To the shopper, Prime Big Deal Days are thrilling—two days of discounts, bargains, and speedy delivery. To Amazon sellers, however, the same two days bring with them a very different feeling: a combination of anticipation, fear, and yes, outrage.
Behind the scenes, there are retailers struggling with higher ad expenses, wishy-washy competitors, and supply chain terror. Rather than basking just in the sales boom, most of them are left wondering how much profit will be left in the dust.
The Pressure Builds Before the Sale Even Starts
Prime events aren’t merely “two giant days” for vendors—on average, they’re weeks of work. Vendors invest hundreds of hours refining bids, re-posting product listings, and projecting inventory. But as the event approaches, a common tide of frustration sets in.
Ad prices rise as bidders increase their wars. Discounts become deeper, at times to levels that are unsustainable. Inventory choices seem to be a risk—order too high, and you’ll be left with stock when demand drops; order too low, and you’ll forfeit possible income. It’s a tightrope that never seems quite right.
The Core Challenges Sellers Face
What makes the run-up to Prime Big Deal Days especially stressful is that so many factors are outside of a seller’s control. Amazon sets the rules of the marketplace, competitors shape the price wars, and customers ultimately decide where their dollars go.
But sellers do have control over how they prepare:
- Ad Spend vs. Profitability – Throwing more money into PPC campaigns might get visibility, but it can easily erode margins. The smarter approach is focusing on click-through rate and conversion rate rather than just bidding higher.
- Inventory Anxiety – Sellers know the importance of having enough stock, but overstocking can turn into a financial drain. That’s why running scenario-based forecasts is critical before the sales hit.
- Creative Fatigue – In a sea of discounted products, only the listings with strong images, A+ content, and compelling reviews stand out. Sellers who refresh their creatives before Prime events are the ones most likely to capture attention.
A Mindset Shift: From Frustration to Focus
It’s simple to be swept up in the hysteria, but the sellers that do well in Prime events are typically the ones that buck the panic. Rather than responding to every competitor action, they double down on the basics: priceworthy, ad efficiency, and customer experience.
Frustration is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be dictating strategy. In fact, sellers who take a cool, deliberate approach to Prime events tend to emerge in better shape than those who are caught up in the melee.
Final Thoughts
Prime Big Deal Days will always come with pressure—it’s the cost of selling on the world’s biggest e-commerce marketplace. Frustration from sellers before these events is not a weakness but proof of the high-stakes games being played.
The secret is to channel that frustration into preparation, discipline, and smart decision-making. Because when the event is over, the sellers who kept it together aren’t just high-fiving massive sales numbers—they’re high-fiving sustained profits.
