Amazon Prime Day, the shopping extravaganza that has become nearly as important to the online retailer as the holiday season, will take place on July 12 and 13 this year.
Amazon officially announced the dates of the sale Thursday, noting that Prime members will begin to have access to early deals beginning on June 21.
Last year’s Prime Day resulted in sales of over $11 billion, according to Adobe Analytics. That’s higher than Cyber Monday, but it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, given the 48- to 24-hour timeframe difference.
The sale will kick off this year at 3:00 a.m. ET on June 12 and will run in some countries, including Poland and Sweden, for the first time. The 2022 version of Prime Day will feature a few eye-catching sweepstakes, including Super Bowl tickets and a meet-and-greet with the cast of Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series.
As a ramp-up to the sale, Amazon said Prime members will see discounts of up to 55% on Amazon devices, including the Echo Show 5, Kindle Paperwhite, Fire Tablet, Luna Controller (for the company’s cloud gaming service), and Eero mesh WiFi routers. Fire TV smartTvs will see a 47% savings, starting at $90.
Users can also earn a $10 credit for Prime Day by streaming Prime Video, listening to Prime Music, borrowing a Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited book, and making a Prime-eligible shopping list.
Prime Day’s blast zone extends beyond Amazon. Walmart and Target see a lift in traffic and revenues during the retail event, as they often offer discounts of their own. And small businesses that are promoted by Amazon during the event can see a sales bump as well.
Only Prime members can take advantage of Prime Day, however. Amazon recently raised the annual subscription cost of that loyalty program to $139, though people who join on a trial membership during that period are also eligible for the deals.
Sign up for the Coins2Day Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.