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Since its launch in the summer of 2015,Amazon Prime Day has become one of the biggest shopping events of the year.
This year, the sale will kick off at 3 a.m. Eastern on July 11 and and run through July 12, the company announced Wednesday.
Amid persistent inflation, consumers are looking to the two-day shopping event to save on necessities, back to school supplies and home goods. But it’s no Black Friday, said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com.
Expect to find mostly “practical items that are not as fun,” she said. “Those take over the bulk of the Prime Day sale.”
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Still, 68% of consumers said they’re likely to shop the event this year, according to ecommerce data analytics firm Jungle Scout.
For those interested in saving money on everyday goods, some of the best-selling items on Prime Day in previous years have included apparel, beauty products, kitchen essentials, children’s clothing, toys, electronics and outdoor gear.
In 2023, “expect home and garden deals to dominate,” Ramhold predicted.
Of course, some of the best deals will be on Amazon’s own devices — such as 75% off Amazon Fire TV 43″ Omni Series — but items from brands like Peloton, Victoria’s Secret, Yeti and Sony will also be heavily discounted.
Look for a wide selection of back-to-school essentials on sale and major savings on Amazon movies, streaming channels and music, according to RetailMeNot’s shopping experts.
There are also early deals, some of which are already live, such as a third-generation Echo Show and Eero Mesh Wi-Fi routers for up to 55% off.
How to take advantage of Prime Day deals
In order to take advantage of Prime Day deals, you must be an Amazon Prime member.
You can sign up for an annual or month-to-month membership or, if not yet sure, a free trial. For the first time, Amazon will also offer invite-only deals where members of its Prime subscription club can request an invitation to access discounts on items that typically sell out fast.
Then, scroll through upcoming deals and set up deal alert notifications on Amazon or through your Alexa device so you’ll know when the price drops.
When a deal is live, add the item to your cart immediately. Some intermittent “Lightning Deals” sell out quickly, Ramhold said. Once a sale item is in your cart, you’ll have 15 minutes to decide whether to complete the purchase.
If there is a specific product that you are set on and you don’t see it in upcoming sales, you can create a wish list and Amazon will alert you if it does become part of a Prime Day deal.
Other bargains are not exclusive to Amazon at all. Every year Walmart, Target and Best Buy hold competing deals events to coincide with Amazon Prime Day. Best Buy on Wednesday announced a “Black Friday in July” event that will run from July 10 to 12, while Target said it would hold its ”Target Circle Week” from July 9 to 15.