Amazon Prime Day: My verdict on 2024 sale and why Big Ticket deals were the 'real eye-catchers'

But was it worth all the build up? Well, according to projects it is set to be a record-breaking event for Amazon - and it has been reported that in the UK alone there were over £600m in sales on the first day alone. 

With all that money flying around it certainly sounds like customers - on the whole - found it worthwhile. As a tech writer I was paying extremely close attention to Amazon Prime Day this year, trying to spot the best deals for our readers - and here are my thoughts on the day. 

Big ticket items saw best discounts 

The best way to grab a bargain on Amazon Prime Day this year, at least from a tech point of view, was ironically to buy one of the big ticket items. Weber’s barbecues for instance saw huge savings with hundreds of pounds discounted, while Samsung slashed prices on its Galaxy S23 Ultra phone - a deal so good it was snapped up quickly. 

If you have been intrigued by the idea of a VR headset, but had yet to take the plunge, the sale proved to be a prime opportunity (pun definitely intended) to pick up a Meta Quest 3. The headset was majorly discounted and was a real eye-catching deal. 

But perhaps the biggest MVP of Prime Day 2024 was Shark, the company’s popular vacuum cleaner range saw major sales across the board. Whether you were looking for a mop, a steamer, a hand vacuum or a full-blown vacuum, there were deals available for all. 

Some deals left us wanting 

I found that deals on your smaller ticket items were a lot less appealing this year. In particular I like to try and pick up at least one DVD, if I get the chance at least, but the discounts were not eye-catching at all. 

Most of the deals on the lower end of Prime Day hovered around the 15%, which obviously is still money saved, but it meant that only a quid or two were being discounted. So for the first time in a while I left the sale empty handed. 

However, in the interest of balance, there were some great deals on books (slightly more old school than technology I know) with the A Song of Ice and Fire collection being a particularly fantastic discount that I had to try hard to resist - I still have the last of my Christmas book haul to finish before subjecting my bookshelf to more. 

And there were some pretty fantastic deals on board games, including two-player favourites like 7 Wonders Duel and Splendor Duel. Unfortunately I couldn’t justify buying yet more board games to add to my ever expanding collection. 

Thoughts for the next Prime sale 

It pays to be forward thinking when it comes to the big Amazon Prime sales and before we get to Black Friday/ Cyber Monday at the tail end of the year, it might be worth picking out a single big ticket item to keep your eyes on. If you are thinking that it is time to upgrade your vacuum, laptop, TV or similar, perhaps start setting aside a little bit of money each month so that when the sale rolls around you have the funds to grab one of the really big bargains. 

Because I know that when you see the price tag in the hundreds, even after a massive discount, it can be a hurdle to overcome. However, by planning ahead you are prepared to splurge, if the deal is right. 

Our overall verdict 

Amazon Prime Day is like any other major retail sale and as such is a bit of a mixed bag. The big ticket sales were really eye-catching this year and if you were in a position to afford them, you could nab some major bargains. 

But the discounts on less expensive items left a bit to be desired. At least in the areas I was focused on. 

What did you think of Amazon Prime Day - did you grab any major bargains, or did it leave you wanting? Let our tech writer know by emailing [email protected].