money Prime Day 2021: The biggest deals may not be on Amazon
Americans are expected to shell out almost $600 on Amazon Prime Day, which runs on June 21 and 22, but not all that money will go to the online retail giant.
“How that’s broken up is: $326 at Amazon and $268 at other retailers,” Lauren Cooley, senior vice president of retailer and brand solutions at RetailMeNot, told Yahoo Money.
This isn’t the first year — or the last year — that Amazon will face Prime Day competition, and that means savvy shoppers should compare discounts before pulling out their wallets.
For instance, Kohl’s has its “Wow Deals” that overlap with Amazon's Prime Days. Target is running a three-day event, called “Deal Days,” starting on June 20 and concluding on the 22nd. Walmart is promoting its “Deals for Days” event that last four days from June 20 to June 23. Not to be outdone, Best Buy also has its weeklong “Bigger Deal Savings Event” that started June 15 and ends June 22.
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With more than 350 retailers expected to offer some type of sale during or around Prime Day, it’s hard to know if you’re getting the best deal. Based on last year’s deals offered by Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and others, experts say to expect savings on a variety of tech, kitchen appliances, and home decor.
“One of our tips to shoppers is, don't forget to look at these other big sites like Walmart, Target and Best Buy to see if they have even better prices,” Omri Traub, co-founder and CEO of online shopping tool Popcart, told Yahoo Money.
Snagging a deal from Walmart or Target may also come with perks that Amazon simply doesn’t offer. Many brick-and-mortar retailers have perfected their curbside pickup and can have orders ready in as little as two hours. So for those shoppers not wanting to wait two days to receive their orders, hitting the store’s pickup line means an even quicker service than Amazon can offer.
So what should shoppers buy from Amazon and what items should they should price match?
“On those Amazon-branded products, I think you can expect to see some legitimate deals that maybe come around twice a year,” Traub said.
Outside of those items, you might find a better deal elsewhere.
Marissa is a reporter for Yahoo Money and Cashay, a new personal finance website. Follow her on Twitter @MarissaLGamache.
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