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Amazon announced in July that Prime Day 2020 would take place “later than usual” due to the coronavirus pandemic. Until Monday's announcement, the company had said only that the sale

would take place in the 4th quarter of the year. The explosion of online shopping in the early stages of the outbreak had significant knock-on effects for Amazon, stretching its warehouse

capacity and slowing delivery times for most goods as it prioritized orders of in-demand household staples and medical supplies. "They seem to have resolved their supply-chain issues

and their shipping issues, so it makes sense to me that they waited,” Bodge says. “I think it would have been an unpleasant experience for shoppers had they tried to do this a couple of

months ago." WHERE ARE THE BEST PRIME DAY DEALS? Amazon typically goes all out on its own brands, especially electronics like Echo smart speakers, Kindle tablets, Fire TVs and Ring

security systems. “Amazon slashes prices aggressively on these devices,” Wehner says. “Look for between 30 percent and 50 percent off." Across brands, the average Prime Day discount on

electronics last year was 22 percent, according to RetailMeNot (which has its own seasonal savings event, Cash Back Day, on Nov. 5-6). "We can safely assume we shall see markdowns in

smart home devices and lighting as well as TVs and laptops,” says Sara Skirboll, shopping and trends expert at RetailMeNot. She also expects top deals on kitchen appliances, décor and other

home goods. If you are gunning for gadgets, don't wait too long. Amazon “may drop some of the most impressive [deals] early on day one to make headlines,” Wehner says. “There's

also a chance that items could sell out early. So shoppers should be ready to go on day one rather than hold out for better on day two." Bodge recommends keeping an eye on beauty

products (particularly skin care), toys and items from AmazonBasics, the company's house brand for tech accessories and household goods, which she says get “huge, aggressive

discounting” on Prime Day. One wrinkle this year might be more big buys from small businesses. Amazon has earmarked $100 million to promote small firms during Prime Day and through the

holiday season.