If you’ve spent any time on the internet since 2015, you’re likely well aware of Amazon Prime Day, the two-day sitewide sale that the megaretailer holds each July. But you probably weren’t expecting Amazon’s latest announcement: a new sales event called Prime Big Deal Days. Held on Tuesday, October 10, and Wednesday, October 11, Prime Big Deal Days will feature thousands of deals across all categories, exclusively for Prime members. In other words, it sounds a whole lot like regular old Prime Day, just in October — so as your resident deals expert, I’m here to answer all of your questions about these new Prime Big Deal Days, as well as to tell you how to find the absolute best Strategist-scouted deals.
So what are Prime Big Deal Days?
It’s essentially the same concept as Prime Day, but it’s in October instead of July. (In fact, until Amazon released the name of the event, we had internally been referring to this sales event as “October Prime Day.”) Thousands of items will be discounted for 48 hours, and the deals will only be available to Prime members.
The biggest difference between Prime Big Deal Days and regular old Prime Day is the framing: Amazon is touting Prime Big Deal Days as the kickoff to holiday shopping — even though it’s a full 45 days before Black Friday.
This sounds sort of familiar. Didn’t Amazon do this last October?
Yes, they did have a big sale in October — except they called it the Prime Early Access Sale, as in early access to holiday deals. (Why it’s been renamed is a mystery to us all, though I prefer the acronym P.M.D.D. to P.E.A.S., for whatever that’s worth.)
What’s going to be on sale?
We don’t quite know yet, but if last year is any indication, I’m anticipating a lot of discounts on toys and games for kids of every age. In its press release, Amazon is also teasing its best sellers from July’s Prime Day — including the LaNeige Lip Glowy Balm, Apple AirPods, and the Bissell Little Green Portable Deep Cleaner — so we can probably expect some discounts on un-sexy essentials like toilet paper and teeth-whitening strips, beauty products, and, of course, all Amazon devices.
Can I shop any deals now?
I am expecting to see a bunch of early Prime Big Deals Days deals roll in at some point, as Amazon does with Prime Day. (I often include these in my daily sales roundups.) And true to form, it does seem like there are a lot of Amazon devices already on sale, like a 32-inch Fire TV that’s 35 percent off or a Fire tablet for kids for $140, down from $200.
But some of the best deals right now are these limited, invite-only deals. This is a new innovation from Amazon, introduced during Prime Day this year. You request an invite now, and if you get approved, you’ll get an email during Prime Big Deal Days to shop the exclusive discount. We have no idea how limited these deals are, but they’re good enough discounts that I don’t think there’s a harm in signing up.
Why shouldn’t I just wait until Black Friday to kick off the holiday shopping season like a normal person?
The main benefit of getting your holiday shopping done early — besides peace of mind — is avoiding shipping delays. Plus, you can make sure you get the thing you actually want before it sells out. We also noticed that the discounts we saw during last October’s big sale didn’t get much better on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, so I wouldn’t worry too much about getting duped by a seemingly good deal now only to see it even cheaper later.
Where can I find my favorite deals?
Our big hub o’ deals will go live on Tuesday, October 10, and it will be your best bet for keeping track of the discounts. In the meantime, I’d recommend that you sign up for our email newsletter to keep up to date on the day of (and on all of our sales coverage, too).
Do I really need to be a Prime member to get these deals?
Unfortunately, yes. If you aren’t signed up for Prime already, it costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year — and if you’re not ready to fully commit, you can sign up for a week of Prime access for $1.99. Or if you’re really trying to save some cash, you can sign up for a free trial right before Prime Big Deal Days starts.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
