UPDATE: Sep. 19, 2024, 10:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with a details about Walmart’s newly announced fall sale schedule, which includes a Holiday Deals event that runs during (and after) Prime Big Deal Days.
Amazon‘s “October Prime Day” event is right around the corner.
Prime Big Deal Days will run for 48 hours from Tuesday, Oct. 8 (starting at 3:01 a.m. ET) through Wednesday, Oct. 9, the company announced Sept. 17. The Prime-exclusive sale will feature “millions of early holiday deals,” with flurries of new discounts dropping as often as every five minutes at certain points of its runtime.
Amazon released an initial wave of official early deals alongside its announcement Tuesday, which includes up to 55% off select Amazon devices (including Fire TVs and Echo smart speakers), four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited, and a GrubHub+ discount for Prime members. Its press release teased future savings from brands like Beats, Samsung, Fujifilm, KitchenAid, JBL, and Lego.
Amazon Echo Pop
(save $15 + free Sengled Smart Color Bulb)
Amazon Echo Show 5
(save $30 + free Sengled Smart Color Bulb)
Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB)
(save $70)
Amazon Fire 7 Kids (16GB)
(save $40)
Amazon 50-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV
(save $150.01)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
(save $40)
Amazon Music Unlimited
(3 months free for non-members)
Grubhub+
(Prime members only)
What is Prime Big Deal Days?
Prime Big Deal Days is a fall sale that serves as the extra-early kickoff to Amazon’s holiday shopping season ahead of Black Friday. It’s formatted identically to the retailer’s flagship summer Prime Day sale, where featured deals are only available to members of its Prime subscription service.
This marks the third time Amazon has held a fall Prime event — and it appears its name is finally sticking. It was called the Prime Early Access Sale in 2022 and renamed to Prime Big Deal Days last year.
Do you need to be a Prime member to shop Prime Big Deal Days?
Being a Prime member is non-negotiable if you want to scoop up Prime Big Deal Days savings, but there’s a small loophole for those who don’t want to commit to a paid subscription: Trial members count.
You can try Prime for free for 30 days if you haven’t before, so long as there’s a valid credit card attached to your Amazon account. Just remember to cancel your membership before it automatically upgrades to a paid plan at the end of that month.
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Are any other stores competing with Prime Big Deal Days?
There’s stiff competition for Amazon across the board — before, during, and after Prime Big Deal Days.
Best Buy is getting the earliest start on the holiday shopping season, kicking things off with a Member Exclusive Sale for Plus and Total members of its My Best Buy program from Sept. 27 to Sept. 29. That event will feature paywalled discounts and a free $50 bonus reward for those who spend at least $500. Next, the electronics retailer will hold an Apple Trade-Up Event for shoppers looking to upgrade to the latest Apple devices from Sept. 30 to Oct. 13, with a conveniently timed 48-Hour Flash Sale thrown in there for Oct. 8 and 9. (Expect to find deep discounts on TVs, gaming devices, laptops, and monitors while that one’s live.)
Best Buy will round out the month with a Prep for the Holidays Event starting Oct. 21, which will revolve around gadgets for entertaining (think home appliances, TVs, and smart home devices), plus a 3-Day Gaming Event from Oct. 25 to 27.
What not to buy during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale, from third-party scams to Ring cams
Walmart is taking a similar multi-part approach this shopping season, starting with a Holiday Deals event from Oct. 8 to Oct. 13 — its earliest holiday sale ever, per the announcement. That first day, the event will begin at 12 a.m. ET on Walmart.com and the Walmart app for paid Walmart+ members before opening to the general public at noon ET. (Trial Walmart+ members will not be eligible for early access, FYI.) It will then continue in person at Walmart stores on Oct. 9. Expect to see doorbusters across its electronics, home, fashion, and toy departments.
Meanwhile, Target will host the fall edition of its seasonal savings event, Target Circle Week, from Sunday, Oct. 6 through Saturday, Oct. 12. Live in stores and online, the sale will “feature deals on products to help consumers prep for the holidays, along with savings on fall favorites, everyday essentials and more,” per the announcement. That includes rotating Deals of the Day that are live for just 24 hours at a time. (These will pick up again on Nov. 1 and continue through the rest of the holidays.)
Target Circle Week deals will be exclusive to members of Target Circle, the retailer’s loyalty program. It’s completely free to join.
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