Americans just dropped more than $26 billion during Amazon's multi-day Prime sale—but the splurge may say more about strain than strength, according to analysts cited by Reuters. From June 23-26, online shoppers spent $26.4 billion, up 9.3% from last year, Adobe Analytics reports, largely chasing markdowns on electronics, appliances, toys, kids' gear, and everyday basics. The amount slightly beat Adobe's $26.3 billion estimate, Fortune reports. But analysts say the year-over-year increase is being powered by a mix of inflation, juicier tax refunds, and aggressive discounts, not by carefree spending.
Average Prime Day order value actually slipped to $47.66 from $53.34 last year, according to a separate analysis, suggesting people are buying more cautiously and leaning on deals to stretch their budgets; the average household spend during the Prime Day period was $143 this year, down 8.3%. Some used the event to stock up on items they needed anyway—like back-to-school clothes, personal care products, and home goods—rather than splurging on extras, analysts say. That "fatigued consumer," as one retail consultant put it, could pressure retailers to keep offering deep discounts into the holiday season, even as the one-off boost from larger tax refunds fades. Faizan Farooque writes at TheStreet that this year's event felt like "less of a parade of consumer power and more of a live experiment on just how tapped out American buyers are."
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