Amazon Prime Day 2021 runs June 21-22, and a few deals are already live

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Amazon Prime Day, the mega-retailer's two-day shopping event featuring discounts on everything from clothes to 4K TVs, laptops, blenders, air fryers, and Instant Pots, is set for June 21st and 22nd. The event serves up deals for members of Amazon's Prime service and typically takes place mid-summer. It was postponed until October last year due to the ongoing pandemic.

Meant to drive sales and Prime membership sign-ups, Prime Day puts a major tentpole event on the calendar during the typically slower time of year for online retail. It's not uncommon to find deals from competitors during this time as well. This year, customers not subscribed to Prime may have a bit more incentive to sign up, as the recently announced acquisition of MGM should bolster Amazon Prime's media library.

Every Prime Day comes with some level of controversy surrounding the retail giant, be it worker strikes held across the world on various Prime Days or Amazon's questionable and illegal treatment of workers, aggressive union-busting tactics, and downright antagonistic behavior. CEO Jeff Bezos, Forbes 2021's richest person in the world, has also faced sharp criticism from activists and politicians.

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