Amazon Prime Day 2016: How Will These ‘Cyber Monday’ Deals Improve On Last Year?
The Amazon Prime Day 2016 sale has been confirmed, and the online market is planning to do things a little differently this time. Last year it started the sale as a way to celebrate 20 years in business, but many customers complained that it looked like a big garage sale and not the Black Friday event they tried to make it appear to be. Many of the best deals were on Amazon’s own brands, and items ended up sold out quickly.
In 2016, it seems Amazon Prime Day is aiming to be a combination of Black Friday and Cyber Monday once more. This time they say they have dramatically increased their inventory and made it easier to sift through and find what you want. Two types of items they will be adding to the proverbial shelves are TVs and toys.
Hopefully they aren’t selling the “Warehouse Deals” exclusively at discounts. Items under that category are sometimes sold missing what you need to make them usable (such as an HDTV without a power cord or hardware). Also, beware of “Frustration Free Packaging,” which is basically a $10 discount due to shipping without packing material, meaning the item may arrive broken in the box.
Amazon Prime Day: Deals Start Today 7/5- Chance to Meet Your Favorite Artist – https://t.co/PQsxqwTBhU
— Tasia (@mybjswholesale) July 6, 2016
One discount they are offering is up to 40 percent off a Kindle Unlimited membership. What this means is that you have free access to all of the eBooks you want for a monthly subscription fee. Considering that many of the major authors often sell their wares for around $9 or more, that’s technically one book you pay for every month, and as many more as you want.
Amazon Prime Day 2016 is confirmed for July 12. Here’s what to expect https://t.co/rdTU6fylo0 pic.twitter.com/2PisOGNE9k
— Money (@MONEY) July 5, 2016
Amazon Prime Day 2016 also has a small catch. You have to be a Prime member to take advantage of these special deals, so you’re really adding the cost of membership to whatever you’re buying. The cost of membership is $99 a year, though it would be a perfect time to use your 30-day free trial.
7 days till Amazon Prime Day! Remember last year’s best deal? The 55 gallon barrel of lube. https://t.co/WPyHZdvrv4
— Russ (@twisted_view) July 5, 2016
The sale begins at midnight on Tuesday, July 12, so if you want to catch the main deals, you will want to get up early. Many of the items will be off-brand items which might not be the quality you’re looking for, but be prepared to hang out on the site all day. There will be “lightning deals” which will offer special items for a short period of time. Last year some items were literally sold out in eight seconds due to a lack of supply, but as mentioned above, there will be twice as many deals and much more in stock on Amazon Prime Day 2016.
Of course the one-day event wasn’t a complete failure last year, as the hype they built up around it resulted in an average of 98 items being sold every second. It was the late-comers who weren’t impressed with the selection, as everything good vanished quickly.
Vice President of Amazon Prime Greg Greeley suggests downloading the Amazon Shopping app for Android or iPhone to get the most out of the sale.
“Even with this massive selection we know many of the Prime Day offers will sell out, so members should download the Amazon shopping app to receive notifications on their favorite deals.”
Other online retailers will likely be doing something similar, so if you don’t find the deal you want on Amazon Prime Day 2016, you might find it on Walmart or Target’s website.
[Image via Evan Lorne/Shutterstock.com]
