• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, June 21, 2023

Influencer Charli D’Amelio appears in Amazon's social-media campaign for Prime Day.

Amazon has set July 11 and 12 for its Prime Day shopping event this year, revealing new offers, like 'Invite Only' deals, and expanded third-party vendors.

An Amazon spokesperson tells Marketing Daily it is promoting the event with a social media campaign starring influencer Charli D’Amelio, who is sharing the ads with her 47 million followers.

And while the dates aren't surprising – the event fell on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of last July, too – it indicates the Seattle-based company prefers to stick with the summer months. In 2020, Amazon pushed Prime Day into October, and some observers had speculated that it might return to that fourth-quarter timing.

Last year, the company introduced the first-ever Prime Early Access Sale, a two-day shopping event in October.

Since Prime Day debuted in 2015, the shopping mega-event hasn't just influenced Amazon's results. Other retailers, especially Walmart and Target, launch sales events to compete with Prime Day offers, often kicking off the back-to-school season with irresistible promotions.

Last year, Amazon said Prime members bought over 300 million items, spending about $3 billion, making it the largest Prime Day yet. At the time, Wall Street analysts estimated that those results topped the prior year by some 20%.

The company says it will drop new deals every 30 minutes.

New this year is an 'Invite only' feature. Members request an invitation to deals expected to sell out, including steep discounts on electronics and watches. During the event, they'll get notifications with instructions on how to buy the item at the exclusive deal price.

"Prime Day is all about making our Prime members feel like a big deal, with deep savings and access to some of the best offers from brands they love," says Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, in its announcement. "With Invite-only deals, we're adding more value to the Prime experience and have made it easier for our Prime members to access exclusive doorbuster deals at incredible prices without waiting in line."

Members can also set up deal alerts using the Amazon app.

The company also showcases more offers from Black-owned, women-owned, and military family-owned brands. And Amazon is coming after Etsy by featuring more independent artisans in the small-business section.

In another first, it is expanding beyond its orbit, with some brands offering Buy with Prime options to their customers, including Briogeo Hair Care, Anker, Wyze and Pickleball Central.

Amazon is also pushing Prime Visa, tempting people with a $200 gift card for signing up during a promotional period, then earning 5% back on Amazon, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market purchases.

Amazon has 200 million Prime members in 25 countries, with full-price memberships costing $139 annually. It also offers a free 30-day trial and reduced rates for college students and qualifying government assistance recipients.