TAMPA, Fla. — Amazon Prime Day kicks off Tuesday until July 11.
“It’s become a real moment to shop in July,” said Trae Bodge, smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com.
This time around, the sales period is four days instead of the typical two.
WATCH: Amazon Prime Day kicks off Tuesday, other retailers also dropping prices
“It’s not about doing more, it’s about shopping with intention. So going through and understanding, okay, what am I looking for, and this extra time can actually work in your favor,” said Stephanie Carls, retail insights expert for RetailMeNot.
“There are lots of sales out there, so just make sure to take your time, take a breath, and make sure that you’re getting the best price,” said Bodge.
Other retailers are expected to drop prices throughout the week, too, in stores and online.
If you’re looking to shop on Amazon, Bodge believes you’ll find good deals on Amazon-owned brands, such as Kindle and Ring cameras, in the 25%-55% off range.
“They have a lot of wiggle room with price, and they tend to discount quite generously on Prime Day,” said Bodge.
You can also see discounts at stores like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Kohl’s this week.
“While Prime Day may be the headline, other retailers are playing the exact same game,” said Carls.
You can expect to see prices drop in multiple categories.
“The top categories overall are going to be tech, clothing, shoes, apparel. You’re going to have pet supplies, grocery, pantry essentials, even kitchen appliances, bakeware. So even thinking Keurig, Instantpot, all of those different things,” said Carls.
This is a good time to start doing back-to-school shopping on things like school supplies and electronics.
However, make sure to plan ahead first and do your research because other retailers may have better prices than Amazon on certain items.
“In categories like home, back to school, beauty—they’re not just matching Amazon, they’re beating it,” said Carls.
“I would take your time on this one because there’s a lot of noise, and you know prices are ticking up higher because of the tariffs, so it’s really important that we’re making sure that we’re getting the best deal no matter what,” said Bodge.
With the uncertainty of tariffs looming, Bodge and Carls believe some people are using this sales period to do some early holiday shopping in case prices rise in the coming months.
“The pricing pressure is driving more intentional shopping from shoppers. We’re seeing that one in five shoppers say that they are using Prime Day to offset rising costs,” said Carls.
They urge you not to panic buy, just be intentional.
“This is what we are calling precision shopping. People are planning ahead, and we are seeing that 60% have already started holiday gift shopping, and 37% are already prepping for back-to-school. So they are getting ahead and avoiding having to pay more later,” said Carls.
Take a look online at what you’re interested in and put the items in your cart. Then, set up alerts to let you know when prices drop, especially because Amazon does lightning deals. Not all deals will be released on the first day.
“You don’t want to blow your budget on day one,” said Carls.
Shopping experts also recommend downloading a browser extension to help stack savings with promo codes and cash-back offers.
“Also, be mindful of which credit card you’re paying with. You know if you have a credit card that’s giving you 2% cash back and you’re buying a laptop for hundreds of dollars, it’s absolutely worth paying with that credit card versus, say, a debit card where you’re not getting any points advantage,” said Bodge.
If you’re shopping online, consider using a price tracker and even artificial intelligence to help you find the lowest prices.
“You also might want to use a tool like Yahoo Shopping or Google Shopping to get a sense of the landscape for pricing. Because the item might be on sale on Amazon, but it might see a deeper discount at Best Buy, for example,” said Bodge.
If you prefer to shop in person, just bring your phone with you to make sure you’re getting the best price.
"Make sure to compare those prices because a lot of retailers will price match if you happen to see a lower price online,” said Bodge.
