Here's how to win Amazon's biggest shopping event of the year. (Photo: Getty Images)
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It’s official — the date of Amazon’s annual shopping extravaganza has been announced after weeks of rumors. Amazon Prime Day 2021 begins Monday, June 21 and runs for a full two days through Tuesday, June 22, in its earliest date yet.
Last year, Prime members collectively saved over $1.4 billion on Prime Day. According to Amazon, this year's sale will feature two million deals and we expect the savings to be just as fantastic, if not better — considering Prime Day pricing is starting to pop up weeks before the big sale even begins.
Case in point: These gorgeous gray Beats Solo Pro wireless noise-canceling headphones are just $149, an outrageous 50 percent off. Here's a rundown on what to expect on Prime Day 2021, what makes this year different, and where we expect to see the best deals.
Prime Day, which began seven years ago, is Amazon’s biggest shopping event for Prime members. The stellar sale includes markdowns on thousands upon thousands of products: tech, kitchen essentials, vacuums, apparel, beauty must-haves and so much more.
The 48-hour bonanza begins at 12AM PT on Monday, June 21 and concludes at 11:59PM PT on Tuesday, June 22.
The epic event was delayed last year due to COVID-19 and took place in October. But this year, Prime Day is back to heat up our summers, and launching a few weeks earlier than its typical July timing. With pandemic-induced home-improvement projects still on the rise, we're expecting to see great seasonal sales on outdoor furniture and other yard essentials.
With folks wanting to treat themselves after a tough year and the economy on the upswing, this year's Prime Day could be as popular as it was in 2019. In a May 2021 survey from Criteo, four out of five US consumers (81 percent) said Prime Day gets them in the mood to shop.
Amazon will cast a special focus on small businesses this Prime Day — with more than a million deals from small and medium-size endeavors — including those that are Black-owned, woman-owned, military family-owned. While past sales have included bargains from smaller brands, this year Amazon has pledged $100 million to aid small businesses selling on Amazon, kicking off with a Prime Day push.
Other retailers will be riding the Prime Day train as well — Walmart, Best Buy, Target and GameStop all clapped back with their own sales last year. And people are ready to pounce on the deals: 45 percent of US consumers familiar with Prime Day said they plan to purchase from websites other than Amazon during the event.
No one knows exactly which products will go on sale. But if history repeats itself, and we suspect it will, some of the best deals will be on Amazon Devices, like the Fire TV Stick 4K (on sale right now for $40, down from $50), and the Echo Dot, reduced to just $35 right now. The Echo Show 5 (it's currently just $50!) was one of the stars of Prime Day 2020, so definitely keep an eye on it.
Yahoo readers' most purchased products last Prime Day? Apple AirPods, Crest Whitestrips, the LifeStraw personal water filter, Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds and Sony WH-CH710N Noise Cancelling Headphones. This year should follow suit, offering major markdowns across categories.
Yes, you do. But if you’re not a Prime member, there’s still time to sign up and take advantage of the savings. Prime plans are $13 per month (or $119 per year), and you get a free 30-day trial at signup.
Prime member benefits include free two-day shipping and delivery, and same-day or even two-hour shipping for eligible items and locations. It also comes with access to Prime Video, Amazon Music (2 million songs, ad-free!), free two-day delivery on prescriptions from Amazon Pharmacy, free video games via Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime), unlimited full-resolution storage with Amazon Photos and so much more.
You’ll also get exclusive access to deals from Whole Foods Market and Prime Now in select cities. Check out all the Amazon Prime 2021 perks here.
There are a few things you can do to score big on your favorite items. The first is to get familiar with the popular pages across the site that typically host the best sales:
Deals of the Day: These sales last for a full 24 hours.
Lightning Deals: These deals last for only a few hours, while supplies last. Prime members get access to these sales 30 minutes before they go live to the public.
Savings and Sales: Ongoing deals throughout the event on select brands and products.
Amazon Coupons: You’ll find instant savings in this section (read all about it here).
We also recommend setting up a ‘Wish List’ at Amazon. That way, you’ve identified your must-have items before Prime Day, and once the sales go live, you can add them to your cart stress-free.
If you haven’t already done so, downloading the Amazon app is a must, as it allows you to watch the deals you’re interested in and get notified when they start.
Pro tip: Bookmark Yahoo! Life Shopping throughout Prime Day and keep checking back for the absolute best of the best sales, all in one place.
Why wait until June? There are early Prime Day deals happening right this very second — but they’re for Prime members only. Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of the deep discounts below:
Echo Dot (fourth generation), $35 (was $50), amazon.com
Echo Show 5, $50 (was $90), amazon.com
Echo (fourth generation), $80 (was $100), amazon.com
Echo Auto, $25 (was $50), amazon.com
Echo Show 8, $80 (was $130), amazon.com
Fire TV Stick Lite, $25 (was $30), amazon.com
Fire TV Cube, $100 (was $120), amazon.com
Echo Dot (third generation), $30 (was $40), amazon.com
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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