A Guide to Finding Online Deals Outside of Amazon Prime Day Ecommerce is more competitive than ever, so don't limit yourself to one online giant's deep discounts.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Last year, Amazon sold more than 175 million products over its annual Prime Day event (which is, incongriously, two actually days long), to the tune of an estimated $7.16 billion in gross sales. And the ecommerce giant is certainly poised to again reap the benefits beginning tomorrow and through Prime Day 2020's conclusion on Wednesday. The company has already hired around 200,000 new employees since the pandemic made online shopping virtually mandatory, and founder Jeff Bezos's net worth has ballooned to nearly $200 billion.
But the combination of massive shifts in shopping trends and Amazon's near-monopolistic success have actually invigorated other ecommerce players in the market, many of whom are launching their own price-slashing events to counter Prime Day.
Here is a shortlist of some of the biggest non-Amazon deal days coming up. (For a more comprehensive roll call, visit RetailMeNot.)
Related: Prime Day 2020: Everything You Need to Know
Target Deal Days: October 13-14
At the same time Prime Day is happening, you can save big on just about everything Target sells, and unlike Amazon, you don't have to be a member to take advantage (they're also offering a Price Match Guarantee for the holidays).
Walmart Big Save Event: October 11-15
Walmart is expecting to be a top Amazon contender by hosting its big sale before, during and after Prime Day. Expect to find bottomed-out prices on top-selling items from Walmart Marketplace sellers, too.
Best Buy Early Black Friday: October 13-14
Once again "coincidentally" concurrent with Prime Day, Best Buy is offering huge deals on a wide selection of electronics, including Samsung 70-inch smart TVs for as little as $529.99.
Newegg Gametober: October 1-31
If this is your world, it's worth checking in weekly, as Newegg is featuring updated bonus discounts on certain products, like this generously reduced Asus gaming laptop.
How to Ensure You Find the Best Deals
Because all these sales are so hard to keep up with (even I can't), I like to recommend tracking sites including SlickDeals, where a huge army of deal hawks shares and upvotes retail sales, and WikiBuy, which shows trending deals across top online shops. For pro shoppers, you can install a Chrome extension (supported by RetailMeNot, Honey and WikiBuy) to ensure you're not missing out on any coupon codes.
Don't Forget Small Businesses
As an entrepreneur myself, I feel an obligation to point out that 2020 continues to pay a serious toll on small businesses, with one in five expected to close due to the pandemic's impact on economic conditions. To me, Prime Day is representative of something much greater than finding a great deal on a product you've been waiting to go on sale. It's symbolic of economic hope, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses who have had to abruptly transition to an online selling strategy.
So, even though you might find the cheapest price and fastest shipment at one of these big retailers, don't forget the little guy who might be just down the street from you.
Related: How Your Small Business Can Survive The COVID-19 Pandemic
But if you're committed to still shopping on Amazon, you should take a look at their dedicated "Support Small" page where you can shop local small businesses (once you input your region) and by curated category. You can also learn more about select business owners. Outside of Amazon, here's what you can do:
Consider shopping on Etsy, home of 2.1 million independent sellers (especially if you're looking for handmade or vintage items and craft supplies).
Instead of buying someone an Amazon gift card, find out what their favorite local restaurant is and get them a gift card. Can't find one? Buy a gift card to their favorite food-delivery service (UberEats, Postmates, DoorDash, etc.).
Explore American Express' Small Business map, find a local business, and consider buying from them.
Now buy responsibly, and go get some great deals.
