Back on Track for Summer Savings
If you’ve been waiting with bated breath for this year’s Amazon Prime Day, buckle up! The most exciting online shopping ride of the year is almost here. The 2022 Amazon Prime Day sale is slated for July 12 and 13, offering Prime members two full days to shop their hearts out for must-haves in just about every category the site has to offer. Over two million sales will include best-sellers for the home (read: trendy bird home decor), electronics, vacuums, books and Amazon music to name a few. Plus, you’re guaranteed to see sales on birding and gardening essentials like the best bird feeders, binoculars, bird baths and even gardening apparel.
“Amazon Prime Days started back in July of 2015 as a way to commemorate Amazon’s 20th anniversary. It was initially one day but grew to a two-day event that occurred every year in early summer until the pandemic threw things off course,” Trae Bodge, a smart shopping expert, explains. “What’s also notable is that many other retailers, including Walmart and Target, offer competitive sales events that overlap with Prime Day.”
The deals won’t be limited to just Amazon-label products. Almost everything the site offers will be offered at promotional pricing over the two-day bargain bonanza. Amazon is also offering incentives to shop small businesses and Black-owned and women-owned merchants. But! You need to be an Amazon Prime member to cash in on the deals. Here’s everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2022.
When Is Amazon Prime Day 2022?
Amazon’s biggest sale event of the year, Prime Day, will begin at midnight PDT on July 12 and run through 11:59 p.m. PDT on July 13. The 48-hour event will feature more than two million amazing Amazon Prime sale offerings, rivaling Black Friday as the biggest global shopping event of the year. Many of the deals are timed and will sell out fast. So you have to be on your shopping game to catch the best discounts. Sign up for a free, 30-day trial of Amazon Prime trial to soak up the Amazon Prime benefits.
What Is Amazon Prime Day?
Think of it as Amazon’s annual retail celebration. Prime Day is 48 glorious hours of deals, steals and lowered prices for Amazon Prime members. “Amazon’s Prime Day is known for deep discounts on Amazon’s own brands and devices because they have more wiggle room in their margins,” explains Bodge. “They can afford to take a hit on Kindles because once you own a Kindle, you are a captive audience and will continue to buy Kindle books from Amazon. The same with a Ring doorbell, which comes with a free plan, but there’s also a low-cost monthly plan with more features, as well as Echo devices.”
The red-hot Amazon Prime sales are only open to Prime members, though. Membership is definitely worth it for these incredible things you can get for free on Amazon as a Prime member. And if you’re too eager to wait until July 12 and 13, Amazon has you covered with early access Prime Day deals.
When Did Amazon Prime Day Begin?
It was introduced in 2015 as a one-day sale that rivaled Black Friday in terms of deals. It was also a celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary but has now become a treasured Internet shopping tradition that shoppers around the world look forward to for rock-bottom prices on everything from feeders hummingbirds will love to mushroom growing kits and backyard accessories.
What Do I Need to Do to Shop Amazon Prime Day?
You need to be an Amazon Prime member in order to shop the deals. It costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually to become an Amazon Prime subscriber. Or you could hop on the Prime Day train without paying a cent, by signing up for a free 30-day trial anytime before Prime Day. And for students, the savings are even bigger. College students can sign up for a six-month free trial of an Amazon Prime student membership before the big day. It only costs $7.49 per month after the six month trial is up!
Are There Any Other Incentives to Shop Amazon Prime Day?
You betcha. Unlike previous years, Amazon is slashing prices on everyday staples to relieve the blow of inflation for shoppers. Everything from toilet paper to laundry detergent and even snacks will be included in Prime Day deals 2022.
Now through July 13, Amazon Prime members can enjoy a $10 credit when they explore their Amazon Prime benefits through the Prime Stampcard program. For every Prime benefit experienced—like watching a a movie on Amazon Prime video or making a Prime-eligible purchase—users will receive one stamp. Once four stamps have been collected, Prime members will receive a $10 credit to use during Prime Day 2022.
Amazon is also running a Small Business promotion in the lead up to Prime Day 2022. Now through July 11, eligible Amazon customers can enter the “Support Small Businesses to Win Big” sweepstakes for free. From there, every $1 spent on eligible products from small businesses will re-enter them into the sweepstakes, allowing customers a better chance at winning big. It’s yet another reason to shop from minority- and women-owned merchants available on Amazon.
Amazon Music will also offer extra goodies as part of the Amazon Prime Day sale. Prime members who haven’t yet tried Amazon Music Unlimited can get the best deal ever—three months free with unlimited access to more than 70 million songs ad-free and millions of podcast episodes. In addition, with the purchase of select Amazon Echo devices, Prime members new to Amazon Music Unlimited can get six months free. Wowza.
The gaming category will see a handful of freebies. Enjoy four free months of an Audible membership. Podcast lovers will get three months free of Wondery+. Even Amazon’s styling service will offer slashed prices just to try it out. You can save up all that promo cash for a squirrel-proof bird feeder or one of the best finch feeders.
What Are Some of the Biggest Amazon Prime Day Deals?
Amazon devices including the Echo devices, Fire tablets, and Kindle e-readers are practically guaranteed to go on sale: For example, the Echo Dot’s price is already down to two for $29.99 for Prime members. Think about how many great birding and gardening books you’ll be able to plow through! Other items expected to have good deals are smart home accessories, phones, computers, cameras, TVs, fitness accessories, kitchen appliances, and beauty tools.
Does Walmart Have a Competing Prime Day Sale?
Walmart isn’t sitting this mega sale week out! The retailer hasn’t officially announced the details for its competing Prime Day sale for 2022 just yet, but its Walmart Deals for Days landing page is already live. The Deals for Days event is open to everyone from regular shoppers to Walmart+ members who credit the service with faster shipping than Amazon Prime.
Walmart has offered hundreds of markdowns and deals at up to 70 percent off regular retail prices in every category during its competing Prime Day sale. In-house brands like Mainstays, Better Homes & Gardens, Pioneer Woman, and Equate tend to see the biggest markdowns. National name brand best sellers and hidden gems will also see noteworthy rollbacks during the slightly longer sales event. You’ll be able to score this Hisense 40-inch Class FHD Roku Smart LED TV for $178 instead of its usual $228. The same deals will also be available at all in-store retail locations.
Do Other Retailers Have a Competing Prime Day Sale?
Big retailers around the country are jumping in to compete with Amazon’s own Prime Day deals. Aside from Walmart’s Deals for Days, Target is also offering a digital Deal Days whirlwind featuring steep price cuts and markdowns across its website from July 11 through July 13. Target is expected to slash prices on home décor, clothing and patio items.
In past years, Best Buy has also offered some of their best prices on top-selling appliances during the same days and hours as the Prime sale. Wayfair has added hundreds of markdowns to their Daily Sales section. And even The Home Depot rolls out thousands of digital sales to compete with Prime Day. And yes, the prices are typically better than Amazon’s on home improvement items. Shoppers are encouraged to keep checking the Home Depot Special Savings Center in the days leading up to Prime Day because the sales offerings often debut early.
Source:
• Trae Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert at Truetrae.com