Last year, Amazon tried inventing a holiday all for itself. The day was dubbed “Prime Day,” and it was to be a day full of irresistible sales and promotions for Prime Members. In the end, it was something of a wash. But Amazon, undeterred, is now making it an annual tradition.
The online retail behemoth made the announcement today to anyone who logged in to see it, with a giant banner proclaiming July 12 to be the day of deals. Last year’s event, though, didn’t go exactly as they planned.
It started rough, with deals that were not exactly inspirational or thrilling… and technical issues galore when users actually tried to buy the products.
Then there was the flap over a TV sale that came and went so quickly that customers complained it had never existed at all and was a misleading ploy to draw people in. It wasn’t; the 40″ HD TV really did exist and really did sell for $115… it just also really did sell out in literal seconds, leaving bargain-hunters frustrated.
Despite the frustration and negativity some customers expressed, though, the event was overall a win for the company. Amazon reported that sales were up by over 80% on Prime Day last year, and clearly that was enough motivation for them to pull a repeat this year.
This time around, Amazon is also trying to engage customers to “prepare” in advance by following their Facebook page and downloading their mobile app. Even the most well-prepared deal seeker, though, should probably be prepared to face stiff competition for the top-billed items. There will probably be another cheap TV, but you’ll have to get lucky to get it.
by Kate Cox via Consumerist
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