Why this week might have better shopping deals than Black Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Holiday shopping is starting a little earlier than usual this year and Amazon is aiming to kick-start the spending.

Amazon is hosting their annual Prime Day over two days on October 13-14, after the pandemic postponed the sales event from July.

Prime Day, which features some “lightning deals” with limited quantity items, has already shared some of the hot ticket items available. Experts say that about 40% of the deals on Prime Day are home and garden-related. According to Amazon reps, Levi’s, Barbie and Hot Wheels toys, and Dewalt and Craftsman tools will all be 40% off.

Amazon devices, such as the Ring Video Doorbell or Kindle, will also be deeply discounted, with 45% off Fire tablets and the Echo Dot marked down 60% to $18.99.

However, this year Amazon isn’t the only company hoping to get an early shot at your holiday spending.

Major retailers like Best Buy, Target and Walmart have set up their own sales days in October to offer deals earlier. Experts say that these deals, many of which will focus on home items because of the pandemic, could be even steeper than usual because of the lack of spending over the spring and summer. Many stores are also hoping to avoid crowds in their stores in November and December so offering cyber deals might push consumers to shop safely at home.

Here’s a list of the deals outside of Prime Day and what you can expect to save big on:

Best Buy (Oct. 13-14): Best Buy is kicking off pre-Black Friday sales to compete with Amazon Prime Day. Shoppers will see the first of Best Buy’s Black Friday deals on dozens of items - and you’ll want to snatch them up quick as inventory this year may be limited. Look out for deals on TV’s, laptops, and wireless headphones.

Target (Oct. 13-14): Target “Deal days” might be your go-to spot for all those kids toys you need. Target reps shoppers can expect more than double the number of deals last year. Also, a special tip,some of the best deals may only be available to Target Circle members, the retailer’s free loyalty program.

Walmart (Oct. 12-15): Walmart’s “Big Save” event is going to bring steep discounts across all of its categories, including games and electronics. Sales include savings on the AirPods Pro, Roku devices, Nintendo Switch games and more. Walmart has promised “Black Friday-like savings” so don’t sleep on this!

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