Boomers Fueled Amazon and Walmart Summer Sales Crowds

A report by PYMNTS Intelligence reveals that the simultaneous occurrence of Amazon Prime Day and Walmart Deals in June 2026 dramatically expanded consumer retail participation while lowering average basket sizes. Approximately 64% of U.S. consumers participated in at least one of the sales events, nearly double the 33% participation rate recorded in 2025. Furthermore, 29% of shoppers shopped both events compared to 19% previously, causing the non-participating consumer share to drop from 48% to just 7%. Demographic shifts heavily influenced these trends, as baby boomers and seniors increased their engagement by 120% on Amazon and 263% on Walmart. However, average spend per shopper contracted across both platforms, falling to $308 from $360 at Amazon and dropping to $326 from $484 at Walmart, driven by heightened price comparison and deal-seeking behavior. Additionally, 21% of participants leveraged AI tools to find deals and compare cross-retailer pricing, illustrating an evolving and increasingly competitive digital shopping landscape for major retail giants.