SAN ANTONIO – The countdown is on for Amazon’s shop-a-ganza. The two days of discounts and lightning deals officially launch at 2 a.m. CDT on Tuesday.
It’s practically Black Friday in July for bargain-hunting shoppers as competitors including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Kohls, and other retailers are getting in on the hot summer sales with their own events.
“Prime Day is known for tech deals, especially Amazon’s own proprietary tech,” said Kristin McGrath with RetailMeNot.com.
Look for Echo speakers, Fire tablets and other Amazon-branded tech to be 50% to 60% off.
Amazon got a jump on Prime Day by offering some deep discounts early, such as Apple AirPods Pro for nearly $80 off and a Ninja Foodie Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer for about $70 off.
Necessities such as home goods and cleaning supplies will see some eye-popping discounts because inflation is looming large, according to McGrath. Consumers simply have tighter budgets.
“Last year, the average budget heading into Prime Day was just over $600,” McGrath said. “This year, it’s just under $400.”
So, how can you score real deals and avoid getting sucked into the hype?
Making a plan and a list is McGrath’s first advice.
“Add those things to a wish list or your cart in advance, so you know exactly what you’re looking for,” she said.
And realize not everything advertised is a real deal.
“You need to look at the price tag and not just the percentage off discount,” McGrath said.
It can pay to do a little homework, too.
“I would want to know the price history of an item,” McGrath said. “There are tools you can use to track that.”
One such tool is CamelCamelCamel, which can help you see the price of a particular item over time.
And, of course, shop around. Stacking promo codes on top of other retailers’ discounts could be the better deal.
If you see a price you like on an item you need, McGrath said you might want to jump on it. Prime Day can be a good time to start back-to-school shopping, but McGrath expects prices to be better as school gets closer, especially after Labor Day.
Prime Day will also feature some good deals on TVs, but McGrath said you may want to wait until Black Friday when there will be a wider selection and more sales. Gaming consoles are likely to be priced lower in a few months.
A few other tips to navigate Prime Day:
Download Amazon’s app on your phone to get advance notices and alerts.
Sign up for 1-click purchasing so you don’t waste time filling out information when a deal is really going fast.
If something appears to be sold out, join the waitlist if there is one. That puts you in line in case a buyer changes his mind.
Prime Day is for Prime members. However, you may be able to sign up for a free trial to take advantage. Remember to cancel, or you will be charged the $139 annual Prime fee.
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