Held from March 20-25, Amazon’s inaugural Big Spring Sale generated a modest 3.1% lift in sales versus the average trailing four weeks, according to Earnest credit card data.
The result represents a small acceleration from the seasonal lift that occurred in the same week of March in the previous two years, the data analytics firm pointed out, when Amazon did not have a spring sale event. Easter was nine days earlier this year than in 2023, which may also have contributed to increased shopping and gifting on the Amazon platform during the Big Spring Sale week.
Amazon has launched more sales events in recent years, Earnest noted, lifting gross merchandise volume compared to average weeks to varying degrees. Amazon’s October 10-11, 2023 Prime Big Deal Days, for instance, generated a 23% lift on a trailing basis, Earnest credit card data revealed. Still, Earnest added, the timing of the Amazon Big Spring Sale could have provided a boost to results towards the end of the retailer’s 2024 first quarter.
Earnest analysis demonstrated that the sale did help with a turnaround in the March week. The March 20-26 period fell from trailing sales growth of 8.5% in 2020 to 1% in 2023 before getting the 3.1% lift this year.
