Prime Day / Black Friday News

[tubemonkey]

Five reasons you should shop more on Prime Day than usual

At this time of year, we're normally recovering from a busy Amazon Prime Day in July while looking ahead to the Black Friday and holiday sales yet to come. But this year has been anything but normal, and your shopping habits are probably going to have to adapt, too.

July came and went without a Prime Day and rumors now point to October for the rescheduled event which is bound to change how Amazon approaches the event and how other retailers will position their own Black Friday sales that will follow shortly after. Given that Black Friday has basically taken over November in recent years, a huge event like Amazon's Prime Day taking place just a few weeks before the start of the "Black Friday season" means things could be really interesting this year.

We considered a bunch of factors, from event timing to shipping delays, product constraints, and holiday gift planning, and it looks like the best time to buy is going to be Prime Day. Let's look at why.

1. Amazon will want to capture shoppers' dollars, so we could see the best prices early
   
2. Secure some early holiday deals
   
3. Retailers might not have time to restock between Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday
   
4. Avoid shipping delays
   
5. In-person events this fall are likely to be limited

[tubemonkey]

Home Depot says its Black Friday sale will last nearly 2 months amid coronavirus pandemic

Home Depot says it is reinventing its Black Friday sale amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The home improvement chain unveiled its plans for the 2020 holiday shopping season Wednesday and announced that this year its Black Friday sale will stretch nearly two months instead of a single day with deals available in stores and online.

“For the first time ever, our Black Friday prices will be available throughout the holiday season. Savings will start in early November and last through December,” the retailer said in a blog post. “Say goodbye to one day of frenzied shopping and enjoy Black Friday savings all season long without the stress and crowds.”

Home Depot will be keeping with its Thanksgiving tradition and keeping its stores closed for the holiday. This year, a growing group of stores that typically start in-person Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving also are staying closed.

Walmart, Target and Best Buy have said they will start offering deals for the holiday season earlier than before to reduce crowds and spread out demand amid COVID-19.

[Manabi]

Sounds like it'll basically be non-stop deals from October through the end of the year. (They'll have deals after Christmas for people who got gift cards as gifts.) Deal fatigue is probably going to be a problem for retailers this year.

[badgoodDeb]

So, suggestions for Amazon: drop into your Wishlist items you really want. I get text messages when Wishlist items go on sale.

That may require setting up. And it requires paying better attention than I do, because fast-deals run out or expire quickly.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon won’t confirm latest rumors of mid-October Prime Day

Amazon postponed its annual Prime Day from July to a date TBD, but new rumors — with a hint of evidence — suggest it may be happening in mid-October. The latest rumor mill was set off after tech site T3 discovered a promotional poster from Braun, titled “Braun x Prime Day,” which reads, “In mid-October Braun will be taking part in Amazon Prime Day.” The T3 post has since been removed.

An Amazon spokesperson told The Verge in an email, however, that the company hasn’t made any announcement regarding the exact timing of the event. “We can confirm PD will take place in Q4,” the spokesperson says.

The fiscal year’s fourth quarter starts October 1st, but, according to Tamebay, a publication for Amazon third-party sellers, Black Friday deals are likely to begin showing up on Amazon somewhere around October 26th and run for several weeks. If one assumes Amazon would want to keep Prime Day and Black Friday sales separate, an October 12th or October 19th Prime Day, seems a bit late in the game. CNBC reported in July that Amazon told third-party sellers to expect Prime Day to happen on October 5th, which seems like a more likely date.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon Prime Day will begin October 13th, multiple sources say

An internal Amazon email seen by The Verge confirms that its Prime Day shopping event will take place October 13th and 14th, and that the company will make an official announcement September 27th.

In a separate internal email, Amazon warehouse workers were told no new vacation requests would be accepted between October 13th and October 20th, which suggests that the company needs all hands on deck for Prime Day.

An Amazon spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company has not announced any dates for Prime Day. “Stay tuned for more details on Prime Day,” the spokesperson said, adding that customers can ask Alexa devices to keep them updated about Prime Day.

The e-commerce giant is keeping a tight lid on any leaks about this year’s Prime Day, which was postponed from July due to the coronavirus pandemic. A promotional poster from personal care company Braun that surfaced last week showing its Prime Day Deals “in mid-October” disappeared from several sites following an inquiry from The Verge. At that point, Amazon would only confirm that Prime Day would be in Q4, which means sometime after October 1st.

[Barbara1955]

An internal Amazon email seen by The Verge confirms that its Prime Day shopping event will take place October 13th and 14th, and that the company will make an official announcement September 27th.

Seems IF this is true the announcement is just Hours away! I hope its true. Got Impatient and signed up for Free Trail of Prime a couple days ago

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Barbara1955

An internal Amazon email seen by The Verge confirms that its Prime Day shopping event will take place October 13th and 14th, and that the company will make an official announcement September 27th.

Seems IF this is true the announcement is just Hours away! I hope its true. Got Impatient and signed up for Free Trail of Prime a couple days ago

Prime is a very good deal. Not only do you get free expedited shipping, you get Prime Video which in some ways is comparable to Netflix.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Prime is a very good deal. Not only do you get free expedited shipping, you get Prime Video which in some ways is comparable to Netflix.

I get Prime primarily for the videos. It's the only major video service I subscribe to.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Prime is a very good deal. Not only do you get free expedited shipping, you get Prime Video which in some ways is comparable to Netflix.

I think Prime is better than Netflix. I watch more shows and movies on Prime. Especially since I have Acorn and Brit Box subscriptions through Prime.
Apache

[Barbara1955]

Any news about the Prime Day Dates?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I get Prime primarily for the videos. It's the only major video service I subscribe to.

We got prime for the shipping. But I do really like it for the videos.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon officially announced Prime Day. I just started the Prime Day 2020 thread and stickied it. Please direct all Prime Day chat to that thread.

Thanks, tm

[tubemonkey]

Black Friday is over: Here’s why retailers are touting weeks of deals this year

Retailers are downplaying the one-day event this year, too. Many say they will start holiday deals as early as October and extend the offers throughout the holiday season.

Amazon has also pushed up retailers’ timetables. Its annual Prime Day event, typically held in July, will now take place on Oct. 13 and 14 after the company pushed the date because of the pandemic. That could pull holiday sales forward and steal market share from competitors.

Target announced its own sales event — Target Deal Days — during the same two-day period. It said it will have more than double the digital deals it offered last year on electronics, beauty items, toys and more.

The big-box retailer also said its Black Friday deals will run through the entire month of November — and be available on its website, so customers can get the same discounts from their couch. It’s extending its price match guarantee for any item considered a “Black Friday deal,” whether it’s bought at the start of November or on Christmas Eve.

Walmart’s “Black Friday” deals won’t be limited to a single day, either. It will feature Black Friday-like savings during its “Big Save Event,” which starts the evening of Oct. 11 and runs through Oct. 15. The deals will include $50 off of a Pioneer Woman 6-quart Instant Pot and a 55-inch JVC 4K HDR Roku Smart TV for $248.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon Prime Day and earlier holiday shopping will ding Black Friday, Cyber Monday

It's beginning to look a lot like holiday shopping season even though it's not Halloween. You can thank evolving shopping habits, COVID-19, a delayed Amazon Prime Day, supply chain concerns, and crimped consumer and business budgets.

The moving parts are going to be enough to make Black Friday more of a 2020 retailing blip than the biggest shopping day of the year.

Simply put, the calendar is moving forward and households won't have as much to spend. The winners will be Amazon, which is likely to deliver its biggest fourth quarter in history, and retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Target that have mastered buy online pickup in-store and other digital sales tactics.

In addition, Amazon's rivals are all planning sales around Prime Day. Those moves will just create a flywheel of demand that'll minimize the importance of retail's big holiday shopping days.

Supply chains are still disrupted. Cowen analyst John Blackledge recapped the firm's conference call about Amazon demand in the fourth quarter. Blackledge said in a research note: