Jul 24, 2020
Amazon has postponed its annual Prime Day mega-sale, in another 2020 summer bummer that's courtesy of the coronavirus.
Prime Day is usually held in the middle of July to celebrate the birthday of the online superstore, which was founded on July 5, 1994. Yet mid-July has come and gone with no big shopping event on Amazon to help break up the monotony of COVID-19 home confinement.
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But don't worry, because your credit card or debit card will still get to have some fun before long. Reports are suggesting the annual Prime Day show will go on, but in the fall.
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The likely new date for Prime Day
Leaked emails revealed that Amazon’s Prime Day would indeed be delayed from this month, and the company confirmed the rumors in a statement this week.
"This year we'll be holding Prime Day later than usual, while ensuring the safety of our employees and supporting our customers and selling partners," the company said.
While an official new date has not been announced for the annual shop-a-thon, Amazon has told its third-party sellers to mark Oct. 5 on their calendars as a placeholder date, according to multiple media reports.
The rescheduling gives shoppers more time to get ready, maybe by stockpiling Amazon gift cards. You might earn them by joining a rewards program that offers you gift cards just for shopping, answering survey questions and watching videos.
And if you're feeling the bargain bug right now and don't want to hold back on your web shopping, there are browser extensions that help you save every time you buy online — so you don't have to wait until Prime Day.
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Reasons for the holdup
While the pandemic has forced people to spend a lot of time at home, and limit their in-person shopping, e-commerce options like Amazon have been very busy picking up the slack.
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In March, a blog post from Amazon warned customers of "delivery promises being longer than usual" because of the boost in its business; the company decided to focus on providing essential goods.
The rising cases of the virus in the U.S. continue to threaten Amazon’s logistics, and the e-tailer has faced criticism for the conditions its employees have been working under.
In light of the strains, the Prime Day delay is a "smart move," Amazon customer Jamie Hawley wrote, on Twitter. "Since COVID the shipping delays have been crazy. It’s easy to see that the Amazon infrastructure is under pressure. No need to further stress an already stressed workforce."
Amazon said in its statement this week that it would be "sharing more details soon" about the Prime Day makeup date.
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Daniel was formerly a staff writer for MoneyWise.
Life • Aug 12
