India to get first crack at Amazon Prime Day 2020 sale on August 6-7

“Prime Day is usually a globally coordinated event. But these are unprecedented times, and this time, Amazon decided that it will evaluate in each country based on the situation,” he added.

Amazon expects the Prime Day sale to be larger compared to last year and is not worried about the pent-up demand of customers post the nationwide lockdown being exhausted by August.

“We see that consumer needs have not changed. We expect this to be a bigger Prime Day,” Sahi said.

The sale will kick off at midnight on August 6 and will run for 48 hours, during which customers can expect 300 product launches from top brands across categories and discounted deals.

“We decided to hold the Prime Day in India on August 6-7 since this is a shopping period and the decision is based on the need we see in the ecosystem, “ Sahi said.

“This will also help sellers get back on their feet. We have taken all measures to ensure the health and safety of employees, partners, and Prime members,” he said.

Amazon’s decision to hold its Prime Day sale comes even as the country is seeing increasing localised lockdowns, and in several such lockdowns, e-commerce companies are only allowed to deliver essential items.

Sahi said the company has taken steps on the tech front and operations front to face the localised lockdowns.

“ We have made great investments in technology, and we will leverage to instantly meet lockdown guidelines. Wherever there is a lockdown, our systems will prioritize essential goods over non-essential, and the non-essential items will be delivered immediately post the lockdown. Sahi said.