Amazon has announced the dates for its ninth annual Prime Day sale: July 11 and 12.<\/p>\n
As in recent years, there\u2019s a ton of hype around the sale, and for good reason. Prime Day deals rival Black Friday prices, according to NerdWallet\u2019s\u00a02022 analysis.\u00a0Like last year, other retailers like Target Prime Day \u201chas absolutely become its own phenomenon,\u201d says Claire Tassin, lead retail and e-commerce analyst at Morning Consult, a company specializing in global market research and survey data. Although summer sales have been around for a while as a way for retailers to clear out summer inventory and make way for fall and holiday shopping, \u201cAmazon Last year, shoppers spent a record $11.9 billion during the two-day Prime event, according to data from Adobe Analytics.<\/p>\n There\u2019s some mystery as to what products and categories will see the steepest discounts at this year\u2019s sale. However, last year, the biggest discounts were for toys (15% off), apparel (12% off) and electronics (6% off), according to Adobe Analytics.<\/p>\n More<\/strong>: Amazon Prime Day will focus on small-business offerings<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to make the most of this year\u2019s sales and get ahead of your holiday shopping.<\/p>\n While summer sales of this scope can feel overwhelming, you can use the time between the Prime Day announcement and the first day of the sale to create a shopping strategy.<\/p>\n Start by building a list of things you want to buy your loved ones this year. If you have a\u00a0holiday budget\u00a0in place, now\u2019s your chance to check in and allocate how much money you plan to spend on each person.<\/p>\n Prime Day is also a time when many parents stock up on back-to-school supplies, according to Tassin. If you have kids, take inventory of what they\u2019ll need for the school year \u2014 such as a new pair of shoes, markers and backpacks \u2014 and capitalize on the sales.<\/p>\n Giving yourself time to assess what you already have can prevent you from getting caught up in the hype and save you money (and the hassle of returns) down the line.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to know whether something is actually a good deal unless you do a little research ahead of time. Add items to a wish list or to your shopping cart to get a sense of the baseline price, then take a peek every few days to see if there are any fluctuations. Once the sale starts, set alerts for items on your list so you\u2019re notified when they go on sale.<\/p>\n You can use camelcamelcamel, a free price-tracking site, to monitor the cost of specific products sold on Amazon. Set up price-drop alerts to be notified via email when the price of a product falls below a certain point. The PayPal Honey browser extension works on Amazon, too. Use it to quickly to view the price history of a product sold on Amazon while browsing the site.<\/p>\n Buying during Prime Day can save you from some of the issues that come up during Black Friday shopping \u2014 mainly, some items go out of stock in the color or style you want, or retailers stop stocking them to make room for newer models. Shopping in July ensures you get the exact product you want.<\/p>\n It might be hard to think about holiday gifting during the heat of the summer but, if you\u2019re organized, you might be able to beat \u201cpromotion fatigue\u201d that comes with the onslaught of constant sales and advertising starting in October and lasting through the end of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cRetailers are training consumers not to pay full price,\u201d says Tassin, who says the retailers\u2019 message is clear: \u201cWhy pay full price if a discount could be just around the corner?\u201d The result is an environment where \u201ca big sale has to be extra promoted and [have] extra deep discounts to stay relevant for people,\u201d says Tassin.<\/p>\n Use Prime Day to get competitive deals on holiday gifts on your list so you can tune out and enjoy the season later this year.<\/p>\n While many of the details of this year\u2019s Prime Day sale are still under wraps, last year Amazon featured many \u201cPrime Exclusive Deals\u201d that were for members only.<\/p>\n Non-Prime members can join the club for $139 a year or $14.99 a month, or roll the dice with another retailer. If it\u2019s a popular product you\u2019re after, pop on over to Walmart or Target for the strong possibility of a competitive price.<\/p>\n Amazon does offer\u00a0discounted Prime memberships\u00a0for students as well as for recipients of Medicaid, Electronic Benefit Transfer and other government benefits programs.<\/p>\n Be sure to read: <\/strong>Amazon sued by FTC, which alleges people were \u2018tricked and trapped\u2019 into Prime subscriptions<\/p>\n
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\n and Walmart
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\n feature competing sales that overlap with Prime Day. Target Circle Week will run from July 9 to July 15.<\/p>\n
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\n really does set the calendar at this point,\u201d says Tassin.<\/p>\nTips for making the most of Prime Day sales<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Make a shopping list and set your budget<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Put items in your cart now, purchase on Prime Day<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Shop now to get the style and model you want<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Plan to avoid holiday shopping \u2018promotion fatigue\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Factor in the cost of a Prime membership<\/strong><\/h4>\n