Prime Day 2019 is two days starting today, which is confusing, but let's forget about that for a moment. Prime Day 2018 was a proper Prime Day. It lasted 24 hours on July 16, and we tracked all of it.

Prime Day is always a mix of pushed promotions and random discounts that reward careful shoppers. But as the data in this story shows, what sells best is usually the former. That's because as Amazon ($AMZN) blankets its site with promotions, animations, videos, and flash sales, buyers flock to the feeding grounds. So with that context, here's what sold best across Amazon's various categories.

Thinknum subscribers can see the full list of top-sellers in 2018 by clicking here.


Computers & Accessories: Fire Tablets dominated

If you need any proof of who Prime Day benefits the most, just take one look at the top sellers in Computers & Accessories for 2018. Every single one of the top-5 sellers in the categories was an interaction of Amazon's own Fire tablets. In first was the Fire 7 Tablet with a 7-inch display followed immediately by the 8-inch version.

Category

Product

Computers & Accessories

Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 7" Display   8 GB Black - with Special Offers"

Computers & Accessories

Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 8" HD Display  16 GB Black - with Special Offers"

Computers & Accessories

Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1" 1080p Full HD Display  32 GB Black - with Special Offers"

Computers & Accessories

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet, 8" HD Display  32 GB Blue Kid-Proof Case"

Computers & Accessories

Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 7" Display  8 GB Marine Blue - with Special Offers"

Health & Household: Babies ruled

If there's one thing new parents are looking to stock up on, it's expensive baby supplies. Prime Day 2018 showed this in action with Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes ($KMB) selling best followed by Similac Infant Formula. Another baby wipe from WaterWipes came in 5th to round out the category.

Category

Product

Health & Household

Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes, Sensitive, Unscented, 3 Refill Packs, 648 Count Total

Health & Household

Similac Pro-Advance Non-GMO Infant Formula with Iron, with 2_-FL Hmo, for Immune Support, Baby Formula, Powder, 36 oz, 3 Count (One-Month Supply)

Health & Household

Quilted Northern Ultra Plush Toilet Paper, 24 Supreme Rolls, 24 = 92 Regular Rolls, 3 Ply Bath Tissue, 3 Packs of 8 Rolls

Health & Household

Glad OdorShield Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags - Febreze Fresh Clean - 13 Gallon - 110 Count

Health & Household

WaterWipes Sensitive Baby Wipes, 12 Packs of 60 Count (720 Count)

Kitchen & Dining: Pressure cookers were hot

When you have just about every kitchen gadget there is to be had, you buy (or gift) a pressure cooker. Chefs swear by them, dishwashers hate them, and last year, they were big sellers on Prime Day.

The Instant Pot DUO Plus 9-in-1 Multi-Use Pressure Cooker took the #1 spot in Kitchen & Dining in 2018, followed by Cuisinart strainers and another pressure cooker from Instant Pot. 

Category

Product

Kitchen & Dining

Instant Pot DUO Plus 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Saut_, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer

Kitchen & Dining

Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers

Kitchen & Dining

Instant Pot LUX60V3 6-in-1 Muti-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saut_, Steamer, and Warmer

Kitchen & Dining

Takeya Originals Vacuum-Insulated Stainless-Steel Water Bottle

Kitchen & Dining

Simple Modern Cruiser Tumbler with Lid - Vacuum Insulated, Double Wall, 18/8 Stainless Steel - 6 Sizes in 35+ Colors


Tools & Home Improvement: Ring video doorbells rang 2 spots

In 2018, Amazon acquired doorbell-camera startup Ring as a way to flesh out its Alexa smarthome suite of products. For Prime Day 2018, Amazon pushed its new products hard with prominent promotions and deep discounts. As a result, the Ring Doorbell Pro and Ring Video Doorbell 2 took the 2 and 3 spots, respectively. They couldn't beat out the Kassa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini which was sold so cheap that buyers couldn't resist adding some smarts to their outlets.

Category

Product

Tools & Home Improvement

Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini by TP-Link - Control your Devices from Anywhere, No Hub Required, Compact Design, Works With Alexa and Google Assistant (HS105)

Tools & Home Improvement

Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Works with Alexa (existing doorbell wiring required)

Tools & Home Improvement

Ring Video Doorbell 2

Tools & Home Improvement

Affresh Washer Machine Cleaner, 6-Tablets, 8.4 oz


Toys & Games: LOL Surprise! dolls surprised no one

The hot toy of 2018 was, by far, the LOL Surprise! doll from MGA Entertainment ($PRIVATE:MGAENTERTAINMENT). It comes as no surprise (heh), then, that the collectible toys took the top spot in Amazon's Toys & Games category. Specifically, it was the Confetti Pop-Series 3 Collectible Dolls that claimed the #1 spot in 2018. The dolls continued their dominance in the holiday season, but Prime Day was a good foreshadower of things to come. Two Transformers toys took two spots in the top-5 last year as well, notably.

Category

Product

Toys & Games

L.O.L. Surprise! Confetti Pop-Series 3 Collectible Dolls

Toys & Games

Transformers Titans Return Repugnus, Dastard, and Solus Prime Prime Master

Toys & Games

Click N' Play Gigantic Keyboard Play Mat, 24 Keys Piano Mat, 8 Selectable Musical Instruments + Play -Record -Playback -Demo-mode

Toys & Games

Transformers Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch and Prima Prime

Toys & Games

Intex Swim Center Family Inflatable Pool, 103\ X 69\" X 22\"  for Ages 6+"


Camera & Photo: GoPro was the hero

GoPro popularized action cameras, but by doing so, it invited in hundreds of cheap copies and alternatives. In 2018, the top-selling product in Amazon's Camera & Photo category is emblematic of this trend: when the GoPro HERO6 was finally discounted for Prime Day, customers bought as many as they could. Meanwhile, in spot 5 the Crosstour Action Camera Underwater Cam also sold extremely well.

Category

Product

Camera & Photo

Blink XT Camera Wall Mount Bracket ,Weather Proof 360 Degree Protective Adjustable Indoor Outdoor Mount and Cover for Blink XT Home Security Camera System Anti-Sun Glare UV Protection (Black(2 Pack))

Camera & Photo

GoPro HERO6 Black

Camera & Photo

Fujifilm INSTAX Mini Instant Film 2 Pack = 20 SHEETS (White) For Fujifilm Mini 8 & Mini 9 Cameras

Camera & Photo

SkyGenius 10X25 Small Compact Lightweight Binoculars With Clear Vision, Easy focus, Super Grip. Durable Binoculars For Adults Kids Bird Watching, Safari, Hiking, Travel, Concerts, Opera, Sport Games

Camera & Photo

Crosstour Action Camera Underwater Cam WiFi 1080P Full HD 12MP Waterproof 30m 2\" LCD 170 degree Wide-angle Sports Camera with 2 Rechargeable 1050mAh Batteries and Mounting Accessory Kits (1080P)

Looking to 2019

Prime Day 2019 is already underway, and, given that Amazon is running the event for 48 hours now, we expect to get a more diverse set of top sellers as consumers chase the deep discounts. Stay tuned for a wrap-up later this week as the data comes in.

About the Data: 

Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: