"Search, Not Discounts, Decided Amazon Prime Day 2026's Beauty Winners: Market Defense Report"

Market Defense’s Prime Day 2026 beauty report says Amazon’s biggest shopping event is maturing: U.S. e-commerce sales hit a record $26.4 billion over the four-day period, but Prime Day growth slowed to 9.3% YoY from 30.3% last year. The report highlights intensifying competition from Walmart, Target and TikTok Shop, with nearly half of Prime Day shoppers cross-shopping Walmart and over half checking Walmart or Target before buying. Beauty accounted for 26% of cart share, while prestige and K-beauty gained share, led by Medicube, Tarte, Armani Beauty and Sol de Janeiro. The key market takeaway is that brands can no longer rely on Amazon traffic alone; winning now depends on branded search, off-Amazon demand generation, and efficient ad spending as CPCs rose sharply and margins came under pressure.