and Ring. Small businesses like TruSkin, ALOHA, Blueland, and Native Pet contributed to the sales.

Amazon's big Prime Day sales have officially ended, and the company says it had a "record-breaking event." While Amazon hasn't shared the exact numbers yet, its official blog said it sold more items during this two-day event than any previous Prime Day event.

We did get a glimpse into the sales numbers, as Reuters reported that shoppers in the U.S. alone spent $14.2 billion online during the two-day Amazon Prime Day event. The data comes from Adobe Analytics , which said total online sales increased 11.7%  this year compared to 2023's $12.7 billion across two days.

The publication adds that major retailers, including Walmart and Target, seem to have launched their own deals leading up to Prime Day, which may have contributed to this year's sales.

"We love helping Prime members save money, and Prime Day is the ultimate celebration of savings and selection," said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores.

People who were looking to upgrade devices and new technology to their homes helped push online sales for the electronics category up 61%, Adobe Analytics added.

Amazon said in its Prime Day recap that members took advantage of deals from brands like Sol de Janeiro, Apple, Dyson, and Ring, as well as small businesses like TruSkin, ALOHA, Blueland, and Native Pet.

Adobe states that this year's sales could be attributed to two factors. One is that Amazon offered better discounts this year, and parents quickly took advantage of these discounts closer to the 'back-to-school' season, which starts in August in major U.S. cities.

Amazon says that its new AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus , made the Prime Day experience easier for millions of customers by allowing them to shop from its wide selection quickly and easily.

"Prime Day 2024 was a huge success thanks to the millions of Prime members globally who turned to Amazon for fantastic deals, and our much-appreciated employees, delivery partners, and sellers around the world who helped bring the event to life for customers," Herrington added.

While Prime Days has helped people shop better, it seems that it has also helped reduce carbon emissions. According to the company, Prime members in the U.S. chose to wait until these sale days to place orders online, saving an estimated 10 million trips.