Some Shoppers Unimpressed By "Prime Day" Sales
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Touting their Amazon 'Prime Day' sale, officials with Amazon.com say order rates Wednesday surpassed that of 2014 Black Friday sales.
Just for today, the online retailer is offering deep discounts to their Amazon Prime members. But even after kicking off a war among some retailers, the sale has been a disappointment for some shoppers.
Not to be outdone by the 'Prime' sale, Walmart launched a rival sale that included more than 2,000 online items.
When you compare the sales to those on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, consumers say your ability to get a 'deal' depends on what you're shopping for.
Regardless, the mid-July sale has got consumer gurus, shoppers and other online retailers reacting.
If you are in the market for a kid's watch, a 32-inch television for $75, or a digital camera today could be your day. But if you are shopping for name brand jeans or sunglasses Black Friday may be better.
The highly advertised sale has been almost like a sporting event -- Prime Day vs. Black Friday. So far, the match appears to be a tie. Prime has been a bust on some items, but victory on most electronics. But most agree it's turning out to be a win-win for consumers.
The announcement of the Amazon.com sale triggered a reaction from other retailers. Bloomingdales kicked off the day with "Prime Time" specials. A surprise from Macy's gave shoppers free shipping all day, on all orders for the first time ever. Walmart countered with thousands of 'rollback' prices. And Best Buy, JCPenney, Old Navy, Gap and Target are all also pushing markdowns.
But rime Day is taking a beating on social media, with shoppers now calling it "underwhelming," a "clearance sale for old items," and "buy the stuff you don't need day."
Some advice for those of you headed to check it out now –
- Prepare to act quick if you see something you like
- Remember, quantities are limited
- Keep in mind all the buzz is making websites run slower
CBS 11 News reached out to several local retailers -- clothing, furniture, and grocery stores -- all of them said their brick-and mortar locations are not reacting with sales, because this was an online only event.
So, many are asking if this online event will become a regular thing? One consumer expert said the sale is proving to be "a worthy supplement for summer," and that it could be here to stay.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
