Inside the inner workings of Amazon Prime Day

Ahead of Amazon Prime Day this year, I recently visited an Amazon fulfillment center in Carteret, New Jersey, which handles 3.5 million packages a week.

My main takeaway: The ease with which we buy our things online masks the labor and logistics required to fulfill those orders.

State of play: The facility will see nearly 1,000 workers staffed during one of Amazon's busiest periods of the year, according to John Thompson, general manager of the site.

• Typically, there are about 800 workers a week who work alongside machines that transport packages inside a warehouse that's 1.3 million square feet (more than 20 football fields).

Threat level: Consumers can be more fickle than ever when it comes to where they shop.

• Retailers — legacy brick and mortar as well as online direct-to-consumer — stepped up their logistics during the pandemic to satisfy record consumer demand for goods.
• This new reality makes it even more crucial for Amazon's industry-leading supply chain operations to hold up during its annual sales event.

What to watch: Amazon Prime Day (which is really 48 hours) will take place next week Tuesday and Wednesday on July 12 and 13.

• Walmart won't hold a competing campaign, but Best Buy, Target and Macy's are among retailers that will.

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