Amazon kicks off holiday sales with Prime Big Deal Days in October

On October 6 and 7, Amazon is launching its Prime Big Deal Days, a 48-hour shopping event featuring exclusive discounts for Prime members. The event is intended to kick off early holiday spending in an increasingly competitive retail market.

Three times a day with Alexa

During the event, Amazon will introduce new deals three times a day. The tech company promises to offer more than a million products at the lowest prices so far this year. “As soon as fall begins, there’s so much to prepare for: entertaining guests, decorating, and holiday gifts. Prime Big Deal Days makes it easy to check everything off your list while saving money,” said Carmen Nestares, vice president of North American Marketing and Prime Tech at Amazon.

The company is also integrating its AI shopping assistant, Alexa, more prominently: Alexa can track price history, set deal alerts, and notify customers when products reach a specified price. In addition, there’s an Auto-Buy feature that automatically purchases a product when it reaches a preset target price.

With Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon is trying to get holiday spending on the agenda earlier in the season. The event focuses not only on Christmas gifts, but also on Halloween, fall fashion, seasonal decorations, and everyday household purchases. In the U.S., Prime members also get discounts on fresh food for fall holidays like Thanksgiving, with free delivery in most areas.