Kudos to Amazon for creating a phenomenon out of nothing. It truly speaks to their power as the world’s leading retailer that they were able to take a slow sales time in mid-summer and turn it into one of the top retail sales events of the year. The reason it’s worked is because the deals are really that good. First of all, don’t be confused into thinking you have to buy an annual Prime membership to participate and be able to save on Prime Day. The membership now costs $119 and if you just want to participate in the deals without having to lay out a cool buck know that Amazon allows one free 30-day trial every twelve months for Prime. So, yes, you can sign up for free as long as it’s been at least a year since you last did it.
Second, don’t assume Amazon’s deals are the best prices. One of Amazon’s wicked smart tactics is to lure people into Prime who then feel the need to “use” their membership to get value out of it. Ask yourself, are some of Amazon’s Prime deals likely to be the best prices on specific items? Yes. Will it be for all of them? No. Routinely Wal-Mart's Jet.com and Walmart.com have pricing that’s better than Amazon’s pricing on items. Three years running on the 30 most commonly purchased items, Wal-Mart has beaten Amazon on price. And with many retailers looking to participate in the coattails of Amazon’s Prime Day, running a quick online search of the item(s) you’re thinking of buying makes sense before pulling the trigger.
Third, don’t forget Whole Foods. Unless you’re already an Amazon acolyte, you probably don’t think of Amazon immediately when thinking of Whole Foods. You also might not think of groceries on Prime Day. I’m not sure what exactly Amazon’s deals for Whole Foods will look like but they’re going to happen. Last year was the first year Whole Foods was owned by Amazon on Prime Day and this year, it’s a priority for Amazon to push people towards Whole Foods.
Lastly, remember it’s two days. Prime Day has become Prime days. The deals are taking place Monday and Tuesday.
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