Amazon says Prime Day 2025 was its biggest yet but the numbers are missing

A young woman looking at the Amazon logo with visible skepticism and suspicion

Amazon is once again hyping Prime Day as a massive success. The company claims the 2025 edition was its biggest ever with record sales and more customer savings than any previous year. But something doesn’t add up.

For all the bold claims, Amazon didn’t share a single concrete number about revenue or order volume. No year over year comparisons. No total dollars spent. Just vague statements about customers saving “billions” and buying “millions” of items. It sounds impressive until you realize it’s all carefully worded PR with no way to verify.

Leading up to the event, there were already signs this year’s Prime Day might not be a runaway hit. Some third party sellers reported slower traffic and lukewarm engagement. Analysts noted a drop in overall online shopping interest. If Amazon really crushed it, why hold back the numbers?

Instead, the company leaned hard into AI buzzwords. Shoppers were nudged to try Alexa Plus and Rufus, two generative AI tools that supposedly made deal hunting smarter. Amazon also touted its AI shopping guides. But beyond the tech jargon, there’s little evidence these features drove much of anything.

The press release also threw in the usual talking points about fast shipping, streaming perks, and grocery discounts. All nice to have, but none of it answers the big question. Was this really the biggest Prime Day ever or just the biggest marketing push?

Even the quote from Amazon’s retail chief sounded recycled. He praised the “dedication” of employees and celebrated “record savings” for customers. But again, no data. No breakdown. Just vibes.

Amazon also spotlighted small businesses, with one owner saying this was their most successful event since joining the platform. That’s great to hear, but one anecdote doesn’t prove a trend.

The truth is Amazon wants the Prime Day story to sound like a win. And maybe for some shoppers it was. But without actual numbers, all we’re left with is a lot of noise and not much clarity.

Author

  • Brian Fagioli, journalist at NERDS.xyz

    Brian Fagioli is a technology journalist and founder of NERDS.xyz. Known for covering Linux, open source software, AI, and cybersecurity, he delivers no-nonsense tech news for real nerds.

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