• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, 9 hours ago

Amazon is inviting Prime members to its longest Prime Day event yet — four full days — with an ad campaign starring LeBron James. In the new spots, the NBA great sits at a press conference, mulling over retirement plans inspired by the right Prime Day deal. None of his Walter Mitty-style fantasies end well: He accidentally endangers a diner when he tries his hand as a hibachi chef, faces off against marauding raccoons as a Scout leader, and butchers Phil Collins for horrified lounge patrons.

The event, running July 8 through 11, promises millions of deals across 35 categories, including brands like Dyson, Away, Samsung, Sony, Levi’s, and Tarte Cosmetics. Amazon is also leaning on its AI tools — with Alexa+ and Rufus, its shopping assistant — to help shoppers spot wish-list deals. Many of the offers target parents looking to get a jump on back-to-school needs.

Even as Prime Day’s scale has become predictable — routinely copied by competitors and met with more consumer skepticism about what’s really on sale — it remains a retail force. Despite the rapid growth of AWS, booming ad sales, expanding entertainment ventures, and pharmaceutical ambitions, retail remains Amazon’s king. (Sorry, LeBron.)

Amazon’s core retail business, including online sales, physical stores, and third-party seller services, generated $99.45 billion last quarter, the largest chunk of the company’s $155.7 billion total revenue.

A recent Deutsche Bank analysis suggests Prime’s model may be more durable than rival subscription services. In a consumer survey covering Amazon Prime, Walmart+, Disney+, Netflix, Spotify, Peloton, and others, Prime showed the lowest potential churn, with about 30% of subscribers considering cancellation — consistent with April findings and far better than most competitors.

It’s a reminder that while the deals may blur together, Prime’s grip on shoppers remains clear — even if LeBron’s post-NBA plans don’t.