Amazon Prime Day 2022 is fast approaching. The mega-retailer has confirmed that Prime Day deals will kick off on July 12.
While Prime Day is still at least a few weeks away, there’s no time like the present to start getting prepared. This year we’re expecting the competition to score the best deals to be more fierce than ever. As the cost of living continues to soar, consumers are becoming increasingly eager to stretch their budget as far as possible and Prime Day will be an ideal way to do just that.
However, in all the excitement you’ll still want to ensure you’re getting the best value for money and not getting fooled by a phony discount. That’s why we’ve brought together this list of essential Prime Day tips to help you buy the stuff you want at the lowest possible price.
Don’t wait until Amazon Prime Day
Conventional wisdom might suggest that you can’t shop Prime Day sales until Prime Day has actually begun, but Amazon does things a little bit differently. Many of the best discounts are actually available ahead of the event's official start date
From 4K TVs to Apple products, we’ve already spotted some epic Amazon deals on a host of popular items. Because significant savings are now appearing on a daily basis, we’ve already started collecting the best early Prime Day deals in our dedicated hub. We recommend bookmarking this roundup so you don't miss a single discount.
Make sure to shop Amazon devices
Amazon Prime Day is the best time of the year to buy an Amazon device. While the annual sales events packs discounts across almost every product category you can think of, the biggest savings are typically reserved for Amazon’s own devices.
From Echo smart speakers to Fire TV streaming sticks, if you’re eyeing up an Amazon-branded device make sure to wait until Prime Day at this point. In the past, we’ve seen items like the Amazon Echo (4th gen) and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K discounted as much as 50% off and in 2022 we're hoping to several new all-time low prices.
Ensure you’re getting the best deal
As with retail holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there are some Prime Day deals that look unbeatable but are actually not worth your time. It’s not uncommon for a standard price to be advertised as a can’t-miss discount.
To avoid being fooled by a hollow deal, firstly make sure to follow our comprehensive Prime Day coverage, but also make use of CamelCamelCamel. This nifty price tracker tool displays the price history of most items available on Amazon. There’s even a browser extension called The Camelizer, so you can check a product's price history without even leaving the Amazon listing page. While the tool doesn’t quite track every single product sold on Amazon, it’s still an excellent companion that will help you determine if a deal is truly a serious saving or just a load of hot air.
Shop Amazon Warehouse for bigger discounts
Amazon Warehouse is one of the retailer’s best-kept secrets. This sub-section of Amazon is a great way to score massive savings on best-selling products. There is a fairly big caveat though: the items offered by Amazon Warehouse are returned goods.
We’re typically reluctant to advise buying used or refurbished items, but Amazon Warehouse is pretty transparent about the condition of the item you’re buying. Plus, most items come with an Amazon-fulfilled warranty for complete peace of mind. We also expect to see some even bigger Amazon Warehouse discounts for Prime Day. So, if your budget is extra tight this year don’t ignore this often-overlooked section of the Amazon website.
Look beyond Amazon for deals
It may sound slightly odd to advise not exclusively shopping at Amazon during Prime Day, but the sales event doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Rival retailers very much want to get in on the action.
So while the like of Walmart, Best Buy and Target won’t have official Prime Day sales, over the course of the sales event they have been known to offer competing deals in order to steal Amazon’s thunder. The bulk of the best deals will be found over at Amazon, but don’t be afraid to search a little further afield to ensure you’re getting the best price possible. You might be surprised to find that the best Prime Day discounts aren’t necessarily always on Amazon.
