Amazon sale calendar 2025: Prime Day, best deals, and smart shopping strategies

• July stands out as Amazon's premier shopping month featuring the 4-day Prime Day event (July 8-11), offering the deepest discounts of up to 70% off

• October follows with Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 14-18), offering a second Prime-exclusive shopping event with discounts of 20-60%

• November's "Turkey 5" weekend remains crucial with Black Friday to Cyber Monday featuring site-wide discounts up to 70%

• March and May emerge as strong first-half options with the confirmed Big Spring Sale and Amazon Pet Day offering significant savings opportunities

• SimplyCodes data shows promotional activity peaks in Q4 2024 with November (187) and October (131) showing highest promo code volumes, while 2025 shows strong early momentum with 72 codes in February

Timing your Amazon purchases strategically can lead to significant savings throughout the year. Our analysis of Amazon promo code patterns and SimplyCodes data reveals clear seasonal opportunities that can guide your shopping strategy. Understanding these patterns will help you maximize savings during Amazon's biggest sale events of 2025.

Looking to save more on Amazon? Check out four Amazon shopping hacks that actually work

Amazon's promotional calendar by month

Our analysis of Amazon's confirmed events and historical patterns reveals a structured promotional calendar with distinct shopping opportunities throughout 2025.

Why Prime Day and Black Friday reign supreme for Amazon shoppers

Courtesy of Amazon

July's Prime Day and November's Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend stand out as Amazon's premier shopping events, offering exceptional value that exceeds typical promotions. Understanding what makes these events special helps explain why they've become the cornerstone of Amazon's annual promotional calendar.

Prime Day: Amazon's flagship members-only event

Prime Day has evolved from a single-day celebration to a multi-day shopping extravaganza exclusive to Prime members. The 2025 event will run for four days (July 8-11) according to internal Amazon memos, making it the longest Prime Day yet. This signature event offers unmatched opportunities:

• Deepest discounts of the year: Up to 70% off across thousands of items, with particularly strong deals on Amazon devices, electronics, and household essentials

• Prime-exclusive access: Limited to paid members, reducing competition for limited-quantity deals

• Invite-only deals: Special high-value offers requiring advance request, often with limited quantities

• Lightning deals: Time-limited offers refreshed throughout the event

• Early access opportunities: Pre-event deals often appear up to a week before official start

Amazon's internal data consistently shows Prime Day generates their highest non-holiday sales volume of the year, with discounts that significantly outpace their typical promotional offerings. The expanded four-day format for 2025 suggests even more deals and opportunities.

Black Friday to Cyber Monday: The "Turkey 5" weekend

While most retailers focus their Black Friday efforts on a single day, Amazon has expanded their approach to create an extended five-day shopping event with substantial advantages:

• Extended shopping window: The full "Turkey 5" weekend from Black Friday through Cyber Monday

• Deep discounts: Savings up to 70% that rival Prime Day offers across virtually all categories

• No membership requirement: Unlike Prime Day, these sales are open to all shoppers

• Comprehensive coverage: The broadest selection of discounted products all year

• Strategic timing:Perfectly positioned for holiday gift purchasing

Historically, Amazon's approach to Black Friday has evolved to become far more than just a single day, with promotional codes and deals strategically released throughout November to maintain shopping momentum. SimplyCodes data shows November 2024 had the highest concentration of promotional codes (187), confirming it's a great month to be shopping with Amazon.

October's Prime Big Deal Days: The mid-year Prime opportunity

October has emerged as another critical shopping month with the introduction of Prime Big Deal Days (October 14-18). This event serves as a mid-point between Prime Day and Black Friday with several advantages:

• Prime-exclusive access: Limited to members, reducing competition for deals

• Early holiday shopping: Perfectly timed for advance gift purchasing

• Strong technology focus: Particularly good for electronics and Amazon devices

• Seasonal items: Fall and early winter products often featured

• Waitlist availability: Opportunity to catch deals when others abandon their carts

With 131 promotional codes tracked in October 2024, SimplyCodes data confirms this event's growing significance in Amazon's promotional calendar.

Spring events gaining momentum

Amazon has been strengthening its first-half offerings, with the Big Spring Sale (March 25-31) and Amazon Pet Day (May 13-14) now confirmed for 2025. These events provide important shopping opportunities before the mid-year Prime Day:

• Big Spring Sale: A general site-wide event with up to 40% off across 35+ categories

• Amazon Pet Day: Specialized event offering 20-60% off pet food, supplies, and related products

• No membership requirement: Both events are open to all shoppers, not just Prime members

• Growing promotional significance: These newer events continue to expand in scope and savings

These first-half events help balance Amazon's promotional calendar, ensuring strong shopping opportunities exist throughout the year rather than concentrated solely in the second half.

Month-by-month Amazon shopping guide for 2025

Let's examine each month in detail to understand the specific promotional patterns and shopping opportunities you can expect throughout Amazon's 2025 calendar.

January: Post-holiday deals and organization focus

Key event: New Year's/Winter Clear-Out (Jan 2-15≈)

January represents a strategic opportunity for specific categories as Amazon clears post-holiday inventory. This period focuses heavily on fitness equipment, organizational products, and unsold holiday inventory. While discounts (15-50%) aren't as deep as major events, the Amazon Warehouse offers an additional 20% off open-box and returned items during this window.

Best for: Fitness equipment, storage solutions, and bargain-hunting among returned holiday items. If your needs align with these categories, January offers solid value. Otherwise, wait for deeper discounts in upcoming months.

February: Presidents Day home focus

Key event: Presidents Day Deals (Feb 14-18)

February centers around the Presidents Day holiday weekend with significant discounts on home goods, furniture, and appliances. While not one of Amazon's premier events, it offers up to 50% off in targeted categories. Prime members receive 24-hour early access to these deals through the "Just for Prime" hub.

Best for: Home furnishings, appliances, and mattresses. February represents a good intermediate option if you need these items and can't wait for Spring Sale or Prime Day.

March: First major event of the year

Key event: Big Spring Sale (Mar 25-31) - CONFIRMED

March features the first confirmed major shopping event of 2025 with the Amazon Big Spring Sale. This springtime promotion offers up to 40% off across 35+ categories, making it Amazon's most significant first-quarter event. Pay special attention to "Buy 2 save 15%" promotions on seasonal apparel, which only appear once multiple items are in your cart.

Best for: Spring apparel, outdoor essentials, and home refreshes. This growing event provides strong value for seasonal transitions without waiting for Prime Day.

April: Beauty category focus

Key event: Summer Beauty Event (Apr 28-May 11) - CONFIRMED

April extends into May with Amazon's confirmed Summer Beauty Event, offering specialized deals on beauty and personal care products. While limited to specific categories, this event provides substantial savings on products starting from $3. Strategic shoppers can stack Subscribe & Save discounts (an additional 15%) during the sale and adjust subscriptions later.

Best for: Beauty supplies, skincare, and personal care items. April's specialized focus makes it worthwhile only for these specific categories.

May: Pet focus and holiday weekend

Key events: Amazon Pet Day (May 13-14) - CONFIRMED and Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27≈)

May offers two distinct shopping opportunities, starting with the confirmed Amazon Pet Day event offering deep discounts (20-60%) on pet supplies, food, and accessories. The month concludes with the Memorial Day weekend sale featuring strong promotions on large appliances, TVs, and outdoor products (20-45% off). Pay attention to "Amazon-Insider Exclusive" coupons on Saturday, which often beat Monday's headline deals.

Best for: Pet owners should prioritize Amazon Pet Day, while those seeking appliances and outdoor items will find value in the Memorial Day promotions.

June: Father's Day and summer preparation

Key event: Father's Day Sale (Jun 13-16≈)

June centers around Father's Day with significant discounts (25-45%) on tools, grooming products, and electronics. This event offers strong value for these specific categories, though not the year's deepest discounts. Consider exploring Amazon Business pricing during this sale, as even consumer accounts can access bulk tool discounts during this period.

Best for: Tools, men's grooming products, and electronics related to Father's Day gifting.

July: The year's premier shopping event

Key event: Prime Day (Jul 8-11) - CONFIRMED for 4 days

July hosts Amazon's flagship sales event, Prime Day, which will run for an unprecedented four days in 2025 according to internal memos. Exclusive to Prime members, this event offers the year's deepest discounts (20-70%) across virtually all categories. Use the "Invite-Only Deals" filter to request access to limited-quantity offers, with acceptances arriving 48 hours before the event starts.

Best for: Major purchases across all categories, especially Amazon devices, electronics, and household essentials. This represents the optimal time for significant investments.

August-September: Back-to-school and Labor Day

Key events: Back-to-School (Aug 1-Sep 2≈) and Labor Day Deals (Aug 30-Sep 2)

The August-September period blends back-to-school shopping with Labor Day promotions, offering discounts on supplies, dorm essentials, and end-of-summer clearance items (15-50%). Prices drop deepest on the final Wednesday of August (after most states' tax-free weekends). For Labor Day, look for virtual-bundle coupons on Amazon Basics furniture that allow stackable savings when purchasing multiple items.

Best for: School supplies, dorm essentials, mattresses, and patio closeouts as summer ends.

October: Early holiday shopping event

Key event: Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 14-18≈)

October features Amazon's second Prime-exclusive event of the year with Prime Big Deal Days. This members-only shopping event offers substantial discounts (20-60%) focused on early holiday shopping, particularly technology and Amazon devices. Historical patterns show additional Fire device coupons appear in the final 12 hours of the event.

Best for: Early holiday gift shopping, especially electronics and Amazon devices. An excellent alternative to Black Friday for those who prefer getting ahead of the holiday rush.

November: Black Friday and early holiday deals

Key events: Early Holiday Deals (late Oct-Nov 15) and Black Friday/Cyber Monday (Nov 28-Dec 1)

November represents Amazon's peak promotional month with Early Holiday Deals flowing into the critical Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. The month begins with targeted 15-40% discounts on small appliances and décor before culminating in the year's deepest site-wide discounts of up to 70% during the "Turkey 5" weekend. Interestingly, prices often dip lowest Sunday night rather than Friday, so watch price tracking tools throughout the weekend.

Best for: Holiday gift shopping across all categories, making this an essential shopping period for most consumers.

December: Last-minute shopping and daily deals

Key events: 12 Days of Deals (Dec 2-13≈) and Last-Minute Gifts (Dec 14-23≈)

December continues the holiday momentum with the 12 Days of Deals featuring daily rotating category discounts, followed by Last-Minute Gifts focused on items eligible for expedited shipping. Check "Just-for-Prime" coupons even without a membership, as Amazon shows non-members the discount while upselling Prime. Same-day delivery cutoffs vary by location, with major metro areas like NYC and LA maintaining Prime Same-Day until noon on December 24.

Best for: Last-minute holiday shoppers, gift card purchases, and those needing guaranteed delivery before Christmas.

What Amazon's promo code data reveals about shopping strategy

Analysis of SimplyCodes data for Amazon promotional codes from January 2024 through April 2025 provides valuable insights into their discount approach and priorities.

Promotional code volume reveals clear seasonal patterns

The SimplyCodes data visualization shows dramatic seasonal fluctuations in Amazon's promotional activity, with several key insights:

• Q4 dominance: November (187) and October (131) show the highest concentration of promotional codes in 2024, confirming the critical importance of the holiday shopping season

• December strength: December 2024 (66 codes) showed substantial activity, continuing the holiday momentum

• February 2025 spike: February 2025 (72 codes) represents the strongest month so far in 2025, significantly higher than February 2024 (15 codes)

• Consistent early 2025 activity: January through April 2025 shows stronger promotional activity (30-72 codes per month) compared to the same period in 2024 (14-20 codes), suggesting increasing first-quarter opportunity

Device-focused promotions drive the biggest events

Amazon's promotional strategy heavily emphasizes their own devices during major events. Echo, Fire TV, Kindle, and Ring products receive the deepest discounts during Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, and Black Friday. Historical patterns show these products often see 50-70% discounts during these key events.

The device focus extends to complementary services, with promotions for Amazon Music, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible frequently appearing alongside device discounts. This bundling strategy creates some of the year's best values when combining hardware and subscription services.

Lightning Deals demonstrate unique patterns

Amazon's time-limited Lightning Deals follow specific patterns worth understanding:

• Prime Day exclusivity: During Prime Day, Lightning Deals are reserved exclusively for Prime members

• Early morning refreshes: Many Lightning Deals repeat at 3 a.m. ET during major events, creating a second chance for those who set alerts

• Evening availability: On Cyber Monday specifically, abandoned carts release hundreds of Lightning Deals after 9 p.m. ET, creating late-night opportunities

• Waitlist effectiveness: Joining waitlists during peak events proves surprisingly effective as many shoppers abandon carts before completing purchases

Understanding these patterns can help strategic shoppers maximize access to limited-quantity offers during high-demand periods.

Invite-Only Deals represent a growing trend

A relatively new addition to Amazon's promotional strategy, Invite-Only Deals have become increasingly prominent during Prime events. These limited-quantity offers require members to request access in advance, with acceptances arriving 48 hours before the event begins.

This system rewards engaged Prime members while helping Amazon manage inventory for high-demand items. For shoppers, requesting all relevant Invite-Only Deals approximately 10 days before major events maximizes access to these exclusive offers.

Strategic shopping tips for Amazon in 2025

Amazon's promotional patterns offer clear guidance for how to approach shopping throughout 2025.

Best times to shop by product category

Leverage Prime membership strategically

Amazon's promotional calendar includes both member-exclusive and public events. Prime membership provides access to the year's two biggest exclusive events:

• July's Prime Day (Jul 8-11): The year's premier shopping event with the deepest discounts and broadest selection

• October's Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 14-18): A valuable mid-point between Prime Day and Black Friday

While many sales are open to all shoppers, Prime members receive early access to select deals, exclusive coupons, and priority access to limited-quantity offers. The strategic approach is to ensure membership is active during July and October at minimum, even if you don't maintain it year-round.

Utilize price tracking tools effectively

Amazon's dynamic pricing means items often fluctuate significantly throughout the year. Effective price tracking proves essential:

• Set up CamelCamelCamel alerts one week before major events to receive notifications when items hit 30-day or all-time lows

• Use the Amazon app's "Save for Later" feature to track price changes on specific products

• Check historical pricing before major purchases to verify if current "deals" represent genuine discounts

• Monitor pricing Sunday night during Black Friday weekend, when prices often dip lowest

Remember that Amazon's advertised discount percentages compare against list prices that may not reflect typical selling prices. Price history tools provide objective verification of actual savings.

Stack multiple discount opportunities

The most effective Amazon shopping strategy involves combining multiple savings opportunities:

• Layer on-page coupons (green checkbox) on top of event pricing for additional savings

• Explore Subscribe & Save during beauty and household events, which adds 5-15% additional savings

• Check alternative sellers within Amazon's marketplace, as different sellers often offer varying prices on identical items

• Look for Warehouse deals during January's Winter Clear-Out, when returned holiday items receive an additional 20% discount

• Combine digital credits earned from previous purchases with promotional pricing

By stacking these opportunities, savvy shoppers can often exceed the advertised discount percentages during major events.

Consider timing for specific Amazon programs

Several Amazon programs follow their own promotional calendars worth considering:

• Prime Gaming releases new free games monthly, with the selection typically refreshing on the first Tuesday

• Book sales appear around World Book Day (April 23) with limited-time flash promotions

• Amazon Business offers special pricing on certain categories during specific events like Father's Day tool sales

• Amazon Basics products receive additional bundle discounts during Labor Day with "Save $X when you add any 3" coupons

These specialized programs and timing opportunities can provide additional value beyond Amazon's main promotional calendar.

Optimizing your Amazon shopping calendar for 2025

Based on our comprehensive analysis of Amazon's promotional patterns and SimplyCodes data, here's a strategic shopping calendar for 2025:

First half focus: Three key events

The first half of 2025 features three standout events worth planning around:

March's Big Spring Sale (Mar 25-31) represents the first major shopping opportunity of the year with up to 40% off across 35+ categories. This confirmed event provides excellent value for spring apparel, home refreshes, and outdoor preparations.

May's Amazon Pet Day (May 13-14) offers pet owners exceptional value with 20-60% off food, supplies, and accessories. This specialized event provides the year's best opportunity for pet-related purchases.

July's Prime Day (Jul 8-11) stands as the year's premier shopping event, offering Prime members the deepest discounts across virtually all categories. The expanded four-day format for 2025 creates increased opportunity for major purchases.

This first-half calendar provides strong shopping opportunities even before the traditional holiday season begins.

Second half strategy: Holiday preparation

The second half of 2025 builds momentum toward the holiday season:

October's Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 14-18) provides Prime members an excellent opportunity for early holiday shopping with substantial discounts on electronics and Amazon devices.

November's Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend (Nov 28-Dec 1) delivers the year's deepest site-wide discounts during the critical "Turkey 5" period. This represents essential timing for holiday gift purchases across all categories.

December's Last-Minute Gifts (Dec 14-23) focuses on expedited shipping options for procrastinators needing guaranteed delivery before Christmas.

This second-half progression allows strategic holiday shopping from early preparation through last-minute needs.

Category-specific timing recommendations

Certain categories have optimal purchase windows worth targeting:

Amazon devices see their deepest discounts during Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, and Black Friday, with savings up to 70%. July's Prime Day historically offers the year's best pricing on Echo, Kindle, and Fire TV products.

Electronics follow a similar pattern, though with broader availability during Black Friday when Prime membership isn't required. October's Prime Big Deal Days serves as an excellent alternative for members seeking early access.

Seasonal items align with natural transitions: March for spring apparel, May for outdoor essentials, August for back-to-school, and November for holiday décor. These periods provide both optimal selection and competitive pricing.

Beauty products receive dedicated focus during the Summer Beauty Event (Apr 28-May 11), making this the year's best window for these specific categories.

By aligning purchases with these category-specific windows, shoppers can maximize both selection and savings throughout the year.

Amazon shopping strategy for 2025

Our data analysis reveals five key insights that should guide your Amazon shopping strategy throughout 2025:

• Prime Day expanding to four days: The July 8-11 event represents Amazon's premier shopping opportunity with the deepest discounts across the broadest selection. Prime membership is essential for this period, even though July 2024 showed modest promotional code activity (6 codes).

• First-half opportunities strengthening significantly: Early 2025 shows substantially increased promotional activity compared to 2024, with February 2025 (72 codes) nearly five times higher than February 2024 (15 codes). This trend continues with March (40 vs. 20) and April (40 vs. 18).

• Q4 remains promotional peak: SimplyCodes data confirms October-November as the highest concentration of promotional activity, with November's 187 codes and October's 131 codes far exceeding other months.

• Stacking strategies yield best savings: Combining event pricing with on-page coupons, Subscribe & Save, and Warehouse deals consistently outperforms single-discount approaches.

• Hidden mechanics offer advantages: Invite-Only Deals, waitlists, and 3 a.m. Lightning Deal refreshes provide access to limited-quantity offers during peak events for those who understand these patterns.

By understanding these patterns and aligning your purchases with Amazon's demonstrated promotional calendar, you can shop with confidence throughout 2025, knowing exactly when to buy—and when to wait—for the best possible deals.

How we get this data: Promo code data is sourced from SimplyCodes, which continuously monitors promotional activity across major retailers. Our analysis combines this proprietary data with Amazon's confirmed 2025 event calendar and historical patterns.

Looking for current Amazon deals? Find verified Amazon promo codes here