Issue #255: How is it already Prime Day again??

Is it smart to shop Prime Big Deal Days?

On one hand, yes: “Taking advantage of early October discounts can be a great way for consumers to spread out holiday spending and also provide an opportunity to get early deals on those must-have gift purchases that may sell out later in the season,” Pandya tells me in an email interview.

On the other, be careful. A 2018 RetailMeNot poll found that about two-thirds of Americans admitted to making a purchase they weren't planning on solely because they came across a coupon or discount. And in Issue #240, I learned that some retailers manipulate me by manufacturing scarcity, either by pretending there’s a limited stock or limited time to claim the deal. 

Well, then, how can I find good deals?

First, remember that this isn’t the only sale happening. It’s become common for major retailers to host competing events at the same time as Amazon sales.

For example, Target just announced Target Circle Week will kick off Sunday and run through Oct. 12. Walmart is holding its first Holiday Deals event from Wednesday through Oct. 13. (See what I mean?)

To make sure I’m getting the best price, Pandya says to consider looking across retailers to see what perks I can snag if I shop through mobile apps, because Adobe Digital Insights is predicting an edge for people who make purchases this way during the October Prime event period. Shoppers should also “keep a close eye on shipping options provided by certain retailers over the Prime Big Deal Days, as that can have a material effect on how much they’ll end up spending,” he adds. 

There are also a bunch of tools I can use to track pricing. Pandya says generative AI can help identify the best deals and provide recommendations. I specifically like camelcamelcamel and Honey, both of which track Amazon price drops and show price history so I can tell whether a purported discount is truly a discount.

Surely Prime Big Deal Days aren’t going to beat, like, Black Friday, right? Should I hold out for better prices?

Probably. Pandya says he expects Prime Big Deal Days and its Target/Walmart counterparts to “drive some consumers to kick off their holiday shopping early, especially for those who want to take advantage of early discounts,” but most people will probably wait until the period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. And that’s good for their wallets.

“We still anticipate stronger discounts to begin in the first couple weeks of November, which will be followed by peak-season discounts of up to 30% off which we expect to occur between November 22 (Friday before Thanksgiving) and December 2 (Cyber Monday),” he says.

Cool. Hey, what’s going on with Jeff Bezos these days?

He's watching a lot of TV, apparently. His fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, told People that she loves “when the house is calm and quiet and Jeff and I are deciding what show we're going to binge that night.” They’ve recently checked off Baby Reindeer, Fallout, Presumed Innocent and Severance.

Depending on what I'm looking for, Prime Big Deal Days will probably offer a few solid discounts. I can snag them if I'm smart about it — but there will be multiple other opportunities to score deals as the holidays approach.

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal recently told Page Six he drops a grand every day on Amazon. When a reporter expressed skepticism, he confirmed: "$1,000 a day," Shaq said, adding, "The last thing I bought was green laser pointers." I wonder if he also got any three-pointers…?

See you next week.

P.S. I enjoyed reading your replies last issue about credit card annual fees! Scholar Dianne told me she won’t pay a high annual fee, but she loves her L.L.Bean Mastercard because she gets “Bean bucks” and free shipping.

P.P.S. Are you planning to shop Prime Big Deal Days next week? What’s the most you would pay for a martini? Did you ever play Game Boy? Tell me all about it at julia@money.com.