Amazon Pet Day and the Start of Category-Specific Sales

With Amazon’s eighth annual Prime Day once again approaching in July, the ecommerce giant opted to host its first-ever pet-specific sales holiday on May 2 to usher in National Pet Month. While Amazon did not share any metrics that demonstrate how consumers responded to the event, it is noteworthy because it follows a fashion-focused sale in 2020 and begs the question whether other sector-specific sales days are in store for Amazon shoppers. Pet Day As the name implies, the 24-hour event offered discounts in categories like pets, home and electronics from brands like Furbo, Greenies and Bissell, as well as offers on “iconic pet movies” and a two-hour stream on Amazon Live. The platform also encouraged customers to use its charitable service AmazonSmile to support pet charities and to set up Amazon Pet Profiles “to receive personalized recommendations and coupons as they continue celebrating National Pet Month.” Pet parents It’s no secret pets have become an increasingly important part of consumers’ lives in recent history, so a pet-specific sale certainly makes sense to engage shoppers with animals at home. According to Brad Jashinsky, director analyst at Gartner, the pet industry continues to grow—reaching nearly $124 billion in sales in 2021, which is the highest in history per figures from the American Pet Products Association. Meanwhile, revenue at Amazon competitors like Chewy continues to increase as well. But there’s more to it than that. “In-store retail sales are rebounding across product categories as online shopping begins to slow down for the first time since the pandemic started in March 2020,” he said. “Item prices continue to soar due to inflation, which causes consumers to search for more deals and be more open to switching to new brands.” That means Amazon could lose market share to brick and mortar retailers as well, Jashinsky added. Plus, it’s a lucrative category with frequent repeat purchases. “Pet food, treats and supplements are purchased on a regular basis with a high lifetime value for each consumer,” Jashinsky said. “These products have a high purchase frequency that aligns with Amazon’s focus on Prime and Subscribe and Save subscriptions.” Zach Weinberg, vp of ecommerce at performance marketing network Reprise Digital, agreed the category is “extremely sticky.” “This means shoppers are highly engaged and willing to lean in when the right opportunities and/or promotions are available,” he added. Prime Day Nevertheless, analysts don’t anticipate a flood of additional category-specific sales. There’s one important reason. “That would dilute the focus and effectiveness of Prime Day,” Jashinsky said. “I think Amazon will continue to focus on Prime Day as the main PR shopping event with occasional shopping sales days like Amazon Pet Day. Amazon uses Deals of the Day and other category highlights to tie into broader holidays and trends.” Weinberg doesn’t expect many similar sales either. “I think this is overall more opportunistic than anything else given the start of Pet Month,” he said. “I could certainly see this as a test for future similar seasonal offerings from Amazon, but the future offerings would need to be tied to something very specific within the calendar.”

Amazon News

Could Amazon Pet Day Mark the Beginning of Category-Specific Sales Bonanzas?

The ecommerce platform hosted another sector-specific deal day on May 2

Pet Day

Pet parents

Lisa Lacy

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

Pet Day

Pet parents

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Lisa Lacy