If you've made it here to this page, you probably already know that Amazon Prime Day 2024 will be making its 10th anniversary return tomorrow. And just as the e-commerce giant is gearing up by already offering great deals and discounts across the shopping platform, so is the competition (sorry, Jeff Bezos).
Also: The best Prime Day deals right now
Right now, you can score deep savings in many core categories, like tech, home, back-to-school, and beyond, at plenty of other major retailers, including Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Costco, BJ's, and more. Thanks to Prime Day, it's a buyer's market as retailers compete for your purchase on many of the same top tech items by offering identical (or better) discounts.
That's why we've rounded up the best early anti-Prime Day deals that you can shop right now. We'll be updating this list frequently ahead of Prime Day, and multiple times a day while the event occurs, so be sure to check back before you check out.
Apple's MacBook Air (M2) redefines portability and power with a gorgeous display, up to 10-core GPU, and up to 24GB of unified memory. Right now, you can save $200 at Best Buy on the version equipped with the M2 chip, and score a solid laptop for under $1,000.
If you're in the market for a smartwatch, ZDNET's Kerry Wan says you won't want to miss out on the best WearOS deal happening now. Right now, Samsung is offering its base model Watch FE for just $99 with an eligible trade-in. That's right. The Galaxy Watch FE, which sells for $199 can be yours for only $99 (that's 50% off) when you trade in any smartwatch in any condition.
"That's easily one of the best trade-in promotions I've seen, so much so that I upgraded my mom's Galaxy Watch 2 without hesitation. It's a new Samsung smartwatch for $99, folks," Wan said.
Although the new iPad Air and Pro models were released last month, the 2022 iPad Air is still a great buy. The 256GB model is $250 off at Best Buy right now, sweetening this offer. ZDNET's Maria Diaz has tested both the 2022 Air and the new 2024 model, and says that the newer iPad Air doesn't knock it out of the park.
"It doesn't significantly outshine the previous Air model or other cheaper iPads. But if you want a lightweight, big-screen iPad with most of the Apple fix-ins, this year's model may be the most reasonable option for consumers," she said in her review.
Right now, Walmart is discounting its Walmart+ membership program by 50%. Instead of paying $98/year, you can sign up and pay only $49, and secure early access to shop Walmart's largest savings event -- Walmart Deals, which kicks off next week.
Plus, a Walmart+ membership provides a plethora of added benefits to customers, including free delivery from your store, free shipping with no order minimum, saving 10 cents per gallon at 13,000+ fuel locations nationwide, video streaming with Paramount+, auto care services, returns from home, early access to exclusive savings, mobile scan and go, and more.
Amazon Prime Day 202 will begin July 16 at 12:01 a.m. PDT and run through July 17. Last year, Prime Day ran July 11 and 12, tailing Fourth of July weekend more closely.
Most major retailers, including (but certainly not limited to) Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Costco, BJs, B&H Photo, and more have deals during Prime Day. This is for one major reason: to compete. If they didn't offer the same (or sometimes better) discounts as Amazon, they'd lose many customers. To compete with the e-commerce giant, most other major retailers run similar sales of their own before, after, or during Prime Day. That's why its key to scour not just one site before making a purchase.
Plus, deals are typically lower at Prime Day across major retailers, especially on big-ticket items like TVs, Amazon products, laptops, and more. However, it's also a great time to score savings on everyday essentials and products. While it's true you can also save during other Amazon events, like Prime Big Deal Days in October and the Big Spring Sale in March, the savings (or the retailer competition) often aren't as steep as during July Prime Day.
For the most part, the majority of retailers already price match or outcompete Amazon's Prime Day offer price by default to compete with the e-commerce giant. Thanks to competing sales, retailer-specific sale events, and the summer season, it's truly a buyer's market. But, in the event that a retailer doesn't have the same price as Amazon, many retailers have price matching policies to explore. Keep in mind that it's important to read the fine print on each policy retailer to retailer, but it never hurts to check for a price-match.
Popular stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy do offer various forms of price-matching, however, some policies are particularly strict, like Best Buy's. The retailer won't price-match products on sale at competitors during member exclusive events (i.e. Prime Day).
The best way to take advantage of anti-Prime Day deals is to consult multiple retailers before checking out, research, and of course, stay in the know with ZDNET's Prime Day coverage. Most importantly, though, is to remember to keep your eyes out for discounts and listing prices. Sometimes, during big savings events, it's hard to tell what's really a "discount." If you're checking in with all of ZDNET's Prime Day content, don't worry -- we'll be expert-vetting deals to ensure they're worth your money. If you're shopping on your own across retailers, make sure to do some research on historical pricing using tools like Google Shopping and more.
ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy -- devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.
We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we're recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing -- in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.
ZDNET's experts have been searching through Prime Day sales to find the best discounts by category:
You can also find the best Amazon Prime Day deals by price:
And the best deals from other retailers this week: