Placer.ai: Kohl's, Target see success from sales overlapping Prime Big Deal Days
Several retailers held promotional events to compete with Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event this year, with an increase in store visits coming as a result.
A new report from Placer.ai reveals that of the retailers that competed with Amazon’s two-day sales event (Oct. 6-7), Kohl’s emerged as one of clearest traffic winners. Visits during Kohl’s sale (Oct. 5-8) ran 9.6% above the recent same-weekday average, with gains reaching 11.1% on both Amazon Prime Days.
The department store retailer incentivized visits with an extra coupon and Kohl's Cash, giving shoppers more reasons to buy during the event and to come back afterward. On Friday, Oct. 9, the first day that Kohl's Cash could be redeemed, visits rose 22.3% above the recent average.
Placer.ai’s data also revealed that Target (Oct. 6-7) and Walmart (Oct. 6-11) recorded more modest lifts of 2.1% and 1.2%, respectively, while Best Buy’s (Oct. 5-11) sale-day average was essentially flat. Still, Best Buy’s visits ran 3.9% above baseline on Wednesday, Oct. 7 – the second Prime Day – and 2.2% above baseline on Thursday, Oct. 8.
“October's results suggest that shoppers are willing to respond to promotions, but the right deal depends on who's shopping – and what they can afford,” said Lila Margalit, content manager at Placer.ai. “Target and Kohl's appear to have struck that balance, combining higher-income audiences with accessible merchandise and compelling offers.”
Compared with equivalent sale days last year, Target led the group with visits up 6.0% year over year, according to the report. The retailer shortened its fall event from seven days to two, potentially concentrating demand into a smaller window.
Kohl's also posted strong growth, with visits increasing 4.5% year over year on comparable sales days. Walmart and Best Buy saw declines of 0.9% and 2.2%, respectively.
Placer.ai noted that Best Buy's result partly reflects a tougher comparison, as the retailer’s results were compared to the 2025 debut of its Techtober sale. Hurricane Isaias' Gulf Coast landfall on Oct. 9 may also have weighed on Walmart's and Best Buy's results, as both chains' sales extended through the storm-affected period.
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“As the holiday season gets underway, retailers that make purchases feel both worthwhile and manageable may have the strongest advantage,” added Margalit. “And if gas prices ease, bigger-ticket categories like electronics could find more momentum.”
