Amazon built the sale week, but the strongest anti-Prime Day deals right now are not all sitting inside Amazon’s cart.
That’s the tension in the latest roundup from ZDNet, which found competing discounts from Walmart, Best Buy, Samsung, Sam’s Club, and Costco during the same window as Amazon Prime Day 2026, running Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26.
“Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and others are all running their own deals and discount events this week that are just as good, if not better than, the deals over on Amazon.”
The useful part isn’t just that rivals are discounting. It’s where they’re beating Amazon on exact products, memberships, and category fit.
- Assumption: Prime Day means Amazon has the default best price.
- Reality: Several named deals are cheaper or cleaner outside Amazon.
- Winner: Shoppers willing to compare exact models across stores.
- Risk: A lower list price can still lose once membership rules, warranty options, or product specs enter the math.
Anti-Prime Day Deals Are Turning Amazon's Week Into a Retail Fight
The primary keyword here is anti-Prime Day deals, and this year the phrase fits. The ZDNet list isn’t a vague “other stores have sales too” roundup. It identifies specific products where Amazon is matched, undercut, or bypassed.
The clearest examples are simple. The Fitbit Charge 6 is $76 at Walmart, saving $84, and ZDNet says that is $10 less than Amazon’s Prime Day price. The Shark ChillPill is $100 at Sam’s Club, saving $30, while Amazon has it discounted to $130. The Soundcore Liberty 5 Earbuds are $65 at Costco, saving $65, versus $80 on Amazon.
That’s the new deal math. Amazon may set the calendar, but it no longer controls the checkout path.
| Product or offer | Non-Amazon retailer | Current price | Claimed savings | Amazon comparison from source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart+ membership | Walmart | $49 | Save $49 | Not framed as Amazon price match |
| Fitbit Charge 6 | Walmart | $76 | Save $84 | $10 less than Amazon Prime Day |
| Samsung S90F 55-inch | Samsung | $1,000 | Save $800 | Similar price, but Amazon savings listed as $400 |
| HP 14-inch Chromebook | Best Buy | $159 | Save $240 | Amazon price cited as $259 |
| Shark ChillPill | Sam’s Club | $100 | Save $30 | Amazon cited at $130 |
| Soundcore Liberty 5 Earbuds | Costco | $65 | Save $65 | Amazon cited at $80 |
Best Buy's Electronics Pitch: A Chromebook Deal Amazon Doesn't Match
Best Buy has the cleanest electronics example in ZDNet’s list: the HP 14-inch Chromebook for $159, saving $240, during Best Buy’s Tech Fest Sale, which ZDNet says runs through Sunday. Amazon, by contrast, has the same HP laptop listed at $259 and not on sale.
That gap matters because laptops are exactly where lazy comparison shopping gets expensive. Two Chromebooks can look nearly identical in a product tile, while differing in processor, storage, RAM, display, or release year. The HP model ZDNet flags includes an Intel processor, 14-inch high-definition screen, dual speakers, and Wi-Fi.
Best Buy also appears in related deal coverage outside ZDNet. The Guardian lists Apple AirPods Pro 3 at $179.99 at Best Buy, originally $249.99. NBC Select also highlights electronics deals across retailers, including Apple Watch Series 11 at $299, down from $399, at Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon.
For shoppers tracking bigger screens, the same rule applies: match the exact model before trusting the discount badge. Our related guide to Prime Day TV deals and OLED cuts is useful context for checking whether a TV discount is actually attached to the panel and size you want.
Target's Counter Is Smaller Tech, Beauty, and Home Goods
Target is less prominent in ZDNet’s specific top picks, but NBC Select shows why it still belongs in the anti-Prime Day deals conversation. Its roundup includes Apple AirPods Pro 3 at $179.99, originally $249.99, and the Sony WH-CH520 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones at $39.99, originally $69.99.
Target also shows up outside pure tech. NBC Select lists the Keurig K-Mini Go Single-Serve Coffee Maker at $49.99, down from $99.99, and Olay Skin Care Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Facial Serum at $22.44, down from $29.94, at Walmart rather than Target. The broader point: Amazon alternatives are not just fighting in TVs and laptops. They are also fighting in the low-to-mid-priced items shoppers add quickly.
That’s where smaller baskets can outperform splashy big-ticket sales. If you’re hunting sub-$50 items, cross-checking our guide to Prime Day deals under $50 against Target and Walmart pricing is the smarter move than assuming Amazon wins by default.
Walmart's Broadside: Membership Math Plus Wearable Discounts
Walmart has two of ZDNet’s strongest examples. First, Walmart+ is discounted to $49, saving $49, during the Walmart Deals event that began on June 22 for Walmart+ members. ZDNet notes the usual annual price is $98/year.
The membership offer matters because Walmart+ is not just a coupon wrapper. ZDNet lists benefits including free delivery from your store, free shipping with no order minimum, saving 10 cents per gallon at 13,000+ fuel locations nationwide, and video streaming with a choice of free Peacock or Paramount+.
Then there’s the Fitbit Charge 6 at $76, saving $84. ZDNet says the Walmart price is $10 less than Amazon’s Prime Day price. That is the kind of direct, product-level comparison that makes an anti-Amazon shopping strategy more than a preference statement.
Sam's Club and Costco Win When the Club Price Is Plainly Lower
Warehouse clubs do not need hundreds of flashy tech listings to matter. They need a few clean price wins.
Sam’s Club has the Shark ChillPill for $100, saving $30, according to ZDNet. Amazon’s price is cited at $130. The product itself is a rechargeable handheld fan with a dry-touch mist feature, positioned for indoor or outdoor cooling.
Costco has the Soundcore Liberty 5 Earbuds for $65, saving $65, while Amazon is at $80. ZDNet quotes reviewer Jack Wallen describing the earbuds as delivering a “wonderfully agile, robust low end, buttery smooth mids, and crystal clear highs.”
The catch is obvious but important: club pricing often depends on membership access. If you already belong, these anti-Prime Day deals can be straightforward wins. If you don’t, the membership cost belongs in the final price comparison.
Samsung and Other Brand Sites Can Beat Amazon's Sticker Logic
The Samsung S90F 55-inch deal shows why manufacturer sites deserve a separate tab. ZDNet lists the TV at $1,000 on Samsung’s site, saving $800. Amazon’s price is described as similar, but ZDNet says Amazon’s original listing price is lower, meaning the displayed savings are $400 instead.
That distinction sounds cosmetic until warranty and add-on options enter the purchase. ZDNet says buying directly from Samsung also lets shoppers add a Samsung Care+ plan, which it recommends for a TV at this quality and price.
Brand sites also show up in The Guardian’s anti-Prime Day roundup. It highlights direct deals such as the Anyday Glass Round Dish Set and Cookbook Bundle at $63 with code PRIME10, originally $87, and the Caraway Clean Start Bundle at $995, originally $1,900. These are not Amazon price comparisons, but they reinforce the broader pattern: the sale week has spread well beyond Amazon’s marketplace.
A Fast Filter Before You Check Out
The smartest anti-Prime Day deals are the ones that survive a simple stress test.
- Exact model: Match the product name, size, year, and specs before comparing prices.
- Final price: Include memberships if the deal requires Sam’s Club, Costco, Walmart+, or another paid program.
- Warranty path: Check whether buying direct adds options, as with Samsung Care+ on the Samsung S90F 55-inch.
- Real comparison: Look at at least one Amazon price and one non-Amazon price before checking out.
- Deal timing: Remember that Amazon Prime Day runs June 23 through June 26, while rival events may follow different clocks.
The biggest trap is treating a percent-off label as proof. ZDNet’s Samsung example shows why that fails. The price can be similar while the “savings” number changes because the listed original price differs by retailer.
The bigger picture
Amazon still owns the name recognition around Prime Day. It doesn’t own the savings.
The strongest anti-Prime Day deals in the supplied roundups come from retailers using Amazon’s sale window against it: Walmart on membership and Fitbit pricing, Best Buy on a Chromebook Amazon isn’t discounting, Samsung on direct TV savings and care-plan options, Sam’s Club on the Shark ChillPill, and Costco on Soundcore earbuds.
The practical takeaway is blunt. Skipping Amazon does not mean accepting weaker deals. In several named cases, it means paying less. The next thing to watch is whether retailers keep using Prime Day as a shared discount season, not an Amazon-only event, and whether shoppers keep rewarding the stores that win on exact-product comparisons rather than the loudest sale banner.
Key Takeaways
- Prime Day no longer guarantees Amazon has the lowest price on popular tech and home products.
- Retailers like Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Costco are using Amazon’s sale window to win deal-focused shoppers.
- Consumers still need to compare memberships, warranties, and exact product specs before choosing the cheapest listing.
Originally published on XOOMAR. For more news and analysis, visit XOOMAR.
