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Amazon Prime Day II a Rousing Success Says Amazon

The online retailer's Prime Early Access Sale sold more than 100 million items in the two-day event designed to kick-start the 2022 holiday shopping season – very early. (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) Newsletter sign up Newsletter (Image credit: Getty Images) By Bob Niedt published 13 October 2022 Amazon's first ever Prime Early Access Sale, an October event to mirror July's Amazon Prime Day, brought big numbers to the online retailer and helped some shoppers get an early start on their holiday gift lists – or themselves. Amazon on Thursday said the two-day event, held Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 11-12), saw more than 100 million items go out the door worldwide (Amazon hasn't released sales figures yet). The event targets Amazon Prime members, a new perk added to the membership benefits.

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Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up The hottest categories for shoppers (and Amazon) included clothing, toys, home goods and, of course, Amazon's own devices such as Echo, Ring video doorbells and flying home-security cameras, Audible and now also iRobot (maker of the Roomba), a perennial winner (and deeply discounted) for prior Amazon Prime Days. "Our Prime Early Access Sale was a great kickoff to the holidays, and the best part is that it's only the beginning," said Doug Herrington, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Stores. "Customers will find millions of must-have deals throughout the season that will help them continue to save money on gifts for loved ones." The most popular products during Prime Early Access Sale included the Macbook Air M1 (opens in new tab), with a surprising discount rarely seen on Apple products; Bose earbuds and headphones; the Peloton bike (opens in new tab); Casper pillows and toppers; and Shark hair dryers, vacuums, and air purifiers. LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask, Apple AirPods (2nd Generation), Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, and Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects Teeth Whitening Strips (opens in new tab) were hot items in the U.S. Best-selling holiday items and décor items sold in the U.S. included wreaths, garlands, decorative lights, and Halloween costumes, because why not holiday costumes? Other major retailers, competitors to Amazon that include Walmart, offered ancillary sales around Amazon's October event, like Walmart's Rollbacks and More (Oct. 10-13) and Target's Deal Days (Oct. 6-8). How the October sales events for all retailers shake out for the holiday shopping season remains to be seen. Kiplinger is forecasting a "meh" season for retailers, with profits peeling off of inflation-fueled price increases rather than sales volume. The forecast is retailers will see only a 1% increase in sales, after inflation. For inflation-weary shoppers, however, big discounts could be in the offing as retailers seek to dispose of warehouse-clogging inventory. Last-minute shoppers should rule; Christmas Eve is on a Saturday this year, and malls are seeing a post-Covid comeback in foot traffic. Explore More Amazon Prime Bob NiedtOnline Editor, Kiplinger.comBob is a Senior Online Editor at Kiplinger.com. He has more than 40 years of experience in online, print and visual journalism. Bob has worked as an award-winning writer and editor in the Washington, D.C., market as well as at news organizations in New York, Michigan and California. Bob joined Kiplinger in 2016, bringing a wealth of expertise covering retail, entertainment, and money-saving trends and topics. He was one of the first journalists at a daily news organization to aggressively cover retail as a specialty, and has been lauded in the retail industry for his expertise. Bob has also been an adjunct and associate professor of print, online and visual journalism at Syracuse University and Ithaca College. He has a master's degree from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a bachelor's degree in communications and theater from Hope College. Latest 4 Ways You Can Take Advantage of a Down Market With markets down for the year, it may seem that all the news is bad. But now could be a good time to make some profitable moves. By Adam Grealish • Published 11 November 22 New, Used or Leased: Is Now the Time to Buy an Electric Vehicle? The Inflation Reduction Act created new tax breaks for electric vehicles. Here's a guide to which EVs count and the best time to buy. By Rivan V. 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By Bob Niedt • Published 22 September 22 Amazon Early Prime Access Sale Is a Prime Day Redux Amazon Prime Prime Day: So nice they had to try it twice. A fall event will follow the model of blowout sales over two days. But it will come with a different name. By Bob Niedt • Last updated 26 September 22 Amazon Warehouse: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Next Online Bargains Amazon Prime Amazon Warehouse products have a wide range of imperfections, but that leads to some often wildly discounted prices. By Bob Niedt • Last updated 11 November 22 Amazon Outlet: Where to Get Hot (and Cheap) Overstock Deals Online Amazon Prime Beyond the everyday offerings of Amazon Prime lies Amazon Outlet for bigger discounts. By Bob Niedt • Last updated 11 November 22 Will There Be a Second Amazon Prime Day 2022? Stand By Amazon Prime Purportedly leaked documents indicate Amazon is asking retailers for possible "lightning" deal options for an October Amazon Prime Day 2022. By Bob Niedt • Published 26 August 22 View More ▸ kiplinger About Us (opens in new tab) Terms and Conditions (opens in new tab) Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) Cookie Policy (opens in new tab) Kiplinger is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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