RS Recommends: Think Amazon Has the Best Deals This Week? These Sites Beg to Differ
Millions of people are currently shopping Amazon’s Prime Day event this week on July 12 and 13, but a number of other big-box retailers and online sites are offering up competing deals and sale events, in an effort to get a piece of the action.
Related: Prime Day 2022 Details
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According to RetailMeNot, consumers have a lot of choices this week when it comes to shopping online, with hundreds of retailers trying to cash in on the Prime Day action. The site says 313 retailers offered some sort of Prime Day-adjacent sale in 2021, with stores like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart leading the charge. Even more non-Amazon sites are offering some sort of sale or discount this year.
If you’re looking to score a deal on a product you’ve been eyeing for months, RetailMeNot says Prime Day week is a great time to shop online. “Don’t forget that Amazon is not the only place to shop on Prime Day,” the site says. “You can shop at hundreds of other retailers and find great deals, in some cases even better.”
What Are the Best Prime Day Alternative Sales to Shop?
There are hundreds of sites offering deals and discounts this week, in addition to Amazon. We’ve done the research and rounded up the best Prime Day alternative sales to shop right now.
1. Target “Deal Days”
Target is running its “Deal Days” from July 11 through 13, with hundreds of thousands of deals on offer, including new savings across every category, from electronics to furniture to apparel to toys.
Unlike Amazon, which requires you to sign up for an Amazon Prime membership to score the best days on Prime Day, Target’s deals are open to everyone — no membership fee required. Plus, thanks to Target’s same-day services, you can receive their items within a couple of hours using Order Pickup, Drive Up, and Same-Day Delivery with Shipt.
As of writing, some excellent Deal Days offers include $40 off Apple Airpods, 50% off Beats Studio 3 headphones (the same great deal that Amazon is running), and $60 off an Instant Pot. See all the best deals here on Target.com.
2. Walmart Rollback Deals
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Walmart’s “Rollback Deals” happen every single day, but this week, they’ve got a slate of deals that make Walmart one of the best Prime Day alternatives to shop, thanks to a selection of toys, electronics, and home goods that rivals Amazon’s. Walmart’s annual sale also typically starts a day or two before Prime Day, and runs a few days longer than Amazon’s event.
Just like Target’s sale event, Walmart’s Deals for Days doesn’t require a membership to shop, and many items come with free two-day shipping.
Head to Walmart.com now to see some of their best discounts leading up to Deals for Days, with steals like a $97 robot vacuum or a Ninja blender at 30% off. Also: Walmart somehow has a whole stock of Gucci sunglasses online starting at just $132 (we won’t tell if you won’t).
3. Best Buy “Black Friday in July”
Best Buy is taking aim at Prime Day with its own deal week, saving shoppers hundreds of dollars on TVs, appliances, computers, smartphones, cameras, sound bars, headphones, and even outdoor grills. “Black Friday in July,” as it’s called, started on July 11 and ends on July 13.
Called “Bigger Deal Savings” last year, Best Buy’s version of Prime Day has the advantage of being open to everyone, no paid subscription required (although a Totaltech membership will get you late access through July 17).
Current Black Friday in July deals include $70 off the latest Apple Watch, 50% off these excellent Sony noise-cancelling headphones, and $50 off a Nest thermostat. Check out all the Best Buy deals here.
Save an additional 20% on already-discounted merchandise at the Best Buy Outlet, which serves up deals on clearance, refurbished and open-box appliances and electronics. Check out all of Best Buy’s Prime Day-competing deals now at BestBuy.com.
4. Sonos Certified Refurbished Sale
Sonos makes some of the most in-demand audio products on the market, and this month is a great time to take advantage of some steep discounts on Sonos’ certified refurbished inventory.
The deals include an additional markdown on the best-selling Sonos Beam Soundbar. Originally $319, the Sonos Beam was already discounted to $191. Now, this Sonos sale gets you an additional discount, bringing the price of a refurbished Beam (Gen 1) to just $127.
Other Sonos deals include a refurbished Sonos Roam speaker for just $139 (regularly $179+). It’s the cheapest price we’re seeing online for the popular Sonos WiFi speaker.
Sonos’ certified refurbished selection doesn’t necessarily mean the products are “used;” they could have been products that were returned, products that were used for photoshoots and testing, or just excess inventory. Sonos says that every refurbished product “undergoes thorough testing to guarantee Sonos quality and includes the same warranty as brand new products, mint condition packaging and accessories and free shipping.”
See all the products included in Sonos’ sale selection here.
5. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
This year, Prime Day happens to coincide with another one of the best savings events anywhere on the web: Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. This much-anticipated annual event brings deep discounts across all of Nordstrom’s categories, delivering deals on designer clothing, shoes, home goods, and even outdoor gear.
The Anniversary Sale starts on July 15 and runs through the end of July, but Nordstrom already has some worthwhile discounts ahead of the Anniversary Sale. You can find deals on pieces like these Nike sneakers, Ray-Ban sunglasses, or surf-ready boardshorts. Plus, there’s an Anniversary Sale preview window happening now, letting you save items to buy during the big event.
Check out a full catalog of Nordstrom’s current sale section here.
6. Saks Fifth Avenue Sale
Another great place to score deals on clothing is Saks Fifth Avenue. The department store’s sale section boasts some serious discounts on everything from streetwear to designer pieces to shoes, with highlights like this Off-White sweater or these Balenciaga pool slides.
Bonus: save an additional 20% off designer sale items with promo code ACTFAST20 from July 12-14.
7. Bed Bath & Beyond
Like last year, Bed Bath & Beyond is hosting its “Beyond Big Savings” event right now, boasting discounts of up to 50% on a huge selection of home goods. Unlike Prime Day, the Beyond Big Savings event doesn’t require a membership and still offers fast shipping. Right now, you can find some great deals like this large rattan leaner mirror for 50% off or this outdoor firepit for 40% off.
8. Wayfair Clearance Sale
Wayfair’s “Summer of Deals” event has some big savings on furniture, home goods and accessories right now that rival some of Amazon’s Prime Day furniture deals. The site’s deal hub includes a “Scores Under $50” section, and “Scores at 50% Off.” We spotted crystal glassware under $20, desks well under $150, and other large furniture — think TV stands, coffee tables, dressers, etc. — all starting under $200.
Plus, Wayfair also has a Closeout sale section that boasts deals up to 80% off.
9. Zappos
There are currently more than 70,000 products marked down on Zappos.com as part of their sale offerings right now and more items are expected to get discounted next week to compete with Prime Day. We spotted shoes and accessories starting at just $10, with top name brands on sale too – think Nike, Adidas, Timberland, Asics, hypebeast-approved essentials, and athletic favorites like Hoka. See all the deals at Zappos.com.
10. GlassesUSA
If you’re looking for a pair of sunglasses, reading glasses, or prescription frames, you’ll want to shop GlassesUSA’s extensive sale happening on July 12 and 13. Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses and eyeglasses are 30% off with code BIGSALE30, while frames and sunglasses with basic Rx lenses are 60% off with code PRIME60.
GlassesUSA’s regular deal selection also has multiple subsections for keen deal hunters, such as a clearance section with over 900 pairs of glasses starting at $19, a sunglasses section with markdowns as much as 65%, and a designer section where stylish frames are discounted up to 60%.
11. Ulta Summer Sale
If you’re looking for Prime Day-like deals on beauty, skincare, haircare and grooming, you’ll want to check out Ulta’s summer sale. The site has hundreds of products on sale, with extra discounts right now on haircare. Save up to 40% off top shampoo and conditioner brands, plus take advantage of Ulta’s buy one, get one 50% off deal. Plus: free shipping on all purchases over $35, no promo code needed.
12. Brooklinen Sale
Brooklinen makes some of the best bedding around, as well as loungewear, bathroom essentials, and home decor. On July 12 and 13, the brand is offering 15% off everything on its site. Brooklinen also offers 10% off everything on its site to first-time customers, bringing your total savings to 25% on your first order. We’ll be using the sale for things like linen sheets to handle the summer heat and a towel restock.
13. Huckberry Sale
With a great selection of men’s clothing, accessories, and outdoor gear, Huckberry has a lot to offer. From July 11 through 14, the retailer is offering 30% off seasonal best-sellers, making it a great time to scoop up some summer gear. In the meantime, check out Huckberry’s fantastic sale section, which boasts savings of up to 45% in all categories.
14. BJ’s Wholesale Club WOW Days
Warehouse club BJ’s is hosting its WOW Days sale event from July 11 to 13, offering up to 40% off on hundreds of items including home goods, electronics, health products, and beauty products. The sale does require a membership to participate, but the sale window is a great time to sign up: New members can save more than 50% on the regular BJ’s membership fee, and then shop all the WOW Days deals.
Some highlights from the WOW Days sale include $100 off a Shark IQ robot vacuum, $1,100 off this Berkley Jensen outdoor seating set, and a 40-inch Samsung smart TV for just $229.99.
15. Backcountry Flash Sale
One of our favorite outdoor gear retailers, Backcountry, is currently running a 48-hour flash sale with deals of up to 70% off on gear, apparel, sports goods, and more. It’s a great opportunity to snag some camping gear for any summer trips, with deals like 55% off this six-person Stoic tent, 50% off a Black Diamond headlamp, and 55% off this luxurious lounger camp chair. Be sure to shop the sale before it ends.
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