Like clockwork, October Prime Day will be back this year in a few weeks. Amazon announced that its Prime Big Deal Days sale event will take place on October 7 and 8 this year, returning back to a 48-hour duration after extending Prime Day in July to four full days this summer.
And that July Prime Day continues to be Amazon’s marquee sale event for Prime members, being a big driver of the “Black Friday in Summer” trend. But ever since its debut in 2022, October Prime Day gives Prime subscribers the opportunity to shop thousands of exclusive deals closer to the holidays and get a jump on their actual Black Friday shopping. Of course, it also provides Amazon a way to boost sales during the same time period and, arguably more importantly, increase the number of overall Prime subscribers.
As for the deals we expect, Prime Day(s) is often a boon for discounts on apparel, shoes, household goods and more. Discounts on elecontrics are some of the most sought after, but it can be difficult to decipher if you’re actually getting a good deal or not. Here’s what we at Engadge think you should keep in mind before shopping during October Prime Day.
Use a price tracker. Handy online price trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa show price history charts for items available on Amazon. That way you can see if those earbuds you’ve been eyeing were $10 cheaper last week, or if the Prime Day price is the lowest in months. You can also add things to your cart or wishlist ahead of Prime Day, and you’ll see an alert the next time you visit your cart or wishlist if any items have dropped in price since you added them.
Shop early, and shop for the big stuff first. Over the past few years, Amazon has made a habit of releasing solid Prime Day deals in the two weeks leading up to the actual shopping event. Historically, many of those deals stick around through the event itself, so if you seen something on your list drop in price a week before Prime Day, it could be a good time to buy it. It’s also wise to look for big-ticket items first like robot vacuums, premium headphones and more when you’re shopping an event like this.
Amazon devices will be some of the best deals. Most commonly, we see Amazon’s own devices — Kindles, Echo speakers, Blink and Ring cameras and more — drop to record-low prices during Prime Day and in the weeks leading up to it. If you have anything like that on your shopping list, we highly recommend waiting until at least the last few days of September to buy any that have early discounts.
Stock up on stocking stuffers. We’ve noticed a trend of affordable tech getting even cheaper during Prime Day over the past couple of years. Think things like wireless chargers, charging cables, power banks, Bluetooth trackers, cheap speakers and more. If you need a few backup charging cables or want to pick up a couple of stocking stuffers early in preparation for the gifting season, definitely use Prime Day deals to your advantage to do that.
Lightning deals are generally questionable deals. “Lightning deals” are Amazon’s limited-time discounts that are, thankfully, clearly labeled with the amount of time remaining to grab the sale price. In our experience, only a handful of these flash deals are actually worth your money — but if you see something that’s been on your wishlist drop in price for only a few hours, it’s in your best interest to grab it immediately.
If history is any indication, the sale prices we see during October Prime Day will be similar (and in some cases, the same) as those we see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you can shop early and cross a few things off your list, we recommend doing so. Engadget will be covering October Prime Day in full, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech deals we can find.
