Amazon Sets New-Low $49 Fire TV Price in Prime Day Insignia Deal
Amazon will set a new low for Fire TV pricing at $49 for an Insignia 32-inch HD model, it said Thursday, teasing more deals before Tuesday’s Prime Day kickoff. A 50-inch Amazon-branded 4K Fire TV will sell for $99 during the 48-hour sales event, Amazon said.The discounts are 72% and 79%, respectively.
Other electronics deals on Amazon-branded products include a Fire TV Stick Lite for $11.99, the Echo Show 15 at $179 (from $249), Kindle Oasis at $174 (from $249) and a Ring Alarm 2.0 five-piece kit at 40% off. Outside of its own brands, Amazon promised 50% off discounts on select Beats, Sony and JBL headphones.
The battle of the summer deals continued Thursday, with Walmart announcing its back-to-school (BTS) plans, a day after Target’s Wednesday jump (see 2207060039). In a Thursday blog post, Julie Barber, Walmart U.S. senior vice president-hardlines, said 99% of schools are returning to in-person learning this year, and families are focused on “budget-conscious ways to stock up.”
While Target touted its signature curbside and order pickup options for products bought online, Walmart urged teachers to buy online and have items delivered “straight to the classroom with free two-day shipping.” It pitched its augmented-reality “View in your space” tool for college students to see how furniture will look in their dorm or apartment.
Walmart also pushed sub-$100 tech including on-ear headphones and a 7-inch tablet from its private label onn. brand, plus an 11.6-inch HP Chromebook for $98. An 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook is listed at Walmart.com at a $110 discount for $119.
In a nod to BTS shopping, Amazon referenced 45% savings on dorm room supplies and 25% savings on select laptops, monitors and desktops from Dell, HP and Microsoft, though most of its attention Thursday was focused on Prime Day.
EMarketer said Wednesday that 55.1% of Gen Z digital buyers 14 and older will use a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service at least once this year, 48.6% of millennials. Next year, the average U.S. consumer will spend over $1,000 with BNPL programs, nearing $95 billion, eMarketer said. Companies like Apple are following financial tech companies with BNPL offerings, it said.
Amazon advertised financing for Prime members, who can get a 0% annual percentage rate on three, six, or 12 equal monthly payments when spending $50 or more on eligible products on Amazon.com, after credit approval by Affirm. It gave the example of a $1,000 flat-screen TV that a customer could buy for $83.34 a month over 12 months.