UPDATE: Jun. 29, 2023, 11:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with more information about the new paid My Best Buy membership tiers, which went live this week.
It was a matter of when, not if, Best Buy announced some conveniently scheduled counter-programming to Amazon Prime Day.
The news arrived with little fanfare, but sure enough, the electronics retailer said Wednesday that its "Black Friday in July" savings event will ride again from Monday, July 10 through Wednesday, July 12. That's 24 hours longer than Amazon's flagship summer sale, which is scheduled for July 11 and 12 this year.
Black Friday in July will feature "hundreds of deals" on tech like TVs, laptops, headphones, smartwatches, and electric transportation (i.e. e-bikes and scooters), which will be available in stores, online, and on the Best Buy mobile app(opens in a new tab).
The sale won't be a members-only affair like Prime Day, but shoppers who sign up for a new paid tier of its recently overhauled(opens in a new tab) My Best Buy rewards program will receive exclusive access to special offers and better discounts on certain items, among other perks:
My Best Buy Plus ($49.99/year) unlocks free two-day shipping with no order minimums and an extended 60-day return/exchange window on most products.
My Best Buy Total ($179.99/year) adds 24/7/365 Geek Squad support for all the tech you own (whether it was purchased at Best Buy or not), VIP priority support from a specially trained team, up to two years of product protection on most new purchases (including AppleCare+), 20% off repair labor, and occasional discounts on services like in-home installation.
Sign-ups(opens in a new tab) for both tiers went live on Tuesday, June 27.
Unlike Walmart and Target, which have also announced anti-Prime Day sales, Best Buy hasn't named any specific products it's planning on discounting during Black Friday in July. However, we know from years past that its pricing tends to have quite a bit of overlap with Amazon's when it comes to big-ticket items like AirPods and Roombas.
There is some wisdom to follow if your shopping list is a bit broader: Amazon is typically better for mid-size budget 4K TVs (like Fire TVs), cheap kitchen gadgets, and smart home devices, while Best Buy puts more energy into sales on larger QLED TV splurges and high-end gaming laptops.
