I'm a Shopping Expert: 3 Major Sale Events Worth Shopping Besides Prime Day in 2026
Don’t have enough money to go on a shopping spree during Prime Day, Amazon’s four-day shopping event, and worried you’re missing out? Savvy shoppers are in luck. Plenty of major sales, and ways to save money, are right around the corner from more big-box retailers and department stores.
MoneyLion spoke to Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, shopping and savings strategist at Rakuten, about the biggest summer sales and promotions to save the date(s) for and why these events may be better for your budget than Prime Day.
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Besides Prime Day, which sale events should consumers watch out for this summer?
A few worth marking your calendar for are Target Circle Week, Best Buy's summer sale and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
[Writer’s note: Target Circle Deal Days kick off June 23-26 and Best Buy’s Summer Tech Fest runs June 22-28. Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale starts July 18 and runs through Aug. 9.]
Most of these events intentionally land in the same June window as Prime Day since retailers know shoppers are in deal hunting mode. What I love about these individual retailer promotions is you can stack them with Rakuten's cash-back offerings, which means you're earning on top of already discounted prices.
How much can consumers save shopping during these events?
It adds up more than most people realize. Discounts at these major summer sales can hit 20% to 40% off. Rakuten’s Big Stack event, running June 22-26, makes it even better with elevated 10% cash back across hundreds of merchants like Adidas, Expedia, Macy's, Ray-Ban, Tatcha and Samsonite.
What makes shopping these events better for your budget than Prime Day?
The biggest advantage is you have so many more options. Instead of limiting yourself to one retailer, you can compare prices across multiple sales happening in the same week and find the best price for what you're actually looking for.
The best part: If shoppers are on the hunt for a specific product during this sale period, they can enter it into Rakuten and compare cash-back rates across retailers that carry it. In fact, Rakuten data reveals 74% of shoppers say they're prioritizing rewards more than ever. When you combine sale prices with rewards and cash back, the savings stack up quickly, and you're earning them on purchases you were already planning to make.
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This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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