This is the latest installment of the Marketplace Briefing, a weekly Modern Retail+ column about the ever-changing e-commerce marketplace landscape. More from the series →When Kimberly McNary started shopping Prime Day deals this week, she wasn’t looking for a new television or laptop. The 60-year-old San Diego-based consultant and business coach is using Amazon’s annual sales event to stock up on ant spray, windshield wipers, office supplies and cases of Hint water.There are bigger-ticket items she’s still considering, including living room furniture and a $159 hat-cleaning machine. But those purchases remain in her cart for now, and she’s reserving most of her spending for everyday essentials.
“Right now, costs have risen so much, and my income hasn’t matched that,” McNary said. “There are still items in my cart that I would love to purchase, but I’m really thinking more carefully about those. They’re non-essentials.”
McNary said she even bought discounted gift cards for retailers she already shops at, including Ulta, Starbucks and Nordstrom. A $50 gift card selling for $42.50 was “like free money,” she said.
As consumers continue to grapple with elevated gas prices, many are using the sale not to splurge on big-ticket electronics but to stock up on household necessities, personal care products and other items they were already planning to buy. They’re also taking a more cautious approach to spending, focusing on pre-planned purchases and waiting for meaningful discounts before pulling the trigger.
