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Amazon Prime Day 2020: Expected date and how to get the best deals

Here's everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2020, from when it is to who can take part and how to find the best deals (The Independent)
Here's everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2020, from when it is to who can take part and how to find the best deals (The Independent)

Amazon Prime Day is one of the internet’s biggest shopping events, offering customers an array of discounts on everything from TVs and tablets to coffee machines.

While the sale usually takes place in July each year, due to coronavirus, the online retailer has postponed its Prime Day 2020 event to later in the year.

Last year, Prime Day was extended to last a total of 48 hours from Monday 15 July to Tuesday 16 July, making it the longest event yet.

The retailer said it sold more than 175 million products, dubbing the sale the “largest shopping event in Amazon history,” as it surpassed results from the previous Black Friday and Cyber Monday events combined.

In 2018, the online retailer's event ran for 36 hours, meaning the sale has continued to get longer each year.

For 2020, Amazon is expected to deliver its biggest sale yet with huge reductions on everything from tech and home appliances to beauty and clothing.

Here, we take a look at everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2020, from when it is to who can take part and how to find the best deals.

Our IndyBest team hand-picks every deal we feature. We may earn some commission from the links in this article, but our selections have been made independently and without bias. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

What is Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is an annual flash sale that sees the retailer reduce prices on a range of products.

The first Prime Day took place in 2015 and lasted 24 hours, with each year following a similar procedure.

However, in 2019 the sale was extended to last 48 hours, giving shoppers more time to sift through the extensive array of deals.

When is Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day typically takes place in July, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic it has been delayed.

While the retailer is yet to confirm the official date of the event, it is understood that it will be going ahead later in the year.

Amazon ran a huge Black Friday event in 2019, launching pre-sales two weeks ahead of the day itself (27 November), so we’re predicting that its Prime Day sale will happen in October, ahead of Black Friday.

It’s ideal for a spot of early Christmas shopping or to tick of those big purchases you’ve been putting off, such as a vacuum cleaner or new TV.

The IndyBest team will be rounding up the best deals to help you navigate the array of discounts that will be on offerAlamy
The IndyBest team will be rounding up the best deals to help you navigate the array of discounts that will be on offerAlamy

How can I take part?

Amazon Prime Day’s discounts aren’t on offer for everyone who visits the site but is exclusively for those who have an Amazon Prime membership.

Membership costs £7.99 a month or £79 for a year, and subscribers are eligible for perks including same-day delivery, over 800,000 free e-books and access to Prime Video and Amazon Music services.

If you're already a Prime member, you will automatically get access to the deals, but if you’re not yet a member and want to take advantage of the huge savings on offer, you can sign up for a 30-day trial anytime before the sale begins.

Can students take part?

Students can also take advantage of Amazon Prime Day by signing up to Amazon Student.

Perks of the student subscription, which costs £3.99 a month, include unlimited premium delivery, unlimited reading on any device i.e. an iPad or Kindle, access to Prime Video and unlimited photo storage.

There are other benefits too, including 10 per cent off selected fashion products and £30 off select Samsung galaxy tablets and earbuds.

If you have a valid email address from a recognised institution to qualify, you can sign up here for a lengthy six-month trial.

How to get a free Prime account for 30 days to use for Prime Day 2020

If you have yet to become an Amazon Prime member but want to get in on the action ahead of the big event, you can sign up for a 30-day trial to gain access to the sale.

While you won’t be charged for the trial period, you will need to input your card details when signing up, as Amazon automatically converts you to a paid membership after the 30 days. But, if you decide to cancel ahead of the trial ending, you won’t be charged, which means you can get free access to the Prime Day event.

How can you get the best deals?

The IndyBest team will be rounding up the best deals to help you navigate the array of discounts that will be on offer, so make sure to check back here.

Last year, the retailer also released a list of products ahead of the sale so that shoppers were ready to add them to their shopping basket the minute it started.

Another way to ensure you get the best deals is to download the Amazon app. This will give you a head start, as you will be able to track Lightning Deals – discounts that are only available for a few hours at a time – and set up alerts that will notify you when certain deals go live.

What were the best deals last year?

Last year, some of the best deals on Prime Day were on Amazon’s own-brand devices, including the Echo Plus (2nd Gen) which dropped from £139.99 to £99.99 and the Echo (2nd Gen) which was down from £89.99 to £54.99.

Kindles and Fire HDMI Sticks saw impressive discounts too. The Amazon Kindle was on sale for £49.99, down from £69.99, while the Fire stick 4K went from £49.99 to £24.99.

Other discounts included 50 per cent off selected coffee machines, 76 per cent off certain headphones and half-price vacuum cleaners.

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