The pandemic has canceled so many things, but it couldn't kill Amazon Prime Day.
That means it's time to mark your calendar for the day that could be bigger than Black Friday this year, especially with most brick-and-mortar stores closed on Thanksgiving night.
Prime Day is normally two days of crazy deals in July. But pandemic shortages and summertime delivery delays forced Amazon to postpone it to October 13 - 14.
And that makes it much more of a holiday event, as opposed to a mid-summer event that was designed to stir up sales during a slow time of year.
DealNews.com senior staff writer Julie Ramhold expects many shoppers to use Prime Day in place of Black Friday. And she says that will be a very smart idea.
"I would advise people to make it a holiday shopping event if they are not already," she said. "I do think Amazon will be trying to emphasize that, given that we have seen shipping delays all year."
Amazon does not list Prime Day deals in advance, so you need to check the site regularly during the sale. But Ramhold expects big markdowns on all Amazon-related items, such as...
- Alexa/Echo devices
- Ring doorbells and cameras
- Fire sticks
- Kindles
- Amazon Basics merchandise
Plus, she says, look for markdowns on lots of household items, from the Instant Pot to more obscure things.
"We're used to seeing random home and garden items on sale, whether it's an egg cooker for the kitchen or rug for the living room or something like that," she said.
She expects more emphasis on TVs and holiday gifts this year, as shoppers are already getting into a Christmas shopping mindset.
And with many items still in short supply (good luck finding a $250 bicycle), she says it makes a lot more sense ordering during Prime Day than waiting till the day after Thanksgiving.
Other retailers start holiday sales, too
One great thing about Amazon Prime Day is that even if you are not an Amazon Prime member, and you have no plans to take part, competitors like Walmart, Best Buy and Target are also planning sales of their own.
"They do normally pay attention to Prime Day," Ramhold said.
Target is not even being modest this year, scheduling its Target Deal Days the exact same days, October 13 and 14.
So with most stores closed Thanksgiving night this year, continued postal service delays and many items still on back order, Amazon Prime Day could be a great time to do much of your holiday shopping, so you don't waste your money.
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