Skip to main content

Amazon third-party sellers raked in over $3.5 billion on Prime Day 2020

Prime Day was disappointing this year. With less than impressive discounts on TVs, laptops, and Apple products, it was one of the worst Prime Days we’ve ever seen. And yet, according to Amazon, third-party sellers still brought in a record $3.5 billion from the shopping event.

Amazon has yet to disclose its overall earnings for Prime Day, choosing instead to focus on the success of the small businesses that sell products on the site. However, it is probably safe to assume that if third-party sellers had record numbers, the online retailer probably did pretty well.

According to the same blog, the top-selling products for third-party sellers included bedding, wireless accessories, nutrition and wellness, arts, crafts and sewing, and health care. With the exception of wireless accessories, these are all categories that Amazon has been trying to expand into over the last few years.

Why isn’t Amazon disclosing total sales this year?

All it takes is a quick scroll through the Amazon blog to see an obvious difference between 2020 and previous years. Amazon has decided to take the focus off how many items were sold and how much total revenue it brought in. Why could that be?

Trust is the new online currency

The most obvious answer here is that online shopping trends are changing. With the pandemic knocking out small businesses left and right, people are becoming more selective with their shopping habits — choosing to shop local rather than at large retailers. Amazon’s PR department likely recognizes this shift and is trying to put the spotlight on how much they’ve helped small businesses thrive rather than how much revenue they’ve taken away from local shops.

Sales might have been worse than previous years

Despite growing unemployment and poverty, e-commerce has done great this year. With more people staying home and avoiding public places, everyone has been buying things online like never before. But with Prime Day being so close to Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, it’s entirely possible that for once, Prime Day 2020 wasn’t the biggest one yet.

And that wouldn’t be a surprise to us at all. With prices on big-ticket tech items like computer monitors and 4K TVs being fairly average, it’s highly likely many folks decided to skip this sale. Additionally, this was the first year that every other retailer decided to jump on the Prime Day bandwagon, offering competitive prices to rival the retail giant.

Editors' Recommendations

Google Maps is adding new shopping tools for the holiday season
Person using Google Maps on a smartphone.

Google has announced several new features in Google Maps to keep you sane this holiday season by helping you avoid crowds, find your way around the malls, and even get your holiday dinner shopping done.

First off, Google is expanding its crowdedness data features for public transit and specific stores into a broader tool that it's calling "Area Busyness." This will show you how many folks are gathering in a specific neighborhood, rather than an individual store. As Google explains, you can use this information however you like, whether you want to steer clear of the crowds or seek out the hottest spots in town.

Read more
Amazon is planning to open its largest retail stores to date
Amazon logo on the headquarters building.

Amazon is planning to dramatically expand its brick-and-mortar footprint with the opening of large sites similar to department stores, a report claimed on Thursday, August 19.

The company that made its name with online shopping has in recent years taken a growing interest in physical outlets, opening bookstores, grocery stores, and premises selling its growing range of electronics, among other items.

Read more
Uber’s grocery delivery service expands to more than 400 cities and towns
An Uber App on a smartphone.

Uber is doubling down on its grocery delivery efforts. On Monday, it announced a major expansion to more U.S. cities and towns that more than doubles the reach of the service

The company said its grocery delivery service, available via its Uber and Uber Eats apps, is now available in more than 40o cities and towns across the country, including major centers such as San Francisco, New York City, Miami, Dallas, and Washington, DC.

Read more