July 7 was the biggest shopping day of the summer

Prime Day isn't just Amazon's moment anymore-it's become a signal to consumers that it's time to shop. This year, with deals and buzz building across the week, savvy DTC marketers saw an opportunity to pull demand forward to meet shoppers in the moments before the noise hit.

For many online DTC brands, July 7, the day before Prime Day officially began, was the highest revenue day of the summer so far for sales made directly through their ecommerce stores.

That wasn't luck. It was strategy. Marketers knew consumers would be primed (excuse the pun) to spend that week, so they launched early offers, ramped up campaigns, and leaned into channels like email and SMS to capture intent-before inboxes were flooded.

The rise of the pre-Prime window

The July 4th weekend has always been a major spending moment, but this year, with Amazon promoting Prime Day earlier and louder than ever, the summer shopping calendar started shifting

The run up to the July 4th weekend acted as the springboard for DTC brands to kick off their own campaigns. Klaviyo also saw average order value (AOV) drop during the July 4th week -a sign that brands leaned into targeted promotions to convert shoppers, capture early demand and drive sales.

The strategy paid off, as 3 of the top 5 ecommerce revenue days this summer were June 30, July 1, and July 7. On their own ecommerce sites, brands saw a slightly higher revenue during the July 4th week than they did during Prime Day (or week) itself.

The SMS secret to winning the pre-Prime moment

Interestingly, it was SMS that gave brands a powerful edge. Shoppers were watching their phones for deals and ready to act, and brands that leaned into this channel captured that demand directly.

Klaviyo customers saw SMS revenue spike 21% during July 4th week and another 15% during Prime Day, driving an 18% lift over the prior week.

Notably, 1 in 3 SMS orders came from new customers, showing that early outreach didn't just drive conversion-it fueled acquisition too.

In a high-stakes window where timing and relevance matter more than ever, SMS helped brands show up first and win.

What this means for marketers

This summer's data tells a clear story: the power is shifting toward brands that plan ahead, act early, and meet shoppers in the moment before the moment arrives.

Prime Day is no longer a two-day sprint. It's a multi-week opportunity-and the real battleground is the lead-up. Brands that pulled demand forward didn't just benefit from early revenue-they captured attention, converted new customers, and built momentum that lasted through Prime Day.

The lesson? You don't have to wait for a tentpole to win it. With the right timing and tools, marketers can create momentum before the moment arrives-and turn it into long-term growth.

Methodology: This analysis is based on aggregated data from a sample of 10,000 ecommerce brands and retailers in the US.