Dive Brief:
Amazon has scheduled Prime Day for June 21 and 22, with some special deals launching before then, executives said during a virtual press briefing on Monday. On day one as of midnight Pacific time, Prime members in 20 countries can participate; those without a membership can start a 30-day free trial.
The focus of the briefing was on marketplace sellers. Prime members who spend $10 with "select small businesses" on Amazon's marketplace will receive that amount in credit to use during the two-day sale, according to a follow-up press release. More than 300,000 third-party Amazon sellers are participating.
In many ways the sale starts immediately, with deals as of Wednesday on toys, home goods, the e-commerce giant's Fire TVs and other categories, as well as special offers on its premium music streaming and other services, according to a press release.