I still remember the absolute chaos of my first Prime Day as a seller back in 2021. I thought I was prepared. I had stocked up on inventory, or so I thought. At 10:00 AM on day one, my phone started buzzing with sales notifications so fast it actually got hot. By 2:00 PM, I was completely sold out of my best-selling camping lantern.
I sat there for the next 34 hours watching my competitors rank up while my listing displayed "Currently Unavailable." I left about $15,000 on the table that day. It was a painful, expensive lesson in timing.
Since then, I treat the Amazon calendar like a military operation. Whether you are a shopper trying to score a cheap TV or a seller trying to make your year's quota in 48 hours, knowing the exact dates is only half the battle. The real war is won in the preparation weeks before the banner even goes up on the homepage.
Predicting the Dates: When Is Prime Day 2026?
Let’s cut through the noise. Amazon is notoriously secretive about the exact dates until about two weeks prior. However,they are also creatures of habit. If you look at the last five years, a clear pattern emerges.
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2021: June 21-22 (An anomaly due to Olympics/COVID)
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2022: July 12-13
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2023: July 11-12
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2024: July 16-17
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2025: July 15-16
So, when is the next amazon prime day 2026? The math points almost undeniably to Tuesday, July 14th and Wednesday, July 15th, 2026. Amazon loves that mid-July slot because it boosts Q3 revenue during the slow summer months when retail typically dies.
Here’s where it gets interesting... The "October Prime Day" (often called Prime Big Deal Days) is now a permanent fixture. When people ask when is the next amazon prime days in the fall, look for the second week of October. This is Amazon's way of stealing thunder from Black Friday. In 2025, this fell on October 7-8. For 2026, I am betting my inventory budget on October 13-14, 2026.
The "Prime Week" Phenomenon
Technically, Prime Day is 48 hours. But effectively, it is prime week. Deals start dropping as early as the Friday before.Amazon does this to test server load and get people addicted to checking the app.
My Strategy for Shoppers: Don't blow your budget on "Early Access" deals unless it's an Amazon device (Echo, Kindle,Fire TV). Amazon historically discounts their own hardware deepest during the 48-hour window. Third-party sellers (like me), however, often run coupons the week before to ramp up our BSR (Best Seller Rank) so we are sitting at position #1 when the main event starts.
My Honest Failure: In 2024, I ran a massive 20% off coupon during "Prime Week" but turned it off for actual Prime Day thinking organic traffic would carry me. My conversion rate tanked. My competitors kept their coupons running. They crushed me.Lesson: Discounts are like oxygen during prime week. Do not cut off your supply.
Using Data to Predict What Will Sell
Knowing the date is useless if you don't know the demand. Every year, the "It" product changes. One year it's Instant Pots.The next it's Air Fryers. Then it's Walking Pads.
To avoid buying dud inventory, I use Closo. Specifically, the Closo Demand predictor is my crystal ball. It analyzes search velocity trends weeks before the event. For prime day 2026, Closo is already signaling high interest in "Smart Home Water Monitors" and "AI-Powered Baby Monitors."
Why this matters: If I rely on last year's data (when is the next amazon prime day 2025 trends), I am looking in the rearview mirror. I need to know what people want now. In 2025, everyone stocked massage guns because they were huge in 2024. But the Closo Demand predictor showed a decline in search volume. Result? A glut of massage guns and crashing prices. I pivoted to "Travel Steamers" based on Closo's signal and sold out in 4 hours.
What Day Is Prime Day for Sellers vs. Shoppers?
For shoppers, what day is prime day is a day of spending. For sellers, it is a day of anxiety. But the real work happens on "Inbound Shipping Cutoff Day."
The Critical Dates: If Prime Day is July 14th, your inventory usually needs to be at Amazon's warehouse by June 20th.If you miss this date, your stock sits on a dock while the event passes you by.
Anecdote: I missed the cutoff in 2022 by 24 hours. My pallet of 500 yoga mats arrived at the fulfillment center on June 22nd. Amazon checked them in on July 16th—three days after Prime Day ended. I paid storage fees on those mats for three months. It was brutal.
What Are Prime Days Actually Good For?
Are the deals real? Or is it just a garage sale?What are prime days really about? They are about clearing out old tech and hooking you into the Amazon ecosystem.
The Best Buys:
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Amazon Devices: Echos, Ring Doorbells, Kindles. These hit all-time lows.
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TVs: Specifically the Amazon Fire TVs. They practically give these away to get you watching Prime Video.
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Back to School: In July, Amazon pushes laptops and backpacks hard.
The Worst Buys:
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Clothing: Fashion deals are often weak or just clearing out last season's ugly colors.
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Third-Party Knockoffs: Be careful of "70% Off" deals on brands you've never heard of. They inflate the "List Price" to make the deal look better.
Opinion Statement: I believe prime day 2026 will be the year of the "Grocery" deal. With Amazon Fresh expanding,expect massive discounts on bulk pantry items to get people habituated to ordering food online.
Preparing Your Inventory with Closo
If you are a reseller, you cannot rely on Amazon alone. Prime Day brings millions of eyeballs, but it also brings fierce competition. I use Closo to hedge my bets. While everyone is fighting on Amazon, I use the Closo 100% Free Crosslister to push my Prime Day inventory to eBay and Walmart.
Why? Because when items sell out on Amazon (and they will), frustrated shoppers go to eBay. I list my items on eBay at a slightly higher price. When the Amazon stock hits zero, my eBay sales spike. Closo automates this sync so I don't sell the same item twice. It saves me about 3 hours weekly of panic-checking inventory levels.
Prime Big Deal Days: The October Event
We used to ask when is the next prime day for amazon and get one answer. Now we get two. The October event (Prime Big Deal Days) is technically different.
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Focus: Holiday shopping. Toys, gifts, winter gear.
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Vibe: More urgent. "Get it before Christmas."
When is the next amazon prime day 2025 (October edition)? Likely October 7-8, 2025.When is prime day 2026(October edition)? Likely October 13-14, 2026.
(Parenthetical aside: I actually prefer the October event. The shoppers are more serious. In July, people are browsing while at the beach. In October, they have a gift list and a credit card.)
Comparison: Prime Day vs. Black Friday
People often ask me, "Should I wait for Black Friday?"
Verdict: Buy your tech in July. Buy your clothes in November.
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Do I need a Prime membership to shop?
Yes. Unlike Black Friday, Prime Day is exclusive to members. However, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial the day before the event, shop the deals, and then cancel. (Amazon knows people do this; they bank on you forgetting to cancel).
Common question I see... Are the "Lightning Deals" worth it?
Sometimes. A Lightning Deal is a limited-time, limited-quantity promotion. But here is the trick: Check the "Claimed" percentage. If a deal is 90% claimed in 5 minutes, it’s a hot item. If it’s sitting at 10% claimed after an hour, the price probably isn't that good.
People always ask me... Why does the date change every year?
Amazon moves the date to maximize profit. They look at the calendar, avoid major holidays (like July 4th), and try to pick a week where consumers have cash. In 2026, mid-July is safe from the World Cup and Olympics, so it's strictly about Q3 revenue management.
Conclusion
Knowing when is the next amazon prime day gives you power. For shoppers, it allows you to budget. For sellers, it allows you to survive.
Prime Day 2026 is coming in mid-July. The "Second Prime Day" is coming in mid-October. Mark your calendars for July 14-15 and October 13-14.
My honest assessment is that if you aren't preparing 60 days in advance, you are already late. Use the tools available to you. Don't guess on inventory. Use data.
If you are ready to stop guessing and start predicting demand like a pro, check out the Closo Seller Hub.
For a deeper dive into finding the specific products that will fly off the shelves this Prime Day, read Top Trending Dropshipping Products 2026
And if you want to know how the fees for selling during Prime Day have changed (hint: they went up), check out Amazon Seller Fees 2026
