Top 5 Things to Know Ahead of Amazon Prime Day

When Amazon’s annual Prime Day event kicks off on June 23, millions of consumers will be hunting for the best deals, comparing products, and filling their carts with everything from household essentials to big-ticket purchases.

While Prime Day may be built on discounts, today’s shoppers aren’t taking deals at face value. With 74% of consumers saying economic conditions are forcing them to cut back on spending, Akeneo surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers to uncover how people are becoming more strategic in their purchasing decisions, relying on AI tools, and searching harder than ever for genuine value.

Let’s take a look at the five key trends shaping shopper behavior ahead of Prime Day 2026, and what you can do to stay competitive.

1. AI Has Become a Critical Part of the Shopping Journey

Mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are reshaping the future of commerce, and it is arriving faster than most teams expect. 

Ahead of Prime Day, 43% of consumers have already used AI to support shopping tasks like finding deals, narrowing down options, and summarizing product reviews. 

What’s particularly notable here is that AI is actively influencing purchasing decisions; 20% of consumers say AI has influenced their consideration of a product, while 22% report purchasing a product based on an AI recommendation.

As AI becomes a trusted source of shopping guidance, brands must ensure their product information is complete, accurate, and structured in ways that AI systems can easily understand and surface.

If AI cannot confidently understand or recommend your product, you risk becoming invisible during the earliest stages of the buying journey.

2. Consumers are More Value-Conscious Than Ever

The economic climate is having a significant impact on shopping behavior.

According to our survey, 74% of consumers say current economic conditions are affecting their Prime Day plans. While 84% still intend to participate in Prime Day shopping, consumers are approaching purchases with greater caution and intentionality.

This means shoppers are less likely to make impulse purchases and more likely to carefully evaluate whether a product truly offers value. Every purchase is being scrutinized, and consumers want confidence that they’re making the right decision before they click “Buy Now.”

For brands, this creates a new challenge. Discounting alone may attract attention, but it won’t necessarily earn trust. Shoppers want reassurance that they’re getting quality products, genuine savings, and accurate information that helps them understand what they’re purchasing.

3. Prime Day Has Become a Multi-Retailer Event

For years, Prime Day was viewed primarily as Amazon’s moment. Today, consumers see it differently.

More than half of shoppers (55%) say they plan to shop across multiple retailers to find the best deals, while 62% compare prices across different retailers before making a purchase.

In other words, consumers aren’t limiting themselves to Amazon. Instead, they’re treating Prime Day as a broader shopping opportunity and using it as a trigger to evaluate deals wherever they can find them.

Winning requires consistency. Product information, pricing, promotions, and customer experiences must be aligned across every channel where consumers encounter your products.

If shoppers find conflicting information or a better experience elsewhere, they’ll have no hesitation in switching.

4. Shoppers Don’t Trust Deals at Face Value 

Consumers have become increasingly skeptical of promotional claims.

Only 9% of consumers say they trust deals without verifying them first.

Instead, shoppers are conducting extensive research before making purchases. 32% check price-history tools and trackers to verify discounts, while 29% review detailed product information as part of their decision-making process.

This behavior highlights an important reality: shoppers want proof.

Consumers want to know whether a discount is genuinely meaningful, whether the product meets their needs, and whether they can trust the retailer’s claims.

The more friction brands remove from the research process, the more likely they are to earn consumer trust and conversions.

5. Product Information Matters More Than AI Recommendations

Despite all the attention surrounding AI, traditional decision drivers still dominate.

When consumers were asked what influences their purchasing decisions most, price ranked first at 55%. Reviews followed at 20%, while product information accounted for 14%.

Interestingly, AI recommendations themselves remain relatively low on the list of direct purchase influences.

What can we take away from this? AI may help shoppers discover products, but it is still product information that helps them decide whether to buy.

Consumers ultimately want trustworthy details about what they’re purchasing. They want specifications, features, dimensions, compatibility information, sustainability credentials, usage instructions, and customer reviews.

AI may introduce a product, but product information closes the sale.

Our CEO, Romain Fouache, said it best: 

Are You Ready for Prime Day 2026?

Prime Day 2026 is becoming a test of how well brands can support increasingly informed, strategic, and AI-enabled shoppers.

Shoppers are comparing prices across retailers, verifying discounts before making purchases, and relying on a growing mix of digital tools to evaluate their options. At the same time, expectations for accurate product information, transparency, and overall value continue to rise.

These behaviors are unlikely to disappear once Prime Day ends. Instead, they signal a broader shift in how consumers discover products, build trust, and make purchasing decisions. 

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in shopping experiences and economic pressures continue to shape spending habits, the ability to provide consistent, trustworthy, and accessible product information will play an increasingly important role in influencing what ends up in consumers’ carts.Want to dive deeper into the data and uncover additional insights shaping shopper behavior ahead of Prime Day 2026? Download the full Prime Day report to explore the complete survey findings and learn how brands can prepare for the evolving retail landscape.