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Update: October 7, 2024, 7:00 am EDT This story has been updated with two new Fire tablet deals, as well as new information about the brands whose products will be discounted during Prime Big Deal Days once they begin.
Amazon’s “October Prime Day” event is just around the corner.
Prime Big Deal Days will be valid for 48 hours from departure Tuesday, Oct. 8 (from 3:01 am ET) through Wednesday, Oct. 9. The special sale will include “millions of early holiday deals,” according to a press release, with new discounts dropping every five minutes at certain locations during the run.
Amazon has released a rotating batch of official early deals since confirming sales dates in mid-September, currently including up to 58% off select Amazon devices (including Fire tablets and Echo smart speakers), four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited, three free months of Kindle Unlimited, and a GrubHub+ discount for prime members. Recently, the retail giant teased upcoming savings from brands like Beats, Casper, Dyson, Herschel, GE Profile, KitchenAid, Lego, Ninja, Peloton, Samsonite, Samsung, Shark, Sonos, and Sony when Prime Big Deal Days officially begins.
What are Prime Big Deal Days?
Prime Big Deal Days is a fall sale that serves as an early start to Amazon’s holiday shopping season before Black Friday. It’s formatted similarly to the retailer’s flagship summer Prime Day sale, where featured deals are only available to members of its Prime subscription service.
The Great Day of October is coming. Here are the best early bird deals to shop now.
This marks the third time Amazon has hosted a Fall Prime event — and it seems the name is finally sticking. It was called the Prime Early Access Sale in 2022 and was renamed Prime Big Deal Days last year.
Do you need to be a Prime member to shop Big Deal Days?
Becoming a prime member is non-negotiable if you want to collect Prime Big Deal Days savings, but there is a small loophole for those who don’t want to commit to a paid subscription: Trial membership.
You can try Prime for free for 30 days if you’ve never done so, as long as you have a valid credit card attached to your Amazon account. Just remember to cancel your membership before it automatically upgrades to the paid plan at the end of that month.
Are there other stores competing with Prime Big Deal Days?
There’s stiff competition for Amazon across the board — before, during, and after Prime Big Deal Days.
Best Buy got a jump start on the holiday shopping season, kicking things off with a Member Deal Days sale for Plus and Total members of its My Best Buy program from September 27 to September 29. The event featured paid discounts and $50 in freebies. bonus reward for those who spent at least $500. Next, the electronics retailer is holding an Apple Trade-Up event for buyers looking to upgrade to the latest Apple devices from Sept. 30 to Oct. 13, with a valid 48-Hour Flash Sale thrown in on Oct. 8 and 9. (Expect to see deep discounts on TVs, toys, laptops, and monitors while it’s still alive.)
Mashable Deals
Best Buy will end the month with a Holiday Event that starts on Oct. 21, which will revolve around entertainment gadgets (think home electronics, TVs, and smart home devices), and a 3-day Gaming Event from Oct. 25 to 27.
What not to buy during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale
Walmart is taking a similar multi-pronged approach this shopping season, starting with the Holiday Deals event starting Oct. 8 to Oct. 13 — its first holiday sale, according to the announcement. On that first day, the event will begin at 12 a.m. ET on Walmart.com and the Walmart app for Walmart+ paid members before opening to the general public at noon ET. (Walmart+ trial members will not be eligible for early access, FYI.) We’ll then go live in Walmart stores on Oct. 9. Doorbusters will be available in all their electronics, home, fashion, and toy departments.
Meanwhile, Target will host the fall edition of its seasonal savings event, Target Circle Week, starting Sunday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Oct. 12. Live in stores and online, the sale “will feature deals on products to help shoppers prepare for the holidays, as well as savings on fall favorites, everyday essentials and more,” according to the announcement. That includes rotating live Deals of the Day 24 hours at a time. (These will resume on November 1 and continue through the holidays.)
Target Circle Weekly Deals will only be offered to members of Target Circle, the retailer’s loyalty program. It’s completely free to join.