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The Internet has changed so many things when it comes to how we spend money. Amazon hopes that is true as it touts Prime Day, the third year in a row of what they are hoping is an annual shopping event that rivals Black Friday. <\/p>\nThe Internet has changed so many things when it comes to how we spend money. Amazon hopes that is true as it touts Prime Day, the third year in a row of what they are hoping is an annual shopping event that rivals Black Friday. <\/p>\n
That is their hope, but it will never be their reality. <\/p>\n
But for the savvy Christmas<\/a> shopper \u2013 even a very forward thinking Christmas<\/a> shopper \u2013 Prime Day can indeed become part of great Christmas<\/a> in July celebrations. <\/p>\n It begins by understanding what Prime Day really is and what it is not:<\/p>\n 1.\tIt\u2019s a clearance sale<\/strong><\/p>\n Amazon is no different than any other retailer in the history of time. <\/p>\n July is a dead sales period. It is a time of vacations, travel, and activity that doesn\u2019t really include heavy shopping. There are no real reasons for people to buy right now \u2013 no pending holidays, no huge must-have-stuff events. <\/p>\n Amazon, like other retailers, sees July as a ding in their year. It is a period when the sales don\u2019t come in and like other retailers that means they have to make something happen. <\/p>\n This is why you have seen retailers holding sidewalk sales and Christmas-in-July promotions through out history. These are not necessary events for anyone but the retailer. 2.\tJust as Black Friday doesn\u2019t kick off Christmas<\/a> shopping, Prime Day isn\u2019t Black Friday either<\/strong><\/p>\n Amazon hypes it as an event as big as Black Friday. And that\u2019s all it is \u2013 hype. <\/p>\n You\u2019re not missing anything if you miss Prime Day. <\/p>\n Black Friday is Black Friday because what else are you going to do on a cold weekend in November with Christmas<\/a> staring you down in 30 days? <\/p>\n There isn\u2019t that need or that urgency here \u2013 unless YOU create it. And\u2026you might. See below. <\/p>\n 3.\tYa Gotta Know What You Want<\/strong><\/p>\n The value in Amazon Prime Day may be in buying something you are not sure you want or need. For example, if you\u2019ve been on the fence about getting an Amazon Alexa maybe Prime Day will change your mind.<\/p>\n And that is because Prime Day allows you to get Alexa at a discount\u2026for the first time since last Black Friday. And it will likely be the last time it goes on sale before the next Black Friday. <\/p>\n So if you know what you want maybe Prime Day will be some fun for you. <\/p>\n But it won\u2019t rival Black Friday because, obviously, you don\u2019t have those kinds of needs right now. <\/p>\n 4.\tDon\u2019t Buy Christmas<\/a> Decorations<\/a> on Prime Day<\/strong><\/p>\n While Prime Day to Amazon will definitely mean clearing out the old to bring in the new and there will be a few bargains to be had there are some things you should definitely avoid on Prime Day. Anything related to Christmas<\/a> d\u00e9cor should be avoided on Prime Day. <\/p>\n Why? <\/p>\n Because that peak season is just ramping up. The time to buy Christmas<\/a> decorations<\/a> at a discount is January \u2013 even on Amazon. <\/p>\n The Christmas<\/a> lights<\/a>, Christmas<\/a> trees, and Christmas<\/a> kitsch Amazon might be hawking this Prime Day isn\u2019t old stuff, it\u2019s new. <\/p>\n And that means they have to make a profit on it. Avoid. <\/p>\n 5.\tTo Prime or Not to Prime \u2013 that is the question!<\/strong><\/p>\n The best value on Prime Day may be Prime itself. <\/p>\n It costs $99 a year for the benefit of calling yourself an Amazon Prime customer. A lot of people think that is a small price to pay for lots of movies and music downloads that \u201cfree\u201d with Prime plus 2-day shipping on most other things they buy on Amazon. <\/p>\n But if you\u2019re not a big shopper online or don\u2019t value Amazon\u2019s way of dealing movies and music\u2026that $99 is a major stumbling block. <\/p>\n For Prime Day you can lower that cost by $20 \u2013 and that might be enough to convince you to go Prime. <\/p>\n
\nThe same is true about Prime Day. It\u2019s not about Prime Members \u2013 it is about Amazon GETTING more Prime Members. And, like other retailers, it is a time for clearing out a bunch of stuff to make way for the piles of stuff it is sure to sell in the months ahead. <\/p>\n