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Prime Day sales drop 14% in opening hours

Posted on by SellerBites

Amazon is officially pulling the plug on Freevee—the free, ad-supported streaming service that’s had more name changes than most reality stars. Starting August 2025, the app will be phased out completely.

But don’t panic just yet: Amazon says the content will be rehomed under Prime Video, no subscription needed.

Here’s what else Amazon’s fumbling lately:

  • Prime Day stumbles out the gate 📉
  • Walmart’s summer surge heats up 🛒
  • TikTok rushes out new app ahead of U.S. ban ⏳
  • How to play Prime Day right 🛍️

TRENDING TOPIC

Prime Day opened its virtual doors this week, but instead of a stampede, early data showed a bit of a stumble. 

According to Bloomberg, sales during the first four hours were down 14% compared to 2024. Not exactly the headline Amazon hoped for heading into its biggest shopping bonanza of the year.

📉 Too early to tell

The numbers come from Momentum Commerce, which tracks $7B in annual Amazon sales across 50+ major brands. 

Historically, the first few hours serve as a performance preview. But this year, new factors may be rewriting the script:

  • Timeline. Prime Day’s gone from two to four days, which likely spreads spending more evenly.
  • Buyer behavior. Previous years saw spikes during mornings and evenings—this time, shoppers may be holding out for juicier discounts.
  • Competition. Walmart’s Four-Day Sale and Target’s Circle Week are adding serious noise and splitting attention.

📦 The Prime Day picture

Sales are one thing, but Amazon’s end goal is loyalty. 

The $139/year Prime membership hit 196 million U.S. subscribers in March, up 9% YoY. Even if sales start slow, rising membership and shopper engagement are long-term wins. 🧠

Despite the early dip, Adobe predicts $23.8B in total online sales across all retailers during this Prime Day stretch—Amazon’s expected to grab 75% of that.

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BITES OF THE WEEK

SOCIAL PULSE

New TikTok app set to launch before federal ban kicks in

The Los Angeles Times reported that the platform is gearing up to launch a new U.S. app on September 5—just ahead of a looming federal deadline that could force them to sell or face a ban.

With 170 million users, TikTok is scrambling to secure its future in its biggest market, even if that means hitting reset. ↩️

👀 Why launch a new app?

U.S. officials say TikTok’s Chinese ownership is a national security risk. ByteDance says that’s nonsense. But the law doesn’t care:

  • Sell or shut down: ByteDance has until Sept. 17 to divest its U.S. operations.
  • New app, new start: TikTok’s upcoming app may be a U.S.-compliant version, separate from the current one, which could go dark in March 2026. 📱
  • Still algorithm-light: Analysts say the algorithm—the brain behind TikTok’s addictiveness—is likely staying in China. Any buyer would have to rebuild or rework it.

Big names are circling to buy the app, but there’s no clear front-runner. Still, no sale happens without Beijing’s blessing—and it’s unlikely they’ll greenlight a handoff of TikTok’s core tech.

🌀 New app, same chaos

TikTok’s relaunch could be a patch, a pivot, or a political play—but it won’t be clean. 🧼

So, sellers need to buckle up. A platform reboot or ownership shuffle could snap content pipelines, hurt ad performance, and break data integrations.

ACTIONABLE ADVICE

How small brands can win big on Prime Day 2025

Prime Day 2025 is officially locked for July 8–11, and this year’s not just a milestone—it’s a moneymaker. 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce listed strategies to help small brands make the most of the moment:

  • Think deeper than discounts. It’s not about slashing prices into oblivion. The smartest sellers use Prime Day to build long-term value:
    • Incentivize trials.
    • Launch early back-to-school or holiday-themed offers—they’re already on shoppers’ minds.
    • Make sure your listings (or site) load fast, run smooth, and don’t break when traffic spikes.
  • Create FOMO. Prime Day is one of the few times urgency isn’t annoying—it’s expected. 🚨
    • Flash sales, 48-hour bundles, and “deal of the hour” formats drive real clicks.
    • “Limited stock” and “going fast” tags still work.
  • Ride the ‘support small’ wave. Shoppers want to feel good about where they spend.
  • Add the Small Business Badge on Amazon—it gets you into filters and helps boost visibility.
  • Use hashtags like #SupportSmallWithAmazon and show up organically. 

🛍️ Shopping so smooth it’s boring

Prime Day shoppers aren’t patient. One hiccup—slow site, confusing checkout, inaccurate inventory—and they bounce.Whether you’re selling through Amazon or your own site, friction-free buying is non-negotiable. If it’s not seamless, it’s a lost sale.