When Is Amazon Prime Day 2020?
Circumstances beyond its control have forced Amazon to move its annual Christmas-in-July Amazon Prime Day blowout sale in 2020 to ... not July.
Bargain hunters know Amazon Prime Day, when online shopping behemoth Amazon.com rolls out a bevy of deals on all manner of merchandise, is typically in July, but there’s nothing typical about 2020. And to that point, Amazon Prime Day will not be in July this year.
Amazon hasn’t confirmed the 2020 date for its sixth annual Amazon Prime Day, but Reuters, citing sources, first reported the event will be in August. More recently, the Wall Street Journal said Amazon Prime Day will be in September. We’ll keep you updated.
Throughout the pandemic, Amazon has had trouble fulfilling its two-day (or shorter) delivery time for its Prime members, who pay $119 annually for quick delivery and other amenities. It has focused on getting what are deemed “essential items” to customers as Amazon’s been overwhelmed with orders from folks preferring the safety of shopping at home. Amazon may also be betting that a Prime Day later in the year will coincide with a resurgence in consumer spending as the U.S. economy and unemployment rate improve.
Prime “Day” is actually a misnomer. In 2019, Amazon Prime Day covered 48 hours, up from the traditional 24- to 36-hour duration of previous Prime Days. That helped the retailer set records during Prime Day 2019, Amazon reported, even outpacing its combined sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2018.
What to Expect on Amazon Prime Day 2020
Anticipate another 48-hour (or longer) event this year with better deals than ever as Amazon responds to stepped-up competition from Walmart and Target, both now offering free shipping and same-day in-store pickup to siphon off Prime customers and compete with Amazon Prime Day. We might even see a full Amazon Prime Week.
So what will be on sale for Amazon Prime Day 2020? In past years, Prime Day has offered deals on Amazon’s proprietary gadgets -- including 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 Whole Foods supermarket chain. Naysayers note Prime Day has been Amazon’s version of a garage sale, unloading a lot of silly and unsold inventory along with only the occasional true treasure.
If past is prologue, many Prime Day deals will be listed on Amazon.com in advance of Prime Day, and some can be preordered by Prime members. Nonmembers can sign up for a free 30-day trial to tap the sales on Amazon Prime Day 2020. Not satisfied? Cancel the membership before you have to start paying for it.
