eBay has launched its own ‘Sales Day’ to combat that of Amazon Prime Day which begins next week.
The summer sale offers discounts on everything from TVs and action cameras to gaming gear, wearable computing devices, smart home gadgets, and more.
The sale comes one week before Amazon Prime Day, which officially kicks off July 16 at noon PT.
While Prime Day deals are exclusively available for Prime subscribers, eBay’s discounts are available for everyone—no membership required.
Suzy Deering, chief marketing officer for San Jose, California-based eBay Americas, said: “Shoppers are smart, and they want to make the most of their $119, so eBay is offering hundreds of deals with free shipping and no membership required. The new discounts include shipping and span categories including electronics, fashion and sports.”
Two 15-second digital spots began airing on Monday. In one, mountain biker Micayla Gatto navigates a series of jumps as text reads, “When you wanna go big, get the best price. No membership required.” Another spot showcases real-life gamers Typical Gamer and Samara Redway. EBay is also promoting its new “Best Price Guarantee,” in which it promises to pay 110 percent of the price difference should a consumer find a better deal elsewhere within 48 hours of purchase.
The new campaign was created with 72andSunny Los Angles, which first produced eBay’s “Fill Your Cart With Color” tagline one year ago. The agency won the e-commerce company’s business in early 2017. Meanwhile, Amazon recently announced that its annual Prime Day will begin in the afternoon on July 16 and run for 36 hours through July 17; six hours more than last year. More bargains are expected with the Whole Foods brand added to the mix for the first time.
Last year, the company said its Prime Day was its single-largest sales day of the year, exceeding 2016’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday and growing 60 percent year-over-year.
Hugh Fletcher, Global Head of Consultancy and Innovation at Salmon, commented on Amazon losing its aura of invincibility and why we’ll continue to see more and more retailers and marketplaces in future opt for these extra ‘peak’ days
“eBay’s new ‘Sales Day’ is a perfect riposte to Amazon Prime Day”,Fletcher said. “This is the latest example we’re seeing of retailers and marketplaces creating new retail ‘peak’ days to grab a share of the market which Amazon has led the way in for so long. The key differentiator here, intended as a direct threat to Amazon’s hegemony, is the eBay ‘Sales Day’ is open to everyone and not just those with a subscription such as Prime. The message is clear: Amazon won’t be allowed to have its own way forever, and eBay’s lack of exclusivity could be a huge advantage for the marketplace.
“The news comes as Amazon’s aura of invincibility is being eroded; new threats to Amazon’s streaming service and grocery plays – including Tesco’s new “shop and go” technology trial recently – shows retailers are beginning to mount a fightback. As eBay announces its own ‘peak’ day, we expect to see other big players in this space do the same. Those that don’t move early will be left behind in what could prove to be a fascinating summer sales contest for years to come.”
