Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.
Mark your calendars: Amazon Prime Day is June 21-22, 2021.
It’s one of the biggest shopping events of the year, but is Amazon Prime Day really a good time to find great deals? Here’s everything you need to know, including key predictions from money expert Clark Howard.
Amazon Prime Day is June 21-22, 2021.
While the shopping holiday typically takes place in the middle of the year, in 2020, Amazon moved it to October because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a look at the history of Prime Day dates.
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2023 | July 11-12 |
| 2022 | July 12-13 |
| 2021 | June 21-22 |
| 2020 | October 13-14 |
| 2019 | July 15-16 |
| 2018 | July 16-17 |
| 2017 | July 11-12 |
| 2016 | July 12 |
| 2015 | July 15 |
Amazon Prime Day started in 2015 as a one-day-only shopping event exclusively for Amazon Prime members.
Over the years, Amazon Prime Day has extended beyond one day to more than 48 hours. This year, Prime Day will last 48 hours. Technically, Amazon is starting to post early deals now for Prime members.
Only Amazon Prime members can access Prime Day deals. An Amazon Prime membership costs $12.99/month or $119/year. In addition to access to Prime Day, a membership includes free and fast delivery, Prime Video, ad-free music streaming, photo storage and more.
Depending on how much you use Amazon or its other products like Prime Video, an Amazon Prime membership may not be worth $119 every year to you. Here are a few ways to save:
This year, the e-commerce giant promises “more than 2 million deals across every category,” including fashion, home and beauty. Starting June 7, Amazon is offering a $10 credit for members who spend $10 on select small business products to use on Prime Day.
Clark predicts that Amazon and other retailers are looking to offload items in oversupply.
“What Amazon will sell — as well as other retailers — will be discontinued items, last season items, and in the case of Amazon, the Amazon-branded items that they are willing to sell at a loss just to get in people’s homes.”
In previous Prime Day events, we’ve seen deals on Amazon devices such as the Fire TV Stick, Kindle, Fire tablet and Echo Dot. We’ve also seen prices drop on laptops, televisions, genetic testing kits, Instant Pots and more.
Not every single discount on Prime Day is really a deal. Clark has a warning:
“The thing I’ve always noticed about Prime Day is they have certain items that are a deal, and then a bunch of items that I call ‘non-sale sales’: They’re pretending to be great deals — but are not.”
Clark predicts that electronics are not going to be a deal this Prime Day. “There are distortions in the marketplace for electronics,” he says. “And electronics prices have generally been going up instead of down.”
In 2020, Walmart, Target and Best Buy all promoted huge deals during the same dates as Amazon Prime Day, and they don’t require a membership to participate.
Make sure you check out all of the sales and comparison shop across retailers to find the absolute best deals.
While several popular retailers will likely offer deals on Prime Day, you don’t have to wait. The team at Clark Deals searches the web and compares prices to share the best prices on products from companies you can trust.
Sign up for the Clark Deals daily newsletter to receive the very best deals from around the internet every day:
Ready for Amazon Prime Day?
Subscribe to the Clark Deals free daily newsletter to receive the best hand-picked deals you can trust.
You can probably expect to find a great deal or two on Amazon Prime Day, but Team Clark has a few pieces of advice before you start shopping:
“As always, you need to not just get caught up in the hype, whether you buy on Prime Day from Amazon or someone else,” Clark says. “Really comparison shop to determine whether something is a deal or a ‘non-sale’ sale.”
Free tools like Camelcamelcamel and Google Shopping can help you decide if you’re really getting a deal. And remember to check out Clark Deals to find the very best deals from around the internet every day.
This post was last modified on June 2, 2021 9:46 am
Money expert Clark Howard says you’re not alone if you’ve experienced “shell shock” at how…
Clark Howard's "never check luggage on a flight" policy is extreme -- especially for a…
Visible currently offers one of the best deals on unlimited service with cell phone plans…
When it comes to protecting your finances, money expert Clark Howard is all in on…
For years, the task of redeeming loyalty points or miles on an airline's website has…
Your company gives you exciting news. Either you'll be allowed to drive a company car…