Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, the retail giant’s October shopping event, is Prime Day’s scrappy younger sibling. Launched in 2022, this fall sales event mirrors July’s Prime Day with steep discounts and limited time deals to kick off Q4. It’s Christmas in July meets Christmas in October, with October’s version designed to capture early holiday budgets before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
I asked several brands how they’re approaching Amazon’s October moment. Their responses split into three camps: enthusiastic participants, strategic players, and principled rebels preferring their own controlled jungle to Amazon’s.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days True Believers
For Air Wick, Prime Big Deal Days is the appetizer before the holiday feast. “We know Amazon Prime Day is the best time for our consumers to stock up on their favorite fragrances before the holidays,” said Tarun Gupta, senior brand manager at the home fragrance brand. “We are happy to provide special offers for the sale.”
Beauty tech brand Ulike takes a more aggressive approach with steep discounts on its Air 10 device and ReGlow product, throwing in three free gifts with purchase. Prime Big Deal Days creates “the top 2 peaks of our revenue,” justifying the hefty concessions.
For SportIQ’s ceo Erik Anderson, Amazon’s major sales events are their most consequential. “My team has new content ready, our calendar is circled around the event, and we test pricing in the months leading up to it. Prime Day always brings a big spike in traffic and sales, so we go into it prepared.”
SportIQ’s SIQ Smart Basketball, used by professional players to perfect their shooting technique, benefits not only from the sales surge but also the behavioral data. “It’s when we test pricing, see what converts best, and use that data to plan production for the next cycle.”
Like Air Puffcorn is taking a hybrid approach. The brand is debuting its Holiday Puffcorn Box during Big Deal Days, but without a discount, given Amazon’s rules around newly listed products. Its existing bestsellers, however, will be priced for Prime Day.
“While Like Air is primarily a retail-first brand, with its products available in over 10,000 grocery stores nationwide, Amazon remains an important part of the company’s overall strategy,” emailed Allison Lin, co-founder and CEO of Like Air. “Being on Amazon allows the brand to meet customers wherever they prefer to shop, and events like Prime Day offer valuable opportunities to reach new audiences, drive trial, and build brand awareness beyond the traditional retail environment.”
For Oceanfoam, maker of eco-friendly foam rollers and recovery gear, the October event sets the tone for Q4. “Its timing at the beginning of the quarter gives us the opportunity to set a strong foundation we can build on,” said Brent Hopkins, Amazon senior brand manager. “It’s crucial to visibility and market share leading into January, our busiest month.”
Newer entrants view the event as an equalizer. Tony Pilato, co-founder of Ulmo Honey, credits Prime Days for giving small brands instant exposure. “Prime Days bring more curious shoppers online and drive both sales and awareness,” he said. The company rewards those new customers with hefty discounts across both its Amazon and direct channels.
Sustainability-focused Shiki Wrap takes a similar all-in approach, offering up to 20% off its reusable fabric wraps and gift bags. For founder Meagan Downey, early Q4 sales are critical. “Customers who love the products have time to repurchase before the crunch time of the holidays when we often sell out,” she explained. “Many shoppers don’t even realize the benefits of switching to Shiki Wrap — like the time and storage space saved — until they discover us on Amazon.”
Whether it’s fragrance, tech, or textiles, these “true believers” share a common pragmatism. Prime Big Deal Days are for data, discovery, and disciplined preparation to keep their brands visible when the Q4 shopping season hits full speed.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Strategic Players
For some brands, Prime Big Deal Days is about using Amazon’s momentum without surrendering margin or control. These are the strategists: they play inside the system, but on their own terms.
Being a category leader means Amazon’s algorithms work in your favor whether you participate or not. For Crisbee, the top-selling brand in its product line, Prime Big Deal Days runs itself. “Amazon has automatically promoted our products on Prime Day since we are the top-seller in our category,” said founder and CEO Bradley Stuart. “The more we sell, the more Amazon will make.”
DM Snacks takes a similarly measured approach. The brand’s 24 Days of Nuts & Snacks Advent Calendar has been selling briskly without a price concession. “Instead of focusing on discounts, we’re emphasizing product quality, customer satisfaction, and a steady supply for the holiday season’s high demand,” explained Neil Edley, chief innovation officer.
Supplement brand Momentous recognizes Prime Big Deal Days draws shoppers, but they’re saving their ammunition for the bigger battle: “preparation for an upcoming 40% off all products for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.”
Elijah’s Xtreme, the hot sauce company going viral on social media, is playing both sides. Founder Elijah Morey said the team has “pushed the limits” on their breakout Hot Honey product with a 29% discount — but in limited quantities. “Prime Day sales and reach have grown substantially for us over the last two years,” he said. “It used to not even blip our sales radar, but ever since blowing up on social media, we’ve seen continued growth.”
Yet for Morey, Amazon is less about profit than penetration. “This typically contributes very little to our bottom line as Amazon fees are high and, with discounting, we typically break even or worse,” he said. “The benefit is always getting our sauces in more new customers’ hands.” For small brands, Prime Big Deal Days becomes less a sales event and more a sampling program; a low-margin investment in awareness before the real holiday rush.
Pure & Coco, led by founder René Bartosh, is taking a similar long view. A newcomer to Amazon, the brand will spotlight its Peppermint & Coconut Polish during Prime Big Deal Days while continuing to sell its 5-star rated Tangerine Polish & Citrus Flora Crème set exclusively through its website. But rather than chase conversions, Bartosh is leaning on education. “For my brand, I’m continuing to offer high-quality, research-backed skincare for women with dry, sensitive skin,” she said, “and educating women on how to avoid the common fall skin woes through my blog, YouTube channel, and skincare sets.”
It’s a move mirroring the broader lesson across this camp of players. Prime Big Deal Days may drive clicks, but lasting loyalty still comes from context. For the strategist brands, Amazon is only a touchpoint in a longer, more controlled customer journey.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Principled Rebels
While some brands live for the algorithm, others refuse to bow to it. These are the principled rebels who see Amazon as antithetical to their mission.
Cosmetics brand Fable Beauty runs a Better Than Prime promotion exclusively through its own channels during the October event. “Our world is built on storytelling, collectible art, and a truly magical unboxing experience that can only be delivered when we control every detail,” founder Megan Gray explained. “From packaging to shipping to the personal touches that make our customers feel part of the Fable story.”
Instead of discounts dictated by data, Fable leans into delight, launching surprise product drops and early-access rewards for loyal customers. “It’s a way for us to join the excitement while reminding our community that Fable offers something Amazon can’t: an unforgettable story with every delivery.”
Skincare brand À La Glow goes further, using Prime Big Deal Days to challenge consumer culture itself. “We use Prime Day as a moment to question the entire ‘shop big’ mentality,” said founder Liz Patel. “We protect product integrity, ingredient potency, and customer experience over the scale Amazon promises. Our commitment to full traceability, ethical sourcing, and eco-luxury doesn’t survive Amazon’s ecosystem—not with how they display, store, and ship products.”
ALG’s counter-programming is unapologetically rebellious, with campaigns like Break Up with Amazon and Glow the Hell Up on Your Terms. During the world’s biggest shopping events, ALG positions itself as “the antidote to impersonal mass-market shopping.” Patel’s ethos is simply, “Our customers choose consciousness, authenticity, and quality over convenience.”
Rosy & Earnest, a clean fine fragrance brand, takes a softer stance while still steering clear of the platform. The brand runs its own sitewide discounts during Prime Big Deal Days, leveraging the shopping momentum without compromising its positioning. “As a young, founder-led brand, we’ve been very intentional about where we show up,” said co-founder Marilou Hamer. “For now, we’re focused on our own DTC site and a few select partners while preparing to expand to broader channels soon.”
For Shoe Gummi founder Shantel Jackson, Amazon is a non-starter. The platform’s flood of knock-offs and quick buys cheapens the aesthetic she’s built around the world’s first outer-sole company. “Amazon is a fantastic place for so many brands and products, but it’s not where I want Shoe Gummi to live,” Jackson said. “I made this brand and these products from my own experience and my obsession with high heels. I want the story to stay intact.”
Shoe Gummi exists to make stylish but painful Christian Louboutins more comfortable—not to share digital shelf space with generic gel pads that treat women’s feet as an afterthought. Jackson instead focuses on education and storytelling. “Instead of lowering the price, I focus on raising the conversation,” she said. “I talk about what Shoe Gummi does, how it changes the way your body feels in heels, and the way it changes your mood in general.”
Zeroe, the plant-based caviar brand, takes a lighter approach to rebellion, running Not Prime Day promotions on its own site. “We like to have fun with it,” said CEO and co-founder McKenzie Simkins. “It keeps us part of the conversation in our own cheeky way while driving engagement and discovery.”
Though the brand is open to exploring Amazon Luxury Stores in the future, Simkins is clear about priorities: “We’re focused on preserving the luxury feel of the brand.” Amazon hasn’t quite identified the formula for invoking the passionate pursuit of luxury. Preserving the company’s prestige positioning is more important than securing sales from customers who are only loyal to deep discounts.
The Retail Strategy For Amazon Prime Big Deal Days
For brands that participate, Prime Big Deal Days has become an unavoidable distribution mechanism — a customer acquisition event where profitability takes a back seat to reach. It’s more momentum than margin. Holdouts, meanwhile, form a growing counter-movement prizing brand control over scale. They’re betting consumers are maturing beyond impulse convenience; that authenticity, storytelling, and emotional connection is more precious than discount prices.
Both strategies can win, depending on where a brand sits in its growth cycle. Established players like Air Wick use Amazon’s gravitational pull to reinforce category dominance. Emerging names like Fable and À La Glow treat absence as identity, appealing to consumers fatigued by impersonal transactions.
Then there’s the strategic middle: be on Amazon but don’t follow its promotional dictates. Crisbee’s category dominance means Amazon algorithm does the selling for them. Elijah’s Xtreme regards Prime Big Deal Days exclusively for customer acquisition. Momentous skips October entirely to save promotional firepower for the last week in November.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is becoming a litmus test for how much control brands are willing to cede for scale. Those unwilling to join Jeff Bezos’ empire are making clear statements about what luxury, quality, and customer relationships mean in an Amazon-dominated retail landscape. Luxury, after all, isn’t just about being expensive. It’s also about the emotional experience. Anticipation, the thrill of the wait, goes a long way towards justifying a price point than a quick two-day delivery.