Get them while they last! These are deals you don’t want to miss out on this year.
They’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty; they’ve got whozits and whatzits galore. Soon, many of Amazon’s best thingamabobs will be marked down for a two-day buying extravaganza known as Prime Day, and we here at HouseholdMe are pumped and ready to enjoy some major savings!
What is Prime Day? Amazon rolled out Prime Day in 2015 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Last year, Prime Day lasted 36 hours. This year, Prime Day is slated for 48 hours, beginning on July 15th at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time and ending on July 16th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Deals of Prime Days Past
You can snag some of Amazon’s best deals on smart home products, vacuum cleaners and household appliances. It’s like Christmas in July! Check out the incredible discounts from years past.
On Prime Day 2017, we saw robotic vacuums from Eufy and iRobot discounted by 34 to 36% and select Bissell vacuum cleaners were marked down 20 to 30%. On Prime Day 2018, the deals were even better and more extensive, including a 27% discount on certain Dyson stick vacuums, 35% taken off Levoit air purifiers and 18 to 30% off smart doorbells, smart locks, carpet cleaners and shop vacs.
Just How Big of a Deal Are Prime Days?
Prime Day sales are not a smattering of subpar products that Amazon is trying to offload on unwitting consumers. Prime Days generate more sales than Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Last year, this buffet of discount delights brought 89 million visitors to Amazon who purchased a total of 100 million products. Conservative estimates from Business Insider put Amazon’s gross sales for Prime Day 2018 at $3.4 billion, up from 2017’s $2.4 billion.
How to Get Access to Prime Days 2019
Want access to all the Prime Days deals this year? If you already have a Prime membership, you’re in. If not, you’ll need to sign up for a membership before July 15th.
Signing Up for a Prime Membership
Currently, a standard Prime membership runs $12.99 per month or $119 per year. Don’t want to pay for Prime just to get Prime Days deals? You can reap the rewards of Prime Days without paying a cent by signing up for a 30-day free trial. All you need is a credit card to get started.
If you’re a college student, you can get six months’ worth of Prime membership for free and all the perks that come with a standard membership. The post-trial cost is only $6.49 per month or $59 per year. Amazon even has a discounted membership program for Medicaid and SNAP recipients that runs $5.99 per month for 48 months.
Prime Days Prep Steps
Once you’re signed up, you can add any payment method you like, including a debit card, checking account or Amazon Cash (a cash-load option available at retailers such as 7 Eleven, CVS and GameStop). Already a Prime member? Make sure your payment and shipping information is up-to-date.
Streamlined processes are essential for getting the products you want on Prime Days. Set up “Watch a Deal” from the Amazon smartphone app to get push notifications when a deal on your favorite item becomes available.
The PC version for Watch a Deal push notifications can be accessed through the Amazon Assistant Chrome browser extension. If you’re looking to fulfill someone else’s wishlist (perhaps a little early holiday shopping), add them to your Amazon household.
Don’t Forget About Lightning Deals
There are deals on top of deals during Amazon Prime Days 2019. Lightning Deals will still be available on these two paradisaical shopping days. These items are at least 20% off and have a minimum three-star rating. While Lightning Deals are usually accessible to non-members, only Prime members can buy them on Prime Days, so you’ll definitely need that membership to take advantage.
If you miss out on a Lightning Deal, join the waitlist. Since Lightning Deal items clear from your cart in 15 minutes unless you buy them, chances are you may be able to grab a sold out product. Enabling one-click ordering on your Amazon account settings will help you get your order in under the buzzer.
Shipping Times on Prime Days
You can expect the same 2-day shipping time for orders placed on July 15th and 16th that you get year round with a Prime membership. One-day shipping is available for many products, and those who live in large cities may be able to get their items delivered the same day.
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