I know what you’re thinking: It’s Prime Day again? Well, yes… sort of. Amazon’s second mega sale of the year, Prime Big Deal Days, is coming up on Oct. 7 and 8, giving Prime members another chance to shop exclusive deals (some of which are already live) on thousands of products. And while there will be plenty of discounts on everyday essentials, deals largely center around gifts this time. Amazon’s October Prime Day unofficially kicks off early Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, signaling to shoppers that it’s time to get into holiday shopping mode.

October may seem early to think about the holidays, but I promise it’s worth it. I’ve been covering major sales at NBC Select for over five years, and I can say with certainty that using Amazon’s October Prime Day to your advantage is key to snagging popular gifts before they sell out and spreading out your spending. In fact, 48% of shoppers plan to participate in Prime Big Deal Days 2025, according to a recent survey by RetailMeNot — this is not the year to skip the sale, especially since tariff-related price hikes could happen at any time, putting additional pressure on your budget.

Below, I’m breaking down how to shop Prime Big Deal Days like a pro. I also consulted experts about what’s worth buying vs. skipping, money-saving strategies and how tariffs are changing the sales game.

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What are the best deals to shop during October Prime Day?

You’ll find the deepest deals in the categories below during Prime Big Deal Days, many of which lend themselves to gifting and/or holiday prep. To give you an idea of some of the best markdowns, I included an example for each category.

Personal tech and gadgets (especially Amazon’s)

I would never buy tech from an Amazon-owned brand unless it was during Prime Day. One of the main reasons the retailer hosts the sale is to sell gadgets from Echo, Ring, Blink, Fire TV and Kindle, for example, so pricing is more competitive than any other time of year. You’ll see many of these brands’ devices drop to their lowest price ever during Prime Big Deal Days, and there are discounted tech bundles available, too. That lets you buy and save on a few devices that work together, like a Ring doorbell and a Ring indoor camera.

Other tech brands slash prices on their gadgets, too. You’ll find deals on earbuds, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, e-readers and portable chargers, as well as smart home devices like security cameras, garage door openers, lights and plugs. To give you an idea of what’s typically on sale, our Prime Big Deal Days 2024 tech bestsellers included the Apple AirPods Pro, Amazon Smart Plug, Chamberlain Smart Garage Control and iWalk Portable Charger.

Small home and kitchen appliances

Don’t buy a refrigerator, range or washing machine during Prime Big Deal Days. A blender, toaster, vacuum or air purifier, however, is a great buy. Focus on countertop kitchen appliances, as well as cleaning and wellness-related home appliances. Some of our readers’ favorites from October Prime Day 2024 include the Shark NV352 Navigator Life Away Upright Vacuum and the Keurig K-Compact Single-Serve Coffee Maker.

Toys

The absolute best time of year to buy toys is during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but because they’re so highly sought after, the most popular, newest models tend to sell out very quickly. If you find a toy on sale during Prime Day that’s on your loved one’s (or your) wish list, consider buying it while it’s in stock so you don’t risk missing out in November.

Gift cards

Once you tap into gift card sales, you’ve unlocked a new level of Prime Day shopping. Brands, services, entertainment platforms and restaurants offer around 20% off or more on gift cards of varying amounts, and you can find gift card sets, too. For example, we’ve seen sets of four $25 gift cards for the price of three. Buying a few gift cards as gifts or stocking stuffers is a great way to prepare for the holiday season. You can get them for yourself to save money in the future, too. During July’s Prime Day, we saw gift card sales from companies like Regal Entertainment, California Pizza Kitchen, H&M and Build-a-Bear.

Keep in mind that gift card discounts are usually Lightning Deals during Prime Day, so they’re only available for a few hours and change throughout the day. That means hesitating to check out could mean you forfeit the sale.

Seasonal decor and hosting essentials

Once a holiday is over, seasonal items hit the clearance section, so that’s when you’ll find the lowest prices. But since Prime Day is the last big sale before Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s likely your only opportunity to buy deeply discounted decor and hosting essentials, be it costumes, tablescape accessories and serveware. There will be lots of deals on Christmas, Hanukkah and winter holiday-related items during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but if you plan to hang lights or set up a tree before the end of November, I’d add those products to your Prime Big Deal Days shopping list.

Everyday essentials

I say it before every Prime Day because I do it myself: walk around your home, open your notes app and make a list of every household basic, pantry staple and wellness essential you’re about to run out of. I’d throw skin, hair and body care essentials onto that list, too. I can almost guarantee that 90% of your list will be on sale during Prime Big Deal Days — and who doesn’t love saving on bulk-sized packs of toothpaste, laundry detergent, pet food, protein powder, body lotion, paper towels and vitamins? Some everyday staples can also make practical gifts or stocking stuffers.

What deals should you skip during October Prime Day?

If big-ticket home and kitchen appliances, TVs, laptops or high-end electronics like video game consoles are on your wish list, wait until Black Friday to add them to your cart, says Vipin Porwal, the CEO of and a consumer savings expert at Smarty. That’s when there will be the most competitive discounts from a larger selection of brands across retailers. Also, Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot, doesn’t recommend shopping for winter fashion during October Prime Day — you’ll see better deals on coats and snow boots once we get deeper into the season. Additionally, skip the furniture and mattresses for now. “Those items tend to drop in price during off-peak times like early spring, so there’s no need to rush those purchases during October,” says Carls.

October Prime Day counter sales to know about

Because online shopping activity increases so much during Prime Day, other retailers host competing sales around the same time to get in on the action. There’s a handful of alternative October Prime Day sales that have already begun, and we expect to learn about more in the coming days — I’ll update this article when we do. For now, here are the two you should have on your radar:

• Target Circle Week runs from Oct. 5 to 11, and it’s exclusive to Target Circle members (free and paid tiers). You can shop the sale in stores and online.
• The Walmart Deals Event is from Oct. 7 to 12, and it’s open to all shoppers. However, Walmart+ members get access to deals a day early on Oct. 6. You can shop the sale in stores and online.

How to save the most money during October Prime Day

1. Plan ahead: Make a list, set a budget and stick to it. Also, do your research ahead of time. “The best way to save is to know what you’re shopping for and track prices ahead of time so you’re not just reacting to a red sale sticker,” says Carls.
2. Pay attention to prominently featured deals: “The better deals during Prime Day are often products that are featured or sponsored,” says Porwal. “Those brands pay extra to get preferred placement, so items are priced to sell and sometimes the best price of the year.”
3. Turn deal notifications on: Amazon’s app can send you push alerts about deals inspired by your shopping activity when you enable “deal and recommendations” notifications in settings. Porwal highly suggests taking advantage of this feature. “Many of the best-priced deals have limited supplies available, so once it’s gone, it’s gone,” he says. You can also add specific products to a wish list and ask Alexa to notify you about deals on those items.
4. Prioritize verified sellers: “A lot of Prime Day sale items are overstock inventory that merchants are trying to clear out while they have a massive audience,” says Porwal. “If it’s an item from an unverified seller or a brand you’re not familiar with and it’s not something you really need, sometimes the savings aren’t worth the risk.”
5. Use price trackers: Retailers sometimes raise prices prior to major sales, and at NBC Select, we follow specific criteria to evaluate deals before recommending them (learn more here). We use CamelCamelCamel to evaluate an item’s price history and determine if it’s really a good deal or just temporarily marked down from an inflated baseline. You can, too.
6. Compare prices across retailers: A few of the sales happening at the same time as Prime Big Deal Days are exclusive to loyalty members, making comparing deals across retailers challenging. But when you can, compare retailers’ deal prices, additional promos and shipping fees to figure out who is offering the best discount overall.
7. Shop Lightning Deals: Lightning Deals only run for a few hours, and there’s limited inventory available — once the product sells out or the deal expires, it’s gone. These are some of the most lucrative discounts brands offer during Prime Day, so pay attention to them. New offers drop as often as every 10 minutes.
8. Checkout ASAP: Many items discounted on Prime Day are overstock merchandise that brands want to clear out while they have a massive audience, says Porwal. They list items at historically low prices to move inventory quickly, so if you like something, act quickly.
9. Double check return policies: Amazon doesn’t have a special return policy for Prime Day purchases, but make sure you know how long you have to return an item if needed.

Meet our experts

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Vipin Porwal is the CEO of and a consumer savings expert at Smarty.
• Stephanie Carls is a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot.

Why trust NBC Select?

I’m a reporter at NBC Select who’s covered Amazon Prime Day for five years. I’ve written about Amazon Prime Day’s history, Prime memberships, the best deals and what to buy and skip during major sale events. I also appear in NBC broadcast segments about Prime Day. For this article, I shared shopping tips based on my years of experience reporting on Prime Day, and interviewed two retail experts.

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