For the past two years, we have encountered challenges that most of us have never experienced in our life before. The combination of these events has impacted the economy. The consumer needs a break.
Amazon Prime Day 2022 could be that break. The two-day sales extravaganza on July 12 and 13 offers Black Friday-sized deals in the middle of the summer. These deals aren’t just on TVs and smart speakers, they cover everything from apparel and makeup to pet trackers and toys.
However, to get the most out of Prime Day, you need to understand how the holiday works and have a strategy planned out. There are deals that come and go in a flash, and if you don’t know how to find them, you could miss out on some of the deepest discounts. This article will provide the information you need to get the best deals on Prime Day 2022.
The history of Amazon Prime Day
When was the first Prime Day?
When Amazon turned 20 years old on July 15, 2015, the company threw a party to celebrate. The invited guests were anyone who was a member of Amazon Prime. These guests lived in the U.S., the UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, and Austria. The festivities included more deals than you could find on Black Friday, and the party lasted a full 24 hours.
During the first Amazon Prime Day, 398 items were ordered every second. It was the largest device sales day ever.
What are some key Prime Day milestones?
- In 2016, Prime members saved more than double on deals over 2015.
- An average of one purchase every second was made by voice using Alexa in 2016.
- In 2017, Prime Day was extended to a 30-hour event.
- The most popular item of Prime Day 2017 was the Echo Dot.
- In 2018, Prime Day was extended to a 36-hour event.
- Over 100 million products were purchased during Prime Day 2018.
- In 2019, Prime Day was extended to a 48-hour event.
- Prime Day 2019 offered over one million deals for Amazon Prime members.
- In 2020, Amazon helped bring in over $900 million for small and medium businesses in the two weeks leading up to Prime Day with the “Spend $10, Get $10” promotion.
- The most popular item of Prime Day 2021 was the Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa voice remote.
- In 2021, the Prime Day show was a three-part immersive musical event with H.E.R., Kid Cudi, and Billie Eilish.
When does Prime Day occur?
Prime Day typically occurs in the middle of July. In 2016, Prime Day was July 12. In 2017, Prime Day was July 10. In 2018, Prime Day was July 16. In 2019, Prime Day was July 15. Due to all the challenges involved with the pandemic, Prime Day was pushed back to October 13 in 2020. And in 2021, it came a little early, reportedly to help with Q2 earnings.
When is Prime Day 2022?
While the company has yet to make any official announcements, it’s believed the holiday will move back to its mid-July date this summer. That would put it sometime during the week of July 12.
How long is Prime Day 2022?
If previous years are an accurate indication, Prime members can expect this year’s event to be a 48-hour celebration.
How to get the best deals on Prime Day
Make a list
Amazon Prime Day is a frenzied buying event. To get the most out of it, it’s best to be prepared. Start making a list now of items that you want and items that you need. This way, when you’re caught up in the thrill of the celebration, you won’t miss buying those items you really wanted.
Start shopping now
You don’t have to wait until Prime Day arrives to shop. Fill up your shopping cart now. If you use this strategy, you won’t even have to search for the product you want — just look at your shopping cart. If something goes on sale, one click is all it takes to close the deal.
Shop the entire event
Prime Day is an evolving event. Products go out of stock and new items go on sale for the entire 48 hours. If you jump on at midnight on the first day and make all of your purchases, you could miss out on the deepest discounts of the celebration. Make sure you set some time aside to shop the full two days of the event.
Take advantage of the Amazon app
Amazon has an app. It’s free and using it will prove to be a rewarding experience. You can use the app to “Watch” for upcoming deals on specific items. This way, you won’t miss a single sale. All you have to do is turn on the notifications in the app’s settings and select which items you’d like to watch. As soon as that product goes on sale, you’ll get a notification alerting you that it’s time to buy.
Ask Alexa
Probably the easiest way to shop on Prime Day is to ask Alexa. All you have to do is ask, "Alexa, what are my deals?" and you’ll get a list of discounted items. If Alexa picks a product you want, just confirm that you’d like to make the purchase, and the deal is done.
Pay attention to Lightning Deals
Lightning Deals happen fast. They’re limited sales events that offer big savings. To be the most prepared for Lightning Deals, select the "Join Waitlist" option on upcoming deals so you’re notified when you can make a purchase.
Check out Today’s Deals
Just under the search bar on Amazon’s website, you’ll find a list of quick links. If you click on the one that says “Today’s Deals,” it will take you to all the current deals so you don’t waste any time browsing through items that aren’t on sale.
Consider 2021’s models
When the 2022 products come out, that means the 2021 models get discounted. If you don’t need the newest gadgets, you can enjoy deep discounts on last year’s models.
Stay flexible
Even though your first step toward savings was to make a list of items you want and need, don’t shop with blinders on. Sometimes, the best deals can be a surprise.
What are some other benefits of being an Amazon Prime member?
When you sign up for Amazon Prime, besides being able to participate in Prime Day, you get several other money-saving benefits.
Shopping
Amazon Prime members don’t just get deals on Prime Day; the company has several money-saving opportunities for day-to-day purchases. Here are some of the top offerings:
- Eligible Prime members who shop with an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card earn 5% back on all Amazon.com purchases.
- Eligible Prime members who shop with an Amazon Prime Store Card earn 5% back on all Amazon.com purchases.
- Prime members get exclusive savings and 5% back on Whole Foods Market purchases made with an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card. Certain cities also feature two-hour delivery.
- With the “Subscribe and Save” feature, Amazon Prime members can get 20% off of select baby products, such as diapers and baby food, when they subscribe to regular deliveries.
- A Prime membership gives shoppers 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals on Amazon.com. These deals are gone when time limits or quantities run out, so getting a head start on purchasing can offer members substantial savings.
Prime shipping
One of the biggest benefits for Amazon Prime members is the deals they get on shipping. In many instances, the cost of shipping can come close to the cost of the product you’re buying, which equates to nearly paying double the price for the convenience of not leaving home to get what you need. Amazon Prime members, however, get free two-day shipping on all eligible addresses.
If two days isn’t fast enough, some zip codes are eligible for same-day delivery. And, if you pre-order a product with Amazon Prime, certain zip codes get release-date delivery.
For some people, speed isn’t a concern. If this is you, Amazon Prime lets you select no-rush shipping so you can earn rewards on future purchases.
Streaming
If you like entertainment, Prime members get unlimited streaming of movies and TV episodes that are available on Prime Video. You also have access to Amazon Prime Music, which gives you unlimited, ad-free access to over two million songs. Gamers can get access to free games, in-game content, and more through Prime Gaming. If these aren’t enough, as a Prime member, you may also be entitled to other streaming plans that are affiliated with Amazon Prime.
Reading
If reading is a passion, Amazon Prime members can borrow books, magazines, and more from the Prime Reading catalog. Also, members are invited to download a new, early-access book for free every month through Amazon’s First Reads program. You can read all materials on a Fire tablet, a Kindle e-reader, or the Kindle reading apps that are available for iOS and Android.
FAQ
Q. How do I become an Amazon Prime member?
A. If this is your first time signing up for Amazon Prime or it has been at least 12 months since you were a member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial at Amazon. You need a current, valid credit card. Upon approval, you’ll immediately be eligible for all the benefits of Amazon Prime membership. This includes being able to participate in Amazon Prime Day.
Q. How much does an Amazon Prime membership cost?
A. The price of an Amazon Prime membership has gone up this year. Effective March 25, 2022, the new cost for membership will be $14.99 per month for a regular subscription. If you’d like to save about $40, you can subscribe for a year for just $139. For students, a monthly membership is $7.49, while the annual membership is $69. The cost for government assistance recipients is $6.99 per month. These prices may be subject to sales tax in some states.
Q. Can I share my Amazon Prime membership?
A. Yes. It’s possible to share your Amazon Prime membership with another member of your household. To do this, you must navigate to the “Share Your Prime Benefits” option in your membership and follow the directions. It’s important to understand that sharing an account means you must agree to share your wallets. You can also stop sharing your account at any time by removing the individual's name from your account at the “Manage Your Household” option in your membership.
Q. Can I give a Prime membership as a gift?
A. Yes. Giving an Amazon gift membership is as easy as navigating to the gift page and making a purchase. You have the option of buying a three-month gift for $45 or an annual subscription for $139.
Q. Can I exchange my Amazon Prime Gift membership?
A. If someone gifted you with an Amazon Prime membership and you’re already an Amazon Prime member, you can exchange the membership for a gift card.
Q. Can I pause my Amazon Prime membership?
A. Yes. If for any reason, you decide you won’t be needing your Amazon Prime for a while, it’s possible to pause your membership. When you pause your membership, billing will stop, but so will all your benefits and any subscriptions that are tied to your Amazon Prime membership. You can resume your membership at any time.
Q. Can I cancel my Amazon Prime membership if I’m dissatisfied?
A. Of course. And, according to Amazon, “Paid members who haven't used their benefits are eligible for a full refund of the current membership period.” As with pausing, any subscriptions tied to your Amazon Prime membership will end when your membership is canceled.
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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