Amazon launches early Prime Day deals ahead of event

Prime Day has become one of Amazon’s most important traffic and conversion events, and the early-access push signals the company is trying to stretch the sales window rather than rely on a single flash sale. Amazon’s shares closed at $251.52 on Oct. 2, above the 200-day moving average of $241.36 and just under the 50-day average of $256.54, after a volatile stretch that saw the stock trade as high as $284.02 in August.

The broader retail backdrop is mixed. Walmart’s shares were last at $104.26, below both its 50-day average of $108.74 and 200-day average of $117.88, while Costco ended at $920.65, still below its 50-day average of $933.13 and its 200-day average of $959.43. That suggests investors are still favoring retailers with pricing power and membership loyalty, but they are also watching whether heavy discounting can protect volumes without eroding margins.

Consumer signals are not especially supportive. Adalytica’s consumer spending sentiment stood at 79, labeled greed, while retail goods spending sentiment was only 14, or extreme fear, underscoring a split between willingness to shop and caution around discretionary purchases. Amazon’s early markdowns fit that environment: they can drive traffic now, but they also raise the stakes for how much the company is willing to sacrifice on price to keep demand moving.

The key catalyst is next week’s Prime Big Deal Days, which will show whether the early offers are enough to build momentum into the main event and whether Amazon can convert bargain hunting into broader basket growth.