WASHINGTON — It's that time of year....again? Retail giant Amazon has begun the second round of its Prime Day sale — a two-day shopping event meant to draw customers to the company's Prime membership.
Usually, Prime Day happens in July, but Amazon is holding a second Prime Day event this year from Oct. 10-11.
Like the earlier Prime Day, online shoppers are able to find discounts on a wide variety of products, especially Amazon-branded devices like Echo smart speakers and Kindle e-readers.
With millions of items on sale, there's enough to overwhelm even a seasoned online shopper! Here's a quick guide to help you take advantage of the deals while staying sane as you do some early holiday shopping.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Prime Day is an annual sitewide sale for members of Amazon’s $139-a-year subscription membership, Amazon Prime. Long before Amazon launched Prime Day in 2015, summer sales events were a common way for retailers to clear out old inventory while planning for the holidays.
Amazon – and its competitors – have traditionally used summer sales events to boost signups to membership programs.
Now, with temperatures dropping and Christmas coming closer, Amazon is poised to create a pre-Black Friday holiday shopping season.
It doesn't hurt that there are steep discounts on certain high-value items offered as part of the sale.
“People’s budgets are still strained,” said Claire Tassin, lead retail and e-commerce analyst at survey research firm Morning Consult. “They’re still spending but they’re very deal-sensitive and savvy, even more so than normal. So consumers are telling us that they’re looking for deals and promotions more than they typically are.”
Amazon isn't the only one kicking off holiday shopping events in October this year. Target just wrapped up its Circle Week, while Walmart and Best Buy are holding competing online sales during October Prime Day.
When is Amazon's October Prime Day?
The second Amazon Prime Day 2023 runs from Oct. 10 through Oct. 11.
What time does Amazon Prime Day start?
The October version of Prime Day began at 3 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Oct. 10. It will last for approximately 48 hours.
Do you need to be a Prime member for Prime Day deals?
Yes, Prime Day sales are only for Prime members. Other shoppers can get access by signing up for a free 30-day trial, but that option is only available if you haven't been a member in the last 12 months. Remember to mark your calendar or set a phone reminder to cancel if you don't want to keep the membership.
What are the best Prime Day deals?
There are more than a million deals available for the second Prime Day of 2023, according to Amazon. That's far too many to list out, but the company has shared a few highlights from the sale:
- Save up to 65% on select eero Mesh Wifi Systems; up to 60% on select Fire TV and Blink devices; up to 50% on select Ring bundles; up to 45% on select kids devices and bundles, select Echo bundles, and select Fire tablet bundles; and up to 35% on select Kindle e-reader bundles
- Save up to 60% on select floorcare from Bissell and iRobot
- Save up to 60% on select, Amazon-exclusive apparel, shoes, accessories, and handbags from The Drop
- Save up to 55% on select ASICS women’s and men’s running shoes
- Save up to 50% on select products from Sony
- Save up to 50% on select GreenPan cookware
- Save up to 50% on select shoes from Hey Dude, Koolaburra by UGG, and Frye
- Save up to 40% on select Ninja blenders, cookware, and coffee makers
- Save up to 35% on select Molekule air purifiers
- Save up to 30% on select KitchenAid stand and mini stand mixers
- Save up to 30% on select Dyson vacuums and air purifiers
- Save up to 30% on select premium skincare and haircare products from Clarins, Color Wow, Innisfree, Living Proof, T3, Sunday Riley, LANEIGE, Sulwhasoo, and AMOREPACIFIC
- Save up to 30% on select dolls, sets, and toys from Barbie, LEGO, Squishmallows, Squishville, PicassoTiles, and MAGNA-TILES
- Save up to 30% on Peloton Bike, Bike+, Guide, accessories, and select apparel
- Save up to 30% on select camera items and accessories from Fujifilm
- Save up to 30% on select non-alcoholic beverages from Betty Buzz by Blake Lively and Kin Euphorics by Bella Hadid and Jen Batchelor
- Save up to 30% on select kitchenware items from the Ayesha Curry Home Collection
- Save up to 30% on select, Amazon-exclusive men’s, women’s, and kids’ fashion from Amazon Essentials and Simple Joys by Carter's
- Save up to 30% on seasonal prep and decor items, including wreaths, garlands, candles, decorative lights, and Halloween costumes
- Save up to 30% on select Stasher reusable bags and bowls
- Save up to 25% on select mattresses from Casper
- Save up to 25% on select laptops and monitors from HP and Acer
- Save 20% when spending $40 on select everyday essentials from Amazon brands
- Save up to 15% on select Cookware by Martha Stewart
- Save up to 15% (up to $200) on Pre-Loved items from What Goes Around Comes Around, including styles by Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Gucci
Tips and tricks
- Don't impulse buy. Knowing what you want to buy ahead of time can cut down on unexpected wallet strain. Making a list of holiday shopping essentials ahead of time can save headaches at the checkout page.
- Shop around. Some other retailers may be taking advantage of Prime Day like they did during the summer, lowering their own prices to match or beat Amazon's. Walmart, Target and Best Buy all had sales matching Prime Day in July, and may have similar sales now.
- Support small businesses. About 60% of Amazon sales are actually done by small businesses operating on the platform. Customers interested in supporting those businesses can filter their search to only include small businesses
Deals, not steals
If you’re doing a lot of online shopping, it’s a good idea to watch out for common scams. The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers about social media ads drawing customers to “lookalike” websites, unsolicited texts claiming you need to click a link to fix a delivery problem, and other common e-commerce scams.
“A lot of what we see this time of year is a remix of things we see throughout the rest of the year – so fake deliveries, fake products, fake services, fake companies,” said Josh Planos, the BBB's vice president of communications and public relations.
If you do get a text or email with a link or see a too-good-to-be-true social media ad, it’s a good idea to go to the retailer’s official app or website instead of clicking.