Prime Day 2020: Everything You Need to Know Amazon hasn't made any announcements, but according to CNET, Prime Day 2020 begins on Oct. 13. If you're wondering how you can save, read on for our complete Prime Day guide.
By PCMag Staff
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Five years ago, Amazon created its own shopping holiday with Prime Day, a savings extravaganza intended to nab new Prime members and amp up summer purchases.
After a bumpy rollout in 2015, Prime Day exploded into an annual event rivaling Black Friday and Cyber Monday; shoppers purchased more than 175 million items during Prime Day 2019, according to Amazon. But then COVID-19 happened, prompting Amazon to delay Prime Day until the fall.
Details are scant at the moment, but read on for what we know so far about Prime Day 2020. We'll update this post as Amazon releases more information.
When Is Amazon Prime Day 2020?
Prime Day 2019 kicked off on Monday, July 15 and ran through the next day, so Prime Day of late has really become Prime Days.
Amazon has not made any announcements about Prime Day 2020, but according to CNET, it begins on Oct. 13. Citing four people familiar with the company's plans, the site says "Amazon has already blacked out vacation for its full-time warehouse workers from Oct. 13-20."
Thus far, Amazon has said only that it will "be holding Prime Day later than usual [in 2020], while ensuring the safety of our employees and supporting our customers and selling partners."
Over the summer, an email was apparently sent out to Amazon's third-party sellers informing them Prime Day won't happen until Oct. 5 at the earliest, but that's just a placeholder date. Stay tuned to Amazon's Prime day page for more details.
Related: Report: Amazon Pushes Prime Day Back to October
When Does Prime Day Start?
Prime Day 2019 started at 12 a.m. PT on Monday, July 15 and concluded at 11:59 p.m. PT on Tuesday, July 16. Amazon will presumably once again make Prime "Day" a two-day event. If the aforementioned Oct. 5 date is correct, we could see deals going live at 12 a.m. PT that morning.
How Do I Shop on Prime Day?
This being Prime Day, you'll need to be a Prime member to get the best bargains. If you're not, it's free to join for 30 days, after which it's $119 per year. Naturally, you can log on to Amazon.com via your laptop, but here are some options to consider, too.
Amazon Smile: When you shop via smile.amazon.com (versus www.amazon.com), Amazon donates 0.5 percent of the purchase price of eligible products to a charitable organization of your choice. The interface is the same, so it's an easy way to give back as you load up your shopping cart.
Amazon app: If you'll be out and about on Prime Day, download Amazon's mobile apps, log in, and you'll be ready to shop wherever you are.
Ask Alexa: Why move at all? The main idea behind Amazon's Echo devices is to sell you stuff, so Alexa is more than willing to help you add things to your cart. There might even be some voice-exclusive Prime Day deals, so make sure to ask Alexa what she has for you.
Whole Foods: Since Amazon owns Whole Foods, Prime members get discounts on select products at Whole Foods Market plus an additional 10 percent off certain sale items. Last year, "Prime members in the US received tens of millions in Prime Day savings when they shopped at Whole Foods," Amazon said, without elaborating, so you can probably expect some grocery deals this year.
Hit up amazon.com/primeday for more details.
Related: If Amazon Crashes Again This Prime Day, eBay Has You Covered
What Will Be on Sale?
Deals run the gamut, but discounts on Amazon-made products are a pretty sure bet. If you're in the market for an Echo smart speaker, Ring video doorbell, Fire TV device, or Kindle e-reader, Prime Day is sure to have a deal for you. Amazon often discounts them ahead of Prime Day too, so stay tuned to pick up an early deal.
But a variety of gadgets from top vendors will likely be on offer. If you want to plan ahead, here's our rundown of the best products in some of the top Prime day shopping categories:
