Amazon Prime Day, or technically days, are here, turning an ordinary Monday and Tuesday into a global shopping phenomenon.
Around the world, Amazon is offering its Prime members discounts on gadgets, appliances, beauty products, and just about everything else it sells, with the two-day event expected to rake in $6.1bn (Dh22.4bn) for the e-tailer.
Much like 'Black Friday', the US-turned-global shopping holiday which directly follows Thanksgiving, Amazon Prime Day has a special way of producing a sense of manufactured urgency among shoppers, coercing them into making purchases, that, let's face it, they probably don't need.
Nevertheless, if you are in the market for spending, there are deals to be had. Here's how to make the most of them:
Plan ahead
To cut down on impulse purchases, write down what you want ahead of time and set a spending limit, says Ross Steinman, a professor of psychology at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Much of what is on sale is kept a secret until the event, but you'll be able to browse deals ahead of time on Amazon's app, the company says. Based on past Prime Days, expect its deepest discounts to be on Amazon devices, like its voice-activated Echo speakers and Kindle e-book readers.
Sara Skirboll, a shopping expert at deals site RetailMeNot, recommends setting up a "Wish List" on the Amazon app and allowing it to send notifications so you can get alerts if those items get a price cut.
-
This Huawei phone has a Leica camera, making it one of the best smartphone cameras on the market. Amazon Prime Day has it at 40% off, at 1,989. -
The Toshiba 75 inch UHD LED TV is being sold for Dh3,499, which Amazon says is a saving of 36% of Dh2,000. -
PS4 game Call of Duty Infinite Warfare is Dh20, that's 90% off the list price of Dh199. -
There's 32% off this Fitbit Inspire in this dark red hue called Inspire. The sale price is Dh239. -
This HelloBaby monitor comes with a remote pan-tilt-zoom camera, infrared night vision, temperature display, two-way audio and a lullaby option. It's Dh258, a saving of 48%. -
This Black + Decker four litre digital air fryer is now Dh280, meaning the discount is 49%. -
This app-enabled BB-8 droid shows a range of expressions and perks up at voice commands. It's not cheap at Dh199, but it's original list price is Dh499, so that's a 60% saving. -
This Chicco Viaro Travel system comes with a stroller and a car seat and the bundle now costs Dh999, a saving of 54% (the list price is Dh2,188) -
This Moulinex Fryer, Fry & Cook is Dh199, which is a saving of Dh300 or 60% from the list price. It's dishwasher safe and has air pulse technology. -
This may not be the most glamorous or exciting purchase, but it's certainly a good deal: pay Dh96.97 for 112 Finish dishwasher detergent tablets. That's a saving of Dh80.53 because dishwasher tablets are one of those things that are always surprisingly expensive. -
This Samsonite garment bag is at 68% off, meaning it's now Dh649 (the list price is Dh2,030 - Samsonite is a premium luggage brand). -
This bundle of four PS4 games includes Little Big Planet 3, Bloodborne, Uncharted 4 and Last of Us. It costs Dh129, which is a saving of 59%. -
These Ray Ban women's sunglasses are 60% off and now cost Dh225 with free shipping. You save Dh384. -
This Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with 128 GB of storage costs Dh1,799, and is 51% off. It's the UAE version of the phone. -
The Philips Lumea hair removal machine is now Dh749, a purported saving of Dh950. -
It's not a huge saving overall, but a very practical buy for women. The popular mascara is going for Dh17.39, a saving of 43%. -
This high-end Bose SoundTouch 300 Soundbar costs Dh2,299, whereas the list price is Dh3,149. It comes with audio room calibration that fine-tunes the system’s sound to your room, so your sound always fits your space. -
This Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera, body only, isn't cheap at Dh8,029, but the list price is Dh13,599, so you're saving 41%. There is currently limited stock. -
This fully-automatic Krups Latt Espress coffee machine retails at around Dh3,299, but is Dh1,999 on Prime Day (that's a 39% saving). You can save your coffee settings so your choice of brew is made quickly, every time. This is a good option for those who like milky coffee at home. -
This HP Pavilion x360 laptop is pen-enabled and is being sold at a 39% discount - the Amazon Prime Day price is Dh2,499.
Sign up to the free trial
The deals are only for Prime members. But if you're not a member, you don't have to pay the fee to take part. Amazon offers a 30-day free trial when you sign up for Prime. Just remember to set a calendar reminder to cancel the subscription before you are charged Dh16 for the month or Dh140 for the year.
Slow down
Use the two days of discounts to your advantage. Before you buy, give yourself some time to think about whether you actually need the items you're eyeing. It can help cut down on overspending, says Steinman. "You have some time to cool off," he says.
Shop around
Other stores are crashing Amazon's party, which means more deals for shoppers. Noon.com is hosting a day of 'big deals' here in the UAE, with discounts of up to 75 per cent, while globally, sites like eBay plan to offer their own online discounts during Amazon's Prime Day event. So make sure to search around on other sites to make sure it isn't cheaper elsewhere.
Price history
In the US, price tracking websites such as CamelCamelCamel or Keep, show how the price of an item has changed on Amazon over time. While it does not work for Amazon UAE, it will give you a rough idea of how the site fluctuates its prices throughout the year to help you see if you're really getting the lowest price or if the item tends to be cheaper during other times of the year.
* With additional reporting from the Associated Press
