Australians time purchases around Amazon Prime Day

Pattern says Australian consumers are increasingly timing major purchases around Amazon Prime Day, with research showing stronger engagement with Amazon and wider use of the platform for product research.

Its latest consumer survey found 66% of Australians either have access to Amazon Prime or plan to subscribe within the next 12 months, while 60% bought from Amazon over the past year.

Separate research commissioned by Amazon Australia suggests cost-of-living pressures are shaping spending habits. It found 88% of Australians had changed how they shop, while 80% were delaying purchases to coincide with major sales events.

Merline McGregor, Managing Director, Pattern Australia, said the trend reflects a more deliberate approach to spending.

"Australian consumers remain highly focused on value, but they're becoming much more deliberate about how and when they spend," McGregor said.

"Many shoppers are researching products well in advance and waiting for major sales events before making planned purchases. Prime Day has become one of the key moments in that decision-making process."

Pattern's figures indicate Prime membership is affecting buying behaviour. The research found 40% of Australian consumers made a purchase during a Prime event in the past year, while 31% said their Prime membership directly influenced a purchase decision.

The study also points to Amazon's role earlier in the shopping journey. Nearly half of Australian online shoppers had visited a brand's website after first discovering a product on Amazon, an 18% increase from the previous year.

Discovery role

McGregor said the data shows marketplaces are becoming more important as research tools as well as sales channels.

"Consumers are using platforms like Amazon to discover products, compare options, research brands and validate purchasing decisions," McGregor said. "Whether the final purchase happens on Amazon or elsewhere, the discovery process is increasingly starting there."

Across major retail categories, Amazon remains the preferred marketplace for many Australian shoppers. It leads in books and eBooks with 30%, electronics and computers with 25%, and clothing, shoes and accessories with 22%.

Those rankings broadly match the categories that have featured strongly during previous Prime Day events. Electronics, home and kitchen products, toys and everyday essentials were among the most popular purchases in Pattern's earlier event data.

Sales pattern

Pattern's analysis of the 2025 Prime Day event showed a sharp rise in consumer activity during the sales period. Average conversion rates were 40% higher than in non-sale periods.

Its event data also suggests demand is concentrated early in the promotion. About 25% of total weekly turnover occurred on the first day, while more than half of all sales were generated within the first 72 hours.

For brands selling through the marketplace, that pattern increases pressure on stock planning and visibility at the start of the event. The findings underscore the importance of having inventory, advertising and product visibility in place from the outset.

McGregor said the period can influence customer acquisition as well as immediate sales.

"When consumers are actively researching products and comparing options, visibility matters," she said.

"Prime Day isn't simply about generating sales over a few days. It's an opportunity for brands to increase awareness, attract new customers and influence purchasing decisions at a critical point in the buying journey."

Some brands that did not offer Prime Day discounts still recorded strong sales growth during the 2025 event, Pattern said. That suggests increased marketplace traffic and product discovery can benefit brands that maintain a presence on the platform even without running specific promotions.

Amazon's commissioned research found Australians expect to spend an average of AUD $425 during major sales events this year.