Prime Day 2019 is two days starting today, which is confusing, but let's forget about that for a moment. Prime Day 2018 was a proper Prime Day. It lasted 24 hours on July 16, and we tracked all of it.
Prime Day is always a mix of pushed promotions and random discounts that reward careful shoppers. But as the data in this story shows, what sells best is usually the former. That's because as Amazon ($AMZN) blankets its site with promotions, animations, videos, and flash sales, buyers flock to the feeding grounds. So with that context, here's what sold best across Amazon's various categories.
Thinknum subscribers can see the full list of top-sellers in 2018 by clicking here.
Computers & Accessories: Fire Tablets dominated
If you need any proof of who Prime Day benefits the most, just take one look at the top sellers in Computers & Accessories for 2018. Every single one of the top-5 sellers in the categories was an interaction of Amazon's own Fire tablets. In first was the Fire 7 Tablet with a 7-inch display followed immediately by the 8-inch version.
|
Category |
Product |
|---|---|
|
Computers & Accessories |
Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 7" Display 8 GB Black - with Special Offers" |
|
Computers & Accessories |
Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 8" HD Display 16 GB Black - with Special Offers" |
|
Computers & Accessories |
Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1" 1080p Full HD Display 32 GB Black - with Special Offers" |
|
Computers & Accessories |
Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet, 8" HD Display 32 GB Blue Kid-Proof Case" |
|
Computers & Accessories |
Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 7" Display 8 GB Marine Blue - with Special Offers" |
Health & Household: Babies ruled
If there's one thing new parents are looking to stock up on, it's expensive baby supplies. Prime Day 2018 showed this in action with Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes ($KMB) selling best followed by Similac Infant Formula. Another baby wipe from WaterWipes came in 5th to round out the category.
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Category |
Product |
|---|---|
|
Health & Household |
Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes, Sensitive, Unscented, 3 Refill Packs, 648 Count Total |
|
Health & Household |
Similac Pro-Advance Non-GMO Infant Formula with Iron, with 2_-FL Hmo, for Immune Support, Baby Formula, Powder, 36 oz, 3 Count (One-Month Supply) |
|
Health & Household |
Quilted Northern Ultra Plush Toilet Paper, 24 Supreme Rolls, 24 = 92 Regular Rolls, 3 Ply Bath Tissue, 3 Packs of 8 Rolls |
|
Health & Household |
Glad OdorShield Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags - Febreze Fresh Clean - 13 Gallon - 110 Count |
|
Health & Household |
WaterWipes Sensitive Baby Wipes, 12 Packs of 60 Count (720 Count) |
Kitchen & Dining: Pressure cookers were hot
When you have just about every kitchen gadget there is to be had, you buy (or gift) a pressure cooker. Chefs swear by them, dishwashers hate them, and last year, they were big sellers on Prime Day.
The Instant Pot DUO Plus 9-in-1 Multi-Use Pressure Cooker took the #1 spot in Kitchen & Dining in 2018, followed by Cuisinart strainers and another pressure cooker from Instant Pot.
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Category |
Product |
|---|---|
|
Kitchen & Dining |
Instant Pot DUO Plus 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Saut_, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer |
|
Kitchen & Dining |
Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers |
|
Kitchen & Dining |
Instant Pot LUX60V3 6-in-1 Muti-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saut_, Steamer, and Warmer |
|
Kitchen & Dining |
Takeya Originals Vacuum-Insulated Stainless-Steel Water Bottle |
|
Kitchen & Dining |
Simple Modern Cruiser Tumbler with Lid - Vacuum Insulated, Double Wall, 18/8 Stainless Steel - 6 Sizes in 35+ Colors |
Tools & Home Improvement: Ring video doorbells rang 2 spots
In 2018, Amazon acquired doorbell-camera startup Ring as a way to flesh out its Alexa smarthome suite of products. For Prime Day 2018, Amazon pushed its new products hard with prominent promotions and deep discounts. As a result, the Ring Doorbell Pro and Ring Video Doorbell 2 took the 2 and 3 spots, respectively. They couldn't beat out the Kassa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini which was sold so cheap that buyers couldn't resist adding some smarts to their outlets.
|
Category |
Product |
|---|---|
|
Tools & Home Improvement |
Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini by TP-Link - Control your Devices from Anywhere, No Hub Required, Compact Design, Works With Alexa and Google Assistant (HS105) |
|
Tools & Home Improvement |
Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Works with Alexa (existing doorbell wiring required) |
|
Tools & Home Improvement |
Ring Video Doorbell 2 |
|
Tools & Home Improvement |
Affresh Washer Machine Cleaner, 6-Tablets, 8.4 oz |
Toys & Games: LOL Surprise! dolls surprised no one
The hot toy of 2018 was, by far, the LOL Surprise! doll from MGA Entertainment ($PRIVATE:MGAENTERTAINMENT). It comes as no surprise (heh), then, that the collectible toys took the top spot in Amazon's Toys & Games category. Specifically, it was the Confetti Pop-Series 3 Collectible Dolls that claimed the #1 spot in 2018. The dolls continued their dominance in the holiday season, but Prime Day was a good foreshadower of things to come. Two Transformers toys took two spots in the top-5 last year as well, notably.
|
Category |
Product |
|---|---|
|
Toys & Games |
L.O.L. Surprise! Confetti Pop-Series 3 Collectible Dolls |
|
Toys & Games |
Transformers Titans Return Repugnus, Dastard, and Solus Prime Prime Master |
|
Toys & Games |
Click N' Play Gigantic Keyboard Play Mat, 24 Keys Piano Mat, 8 Selectable Musical Instruments + Play -Record -Playback -Demo-mode |
|
Toys & Games |
Transformers Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch and Prima Prime |
|
Toys & Games |
Intex Swim Center Family Inflatable Pool, 103\ X 69\" X 22\" for Ages 6+" |
Camera & Photo: GoPro was the hero
GoPro popularized action cameras, but by doing so, it invited in hundreds of cheap copies and alternatives. In 2018, the top-selling product in Amazon's Camera & Photo category is emblematic of this trend: when the GoPro HERO6 was finally discounted for Prime Day, customers bought as many as they could. Meanwhile, in spot 5 the Crosstour Action Camera Underwater Cam also sold extremely well.
|
Category |
Product |
|---|---|
|
Camera & Photo |
Blink XT Camera Wall Mount Bracket ,Weather Proof 360 Degree Protective Adjustable Indoor Outdoor Mount and Cover for Blink XT Home Security Camera System Anti-Sun Glare UV Protection (Black(2 Pack)) |
|
Camera & Photo |
GoPro HERO6 Black |
|
Camera & Photo |
Fujifilm INSTAX Mini Instant Film 2 Pack = 20 SHEETS (White) For Fujifilm Mini 8 & Mini 9 Cameras |
|
Camera & Photo |
SkyGenius 10X25 Small Compact Lightweight Binoculars With Clear Vision, Easy focus, Super Grip. Durable Binoculars For Adults Kids Bird Watching, Safari, Hiking, Travel, Concerts, Opera, Sport Games |
|
Camera & Photo |
Crosstour Action Camera Underwater Cam WiFi 1080P Full HD 12MP Waterproof 30m 2\" LCD 170 degree Wide-angle Sports Camera with 2 Rechargeable 1050mAh Batteries and Mounting Accessory Kits (1080P) |
Looking to 2019
Prime Day 2019 is already underway, and, given that Amazon is running the event for 48 hours now, we expect to get a more diverse set of top sellers as consumers chase the deep discounts. Stay tuned for a wrap-up later this week as the data comes in.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- How big has Prime Day become since 2015? A look at the data
- Early Prime Day best-sellers include Fire Tablets and Rick and Morty DVD
- Amazon now owns two doorbell and home monitoring startups. What's next?