It’s almost here. Christmas in July. Make that Cyber Monday in July, actually. Amazon Prime Day 2018 starts on July 16 at 3PM eastern time, and ends at midnight on July 17 – six hours longer than previous years. And during that time, Amazon will offer more than a million deals and discounts to countries around the world, as well as special select deals at all Whole Foods Market stores in the U.S.
Overwhelming? We’re here to help. Check back with us on Prime Day to see our guides to the best deals in men's fashion, affordable home goods, and other areas. In the meantime, read on for essential info and exclusive leaked deals.
Prime Day Origins
The original Prime Day was launched in 2015 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Amazon’s founding. 2017’s Prime Day was the biggest shopping day in Amazon history up to that point – tens of millions of Prime members bought at least one item. And more new members bought a Prime subscription that day than on any other day in Amazon’s history.
Last Year's Top Sellers
Last year’s top sellers were the 7 in 1 Instant Pot and Philips Hue smart light bulbs; in 2018, the most popular purchase is Echo Dot. Expect to see very low prices on that and many other Amazon devices like Fire HD tablets, Kindle e-readers, smart home devices, TVs, appliances, and other electronics – just like Black Friday.
So how do you get in on the fun? Amazon Prime Day deals are only available to Prime members. And if by some chance, you’re still not taking advantage of free 2 day shipping (free same day and one day for some items), free video and music streaming services, and a CVS-receipt-length list of other benefits, you’ll want to get signed up before you’re rushing around trying to score deals before they sell out.
Membership is $12.99 per month/$119 annually, or you can sign up for a free trial. (You can always end your enrollment after 30 days.) Some vendors may offer special prices to non-Prime members, but the best deals will most likely be available only to subscribers.
The Different Types of Deals
Special offers will appear in a number of different forms. Some are straightforward price cuts, which will last all day (or at least while supplies last.) There are also deals on services such as Amazon Music, Video, and Kindle subscriptions.
The last but certainly not least type of deal will be Lightning Deals. These are the ultra-limited, hyper-popular deep discounts on electronics and other highly desirable products. If you’re quick-witted and swift-clicking enough to add one to your cart, you only have 15 minutes to check out. You can also join a waitlist if an item is on hold in someone else’s cart.
Leaked Prime Day Deals
Some special deals have already started appearing. Here’s a quick sample of what’s available now. The tech and electronics section is well represented, with markdowns on favorites like the AmazonBasics BT speaker, Apple iPhone X case, and Anker power core external battery making early appearances.
Echo Show is marked down to $130 from $230, the biggest discount on this product to date. Instead of just getting free PC games via Twitch Prime every month, subscribers can get a different game for free daily. New Kindle Unlimited subscribers get 3 months for $1 (normally $10/month). Never used Amazon Music? Try 4 months for $1 (usually $8/month).
You’ll also find savings on Amazon-exclusive furniture and home goods collections such as Rivet, Stone & Beam, and AmazonBasics. And check out the grocery and gourmet food, baby, toys, fashion, beauty/grooming, and books categories for even more exclusive offers.
Whole Foods is also getting in on the fun. Now that America’s Healthiest Grocery Store is part of the Amazon empire, Prime members can expect to see some delicious deals this month. If you spend $10 or more at Whole Foods from July 11-17, you’ll get a $10 Amazon credit to use on Prime Day.
If you have an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card, the cash back bonus goes from 5% to 10% from July 14-17. And if you’ve never used Amazon's Prime Now delivery service, get $10 off your first order, as well as $10 off a future order. There are also grocery deals on everything from chicken to cookies.
Today: Calvin Klein Eternity cologne, $55 (30% off)
Today: Calvin Klein round sunglasses, $42 (50% off)
July 15: Up to 50% off Calvin Klein – Including $40 slim denim
Prime Day Launches
In case that already exhaustive list isn’t enough, another early deal is Prime Day Launches: new and exclusive products that are only available to Prime members, and only for a limited time.
Here are a few we’re excited about:
OXO Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Coleman RoadTrip Propane Grill
Vincero Luxury Limited Edition Men's Chrono S Wrist Watch
Keep Checking Primer Magazine For Up-To-Date Deals
We don’t know (yet) everything that Amazon has in store, but we do know that there will be more deals than any of us can handle on our own.
Confused? Lost? Afraid you’re going to fill your cart with stuff you don’t need, all in the name of a bargain?
Let us help. Again, check back with us on Prime Day (that’s this coming Monday, July 16) to see our guides to the best deals in men's fashion, affordable home goods, and more. And if you spotted a great deal we missed, let us know in the comments!
