How to Make the Most of Amazon Prime Early Access Sale

Don’t forget to check out competing sales from Target and Walmart

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Beth Braverman,

AARP

En español

Published October 11, 2022

’Tis the season to start your holiday shopping. At least that’s what retail giant Amazon hopes you’ll be thinking this week as it launches its Prime Early Access Event.

The sale, which runs Oct. 11 to 12, promises to offer Amazon Prime members its “lowest prices of the year,” on products ranging from Solo outdoor fire pits to Philips Sonicare electric toothbrushes.

“They are gearing this toward shoppers interested in getting their holiday shopping done early, or at least starting it early,” says Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with DealNews, a comparison shopping website.

Follow these tips to make the most of the sale:

Set up deal alerts

Amazon puts thousands of items on sale during Prime sales events, so it can be overwhelming to know where to start — and tempting to make impulse purchases. Focus your shopping instead by making a list of the items that you’re interested in before you visit the site.

You can check CamelCamelCamel to see the price history of that product on Amazon, so you’ll know whether a given price is actually a good deal. Then set up “deal alerts” on your Amazon app, and the retailer will ping you if there’s a price drop on those products.

Save even more with refurbished options

Though you may not think of Amazon as a marketplace for pre-owned goods, the site has a full “Amazon Renewed” site that includes refurbished electronics — from keyboards to vacuum cleaners — that have been inspected and tested by Amazon technicians and come with a 90-day guarantee.

“These are already less expensive before Prime Day, and you can expect deeper discounts on select items in the Renewed category to also drop in price on Prime Day,” says Andrea Woroch, a consumer money saving expert. “That’s a great way to get the best bang for your buck.”

Stock up on Amazon-branded items

During previous Prime sales events, many of the best deals have been on Amazon-owned tech devices, such as the Echo or the Ring doorbell. The retailer said it will take 80% off some Fire TV models.

“If you’re looking for a smart TV, and you’re OK with a Fire TV, then it’s going to be a really good time to shop for those,” Ramhold says.

You’ll probably find solid deals on non-tech-related devices as well, such as Amazon Basics housewares or fashion items sold in “The Drop.”

Buy hot toys now … but wait for tech

Toy deals typically get better as the holiday season wears on, but for the hottest toys, you run the risk of the item selling out before you get a chance to buy it. Among the items most likely to sell out this year, according to RetailMeNot, are Magic Mixies, gaming consoles such as Nintendo Switch OLED and PS5, and branded Lego sets, such as those featuring Harry Potter and Marvel characters. If your kid (or grandkid) has their heart set on one of those items, you might consider paying a little more for the comfort of knowing you’ll be able to deliver.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for tech devices such as televisions (aside from the Fire TVs discussed above), hold off. Historically, the best deals of the year on those items come later in the holiday shopping season.

“With Black Friday and Cyber Monday around the corner, consumers should aim to avoid purchasing electronics, such as smartphones and laptops, since deals on those items will be better during the Black Friday weekend,” says Brad Godwin, senior vice president at shopping rewards app Shopkick.

Check out the competition

During previous Prime sales events, many of Amazon’s competitors launched their own simultaneous sales with discounts that rival those of the online sales giant. Walmart, for example, said it will unveil “Rollbacks and More” from Oct. 10 to 13, and Kohl’s will host a “Deal Dash” event with extra sales on Oct. 11 to 12 . Before clicking “buy” on your Amazon cart, take a minute to see whether the item is priced lower elsewhere.

“While many of Amazon’s own devices and products will see the biggest price decreases on Prime Day 2, Target and Walmart sell similar, competitor options,” Woroch says. “For instance, you will probably find a great deal on an Echo Show at Amazon, but you can find a similar deal on a Google Nest Hub at a competitor site.”

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