Amazon announces Prime Day 2021 dates — here’s how to prepare
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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT PRIME DAY 2021
It’s official, Prime Day 2021 is slated for June 21 and 22.
Now that Amazon has announced the official dates for its biggest shopping event of the year, shoppers are already scrambling to prepare. It makes sense; if it’s anything like last year’s Prime Day there’s nearly $1.4 billion in savings up for grabs, according to Amazon.
This year, however, Prime Day is looking a lot different.
Amazon has renewed its focus on the consumer experience in order to hold its number-one position not just in e-commerce sales, but as a worldwide retail juggernaut. The company is rolling out new initiatives to stay competitive while giving other retailers a run for their money.
Now that Prime Day is less than three weeks away, here’s an updated guide covering what you need to know before it arrives — so you can save big once it’s here.
WHEN IS PRIME DAY 2021?
Amazon announced on June 1 that Prime Day will be held on June 21 and 22.
Since its inception in 2015, Prime Day has been held mid-July to celebrate Amazon’s anniversary. Last year, due to the pandemic, the mega shopping event was pushed back to mid-October.
HOW IS PRIME DAY DIFFERENT THIS YEAR?
Prime Day 2020 is recognized as one of the most successful retail events to date. According to Amazon, last year’s two-day event surpassed $3.5 billion in sales — a 60 percent increase from Prime Day 2019.
This year, Prime Day is met with significant changes to the retail landscape, as well as changes in consumer behavior and spending.
After raising the bar so high, both for themselves and other retailers, Amazon is expected to take this year’s Prime Day event to the next level.
Higher consumer confidence
Consumer confidence spiked in both March and April.
According to The Conference Board, the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) reached 121.7 in April, up from 109.0 in March. Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, states the rebound may be attributed, in part, to short-term economic optimism. Franco states consumer confidence is at its highest since February 2020.
The higher consumer confidence could make Prime Day more competitive among consumers than it was last year. This may result in a significant increase of shoppers competing for a limited stock of items, causing products to sell out more quickly.
New product interests
Given recent changes to circumstances, shoppers are pivoting toward very different products from last year.
During Prime Day 2020, shoppers took advantage of deep discounts on what were considered, to some extent, pandemic must-haves: laptops, exercise equipment and TVs. This year’s online search trends indicate pet items, travel gear and next-gen electronics have emerged as some of 2021’s most-wanted items.
Flexible payment plans
While consumer confidence is up, some shoppers remain risk-averse or budget-conscious. In response, Amazon has rolled out flexible payment plans for eligible Prime shoppers. By making some products more attainable in this respect, it may unlock considerable buying opportunities.
New Amazon-owned products
Amazon has added new products to the Alexa ecosystem since last year’s event. The new arrivals are expected to garner attention from Prime shoppers.
The most notable products include Echo Show 10, released this past February, and the new Echo Buds, debuting May 13. They may be available at the lowest prices of the year, and could trigger deep discounts on older generations of these devices.
WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE ON PRIME DAY 2021
We’ve been tracking recent trends in online searches and consumer behavior. Here are products we expect to see on sale during the event:
- Pet products, ranging from toys to training accessories, are projected to be one of the biggest pushes on Prime Day this year.
- With travel steadily returning, there has been an uptick in searches for luggage, travel accessories and resort wear.
Many consumers are gearing up for device upgrades, especially with several next-generation tech products hitting the market these past few months.
- Households are preparing earlier than usual for back-to-school, likely leveraging Prime Day sales on kids’ clothing, school supplies and educational devices.
- As professionals restock their wardrobes to return to work, many are exploring affordable fashion options with Amazon-owned apparel brands, including Daily Ritual, Lark & Ro and Goodthreads.
HOW YOU CAN PREPARE FOR PRIME DAY
Get a Prime membership
In order to take advantage of Prime Day sales, shoppers must be Amazon Prime members. It costs $119 annually or $12.99 per month. Qualifying students and government assistance recipients may be eligible for discounted memberships for as little as $5.99 per month.
How to prepare for Prime Day
In the weeks leading up to Prime Day, here’s how many consumers are preparing:
- Many shoppers check products on CamelCamelCamel, a free Amazon price tracker, to view fluctuations and determine the best deals. There is a browser extension available for Mozilla Firefox users.
- Some shoppers take advantage of the big sales to shop in advance for birthdays and holidays. Amazon Wish Lists for friends and family are good points of reference.
- It’s essential to confirm or update shipping and billing information prior to Prime Day. It’s also recommended to add outstanding Amazon gift cards to accounts prior to the event.
- Tech-focused consumers often research product specifications and select devices prior to Prime Day so they don’t miss out on deals the day of the event.
Ways to make the most of Prime Day
Once Prime Day arrives, there are a few ways to get ahead and secure the best deals. Here are recommendations shared by veteran Prime Day shoppers:
- Take advantage of exclusive early access to Lightning Deals, which lets Prime members view deals 30 minutes before they go live.
- Use the Amazon app to track deals by selecting “Watch this deal” to follow hot-selling items.
- Add the Prime Insider skill to Alexa devices and ask, “Alexa, what’s my news?” to hear Prime-exclusive deals.
- Add products to your cart so they’re ready to check out as soon as a sale begins— and before they sell out.
WHAT WILL BE ON SALE FOR PRIME DAY?
These are some of the products we’re looking forward to seeing on sale for Prime Day 2021:
Amazon products on sale for Prime Day 2021
A favorite for beach or poolside reading, this top-tier Kindle has a 330-ppi display and works with Audible.
This capable Alexa device is ideal for video calling, cooking tutorials, and streaming. Load it up with Alexa skills to unlock its true potential.
These new earbuds offer five hours of continuous listening per charge. and it comes with a 15-hour charging case.
The newer Ring Video Doorbell is equipped with advanced motion detection, two-way talk and built-in Alexa greetings.
This 10-inch kids’ Kindle comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ with access to 20,000 games, apps and education content.
More deals we expect for Prime Day 2021
Fitbit Versa 3 Health and Fitness Smart Watch
The best-selling smart watch integrates with Alexa or Google Assistant to control smart devices or make hands-free calls.
Other deals we expect on Prime Day 2021
With one-touch operation and eight settings, this digital air fryer takes the guesswork out of cooking.
The space-savvy Bowflex kettle belly offers weight settings from eight to 40 pounds and has a slip-resistant, ergonomic grip.
The new Apple Macbook Air is equipped with the M1 chip for enhanced performance and has a battery life of 18 hours.
Samsung 55-Inch Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV
This crystal-clear smart TV by Samsung has built-in Alexa and is powered by next-gen Tizen apps for easy control.
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set
The 17-piece premium cookware set is made with a non-toxic, nonstick interior and has a thermo spot indicator to let you know when the pans are preheated.
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Sian Babish is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
