If you are interested in snagging Prime Day deals (or deals at all the other competing sales), here’s a guide that will help you be online at the right times.

Already Active: Best Buy

Best Buy has been relatively quiet this year. Last year, Best Buy announced a competing sale one week before Prime Day. This year, radio silence. On Sunday, they launched “The Bigger Deal Savings Event” which is expected to run through the end of Prime Day on June 22.

Our assumption is that more impressive deals will roll out from Best Buy as we get closer to Prime Day, likely on Sunday. We will be listing all the best deals in the Best Buy specific feed.

Live on June 20: Target

Starting on Sunday June 20 and running through Tuesday June 22, Target will continue their trend of competing with Prime Day sales with a digital sale event. Target will be pushing out sales on electronics, home items, essentials, toys and more. 

Unlike Prime Day deals, there’s no membership required to access the discounted pricing. Target is also offering the ability to visit a Target store to pick up your purchase, assuming you prefer to get it immediately rather than wait for a delivery.

As of publication, Target hasn’t announced what specific items will be on sale. It’s possible Target will release that information as we get closer to the launch of the sale. You will be able to find all the best Target deals in our Target-specific store feed here.

Live at 7 p.m. ET on June 20: Walmart

Starting on Sunday June 20 (at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT) and running through Tuesday June 23, Walmart is calling their sale “Deals for Days”. Walmart is claiming to offer “Black Friday savings” on categories like electronics, home, toys, beauty, and fashion. This will include online only deals as well as specific in-store savings.

Some of the announced sales include a 40″ Hisense Roku LED TV for $178, a Straight Talk A32 5G Phone for $199, a Pioneer Woman 14-pc. Forged Cutlery Knife Block Set for $40 and a HP 11.6” Chromebook 4GB RAM for $159. There will also be apparel discounts on Reebok, Champion, Skechers, Levi’s, and Michael Kors products ranging from 20% to 70%.

Of course, you can find all the best sales here in our Walmart-specific deal feed.

Live at 12 a.m. PT June 21: Amazon, Newegg & Kohl’s

There have been a handful of early deals released by Amazon already. Here’s a link detailing all the sales:

• Early Prime Day Offers at Amazon
• Amazon Prime Select Streaming Channels for $0.99
• $10 Prime Day Shopping Credit w/ Select Purchases $10+

When the sale kicks off, you will find all deals listed on the main Amazon Prime Day page. In addition, we will be featuring the best deals and discounts in our Amazon-specific feed.

Calling this promotion the Fantastech Sale, Newegg currently has a presale going that will end at when the Fantastech Sale starts. There’s zero information on the deals Newegg will be offering during the main Fantastech Sale, but you will be able to see the absolute best offers in our Newegg-specific deal feed.

Kohl’s is calling their sale the WOW Deals event. Their customers will earn $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent on purchases, potentially offering better deals than Amazon if there’s significant pricematching.

Some of the early announced deals include the Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell for $150 (with $30 in Kohl’s Cash), the Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robotic Vacuum for $200 (with $30 Kohl’s Cash), and the  PowerXL Vortex 10-qt Air Fryer Pro for $100 (with $10 Kohl’s Cash). You will be able to see the best offers in our Kohl’s specific deal feed.

Here are the times when Prime Day 2021 & other competing sales start

Blaming a lack of retail foot traffic from the COVID-19 pandemic, management at Fry’s Electronics has made the decision to close all 31 Fry’s Electronics retail locations in nine states within the U.S. The company ceased all operations abruptly as of today and posted a message on the website which reads:

After nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop-shop and online resource for high-tech professionals across nine states and 31 stores, Fry’s Electronics, Inc. (“Fry’s” or “Company”), has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Company will implement the shut down through an orderly wind down process that it believes will be in the best interests of the Company, its creditors, and other stakeholders.

The Company ceased regular operations and began the wind-down process on February 24, 2021. It is hoped that undertaking the wind-down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities, minimize the impact on our customers, vendors, landlords and associates, and maximize the value of the Company’s assets for its creditors and other stakeholders.

While COVID supply issues likely contributed to the downfall of Fry’s Electronics, the retailer certainly wasn’t in a good position prior to the pandemic. As of 2019, shelves at Fry’s locations were frequently bare and the company shifted to stocking other types of items beyond electronics.

Just take a look at the Phoenix location in this Retail Archeology video, published during August 2019:

To the retailers credit, Fry’s Electronics did last much longer than big box store competitors like Circuit City and CompUSA. It’s possible that the company may have survived longer if management had shifted to a smaller store footprint, perhaps like Microcenter. Unfortunately, the retailer also struggled with online sales, showcasing the same inventory problems that retail stores were going through; basically pushing customers to sites like NewEgg and Amazon for in-stock items.

Fry’s Electronics is closing all stores, which also includes online shopping

If you are interested in snagging Prime Day deals (or deals at all the other competing sales), here’s a guide that will help you be online at the right times.

Already Active: Walmart & Costco

Walmart’s “Big Sale” promotion started Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. PT. We’ve seen some solid sales on lower-end 4K televisions and toys. You can find all some of the best sales here in our Walmart-specific deal feed. Or you can check out the entire sale here.

Costco’s sale started this morning around 10 a.m. PT. We’ve just started to sift through the sale for any major discounts. You can look through the sale items here (requires membership).

Live at 10 p.m. PT: Best Buy

Best Buy’s sale is expected to start at 10 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. ET. There’s little information on what will be included in the sale beyond a Samsung 4K TV, laptops and a portable speaker. All info can be found here. When the sale kicks off, we will be listing the best deals in the Best Buy specific feed.

Just FYI, If you are a My Best Buy member (free to join) and you make a purchase on October 13 or 14 with a “Black Friday Price Guaranteed” on the product page, you will qualify for automatic price adjustments on said item if the price falls below what you paid on or prior to November 28 (Black Friday). Those adjustments will be applied to your payment method by December 14, 2020.

Live at 12 a.m. PT: Amazon, Target, Newegg

There have been a ton of early deals released by Amazon already. Here’s a few links detailing all the early sales:

• Amazon Prime Member Sales & Special Offers
• Early Prime Day Sale: Prime Members Only Coupons
• Amazon Devices Sale (Prime Day 2020)

When the sale kicks off, you will find all deals listed on the main Amazon Prime Day page. In addition, we will be featuring the best deals and discounts in our Amazon-specific feed.

Target will be launching “Deal Days” around the same time as Amazon. Although Target hasn’t specifically announced a start time, it’s likely that Deal Days will start at the same time as Amazon’s sale. You can find more information about Deal Days here and you will be able to find the best sales and discounts in our Target-specific deal feed.

Calling this promotion Fantastech Sale Round 2, Newegg currently has a countdown going that will end at midnight. There’s zero information on the deals Newegg will be offering, but you will be able to see the absolute best offers in our Newegg-specific deal feed.

Here are the times when Prime Day & other competing sales start

During a 5-week period between August 14 to September 18 2018, credit card information used on Newegg was exposed to hackers via malicious code. Mentioned in a Twitter post this morning, shoppers should check their email to see if their account information is at risk.

Hackers were able to collect credit card information by injecting 15 lines of malicious code into the payments page on both desktop and mobile versions of the site. The code sent to a different server while utilizing a HTTPS certificate setup by the hackers.

This data breach doesn’t appear to impact anyone that made a purchase prior to August 14. After Newegg emails all impacted users, the site plans to post a FAQ by Friday to help impacted users. However, anyone that’s made a purchase on Newegg in the last five weeks should monitor credit cards and other payment methods for potential fraud.

You can read the entire email being sent out to users below:

It’s likely that the FAQ posted at the end of the week will detail how widespread the data loss was and detail exactly what information (beyond credit card numbers) was lost.

Fraud Alert: Monitor your credit card if you’ve shopped at Newegg recently

Do you do a ton of shopping for tech on Newegg rather than sites like Amazon or Best Buy? Attempting to do to what Amazon did in terms of recruiting loyal consumers, Newegg is offering the perk of expedited shipping (as well as other perks) in exchange for a set fee.

Here’s everything you need to know:

How much does Newegg Premier cost?

At the moment, Newegg is offering a 30-day free trial of the service (assuming you sign up for the $50 yearly service option). This is limited to new customer signups only and breaks down to just over $4 per month. At the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full yearly fee to remain a member. This membership has an automatic renewal function, thus you will be required to sign into your Newegg.com account and cancel prior to the renewal date.

Different from other shipping programs on competing retailers, Newegg also offers options for three month and six months of the service. Three months of Newegg Premier costs $20 ($6.66 per month) and six months of the service costs $30 ($5 per month). There is no free trial option for either of these short term options.

Can I get Newegg Premier for even cheaper?

There are two ways to get a discount on Newegg Premier at the moment. If you have the Amex EveryDay credit card (or apply for one), you can get a $25 credit towards your purchase of a yearly subscription to Premier (basically a 50% discount on the service). Secondly, if you are a student with an .edu email, you can get the yearly subscription for $30.

While not active at the time of this article’s publication, Newegg has run a deal on Groupon in the past; basically offering a discount on Premier along with a credit to spend on the site. Look for that deal to potentially repeat around the holiday shopping season.

What benefits does Newegg Premier offer?

Listed here, you get free expedited shipping (3-days or sooner) on all eligible items, which are typically computer parts and other electronics that Newegg carries. You will also receive free rush processing ($3 to $4 value) as well as free returns / zero restocking fees. Newegg Premier members also have access to a dedicated customer service line as well as early alerts to sales / exclusive deals.

How do I know if an item qualifies for expedited shipping?

Newegg displays the Premier logo on product pages that qualify. You can find it underneath the price on a product page.

For instance, look at the example on the right. If the logo is not present on the page and is sold by a third party, it’s not covered (but may still qualify for free, basic shipping).

How many items on Newegg.com qualify for expedited shipping?

Unknown. Newegg hasn’t released that information. Competitors that have released that info include Walmart (1 million items eligible for ShippingPass) and Amazon (30 million items eligible for Amazon Prime).

Do I have to order by a certain time to get Rush Processing?

Yes. You have to order by 12 p.m. pacific standard time in order to secure processing on the same day as the order. Otherwise, processing will likely occur the following day (assuming it’s a weekday). The only other stipulation is that your shipping address has to match your billing address.

Are there any other perks to signing up?

One. In a promotional partnership with Shutterfly, Newegg is offering a free 8×8 photo book and 50 4×6 prints from Shutterfly if you sign up prior to early September. That’s limited to new accounts only and must be redeemed prior to Halloween.

Can I share my membership with family members?

Yes. More expansive than Amazon Prime, you can share your membership with up to four friends and family members on your account. To invite someone, you simply use the ‘Manage Premier Membership‘ section of Newegg to invite friends and family using email.

Will Newegg prorate a refund of Premier if I cancel?

According to the Terms & Conditions page, it doesn’t appear so. Amazon will do this for customers that cancel Prime, basically offering a prorated refund of the months that you won’t be using Prime.

However, Newegg appears to keep your full yearly fee if you use the Premier shipping perk on just a single order (and simply allow the one-year subscription period to run out the clock). If you haven’t used it on any orders yet, Newegg will refund your entire subscription fee.

How does Newegg Premier compare to Shoprunner?

In case you were not aware, Newegg is one of the stores includes in the Shoprunner 2-day shipping program. While Shoprunner is priced at $80 per year, it includes hundreds of other stores such as Staples, Toys R Us and PetSmart. ShopRunner members also get free return shipping on items. Of course, the various other benefits of Newegg Premier (like account sharing and free rush processing) wouldn’t be included in Shoprunner’s service.

If you rarely shop at the other retailers listed on Shoprunner and shop a ton at Newegg, Premier would be a better bet in terms of perks as well as overall cost. However, consider Shoprunner if you shop frequently at more retailers than just Newegg.

What is Newegg Premier? 10 Things You Should Know

With Amazon Prime Day creeping up on us, there are a number of retailers that killed it last year, none of which are named Amazon. Launching a barrage of competing sales on the same day or week as Prime Day 2015, these stores brought out deals that destroyed Amazon’s offerings. It’s likely they will continue to dominate the space this year, so be sure to check these four retailers starting early next week:

Microsoft Store

If you are in the market for a new laptop, be sure to check the Microsoft Store on July 11 and 12th. Last year, Microsoft dominated Amazon’s laptop prices. Most of Microsoft’s deals sold out within a few hours, so be sure to check early. Microsoft is also running their annual video game sale at the moment, ideal for anyone that wants to pick up discounted games for the Xbox One or 360.

Macy’s

During Prime Day 2015, Macy’s launched an aggressive clearance sale and free shipping site-wide on all orders, a promotion that was actually better than their Black Friday shipping deal. Many of the clearance deals were better than Amazon’s prices, ideal for anyone looking for sales on apparel, shoes, housewares and other home items.

Dell

Releasing an early preview of sales to consumers, Dell is sneaking out their deals on the 11th, prior to Prime Day. We are seeing a solid deal on an Inspiron desktop, roughly $50 less than the price has dropped before as well as a decent discount on a 15-inch laptop bringing the price under $250. Look for discounts on video game console bundles at Dell as well; a sale that’s become all too common during Black Friday.

NewEgg

During Prime Day 2015, Newegg’s deal offerings were scattered, but the retailer offered some killer deals on home theater gear and backpacks, all of which beat Amazon’s prices. Look for deals outside of the core tech products that Newegg is typically known for.

Bonus Tip: Avoid Walmart.com

Walmart’s online sales were even worse than Amazon during Prime Day 2015, despite attempting to garner attention by picking a fight with Amazon on the company blog. The majority of the sale prices matched existing deals in the clearance section; most of the “Rollbacks” were extremely insignificant.

4 Retailers Worth Checking on Prime Day That Aren’t Amazon

Getting a jump on holiday promotions kicking off in Black November, several stores have released details this week about promotions that will occur leading up to Black Friday. We’ve collected all the latest announcements and summarized each for you.

Walmart

• No Free Shipping This Holiday Season: Walmart has ignored Best Buy & Target’s promos of free shipping, no minimum. Free shipping will still require a $50 minimum order or free ship-to-store on any purchase.
• Rollbacks instead of Special Events: Walmart is pushing out more rollbacks that last 90 days rather than special event days throughout November.
• Early Sale Info: On Nov 1., you will see the iPad Mini 2 for $199 (LINK), RCA 48-inch 1080p HDTV for $299 and the Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy S3 Prepaid phone for $99. Link

Amazon

• Early Deals: Amazon kicked off their Countdown to Black Friday sale on November 1. LINK

Target

• Free Shipping: Starting on November 1, Target will offer free shipping on all purchases, no minimum. That lasts through Christmas.
• More Cartwheel Deals: Target will offer 1,000 new deals with more than 350 deals at 25 percent off or more.
• 50% off Select Toys is Back: Same rules as last year, 1 toy a day for 50% off MSRP. Starts on Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 24 within the Cartwheel app.
• Price-Matching is Extended: Target is pushing the usual 14-day window to just over 50 days for the holidays. Link

Office Depot / OfficeMax

• Early Deal Schedule: Early Black BF deals start on Nov. 8th. Early Cyber Monday deals start on Nov. 2 and run every Monday.
• Early Deal Info: Nov. 8th – 14th (Toshiba Satellite C55D laptop for $220, HP Envy 5534 Printer for $80), Nov. 15th – 21st (Toshiba Satellite C55 laptop for $350, Lenovo Tab 2 A8 Tablet for $100, HP Envy 4500 Printer for $49.99) Link

Macy’s

• Early Black Friday Deal Info: Cashmere Crewneck or V-Neck Sweaters for $40, Rampage, Style&Co. and Seven Dial Boots for $20, 3/8 ct. Diamond Earrings in 14k Gold for $150, Select Small Appliances for $10. Link

Sears

• New Sears Credit Card Perks: Beginning Nov. 1 and running through Jan. 2, Sears credit cardholders receive 10 percent back in points on the first $500 spent.
• Thanksgiving / Black Friday hours: 6 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 26 to 2 a.m. Fri., Nov. 27; Re-open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri., Nov. 27. Link

Kohl’s

• Kohl’s Cash Promotion: $15 in Kohl’s cash for every $50 you spend from Monday, November 23 until Sunday, November 29. Link

Best Buy

• Free Shipping Promotion: Already started on October 25, Best Buy will offer free shipping, no minimum purchase, through Jan 2, 2016.
• Special In-Store Shopping Events: First 100 customers get a free tech gift on Nov. 7th, could win $1,000 Best Buy gift card in Twitter giveaway. Link
• Ongoing promotion: Up to 75% off in Sale + Free Shipping All Orders at Best Buy

Newegg

• Black November Promos: Discounts on more than 900 products on Nov 1st, gaming event sale Nov. 4th – 9th., Black Friday preview sale Nov 10th – 26th. Link

Walmart, Target & more stores detail holiday sales starting Nov. 1

If you are an avid Bitcoin user, two new major retailers have just started accepting the online, digital cryptocurrency this month. The first was Newegg at the start of July and the second was Dell as of today. Dell’s announcement first appeared on Michael Dell’s Twitter feed. The company is partnering with Coinbase to process the digital transactions and convert the online currency into U.S. dollars.

Dell is now the world’s largest ecommerce business to accept #bitcoin https://t.co/xC41rKTYXi https://t.co/0YqPK7MfVG

— Michael Dell (@MichaelDell) July 18, 2014

While the majority of retailers still don’t accept Bitcoin, that doesn’t mean you can’t shop at those retailers with Bitcoin. A company called eGifter.com is offering the ability to convert your Bitcoin into a gift card for more than 200 major online retailer such as Amazon, CVS, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Old Navy, REI, Sears and Toys R Us. At the moment, there’s a slight advantage to this process as you can get an additional 3 percent off your order with each purchase.

If you are interested in learning about the exchange rate for Bitcoin to U.S. dollars, Google just added Bitcoin to the currency conversion database this week. For instance, if you search for a phrase like ‘1 BTC to USD,’ you will see the value of a single Bitcoin in U.S. dollars. That will change in real-time as the currency value moves up and down throughout the day.

Dell, Newegg buddy up to Bitcoin, now accepting the digital currency