SPONSORED EDITORIAL

Amazon is gearing up to unleash special discounts and cut prices ahead of its annual summer sale and this year’s bargain rush could be bigger than ever before.

Also known as the 'Summer Black Friday', this years’s Amazon Prime Day edition will stretch to 36 hours - starting at noon on Monday, July 16 before coming to a close at midnight the following day.

The bad news is that the sale fiesta is only valid for Amazon prime subscribers, meaning only those who pay subscription fees can get their hands on the deals.

The good news, however, is that Amazon is offering a free 30-day trial, meaning it is not too late to sign up and also be eligible for those special offers. New members will then be charged £7.99 per month once the trial period expires.

Before the Prime Day launch, the online retailer will be rolling out lightning deals in the week leading up to the main event.

They include three months free trial for Discovery, Shudder, BFI and MGM video channels, four months AMU (Amazon Music Unlimited) individual plan for 99p and a bounty for every qualifying Prime free trial sign-up. Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service giving its users a number of enhanced services and delivery incentives.

Amazon Prime Day was launched in 2015 to mark the company’s 20th anniversary but proved such a hit with online shoppers that it has since evolved into an eagerly-anticipated yearly event.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s virtual assistant app Alexa could once again be on hand to help bargain hunters after handing out cryptic responses and Easter eggs on deals during last year’s sale. There is also the opportunity for users to join waiting lists on items being quickly snapped up.

Shoppers can keep tabs on the best deals at Amazon by visiting Amazon's today’s deals page