Big Deals Day Insights to Fine Tune Your Holiday Campaign

Big Deals Day offers essential insights for brands as they fine-tune their strategies for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With Big Deals Day likely serving as a test run, brands can see how shoppers respond to promotions during the peak season, gaining valuable intel on which categories are likely to drive the highest demand.

Grips Intelligence reports that Amazon.com sales during the two-day event (October 9-10) rose 17% over the previous four-week average, yet total sales for the week ending October 11th increased by only 9%. This pattern suggests a “wait-and-see” tendency among consumers who, much like during Prime Day and the 2023 holiday season, may delay larger purchases until core sales dates like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when they’ve been conditioned to expect the deepest discounts…even if brands are promising them otherwise.

Readers who are interested in more Big Deals Day insights will appreciate our latest 18 page report identifying the top categories and subcategories, brands, and SKUs from Big Deals Day. Download the report here.

Below is a sneak peek at three of the fastest-growing categories during Big Deals Day: Toys & Games, Household Appliances, and Beauty & Cosmetics.

Toys & Games saw a 74% spike in unit sales during the week ending October 11th versus the week prior, reaching 5.2 million units sold as early holiday shoppers started stocking up on children’s gifts. Key subcategories like Games, Interlocking Blocks, and Construction Set Toys performed strongly, driven by popular brands like LEGO and Melissa & Doug. And while 2023 may have been the year of Barbie, she’s still holding court as one of the top five best-selling brands during Big Deals Day.

Fast-moving categories included Marble Track Sets (+404%) and Toy Trains & Train Sets (+238%), highlighting successful promotions on these interactive and developmental toys as well as another indication that Christmas classics are on consumers’ mind. Among top sellers, the PicassoTiles Magnet Building Set and Hot Wheels Barbie RC Corvette stood out as consumer favorites. These trends offer brands a preview of holiday demand, making Toys & Games a key category to prioritize for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Household Appliances category grew by 59% during Big Deals Week, with 3.4 million units sold as consumers prepared their homes for holiday gatherings and seasonal routines. Slow Cookers (+173%) and Countertop Ovens and Air Fryers (+153%) saw significant growth, as they do almost every time Amazon holds a big sale, so expect these to be a cornerstone of any Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales on Amazon and beyond.

Vacuums posted strong growth as well, with a 143% increase in unit sales, led by brands like Shark and Bissell. Among top products, the Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum and BISSELL Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner ranked high, reflecting a consumer focus on ease and efficiency in home upkeep. The data suggests that household appliances will continue to perform well as consumers prepare for the holidays, making this a strong category for promotional efforts.

The Beauty & Cosmetics category posted an impressive 62% increase in unit sales, with 13.4 million units sold as shoppers embraced seasonal changes in their skincare and beauty routines. Top-growing subcategories included Costume & Stage Makeup (+141%) in anticipation of Halloween as well as Skin Care Masks & Peels (+121%) as consumers focused on self-care and hydration. Even core categories like Face and Eye Makeup were among the fastest growers indicating a strong performance across the category and not just niche ones.

Promotions on popular items like the LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask and TruSkin Vitamin C Serum captured attention, while brands like Laneige, CeraVe, and Grande Cosmetics led the way. The high demand for seasonal skincare and beauty products underscores the importance of targeted promotions during Black Friday and Cyber Monday to capture this ongoing interest.

Big Deals Day provides valuable insights into consumer behaviors ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, showing the power of well-aligned, seasonal promotions. At the same time, it highlights the ongoing trend of consumers holding off for anchor sale events. By balancing early and peak-season promotions, brands can capture both early-bird shoppers and deal-conscious consumers alike.

For a deeper dive into category-specific trends and top-performing brands, download the full 18-page report here.

Understanding the ever-changing landscape of e-commerce is critical, especially during high-stakes sales events like Big Deals Days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With Grips, you gain access to unrivaled insights into e-commerce transactions across more than 65,000 domains, including daily, weekly and monthly revenue reports. Our platform provides a comprehensive view of your market, enabling you to track trends, monitor competitor performance and identify opportunities and challenges as they arise.

One of the most powerful features of Grips is our SKU-level sales reporting, available for over 10,000 domains—including Amazon. Knowing which SKUs are driving sales can make or break your holiday strategy. By tracking top-selling products, Grips allows you to respond swiftly to market demands, optimize your inventory and adjust your promotional strategies to maximize sales.

The holiday season is too critical to leave anything to chance. With Grips, you have a tool that ensures you’re always informed and ahead of the curve. Whether you’re tracking daily revenue or analyzing the performance of specific SKUs, Grips provides the actionable insights you need to make data-driven decisions that will drive your holiday success.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your holiday performance. Book a demo with Grips today and equip your team with the insights necessary to maximize your revenue this season.