Think Amazon is offering the best deals next week? These sites beg to be different
Melissa M. Dunn
6 min read
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Millions are expected to shop Amazon’s Prime Day event this week on July 12-13, but a number of other big-box retailers and online sites are running competing deals and sale events, in a bid to to get a piece of the action. .
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According to Sara Skirboll, shopping and trends expert at RetailMeNot, consumers will have plenty of choice next week when it comes to shopping online. “Yes, Prime Day is an Amazon-exclusive event,” she says, “but competitors are eager to dip into the wallets of shoppers who are already online that day and looking to spend.” Skirboll says RetailMeNot noted that more than 350 retailers were taking part in the Prime Day action in 2020, with stores like Target, Best Buy and Walmart leading the way. Even more non-Amazon sites are expected to offer some sort of sale or discount this year.
If you’re looking to score a deal on a product you’ve been coveting for months, Skirboll says Prime Day week is the perfect time to shop online. “Remember, Amazon isn’t the only place to shop on Prime Day,” she says. “You can shop at hundreds of other retailers and find great deals, even better in some cases.
Skirboil says shoppers can expect other retailers to join in and offer discounts to rivals and match Prime Day deals. And while consumers can always take the “wait and see” approach and hope for better prices on Black Friday, Skirboll says there’s another benefit to shopping early, besides closing a deal: “Well while Black Friday may offer a slightly better deal on some items, for many shoppers the security of knowing they got the items they needed (and still at a great price) is worth the extra expense .
What are the best Prime Day alternative sales to buy?
There are hundreds of sites offering deals and discounts this week and next, in addition to Amazon. We’ve researched and rounded up the best sellers to buy now – and to keep an eye out for next week when Prime Day rolls around.
1. Target “sales days”
Target is hosting its “Deal Days” June 11-13 – launching a day earlier than Prime Day. Target says shoppers can expect hundreds of thousands of deals, including new savings across all categories, from electronics to furniture to apparel and toys.
Unlike Amazon, which requires you to sign up for an Amazon Prime membership to mark the best days of Prime Day, Target’s deals are open to everyone — no membership fee required. Plus, with Target’s same-day services, you can receive their items in hours using order pickup, drive-thru, and same-day delivery with Shipt. See the best deals here at Target.com.
2. Walmart “Deals for Days” Event
Walmart’s “Deals for Days” event is often one of the best Prime Day alternatives for shopping, thanks to a selection of toys, electronics and home goods that rivals Amazon’s. Walmart’s annual sale also usually starts a day or two before Prime Day and lasts a few days longer than Amazon’s event.
Much like Target’s sale event, Walmart’s Deals for the Days don’t require a subscription to make purchases, and many items come with free two-day shipping.
Head over to Walmart.com now to see some of their best deals leading to deals for days, with steals like a $97 robot vacuum or Ninja blender 30% off. Also: Walmart sort of has a whole stock of Gucci sunglasses online starting at just $132 (we won’t say if you won’t).
3. Best Buy Savings Event
Best Buy is targeting Prime Day with its own week of deals, saving shoppers hundreds of dollars on TVs, appliances, computers, smartphones, cameras, soundbars, headphones, and more. even outdoor grills.
Called “Bigger Deal Savings” last year (no nomenclature was announced for this year’s event), Best Buy’s Prime Day version has a few significant benefits that Amazon can’t match. First of all, you don’t need a paid subscription to get Best Buy’s deals. Second, deals should last a full week rather than just two days.
If you’re wondering what kind of savings to expect from Best Buy, the retailer’s current deals may give you an idea. Right now, you can get TVs up to $500 off, deep discounts on popular video games, and best of all, up to $250 off Apple Macbook laptops.
Check out all of Best Buy’s competing Prime Day deals at BestBuy.com now.
4. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
This year, Prime Day coincides with another of the best savings events anywhere on the web: Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. This highly anticipated annual event brings deep discounts across all Nordstrom categories, offering deals on designer apparel, footwear, homewares, and even outdoor gear.
The Anniversary Sale starts on July 15 and ends at the end of July, but Nordstrom is already offering great discounts ahead of the Anniversary Sale. You can find deals on pieces like these Nike sneakers, Ray-Ban sunglasses or surf-ready boardshorts. Additionally, an Anniversary Sale preview window now runs, allowing you to save items to purchase during the big event.
View a full catalog of Nordstrom’s current sale section here.
5. Saks Fifth Avenue Sale
Another great place to shop for clothing is Saks Fifth Avenue. The department store’s sale section offers serious discounts on everything from streetwear to designer pieces to shoes, with highlights like this Off-White sweater or these Balenciaga pool slides.
6. Bed bath and beyond
Last year on Prime Day, Bed Bad & Beyond hosted “The Beyond Big Savings” event, which offered discounts of up to 80% on household items. Unlike Prime Day, the Beyond Big Savings event didn’t require a membership and offered super-fast shipping on most purchases.
Bed Bad & Beyond will likely do something similar this year, though they haven’t announced a specific date yet. Head to their online store around Prime Day and, in the meantime, check out the retailer’s excellent clearance section. There you can already find great deals like this large rattan mirror at 50% off or this outdoor fire pit at 40% off.
7. Wayfair Clearance Sale
Wayfair currently has big savings on furniture, homewares and accessories that rival some of Amazon’s Prime Day furniture deals. The site’s deals hub includes a “Scores Under $50” and “Scores 50% Off” section. We spotted crystal glassware under $20, desks well under $150, and other big pieces of furniture – TV stands, coffee tables, dressers, and more. – from less than $200. Additionally, Wayfair also offers a Closeout sale section that offers deals of up to 80% off.
8. Zappos
There are currently over 70,000 discounted products on Zappos.com as part of their sale offers right now and more items are expected to be discounted next week to compete with Prime Day. We spotted shoes and accessories starting at just $10, with big name brands also on sale – think Nike, Adidas, Timberland, Asics, hypebeast-approved essentials and sports favorites like Hoka. See all offers on Zappos.com.
9. GlassesUSA
If you’re looking for a pair of sunglasses, reading glasses, or prescription frames, you’ll want to shop GlassesUSA’s extensive sales section right now. They have several subsections for bargain hunters, such as a clearance section with over 900 pairs of glasses starting at $19, a sunglasses section with discounts of up to 65%, and a designers where stylish frames are discounted up to 60%.
GlassesUSA is also running some great promo codes right now, such as WITHOUT BOGO to buy one, get one free and GLASSES25 for 25% off contact lenses.
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