Is Amazon's Latest Prime Day Sale Actually Worth Shopping?

A mere 83 days after the last Prime Day, Amazon is holding yet another massive online sale. This time, the shopping event is called Prime Big Deal Days, and it'll take place Tuesday and Wednesday “to kick off the holiday season,” according to a news release.

The idea is likely to gin up excitement around — and memberships to — Amazon’s Prime program, which costs $139 a year and comes with a host of perks like free two-day delivery, Prime Video and photo storage. During what some have nicknamed October Prime Day, Amazon promises to drop drop discounts “as often as every five minutes” on “seasonal products, home essentials, popular toys” and more, including Halloween costumes, makeup, sweaters and electronics.

Here's what you need to know.

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Do I have to be an Amazon Prime member in order to shop Prime Big Deal Days?

According to Amazon, yes.

But don’t stress too much. If you’re not a Prime member, you probably have a friend or relative who is. As of 2021, Amazon had 200 million Prime members. Also, if push comes to shove, you can get a free 30-day trial that will let you access Prime Big Deal Days (and cancel before you get your first bill).

How is Prime Big Deal Days different from Prime Day?

The discounts vary, of course, but speaking broadly, it’s not. Because this sale takes place in the fall, it’s a bit more oriented toward holiday shopping, which in recent years has moved both up in the calendar and increasingly online.

“Consumers are making purchases earlier, driven by a stream of discounts that has allowed shoppers to manage their budgets in different ways,” Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights, said in a news release.

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 says in an email interview.

On the other, you should 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. Money has previously reported on how some retailers manipulate shoppers by manufacturing scarcity, either by pretending there’s a limited stock or limited time to claim the deal. Amazon is particularly guilty of this; it tends to change Prime Day deals on a whim.

How can I find good discounts?

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.

To make sure you're getting the best price, Pandya says to consider looking across retailers to see what perks you can snag if you 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 you can use to track pricing. Pandya says generative AI can help identify the best deals and provide recommendations. Other popular services include camelcamelcamel and Honey, both of which track Amazon price drops and show price history so you can tell whether a purported discount is truly a discount.

October Prime Day vs. Black Friday: 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. 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 Nov. 22 (Friday before Thanksgiving) and Dec. 2 (Cyber Monday),” he says.

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