• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, Yesterday

Prime Day is over, but Amazon is still riding the wave. Days after its four-day sales event wrapped, the company debuted a new back-to-college campaign — a humorous, Gen Z-targeted effort that leans into dorm life clichés, from rom-com mishaps to the horrors of shared showers.

It’s a small campaign, but it underscores a larger trend. This year’s Prime Day generated record online spending — but not because consumers were splurging. According to Adobe, U.S. retailers drove $24.1 billion in ecommerce sales from July 8 to 11, up 30% from last year. Yet much of that growth came from everyday necessities.

“Best-sellers included practical items like beverages, dish soap, and paper products,” said Amanda Schoenbauer, an analyst at Numerator, in its final Prime Day analysis. “This back-to-basics trend reflects the cautious spending mindset we're hearing from consumers in response to today's economic environment.”

Amazon says its extended Prime Day event was a major success. “We’re thrilled to see record savings for our customers, who found great prices on the everyday essentials and products they love,” said Doug Herrington, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Stores, in a press release. Dorm-related products, including mattresses, linens, storage containers and mini fridges, saw a sharp spike in demand. Adobe reports sales of school supplies soared 175%, with dorm essentials up 84%.

That helps explain the timing of Amazon’s back-to-college campaign. While the two video ads — “Lavatory of Horrors” and “Meet Cute Chaos”— are comic sendups, the underlying message is practical: Amazon wants to be the one-stop shop for the mundane (but necessary) parts of college prep. The ads, developed in-house, are running across digital and social channels.

Spending projections back that up. The National Retail Federation says families with college students plan to spend an average of $1,326 this year, slightly below last year’s $1,365. With more shoppers in the category, total back-to-college spending is expected to hit $88.8 billion, up from $86.6 billion in 2024.

Still, the Prime Day glow may not last. Amazon tends to keep specifics under wraps, but it’s unclear how much of the week’s traffic translated into lasting advantage. Some observers say the lengthened event diluted urgency — or worse, backfired.

“There was just a greater awareness about, ‘Oh, this is a shopping period,’ but I’m not sure if the spoils went to Amazon, or if they went to others,” said Deborah Weinswig, CEO of Coresight Research, in an interview with Barron's. “It actually almost did them a disservice this year, because it illustrated to the consumer pricing in a way I don’t think they’ve seen it before.”

Still, Amazon appears determined to keep the traffic rolling — even if it’s through shower shoes and awkward first encounters.