Deal Satisfaction Declines as Household Spending Falls 17% and Consumers Focus on Everyday Essentials
CHICAGO, June 25, 2026 (GlobeNewswire) – Numerator, a consumer data and technology company, has released early read results from the first two days of Prime Day 2026.
Early purchasing data from Numerator’s live Amazon Prime Day tracker indicates Prime Day household spending is down across the board compared to 2025, while shopper sentiment from verified Prime Day shoppers suggests they viewed this year’s deals less favorably than in prior years as inflation grows. At the same time, shoppers continue to purchase lower-ticket everyday essentials, compare prices across competing retailers, and participate in multiple summer sales events.
- Prime Day 2026 spending is down across several key metrics compared to the first two days of the 2025 event:
- Average household spending reached $105, down 17% from $126 at the same point last year.
- The average Prime day order totaled $47, down 18% from $57 during the comparable period in 2025.
- Over two-thirds (70%) of items purchased have sold for under $20, and the average spend per item of $23 is down 9% from $25 last year.
- Electronics are no longer a top category as consumers focus on everyday household items and little luxuries. Premier Protein Shakes, Liquid I.V. Packets, Hefty Ultra Strong Trash Bags, Temptations Cat Treats, and Medicube Toner Pads top the list based on units sold.
- Top categories that Prime Day buyers reported purchasing are Apparel & Shoes (31%), Household Essentials (30%), Health & Wellness (28%), Beauty & Cosmetics (26%), and Home Goods (24%).
- Once considered the focus of Prime Day, consumer electronics are no longer a top purchased category. Only 14% of shoppers reported purchasing consumer electronics such as televisions and cell phones (-5 points vs. 2025), and only 9% said they purchased smart home devices.
- Deal perceptions on Prime Day are weakening. While awareness of Prime Day remains high, consumers indicate they are less motivated to shop the event compared to last year due to deal satisfaction and economic conditions.
- Nearly all shoppers (94%) knew Prime Day was taking place before making a purchase. However, only 41% said Prime Day was their primary reason for shopping on Amazon, down from 52% in 2025.
- 62% said they were extremely or very satisfied with this year’s deals, down from 67% last year.
- One in three (34%) shoppers say they were more cautious with spending because of the current economic climate (+3 points vs. 2025).
- Prime Day shoppers continue to evaluate Prime Day deals and cross shop at other retailers. Walmart remains Amazon’s primary competitor during Prime Day, serving as the retailer shoppers are most likely to compare prices with and cross-shop for deals.
- 53% of shoppers compared prices across retailers, with Walmart being the most commonly checked retailer (67%), followed by Target (40%) and club retailers (29%).
- 73% said they also shopped or planned to shop at another retailer’s summer sales event or promotion. Top retailers include Walmart Deals (49%), Target Circle Week (33%), and Costco Summer Sales (21%). Low-income shoppers were more likely to opt for Walmart Deals (56% low-income vs. 45% high-income shoppers), while high-income shoppers were more likely to choose Target Circle Deal Days (41% high-income vs. 26% low-income).
- AI-powered shopping tools are showing traction, helping shoppers research and find deals especially among younger households.
- One in five Prime Day shoppers (20%) reported using AI-powered shopping tools or features during the event.
- 30% of Gen Z and Millennials said they used AI-powered shopping tools or features during their shopping.
- Among those using AI-powered tools while shopping on Prime Day, 41% used it to find deals or discounts and 36% used it to research products.
Data on the Amazon Prime Day Tracker will continue to be updated throughout the duration of the Prime Day event. At the time of this release, Numerator purchase data insights were based on 48,881 Prime Day orders from 21,858 unique households. The Numerator Prime Day 2026 survey was fielded to verified Prime Day buyers beginning 6/23/2026 and had 2,049 responses at the time of this release.
About Numerator:
Numerator is a data company transforming how consumers and markets are understood. Powered by advanced technology and proprietary, zero-party purchase and survey data from more than one million households, Numerator provides visibility into consumer behavior and attitudes across consumer goods, retail, restaurants, tech and media, management consulting, institutional investors, and the public sector. Headquartered in Chicago, Numerator drives decisions at the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies in more than 50 countries.
