The Amazon Prime Day date should have happened by now, but the mid-year deals have been postponed. It may not take place until October due to Covid-19.
Officially, Amazon is only saying that Prime Day 2020 is delayed in the US and other regions of the world, while an email to third-party sellers suggests big Amazon deals will launch in October. Previously, the date was thought to be happening in September, so the time frame keeps getting pushed back.
It makes sense to delay the start of Prime Day deals for several reasons. First and foremost, consumer are facing an economic downtown and won’t be in the mood for a lavish buying spree in July (when the usual Amazon Prime Day date happens). Yet, if things start to go back to normal, there will be pent up demand to buy again soon after that. Cue: October.
Likewise, many manufacturers might not be ready right now, but they’ll soon need something like Prime Day 2020 to start making money again. Many goods are sitting in warehouses while essential goods are prioritized. No one wants to wait until Black Friday 2020 to sell in bulk again.
Even if the Amazon Prime Day 2020 date is truly happening in October, we have a lot of questions: on what date or dates will it happen? What Prime Day sales are expected this year? Should you buy on Prime Day or wait until Black Friday?
Let’s answer all of those pressing questions while we await for official Amazon Prime Day 2020 details from the company.
Amazon Prime Day 2020 date
The official Amazon Prime Day date is reportedly in October, according to CNBC who saw an email to third-party sellers with the placeholder date of October 5. Despite this, Amazon has come out and said that no date has been announced.
Last year’s Prime Day deals lasted 48 hours, so there were two full days of discounts, and we expect something similar in 2020. Amazon has historically picked a Monday to start the deals and Prime Day usually runs through Tuesday.
If October is indeed the month and it begins on a Monday (which October 5 is), that leaves one of four choices for the start of Prime Day 2020:
- Monday, October 5, 2020
- Monday, October 12, 2020
- Monday, October 19, 2020
- Monday October 26, 2020
We would have initially thought it would have happened on July 13, or possibly the week before on July 6, so a two-month delay would suggest October 5 or October 12. Amazon may have to work around Apple’s iPhone 12 launch date, which is still unknown, but likely to hog the spotlight.
As soon as we catch wind of the Prime Day 2020 date, we’ll be sure to update this page so you can prepare your Amazon wish list.
Is Amazon Prime Day postponed this year?
That seems to be the case, although, on the record, Amazon has only stated “Prime Day 2020 has not been announced,” according to an Amazon.com retail page. We check this everyday and will update this section when Amazon makes an official statement.
When did Amazon Prime Day get postponed? The shift from July to “at least August” was reported by Reuters on April 3, and then the Wall Street Journal nabbed an exclusive in May that indicated September was the confirmed Prime Day date, with the cause being the coronavirus outbreak. In some parts of the world, Amazon has been limiting the number of items it ships, often prioritizing essential goods.
But, keep in mind, having no Amazon Prime Day date is not out of the ordinary. The company doesn’t announce the date until mere weeks ahead of the kick off, when it teases a fraction of its deals list. So, even if it were earlier than October, we still wouldn’t know today.
There’s also the possibility that Amazon could launch Prime Day is different regions, depending on where they are in the re-opening phase. And then there’s speculation that Amazon could scrape Prime Day 2020 entirely.
Buy on Amazon Prime Day? Or wait until Black Friday?
You’re going to see a lot of prices are their all-time lowest during Amazon Prime Day, but so will Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020. When you should buy?
The answer is very simple: Amazon Prime Day comes sooner by about three to four months compared to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That’s 90 to 120 extra days of enjoying whatever you buy, which is a nice perk. Why wait if you really want it. But if you can hold off, prices on tech tends to drop even more as they age.
What’s funny is that because both online shopping events are a such a big win for consumers, Amazon (and to a lesser extend other retail chains) have conditioned us to buy big-ticket items two times a year: Prime Day and Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
Prime Day 2020 deals list: what will be on sale?
The Amazon Prime Day deals list, while a mystery until the deals go live, quite often follows the same trends every year, so we can safely assume what to expect.
The best Prime Day 2020 will almost certainly feature deep discounts on Amazon’s own tech. We’re talking about Kindle deals, Echo price drops, and Fire TV discounts.
We’ve also seen Prime Day become known for amazing laptop deals, no matter what you’re interested in. That includes cheap Chromebooks, Windows laptops and a few Apple MacBooks. Now the latest MacBook Pro is on sale, expect it to go fast.
Then there are the staples of every major online shopping event: 4KTVs, DNA kits, and video doorbells – expect all of those to be reduced in price, too. It doesn’t hurt that Amazon owns Ring, a video doorbell line it discounts heavily each year too.
How to shop on Prime Day in 2020
1. Check out our deals predictions and, eventually our Prime Day deals list
There are also too many deals available on Prime Day. It’s never a problem finding discounts, it’s always an issue of figuring out what deals are worth your money. That’s why we always set up a curated list during the 48-hour sales marathon.
We spent some good time last Black Friday thinking about smart ways to shop on Amazon – they’re still some great Prime Day tips and tricks.
2. Amazon Prime Day has historically required being a Prime member, so be sure to have a subscription on Prime Day
Amazon started Prime Day in 2015 as a clever way to drive up its Prime subscription count, and this online shopping marathon – conveniently opposite Black Friday – accomplished just that.
You’ll need to sign up for Prime (you can get a free 30-day trial), which comes with two-day free shipping and Prime Video access, among other smaller perks. In some cities, Amazon has rolled out free one-day and same-day shipping on certain items.
3. Create a wish list to curate what you want, as there will be loads of deals
You’re also going to want to create a wish list ahead of time, which will let you sort out what you want and how much everything costs. This will give you a head start. You’ll be able to see which deals dropped in price and which did not.
4. Snap up the best Prime Day 2020 deals before they’re gone
The numbers don’t lie. Last year’s Amazon Prime Day stats gave us insight into what sold in big quantities nearly 12 months ago. It’s shocking, really.
The retailer shipped 100,000 lunchboxes, 100,000 laptops, 200,000 TVs, 300,000 headphones, 350,000 luxury beauty products, 400,000 pet products, 650,000 household cleaning supplies, and more than one million toys.
We often find the best deals to go in a matter of minutes, at which time Amazon rolls out a waitlist for those who were just behind the curve.
Will Amazon rivals try to spoil Prime Day?
Yes, almost certainly. Walmart, Best Buy, B&H Photo and other US retailers have, in the past, run deals during or surrounding Prime Day, kicking off Black Friday in July. There was less fanfare for these deals, but they still provided tempting discounts.
In fact, if you do venture onto Walmart, Target, eBay during Amazon Prime Day 2020, you won’t be alone. Searches on these major rivals soared 225% during Prime Day last year compared to the preceding days, according to MarketWatch.
If we see good deals that price match Amazon (or, better yet, beat it), we’ll be sure to include them in our Amazon Prime Day 2020 deals list.
Last year’s best Amazon Prime Day deals
Amazon Prime Day 2020 is undoubtably going to be different than any other as the date shifts to later in the year. But we suspect many of the deals will mirror what we saw last year.
Last year Prime members were snapping up products throughout the 48-hour event with over 175 million items sold. That’s more than Amazon sold on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.
That’s why we’re re-posting some of the top deals from last year’s Prime Day event. It happened in mid-July, meaning some products may change (for example, if there’s been a sequel launched since), but the low prices should match come Prime Day 2020.
Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker $49.99 $22 at Amazon
The 3rd generation Echo Dot was on sale for just $22 during Prime Day. That’s the lowest price we had ever seen for the smart speaker that plays music, answer questions, checks the weather, and more with the command of your voice.
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote $39.99 $14.99 at Amazon
A Prime Day best-seller, the Fire TV Stick was on sale for just $14.99 during the 48-hour sale event. That’s a $25 discount and the lowest price we’ve seen for the streaming player that features an Alexa voice remote.
Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote $49.99 $24.99 at Amazon
The popular 4K Fire TV Stick was 50% off during Amazon Prime Day. The streaming player includes an Alexa voice remote and allows you to stream your favorite content in 4K resolution with HDR too.
Amazon Smart Plug $24.99 $4.99 at Amazon
If you owned an Alexa-enabled device, you could ask Alexa to order an Amazon Smart Plug for just $4.99. The smart plug turns any appliance into a smart one so you can use your voice to control the device.
Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell $99.99 $69.99 at Amazon
A best-seller every year, the Ring Video Doorbell was on sale for $69.99 at Amazon. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen for the Wi-Fi enabled doorbell that sends you alerts when motion is detected.
Fire 7-inch Tablet $49.99 $34.99 at Amazon
The best-selling Prime Day Fire tablet was on sale for $34.99. That’s a $15 discount for the 7-inch tablet that works with Alexa and features 8GB of storage.
Kindle Paperwhite $129.99 $89.99 at Amazon
The waterproof Kindle Paperwhite saw a $40 Prime Day price cut. That’s the best price we’ve seen the 2018 Paperwhite that packs an impressive 8GB of storage.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro with Echo Dot $298.99 $199 at Amazon
A popular Prime Day bundle deal, you could save $50 on the Ring Pro doorbell and receive a free Echo Dot. That’s a total savings of $100 for the Alexa-enabled devices.
Ring Alarm Home Security System $268.98 $144 at Amazon
The Ring Alarm has always been a best-seller during Prime Day and this year the 8-piece security system was on sale for $144. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen for the home security system that will alert your phone when doors or windows open, or when motion is detected.
Toshiba LF621U19 43-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Fire TV $330 $190 at Amazon
A fantastic Prime Day TV deal, Amazon had the Toshiba 43-inch 4K UHD TV on sale for $190. That’s a $140 discount for the smart TV that has the Fire TV experience built-in.
iRobot Roomba 690 Robot Vacuum $374.99 $229.99 at Amazon
The popular robot vacuum allows you to use the iRobot app to clean your floors from anywhere. The iRobot Roomba was $145 off during the Prime Day shopping event.
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt Pressure Cooker $99.95 $49.99 at Amazon
The Instant Pot DUO60 was down to its lowest price ever for Amazon Prime Day. The popular pressure combines seven kitchen appliances in one and and includes 1000+ recipes and guides from the compatible app.
23andMe DNA Test $199 $99 at Amazon
Prime members saved 50% off the popular 23andMe DNA test That’s the best price we’ve seen for the ancestry service that includes 85 DNA-based reports on health predispositions, carrier status, and wellness & traits with just one test.
Learn more about the membership you’ll need with our guide to What is Amazon Prime?