Goal, eBay competes with Amazon Prime Day with appointment days, crash sales
Customers quit a Target Corp. store in Colma, California
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Dealers can't let Amazon have fun on Prime Day.
Target and eBay have so far announced their own agreement strategies following the Amazon announcement Tuesday – where Prime Day said it would actually run for two days this year and begin at midnight on July 15.
Target has "contract days" on July 1[ads1]5 and 16, saying it will have thousands of deals on goods, including on their own clothing and trademarks. It is also touting the fact that shoppers can pick up their goods ordered online the same day, at Target stores. And there is no need for membership to trade the special offers, as is the case with Amazon's arrangement. Customers can also receive 5% savings when using a Target credit card.
Last year, Target held a one-time sale on the website that was consistent with Prime Day. And it was one of the dealer's greatest days for online sales, according to Target's chief merchandising officer Mark Tritton.
Meanwhile, Amazon rival eBay keeps what it calls a "crash sale". It said it will start offering some deals as early as July 1. But on July 15, it will offer deals on major brands such as LG, Apple, Samsung, KitchenAid and Garmin. And it said it would drop more offers if the Amazon website crashes, as it did last year at the start of Prime Day.
"July has become a massive buying time," said Jay Hanson, vice president and chief of Dell's US division.
On Prime Day, which started in July 2015 as a way to mark the company's 20th anniversary, Amazon Prime members can buy very discounted products. The offers apply to most items Amazon sells. And many things will sell out in a matter of minutes, creating a sort of black Friday cramp where people try to buy things as fast as possible.
Amazon said last year's Prime Day was the biggest ever, topped a record in 2017. And so it is plausible this year can be even more successful since it goes further. Amazon's own products, such as Echo, have typically been bestsellers. And this year, for the first time, Amazon said that United Arab Emirates customers will be able to participate.
Amazon shares are up to 25% so far this year. The target share has rallied close to 30%. eBay shares are up over 39%.
