Amazon’s Got Something Better Than Black Friday On July 15th

The only thing we love more than a sale is free, speedy shipping, which is exactly why Amazon Prime is such a godsend. And to celebrate its 20th birthday on July 15, Amazon is hosting 24 hours of shopping deals exclusive to Amazon Prime members: Prime Day. Just take our money already, Amazon. Available to Amazon Prime members in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Spain, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, and Austria, Prime Day will feature a variety of short "Lightning Deals." These bargains will change as often as every ten minutes, along with many different "Deals of the Day." Naturally, Prime Day will span the range of Amazon's product offerings, from electronics, movies, and toys, to clothing, sports, and outdoor items. The sales event begins at midnight and lasts all day. On top of its day long sales event, Amazon is also running a #PrimeLiving photo contest that could net you a $10,000 Amazon gift card. To enter, sign into Prime Photos between now and July 15, and submit a photo to amazon.com/primeliving. Amazon will choose one winner per country. Last year, consumer spending dipped in July, so Amazon's sales day is a clever way to kickstart spending among people who might otherwise wait until back-to-school or holiday sales crop up. It's also an enticing ploy to get Amazon Prime holdouts to sign up for the service — Prime members buy twice as many things as non-Prime members, and tend to spend 40% more per transaction. For those of you who aren't already Prime members, you can sign up and start your 30-day free trial. And for seasoned Prime members, get ready for a sales day that could be even bigger than Black Friday. We're not sure if our bank accounts can handle it, but at least we have a little over a week to prepare.