BARGAIN hunters can bag fantastic deals on Amazon Prime Day but beware – not all offers are worthwhile.
The online shopping giant is slashing prices on thousands of products over Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Amazon has remained tight-lipped about the exact promotions that are set to go live.
But judging by past events, shoppers will scramble to stock up on everything from electricals to DIY essentials over the 48-hour extravaganza.
However, clever shoppers need to look past the hype and work out which items are a true deal and which are a dud.
It’s a good idea to make a list of items that you need ahead of Amazon’s promotion, so that you’re less likely to impulse buy.
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Check all the items on a price tracking website ahead of the event – this will allow you to decide whether it’s truly a deal or not.
Camelcamelcamel.com specifically tracks items on Amazon and you can set up alerts for when prices drops.
We asked experts give their verdicts on the items to buy and the ones to swerve.
And before hitting the buy button, remember to use a shopping comparison site such as Idealo or PriceRunner to check if you can get a lower price elsewhere.
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You’ll also need a £95-a-year Prime subscription to shop the deals, although you can get a 30-day free trial – just remember to cancel before you start getting charged for a full subscription.
Items to buy
- Amazon-own products
If you’ve had your eye on a Kindle, Echo, Fire tablets or Ring doorbells, you’ll likely see some discounts on these and other tech products from Amazon during the Prime deal days.
Experts say the event is a good time to buy these items and save up to 50% on normal prices.
Natalie Warb from voucher site CouponBirds.com says: “Amazon, as a retailer, has complete control over their product pricing, usually leading to massive discounts during their sales.”
Last year, shoppers could get their hands on a kindle for £59.99 – a 30% drop from its £84 price-tag the month before, according to data from Idealo.
- Everyday essentials
You don’t have to splash out on a big ticket item to get a good deal during Amazon’s event.
Keep tabs on the products that you consistently buy and see if you can save some cash by stocking up if prices drop.
Anita Naik from Vouchercodes.co.uk says: “We often think of sales events as a way of bagging items to treat yourself and your loved-ones, but it can also be the perfect opportunity to pick up essentials at a great price.
“With the cost of living crisis squeezing household budgets, take advantage of the Big Deal Days to purchase everything from toiletries, to pet food, to baby products, and more.”
For example, Thrive pet foods PremiumPlus chicken was £12.99 a month before and dropped to £10.99 on Prime Day last year, according to Idealo.
- Hair styling tools
Beauty lovers can also use Amazon’s sale to hunt down the latest hair gadgets.
“Buyers can get some fantastic discounts on hair styling tools including hairdryers, hair straighteners and curling tongs, as well as brand names such as GHD,” says Dan Evans, editor at community site HotUKDeals.
“Look past the latest models to get the biggest savings. Often there’s not much difference between the older and the newer versions.”
Idealo found that the GHD duet style 2-in-1 hot air styler dropped down to £249.99 on Prime Day, down from £333.67 a month before.
- Air Fryers
Anyone who’s been thinking about taking the plunge and buying an air fryer could find a steal over the two-day promotion.
Natalie says: “Air fryers are currently all the rage and are slated for substantial price cuts.
“This includes the Ninja Foodi Max Digital Air Fryer, which has already received a £50 discount – and could see prices fall further during the event.”
Data from comparison site Idealo found the Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer AF300UK was £157.99 on last year’s Amazon Prime Days, down from £169.99 a month before.
If you know a Lego lover or are a collector yourself, snapping up the plastic brick sets during Amazon’s two-day deals could pay off.
Dan Evans from HotUKDeals, says: “Historically we have seen some fantastic deep discounts on their crossover play sets – from Harry Potter to Star Wars.”
Last year the Lego Star Wars Baby Yoda set went down to £43.68 from £69.99.
- Health and beauty
Amazon Prime Big Deals Days is the perfect opportunity to treat yourself to new makeup or skincare.
Anita adds: “Amazon has a wide range of beauty brands listed onsite, including trending brands like CeraVe, Olay and Elemis.
“On Amazon Prime Day these brands were heavily discounted, with up to 83 per cent off on some products, so we can expect big discounts again this October.”
The ones to avoid
- Baby products
Parents could hope to get a deal on baby items such as cots, prams or highchairs.
But you might not get the best deal on these items through Amazon’s sale.
For example, Natalie says the Silver Cross Pop pushchair is expected to be available for £179.95 on Amazon, down from £245.
But it’s already on offer at £145 from Argos – lower than the expected Amazon deal.
Most of the big supermarkets also run periodic baby events where shrewd shoppers can pick up great deals.
- TVs and gaming consoles
There are likely to be offers on big tech items that could be tempting during the shopping event.
However, better deals could be available when other brands slash prices next month as part of annual Black Friday sales in November.
Anita says: “While you may find some great offers on TVs and gaming consoles, it’s better to hold off for now.
“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are famous for having great deals on tech so by waiting just one more month, you’re likely to score yourself an even bigger deal.”
Idealo’s data found that the LG OLEDA26LA TV was £647.99 on last year’s Prime Day, up from £599 a month earlier.
- Fridges and kitchen appliances
Homeowners looking to deck out their kitchen with new appliances may hope they can score a deal during Amazon’s price cuts.
But you’re better offer looking at other times of the year if you can wait, according to Katy Phillips from price comparison site Idealo.
She says: “Even if they’re on promotion, fridges tend to be more expensive on Prime Day than other times of the year.
“If you’re looking to upgrade big appliances such as this – the new year sales are probably a better time to get a deal.”
“The same can be said for small kitchen appliances like food processors and coffee machines.
“Our data shows that both products were priced cheaper in the month before October Prime Day last year.”
Idealo data showed that last year the Krups Nespresso Inissia was £99.99 on Prime Day whereas its price had been just £82 a month before.
As Christmas approaches, parents will be looking for ways to keep costs in check.
Buying toys when they’re on offer seems like the perfect way to make savings.
But, with the exception of Lego, there are likely to be more competitive deals with other retailers, according to Anita.
She says: “It’s likely that we will see some good offers on toys over the Prime Big Deal Days, but wait until the supermarkets and toy stores start their annual toy sales.
“This way you can compare prices across stores and make sure you’re really getting the best deal, rather than just going with the first deal you find.”
Get ready to shop
The key to getting the best offers on Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Days is to be prepared.
There are lots of brands trying to trick sellers into buying products under the guise of it being a good deal.
Start by making a list of the items you want and check current prices.
You could add the items you want to your basket so you can easily compare prices in one place during Amazon’s sale.
On the day, look whether the cost has gone down and if it’s cheaper elsewhere before heading to pay.
It’s worth checking early in the day as the best deals could sell out.
Experts say prices are unlikely to go any lower during the event once they are live so if you want the deal, don’t delay.
Discounts offered as part of Amazon Prime Big Deals Days are only available for Amazon Prime members.
If you have never signed up for Prime, you can get a 30-day free trial.
This will give you access to the sale deals during Prime Day, with the same perks as normal members.
Just remember to cancel if you want to avoid the £8.99 a month fee.
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You can read more about Amazon Prime membership here.
We’ve also found some early Amazon Prime Day deals that are already live.
