Amazon’s Prime Day Gets Mixed Reviews, But Company Says Sales Were Up

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(Alan Rappa)

While Amazon’s Prime Day didn’t get off to such a great start with customers reporting they weren’t able to get the “lightning deals” in their carts, it looks like the hype surrounding the Prime member-exclusive deal-day paid off: people were talking and spending money.

CNN reports that by midday Wednesday sales for the online site had increased by 80%, according to retail tracker ChannelAdvisor.

According to Amazon, the sale was a major hit, with “peak order rates” surpassing last year’s Black Friday sales.

The company didn’t just see people pulling out more from their wallets during the big sale, they also saw more mentions on social media – except, a lot of those weren’t exactly favorable.

CNN reports that ADOBE found the retailer’s social media mentions were up about 50% Wednesday compared to its 30-day average. However, most of those Tweets and Facebook posts – about 42% – were from customers expressing disappointment in what they saw as lackluster deals and very limited quantities of products.

AdWeek reports that in many cases, customers reported feeling as if the deals on the site were more akin to a “crappy yard sale” than a desirable mega-sale.

Amazon tells CNN that while some customers may have been disappointed that certain products weren’t discounted, the company has “experience with these types of events and we stagger the deals to make sure the fun will last through tonight.”

Despite complaints, Amazon sales soar 80% on Prime Day [CNN]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist