BENGALURU: Amazon said it will kick-start its Prime Day sale in India early next month, in a bid to revive consumer spending ahead of the festive season.

The two-day sale that begins on August 6 gives Amazon Prime users access to services including free 48-hour delivery, exclusive discounts and early deals, streaming music, video, and other benefits.

“We are super excited that members can start discovering joy early ahead of Prime Day and earn cashback every time they shop from tens of thousands of small businesses including local stores, karigars, and saheli entrepreneurs while supporting their business in these challenging times,” said Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice-President and Country Manager, Amazon India.

Prime Day sale assumes significance in India this year as it would give Amazon the opportunity to make up for the lost sales during the lockdown and also give sellers a chance to offload inventory at a time when ecommerce is increasingly becoming a platform of choice for shopping. This is also the first time when the online retail giant has globally split the event for different countries due to the virus outbreak.

The company said customers will get access to over 300 new product launches from brands such as Samsung, Intel, Fabindia, Dabur, Godrej, Max Fashion, JBL, Whirlpool, Decathlon, Hero Cycles, One Plus, and Xiaomi among others, as well as explore over 150 exclusive product launches from small businesses including Khadi, Harvest Bowl, Orka, Kapiva, among others.

The sale is also timed close to festivals like Rakshabandhan, Janmashtami, and Independence Day which is likely to spur consumption. “Customers and sellers want to be able to shop around this period…we timed the event in such a way to ensure that our ecosystem and partners are also set up to scale,” Akshay Sahi, head of Amazon Prime India, told ET.

While homegrown ecommerce firm Flipkart organized its first big sale event in June, Amazon stayed clear of any large sales at the time. As consumers spend most of their time at home, Amazon said it will launch the world premiere of the biopic Shakuntala Devi, Amazon original series Bandish Bandits, and a slew of regional language series. Gaming and reading are also a part of the event.

At least 50% of Amazon Prime’s new members are from smaller towns and cities. Ecommerce firms have recovered almost 80-90% of their volumes compared to pre-Covid-19 levels, largely on the back of electronics items like laptops and tablets.

On Monday, Amazon said that small businesses in India have exported $1 billion worth of goods overseas using the ecommerce portal, the momentum of which has only accelerated after the nationwide lockdown.