Amazon Second Chance Deal Days has officially wrapped—and while it delivered great discounts, the real story is strategic.
Running from 3–8 September 2025, the event signals Amazon’s growing focus on resale, sustainability, and circular commerce.
Not just a new Promo format
Why do we say that?
We see this as a clear strategic move from the retail giants – one based on structuring and scaling Amazon’s resale operations.
After all, more than 30 million second-hand items are already available through Amazon UK, and with cost of living, selection and sustainability all fuelling buyer demand?
This event was about unlocking that behaviour at scale – putting serious promotional weight behind a growing customer trend and building trust while doing it.
What’s the upside for Amazon?
Let’s cover this quickly here, because it always pays to have a grasp on what Amazon sees as a win from every scenario.
The upside for the marketplace from pushing second-hand sales is:
- It’s a powerful place to meet demand from value-driven shoppers in a tight economy.
- It presents more ways to extend product life and reduce waste; a clear nod to circular economy goals.
- And it offers a structured route to monetise returns without damaging customer experience or impacting on delivery speeds.
And how about for Brands?
The pros and cons for brands are where it gets a little more nuanced, and might call for some creative thought.
The upsides
- Better sell-through of returns can boost your margins, especially for categories with high return rates, like fashion or consumer electronics.
- Second-hand visibility might bring new, value-led customers to your brand, building long-term awareness among those who might never have purchased from you otherwise.
- Participating in resale is great for both ESG and circular economy goals and messaging.
The trade-offs
- Deeply discounted resale listings may undercut full-price product sales, especially without clear messaging.
- It’s unclear how (or if) brands will get visibility into the resale lifecycle of their products – which raises commercial questions around attribution, pricing strategy and assortment planning.
- Resale presence can dilute premium positioning if it’s not managed properly.
What should Brands do now?
Amazon hasn’t confirmed if Second Chance Deal Days will return, but this felt like a pilot with intent.
So we’d say it’s a smart time to:
- Audit your returns process – are there SKUs that could be made resale ready with just a light refurb? And if so, what operations do you need to put in place to make that happen?
- Model the potential impact on your pricing strategy. Where might resales affect or undercut new sales or pricing perceptions, and how can you reduce the impact?
- Start thinking circular, especially if your D2C site – or your competitors – are already leaning in.
- Plan for future events – because if this does become a regular fixture, you’ll need strategies around stock and messaging with commercial guardrails in place.
The Bottom Line
Amazon’s “Prime Day for Pre-Loved” is a sign of what’s coming – a resale economy with structure, marketing and growing customer appetite.
Our take?
Those that treat it like a new retail lever – and prepare accordingly – are the ones that will find themselves ahead of the curve when Second Chance rolls around again.
If your brand wants to make the smart move and get resale-ready on your own terms? Speak to our experts today.