July sales heat up as retailers launch summer events

SAN ANTONIO – The star-spangled month of July is prime time for some stellar deals. Not only is Amazon’s Prime Day right around the corner, some hot deals are already out there.

“Fourth of July sales are in full swing. This is an especially major sales moment for big-ticket items like grills, large appliances, and mattresses,” said Consumer Reports’ Samantha Gordon.

Consumer Reports tracks prices on many of its top-tested products all year and found some deeply discounted this month.

That includes the Casper Original Hybrid (queen-size) mattress. It’s now on sale for $1,196 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Casper. CR says the hybrid of innerspring and foam delivers excellent spine support for sleepers of all sizes.

Next, think of big appliances. The Electrolux ELFW4222AW is as low as $898 at Home Depot. CR says it aced tests for washing performance and water efficiency.

They found a sizzling deal on a new grill. The charcoal barrel grill from Char-Griller is as low as $699 at Lowe’s. It’s WiFi enabled and has a hopper feed system for adding more charcoal. It also aced CR’s tests.

And if you’re planning a family trip this summer, you can save on a travel stroller. The Chicco Liteway Stroller is as low as $87.99 at Amazon and Walmart. CR says it’s compact, easy to fold, and maneuvers well for its small size, even on rough terrain.

And if those sales aren’t enough, get ready for more sale extravaganzas, like Amazon Prime Day on July 11 and 12.

“Basically, everything is going to be on sale, but the discounts are exclusively available to Prime members, so you’ll need an account to shop,” Gordon said.

Some early deals have already popped.

Competitors are getting an early start, too.

Target has Circle Week July 9-15. You do need to be a Circle member, but membership is free.

Walmart has Plus Week. Anyone can score the deals July 10-13, but Plus members can get an early jump.

And Best Buy is planning its Black Friday in July sales event July 10-12.

Also, look out for competing sales at retailers like Target and Walmart around the same time.

Consumer Reports will have updates on all these special summer savings events throughout the month.