Retailers hope Amazon’s Prime Day on Tuesday kicks off early holiday shopping season

A late Amazon Prime Day means an early start to the holiday shopping season this week. 

The annual shopping event has become a holiday in its own right, with July 15 — one of last year’s Prime Days — trailing behind only Cyber Monday and Black Friday for online shopping last year, according to retail research firm NPD Group. It will span two days this year, starting at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday and lasting through Wednesday. 

Retailers are gearing up for an early start to holiday shopping by picking products to promote, using tech tools to manage their supply chain and getting employees ready. By dangling good deals, they hope…