Numerator researchers turned their sights on Amazon Prime Day and found that 80% of consumers in the United States are aware of the dates for the 2026 version of the event, with 43% of U.S. households expecting to shop it.
Consumers who anticipate shopping on Prime Day expect to spend more than $11 billion, the market researcher stated, with the average planned household spend at about $187.
Still, half of potential Prime Day shoppers agreed with the statement that the event is less exciting than it used to be, even if 69% said the occasion continues to offer a good value.
Although everyday needs remain a focus, a significant proportion of Prime Day shoppers are looking beyond necessities. Among consumers who plan to shop Prime Day 2026, the top shopping intentions include browsing through deals without a specific plan (46%), stocking up on products they regularly buy (25%), purchasing household essentials (21%), buying higher-priced items they have delayed purchasing (21%),and grabbing discretionary/fun products (18%).
Prime Day shoppers plan to look over product or compare prices at other retailers during the sale, including Walmart (62%), Target,(41%), Costco (27%), Best Buy (17%) and Temu (10%). In that vein, 64% of all shoppers plan to participate in other summer sales events, including Walmart Deals (42%), Target Circle Week (28%), Costco Summer Sales Event (22%) and Best Buy Black Friday Deals in July (13%).
Inflation is the top motivation for shopping Prime Day 2026, cited by 47% of shoppers versus 20% who said it makes them less likely to do so. A similar pattern emerges relative to concerns about the economy, 44% move likely versus 18% less likely; and gas prices, 43% more likely versus 15% less likely.
As consumers continue to consider how they want to deal with artificial intelligence at retail, 22% of Prime Day shoppers plan to use AI-powered tools or features to find deals this year, with another 15% unsure if they will. As for tools, most popular among research participants, Numerator maintained, were ChatGPT or another AI chatbot (37%), AI search tools (30%), AI-powered price comparisons across retailers (28%) and AI-powered deal or coupon recommendations (28%). One in four planned to use Amazon’s AI shopping assistant.
Among consumers who say they do not plan to shop Prime Day this year, the top reasons were not needing to make any purchases right now (40%), not being an Amazon Prime member, (37%), trying to save money or reduce spending, (31%) and not thinking the deals are worth it (24%).
