Carla Ayers
Amazon has officially announced its Prime Big Deals Days for this fall. The two-day sales event will take place on October 7 and 8.
With the holidays right around the corner, Prime Days arrive at the perfect time to start checking off your shopping list. From tech and home goods to fashion and early gift ideas, expect discounts designed to get shoppers moving before the holiday rush.
If you’re looking to spread out your holiday spending or simply avoid the stress of last-minute shopping, here’s what to know about the October event and how to make the most of the savings.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon launched Prime Day back in 2015 to mark its 20th birthday, and it’s grown into the biggest shopping events of the year. The event is all about rewarding Prime members with exclusive discounts on thousands of products across categories such as electronics, home goods, clothing and beauty.
To take part, you’ll need an Amazon Prime membership. New shoppers can start with a free 30-day trial, after which the service costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually. Membership can be canceled anytime.
Throughout the event, new deals drop every few minutes, and Amazon tailors recommendations based on your past purchases and wish lists. That means you’ll see savings that match your shopping habits, making it easier to grab the best bargains.
How to find the best Prime Day deals?
If you’re thinking of taking part in Amazon Prime Days, planning ahead can make all the difference. The most popular items often sell out quickly, and with thousands of deals launching throughout the event, it’s easy to miss out if you don’t know where to look.
Fortunately, Amazon offers several built-in tools and programs to help Prime members get the most out of the sale. These features are designed to make finding discounts easier and more tailored to your needs.
Here’s a breakdown of the best ways to shop smarter during Prime Days and maximize your savings:
AI search with Rufus
Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, is a generative AI tool that helps customers make smarter purchasing decisions. You can ask questions in plain language to get personalized, review-based recommendations and product comparisons — whether you’re brainstorming gift ideas or planning a holiday menu.
Amazon invitations
Amazon offers an “invite-only deals” program for select, high-demand items that tend to sell out quickly. Prime members can request an invitation in advance by clicking “Request invite” on the product page.
Not every request is approved, and even with an invite, popular items may sell out. If your request is accepted, Amazon will notify you by email with a link to purchase during the event.
Amazon Lens Live
The Amazon Lens visual search tool lets you find items by taking a photo, while the new Lens Live feature instantly scans products and shows real-time matches in a swipeable carousel with detailed product information.
Deal alerts
Alternatively, you can set up personalized deal alerts based on your recent searches and recently viewed items. During Prime Days, you will receive notifications of any offers available on those items, which will save you from searching through long lists of offers.
Voice and list features
With Alexa+, you can track deals on items in your wish list, cart or saved-for-later section. You can also stay organized by using Lists and the Buy Again feature to keep tabs on frequently purchased items and make reordering simple.
Early October Prime member perks
Amazon has rolled out early offers ahead of its October Prime Days. From grocery savings and free meals to device discounts and exclusive perks for students and young adults, Prime members can start stacking up benefits now.
These promotions give shoppers a head start on fall and holiday savings before the main event begins:
- Prime members can save $15 on an in-store purchase of $55 or more at Amazon Fresh, now through October 8.
- Prime members shopping for apparel, CDs, and vinyl can find discounts of up to 30% off select items when purchasing through Amazon.com or the Amazon Music app.
- Prime Student and Young Adult members can get a jump on holiday shopping with 10% cash back in eligible categories. Membership costs $7.49 per month or $69 annually (half the standard rate) and includes all the usual Prime benefits plus exclusive perks like extra cash back. Eligible members ages 18–24 can start with a six-month free trial before paying.
- Prime members can use their free Grubhub+ membership (a $120 annual value) to claim a free McDonald’s 10-piece Chicken McNuggets Meal once per day from September 15 to October 5. Just add the meal to a Grubhub+ order of $20 or more, and the cost will be automatically credited at checkout. Additional fees and terms apply.
- Prime members can save up to 50% on select Amazon devices, including the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet, Kindle Kids and Echo Dot Kids bundle, Kindle Paperwhite Essentials bundle, Luna Wireless Controller and the Ring Battery Doorbell with Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera bundle.
- Up to 80% off Kindle books, plus 3 free months of Kindle Unlimited for Prime members.
During Prime Day, Amazon offers discounts on thousands of products. Some of these deals, like saving hundreds of dollars on electronics, are worth the membership, while others will not be.
When you're notified of a deal, always double-check to confirm it’s a good one. Google the item you're looking to buy and see if it's the same price or cheaper elsewhere. Remember to factor in the delivery costs.
Free delivery is a famous Amazon Prime benefit, but many other sites also offer free delivery, sometimes after you spend a set amount.
As with any sale, set a budget and stick with it — it’s easy to get carried away and spend more than you should because something looks like a bargain. Deals experts note that making hasty decisions can lead to bad choices.
Nathan Burrows of The New York Times’ Wirecutter points out that “things like countdown clocks [and] flash sales drive a sense of urgency that can lead us to buy before asking ourselves how this item fits into our lives, or even whether the product in question is worth our time or money at all.”
Related content
- Should You Cancel Amazon Prime? Here Are 12 Good Reasons
- A Guide to Amazon Prime Deal Days — How to Bag the Best Deals
- How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost (And Is It Worth It)?
- 35 Best Amazon Prime Benefits to Use in 2024
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