The numbers are eye-popping. Despite a lot of uncertainty about how much shoppers would spend and how enticing the deals offered were going to be, the 10th annual Amazon Prime Day was a record setting one.

According to Adobe Analytics, consumers spent $7.2 billion on Tuesday, July 16 – up 11.7 percent from day one last year – and another $7 billion on Wednesday, July 17 – up 10.4 percent from day two last year. The two-day total of $14.2 billion was up 11 percent year-over-year, and helped set a new record for the e-commerce giant.

There’s lots to glean from the data, but more than the total amount spent during the two-day event, what stands out is how consumers shopped, and what helped drive them to the platform.

Starting with how they shopped, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and curbside pickup orders were standouts during Prime Day:

• According to Adobe, BNPL accounted for 7.6 percent of all orders placed and helped drive $1.08 billion in online spend, up 16.4 percent year-over-year. The flexible payment option has become a popular short-term financing option for consumers that are seeking alternative ways to manage their expenses.
• And with curbside, the fulfillment method was used for just shy of 19 percent of all online orders across the two-day event. It was down slightly from last year but shows the staying power of a service that is seen as faster and perhaps more convenient than two-day or even next-day delivery.

As for what drove consumers to the platform, the obvious answer is deal-hunting, of course. But for a day that is really driven by the third-party sellers who leverage the Amazon platform, social media, paid search and other digital marketing methods proved to be crucial:

• Adobe’s data show that social networks saw a significant lift year-over-year in their revenue contribution (up 11.1 percent across the two-day event), along with display ads (up 12.5 percent).

Looking at product category performance, Prime Day was a big driver across the board. The biggest growth this year was seen in back-to-school shopping. With Prime Day falling a few days closer to the new school year, those products (lunch boxes, stationary, supplies, etc.) were up 216 percent. Closer to home, consumer electronics sales were up 61 percent compared to average daily sales in June 2024, driven by high demand for tablets (up 117 percent), TVs (up 111 percent), headphones and bluetooth speakers (up 105 percent), and computers (up 80 percent).

Across the home furnishings and appliances categories, small kitchen appliance sales (up 76 percent), mattresses (up 21 percent), home office furniture (up 14 percent) and bedroom furniture (up 11 percent) were the big growth categories.

Across the home furnishings and appliances categories, small kitchen appliance sales (up 76 percent), mattresses (up 21 percent), home office furniture (up 14 percent) and bedroom furniture (up 11 percent) were the big growth categories. As for how steep the discounts were, electronics led the way, peaking at 23 percent off list price. That was followed by home furnishings at 16 percent, TVs specifically at 16 percent, and appliances at 14 percent.