
<body><p>STORY: This week's Amazon Prime Day - which is actually a four-day shopping blitz - will be a litmus test for the spending power of American consumers, who have been squeezed by elevated inflation driven by high gas prices.</p><p>:: Amazon.com</p><p>With that in mind, what shoppers buy will be just as important as how much they spend.</p><p>This year, Amazon is featuring deals on groceries, household goods, travel and school items over carefree splurges on bigger-ticket items.</p><p>Or, as the CEO of small business lender Cardiff put it, quote, "People just don't have the cash right now. Prime Day isn't going to be about buying big TVs or fun stuff this year. It's for buying toilet paper and garbage bags on sale. Families are literally waiting for these discounts just to buy regular everyday things because their bank accounts are empty."</p><p>:: Amazon.com</p><p>The event, which kicks off Tuesday, was shifted to June from July for the first time in five years, in part to avoid competing with World Cup matches and the country's 250th birthday.</p><p>While rivals Walmart and Target have shadowed Prime Day for years, the overlap has turned it into a synchronized industry event, intensifying price competition.</p><p>Walmart's seven-day sale started Monday, while Target Circle Deal Days align exactly with Prime Day.</p><p>:: Amazon.com</p><p>But Amazon is expected to capture more than 60% of all U.S. online retail spending during the four-day Prime Day period, according to market research firm eMarketer.</p></body>