Secrets of Amazon Prime Day
I have covered Amazon Prime Day Since its launch in 2015, I’ve watched it grow into a massive, made-up shopping vacation. But is it actually a good way to save money?
On the plus side, there are literally tens of thousands of items on sale. The downside is that it’s literally impossible to go through these offers, and for every decent discount, there are 99 random types that no one would care about. However, if you know where and how to look, you can find real bargains.
These are my top Prime Day shopping tips, based on years of coverage of Prime Day, Black Friday, and other shopping events.
More on Amazon Prime Day:
Don’t wait for Prime Day
This year, Prime Day takes place on July 11-12But The first deals have already started. Many of these early examples relate to Amazon-owned products like Fire TV devices and Amazon Echo devices, but I’ve also seen AirPods and Dyson vacuums. However, keep in mind that these offers can come and go randomly, so by the time of your review they may already be gone.
You don’t need to buy an Amazon Prime membership
Prime Day really only exists for one reason: to get people to sign up for an Amazon Prime subscription. Free shipping and the Amazon Prime video catalog are usually incentive enough, but these members-only deals can give you a little nudge if you’re still unsure.
If you don’t feel like giving Amazon $140 a year for the privilege of being a member of the Shopping Club, consider this There is still a 30-day free trial You can always sign up, which is good for access to Prime Day deals.
Other retailers are also participating
Almost every other major retailer has jumped on the Prime Day bandwagon, offering a similar set of summer deals around the same time. Of course, these sales aren’t labeled as “Prime Day,” but it’s essentially counter-programming by Amazon.
For example, Target has Circle Week July 9-15, Walmart has Plus Week July 10-13, Best Buy has a July 4 sale, but also has a July Black Friday sale July 10-12 . July.
The big upside here is that even if something looks like a good deal on Amazon during Prime Day (or previous Prime Day deals), you should definitely open a few extra browser windows and make a comparison purchase.
Stick to the right categories
Amazon’s own devices and brands like Kindle readers, Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, Fire tablets, Eero routers, and Ring cameras are big draws for Prime Day. I can’t imagine anyone ever paying full price for something like a Kindle Paperwhite or Echo Dot, as there are significant discounts several times a year, including on Prime Day.
On sale you can often find TVs from brands like Samsung, LG and TCL, but also laptops and other computer equipment, kitchen appliances, sometimes tools and one of my favorite categories: 3D printers.
Verify that this is actually a real sale
Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it’s actually a good deal. For savvy buyers, one of the best things you can do is review historical price records over time.
The website CamelCamelCamel has long been a favorite for checking Amazon price history. Enter an Amazon product’s name, URL, or product ID and you’ll see a detailed chart of its price history, including whether the current sale is an all-time low.
