Prime Day is Amazon’s biggest sales event of the year. Since launching in 2015 to celebrate Amazon’s birthday, Prime Day deals have gone from strength to strength with 2020’s Prime Day achieving record-breaking sales up 45.2% on the previous year. With over $10 billion worth of goods bought globally during the sales event, it’s a fantastic time for you — the consumer — to dive in and pick up a great Prime Day deal. Read on as we look at exactly what goes on sale during the two-day sales event and what to expect from the big shopping event.
What do I need to do to buy on Prime Day?
Unlike other sales events, there is an exclusivity factor to Prime Day. Only Prime members can benefit from the savings going on during the two-day event although consumers partaking in a free 30-day trial of Prime can also be a part of the massive shopping event. Make sure you have a Prime membership in some form in time for the sale.
What can I buy during Prime Day?
Honestly, mostly everything. We’ll dive into further detail about what kind of deals tend to occur but it’s safe to say that pretty much everything can be on sale during Prime Day. Initially a big event for Amazon-branded products and technology, Prime Day now covers all kinds of things from cooking equipment to cleaning gear, books, Blu-rays, and much more. As with any sales purchase, we strongly recommend checking out all our buying guides and best products roundups so that you’ve thoroughly researched what you’re looking to buy.
What to expect in the Prime Day sales
Amazon Products
Understandably, Amazon is always keen to discount its own products during the Prime Day sales. Each year, we tend to see big discounts on a wide range of Amazon-based products. These include price cuts for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Fire tablets, Amazon Echo smart speaker devices, Fire TV sticks, along with other products owned by Amazon.
In recent times, that’s meant discounts on the Ring Video Doorbell along with smart plugs and other devices to make your home smarter in how it runs. Basically, if a product has Alexa support, it’s often reduced during the Prime Day sales which can even mean price cuts for Alexa-enabled TVs and robotic vacuums.
Technology
Technology is one of the biggest areas where you’ll see price cuts during the Prime Day sales. That area can cover a wide range of products. Generally, there are discounts on the latest smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy range as well as major laptop brands. Prime Day 2020 saw a massive $150 on the Apple MacBook Air and we’d expect to see similar again this year. Other brands such as the Microsoft Surface, numerous Chromebooks, and Windows laptops from Asus and Lenovo are likely to be discounted too.
Other items that are often part of the Prime Day sales include the Apple iPad range, wearables such as those from Fitbit and Garmin along with smartwatches such as the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, along with the Samsung Galaxy Watch too. During Prime Day deals, there’s no shortage of options if you’re keen to upgrade the technology you have at home.
Because Prime Day lands during July again this year, some of that technology may be surpassed with new releases later in the year so there’s a chance that Amazon may be clearing warehouse space. If you’re willing to take that risk though and potentially buy new gadgets a few months before new models are released, you could save considerably.
Home Theater
Black Friday is still the traditional time to buy a ridiculously huge TV for less but that doesn’t mean that Prime Day isn’t worth checking out too. With 4K TVs cheaper and more readily accessible than ever, Prime Day often has TVs on offer and we’d expect to see more OLEDs and QLEDs than before as people seek out new upgrades for their home viewing setup.
Your home theater isn’t just about your TV so Prime Day often has sales and deals on the latest soundbars along with headphones and earbuds. Expect the likes of the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WH-1000XM4 to be on sale during the two-day event as Amazon is always keen to discount the biggest brands to entice you into a purchase or two.
Related to that, Amazon always has deals on its Fire TV Stick range with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K being the best value option here. If you’re keen to upgrade your streaming needs, Prime Day is the perfect time to do so for much less than usual.
Gaming
Due to the limited stock supplies of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, we wouldn’t count on Prime Day having any of the latest consoles on sale. However, Prime Day almost always cuts the price on many games, as well as accessories and subscriptions. If you’re looking for a new controller, gaming headset, or a cheap Xbox Game Pass membership or PlayStation Plus membership, Prime Day will have you covered.
Most years, there are price cuts on the latest Nintendo consoles too, so expect to see a reduction on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite. The latter could be ideal if you’re planning on taking a few trips over the summer and want a portable gaming device to entertain you while traveling.
Home Living
Traditionally, Prime Day is seen as the best sales event for technology and gadgets, but it’s also fast becoming popular when it comes to home living items. To an extent, these can overlap with technology with the likes of Instant Pots, Air Fryers, and all things Ninja almost always discounted during Prime Day. If you’re looking for a new Keurig coffee maker, Prime Day is the place to be. Robot vacuums are very popular too and can revolutionize how you clean your home.
Outside of those gadgets, you’ll often see cheaper products such as bedding, cleaning products, kitchen gadgets, and much more on sale. Oftentimes, these aren’t necessarily famous brands but they can still be good quality and a great way of getting more for less.
What else to expect in the Prime Day deals
Honestly, anything can end up on sale during Prime Day. While you’ll see plenty of big brand names and familiar types of items, you’re also likely to see some fairly quirky items available too. Think items that make you go ‘huh, I had no idea that Amazon sold that’. That’s what makes Prime Day so much fun to browse.
Like any sale, you’re sure to find a few surprises that tempt you into an impulse purchase. Don’t go over budget but do enjoy the thrill of the case!
Do Prime Day sales occur at other retailers?
Yes, although they obviously won’t be called Prime Day sales. Other retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, and Target tend to run sales around the same time as Amazon’s Prime Day in a bid to lure you elsewhere and to offer more competitive prices. That’s why it’s important to do your research and check that you’ve got the best deal.
