Bargain hunters know the Amazon Prime Day retailpalooza as an opportunity to score a bevy of deals on all manner of merchandise. That's why they eagerly await this Fall’s two-day event. Amazon Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 8th and Wednesday, October 9th, 2024. Dozens of Amazon Prime Day deals have already been announced from name brands like Samsung, Apple, Beats, Calloway, Graco and, of course, Amazon itself.
Last year, Walmart also announced Walmart Holiday Deal Days in October, and this year is no different. Competitor Walmart has announced its own Deals event running from October 8 - 13, 2024. Between the low prices on thousands of items at Walmart and this year’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, you’re sure to find Fall bargains ahead of the busy holiday season.
Wondering if you should sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Amazon Prime Day? If you plan to shop the sale, then yes, since Big Deal Days this October 8th and 9th are only for Prime members.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Still not sure it’s worth the price to join — $14.99 per month or $139 per year if you pay annually? See for yourself why there’s never been a better time to become a Prime member.
But if you miss out on this event, there's likely to be another opportunity for Prime members to save in November's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events. Amazon Prime Day, Amazon Prime's summer sale, ran July 16-17 in countries around the world, including the United States and the U.K.
What to expect from Amazon Prime Big Deals Day
In past years, Prime Day has offered its biggest discounts on Amazon’s proprietary gadgets — including Amazon Echo personal assistance devices (“Alexa…”), Fire TV sticks, Kindles and their ilk — plus a flea-market array of baubles, gewgaws and bric-a-brac from other vendors large and small, as well as items from Amazon’s Grocery supermarket options. That range has led naysayers to dub Prime Day as Amazon’s version of a garage sale: a lot of (sometimes silly) unsold inventory with an occasional true treasure mixed in.
But, as you can see, many of the items on sale prior to Big Deals Day are name-brand and offered at surprising discounts.
The 10 best Amazon deals to shop for ahead of October Prime Day 2024
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days looks to be a new annual tradition for the retailer and a sales precursor to the holiday season. If you're one of those savvy shoppers who wants to get a jump-start on all the deals, we’re sharing 10 of the best early Amazon Prime Day deals you can snag right now.
- Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender. Now $89.99. Save 25%
- Cuisinart Food Processor. Now $244.95. Save $75
- Hamilton Beach Vintage-Style 5-Speed Electric Hand Mixer. Now $32.49. Save 19%
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core, 16-Thread Desktop Processor. Now $121.60. Save 73%
- Ring Spotlight Cam. Now $109.99. Save 35%
- BISSELL ProHeat Pet Pro Plus Upright Deep Cleaner. Now $239.00. Save 11%
- Apple Watch Ultra [GPS + Cellular 49mm]. Now $449.00. Save $110
- LG UltraGear QHD 34-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor. Now $236.99. Save $41%
- HP Newest 17.3" Touchscreen Laptop. Best Price $599.99
- SAMSUNG 49" Odyssey Curved Smart Gaming Monitor. Now $1,079.99. Save 40%
And, that’s just for starters…
When did Amazon Prime Day start?
Amazon Prime Day dates back to 2015 when it debuted in July to push sales during retail’s usual summer doldrums. At that time it was a novelty (and also just a single day.) But even when Amazon Prime Day was moved to October in 2020 due to pandemic issues, Amazon posted record Prime Day sales and ended up kicking off the holiday shopping season — that used to start with November's Black Friday event — a month early.
Amazon Prime Day returned to its summer slot in 2021, but in June, not July. And it was another resounding success, culminating in sales exceeding $11 billion. In 2022, Prime Day recorded $12 billion in sales.
In 2023, the Amazon Prime Day event was another two-day extravaganza, taking place on July 11-12, a Tuesday and Wednesday. Prime Day 2023 was the biggest Prime Day event ever for independent sellers. Amazon's July 2023 Prime Day recorded just short of $13 billion in sales.
Pros of joining Amazon Prime before the big sale
Free shipping
Prime members can get free same-day or one-day delivery on thousands of qualifying items. Members also get rewarded for choosing no-rush shipping. If you don’t need your package right away, Amazon will offer you rewards or discounts in exchange for slower shipping when you choose this option. Or, if you want separate deliveries bundled and delivered all at once, choose Amazon Day and all of your packages will arrive on the same day of the week.
Prime Video
As a Prime member, watch Amazon Original shows and movies, along with thousands of other shows for free. Plus, you can watch all of your favorites on virtually any streaming device. Prime Video includes limited advertisements, or you can sign up for the ad-free option at an additional $2.99 per month.
Choose from a library of popular streaming services like Discovery Plus, Paramount Plus, EPIX, NBA League Pass, and STARZ with prices ranging from $4.99 to $14.99 per month (on top of your Prime membership fee).
Amazon Music
Prime members also get access to millions of songs, all without ads. For even more music, as a Prime member, you can join Amazon Music Unlimited for $9.99 per month for a monthly subscription or $99 per year for an annual subscription. Non-Prime customers pay $10.99 per month.
Prime Gaming
Into games? Prime members get access to a rotating collection of free games each month, in-game content and a free channel subscription on Twitch.tv.
Amazon Photos
Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited full-resolution photo storage along with 5 GB of video storage. Plus, you can display images on devices like a Fire TV, Amazon Echo Show, and Amazon Fire tablet and share your photos with up to five family members.
Amazon Kids Plus
Prime members save more on thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, and educational games with Amazon Kids Plus, at $4.99/month, on top of your Prime membership.
Prime Reading
Prime members can read from a rotating collection of over a thousand books, magazines, comics, and more with Prime Reading. Prime members also get access to Amazon First Reads and Audible Narration, available via the free Kindle app or Audible’s free listening app on a variety of devices. New Prime members also get a free Audible Premium Plus trial as well as two credits that can be applied to any books in the Audible library.
Prescription shipping and savings
Prime members can get prescriptions from Amazon Pharmacy delivered for free in just two days.
Whole Foods
Prime members can get exclusive discounts at Whole Foods Market, both online and in-store. You’ll also get free Grubhub Plus, a $120 value per year (which almost offsets the Prime membership fee), and unlimited grocery delivery (in certain areas) at $9.99 per month.
All the extras
If that isn't reason enough to get Prime, members also get Shopbop free shipping, Zappos free upgraded shipping, Woot shipping benefits, Prime exclusive deals, Amazon Resale, and the option to apply for the Amazon Prime Visa card, where members get 5% back at Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel. The card also offers 2% back at gas stations and restaurants, plus 1% on all other purchases.
Not satisfied with the Prime offering? Just cancel your Prime membership before you have to start paying for it.
Read more
-
How GLP-1 Drugs Could Revolutionize RetirementGLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are already changing the way we age and manage chronic conditions.
-
How to Invest in the Nuclear RevolutionAccording to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, "The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump's administration."
-
Four Ways to Financially Embrace the Year of the Wood SnakeIn the Year of the Wood Snake, consider looking to the snake's traits of being strategic, cunning and alert to help guide your finances this year.
-
An Inventory of What We’ve Endured: After the WildfiresA traumatic experience like the California wildfires reminds us of other losses we've endured. But simple tasks return us to the present and drive away despair.
-
How Do You Know Your Insurer Can Afford to Pay Your Claims?Here's how to find out where your insurance company stands financially and whether it has a good track record with customers.
-
10 Cities Hardest Hit By Inflation: Did Yours Make the List?Was your city hit harder by inflation? Here are the 10 cities where residents saw prices rise the highest.
-
Stressed About Doing Your Taxes? Use These Easy Tips to CopeIf the thought of filing your taxes puts you on edge, you're not alone — nearly 65% of Americans say they're stressed during tax season. Here's how to cope.
-
Three Ways to Get Your Finances in Better ShapeWant fitter finances this year and beyond? Start by making full use of all your workplace benefits — from 401(k)s to budgeting apps and wellness programs.
-
Essential Tips for Traveling with Pets: Navigating Airline Policies in 2025Plan a stress-free flight with your pet in 2025. Learn about airline policies, preparation steps and essential tips for a comfortable journey.
-
Here's How Estate Planning Can Make Your Retirement EasierThese estate and legacy planning tools and strategies can help lower your taxes, protect your wealth and more, leaving you to relax during your golden years.
