Are Amazon Prime Day sales a steal? We asked 4 pricing firms to find out

Amazon's Prime Day sale launched the evening of Monday, July 16 and will run through July 17, 2018. SAN FRANCISCO – As with all sales, the trick during Amazon's Prime Day is knowing what's really a deal and what's just hype. One market research firm found that only half the items it tracked during the week of the sale were cheaper. Ahead of Amazon's fourth Prime Day on July 16, USA TODAY reviewed pricing analyses from at least four market-tracking firms to determine whether criticism of the 36-hour sales event -- that some sellers use it to clear out undesirable stock before the holidays -- was valid. Or whether shoppers could find deals on items they really wanted.