Amazon Prime Day saw more profits than last Black Friday, increased worldwide order growth by 266 percent from the same day the previous year, and sold more devices in a single day than ever before. It was a success, despite what some shoppers seemed to think.
But just because Prime Day is over doesn’t mean smart shopping needs to end. Here are some tips on how to get the best deals when you’re buying online:
Use Amazon coupons
Checking for coupons anywhere should be every shopper’s first step, but Amazon Coupons is especially effective because it’s a feature within their website, so you can shop for coupons the same way you shop for products.
Learn how to manipulate the URL
Amazon’s search feature is limited, but by understanding how to work the URL address, you can find exactly what you’re looking for. To illustrate this, consider the following address: www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=11091801&pct-off=50-.
Don’t be intimidated-this process is much simpler than you think. There are three basic parts here.
- The first is called the “foundation” (www.amazon.com/gp/search/), and it doesn’t change.
- Next is the “node number” (?node=). The node number is where you enter a code corresponding to a certain department. In this example we have ?node=11091801, which will return search results related to musical instruments. A full list of all node numbers can be found here http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1930/amazon_clearance_hacks_tips/.
- The third and most important part is the “percent off” (&pct-off=) piece. If you set this to &pct-off=50-, the page will search exclusively for deals offering 50 percent off or better. You can also provide a range, like &pct-off=25-50. This will provide deals anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent off.
Putting all of these together, the URL www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=11091801&pct-off=50- will give you musical instruments at 50 percent off or better.
Capitalize on other companies responding
While the idea of “Black Friday in July” is nothing new, Prime Day is unique in that it seems to have triggered a chain reaction from other companies. “It’s the obvious response that the retailers should take,” says Brent Shelton, online shopping expert from FatWallet.com, He says we can expect to see continued deals from Walmart, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. Many of these will involve cheaper or free shipping. “The advantage of Prime Day is you get free shipping,” he said. “A lot of the response is from other retailers in order to compete.”
While flash sales can be exciting, being aware of smaller ways to consistently save can pay off in the long run.