Prime Day vs. Target and Walmart: Where to Buy the Least Expensive Essentials

According to research from Tinuiti, more than half of those who are shopping Amazon Prime Day (July 8 - 11) will also be checking out deals at other retailers like Walmart and Target. As for what they're shopping for, this year is the year of essentials. Our own State of Couponing survey found that 40% of KCL shoppers are using couponing to afford daily necessities. And the Tinuiti survey also found that half of those shopping Prime Day will be looking for deals on household and pantry staples.

So we decided to see who actually wins the essential items battle (Amazon, Target, or Walmart) so that you can get the best deals.

To make sure you don't miss a single one of these sales, use our Deal Planner™ in the free Krazy Coupon Lady app to set alerts. We'll remind you as soon as the deals go live so you don't miss out. Download the KCL app now.

The Retail Battleground: Who's Competing

The big three retailers we're tracking are Amazon, Walmart, and Target, which are throwing the following sales right on top of each other and offering various deals in the Essentials category:

• Amazon Prime Day: Running July 8 - 11 and clocking in at four days (twice as long as last year), Prime Day has a history of offering stock-up worthy grocery deals, as well as some of the best prices of the year on personal care items.

• Target Circle Week: Running July 6 - 12 (starts July 5 for members), Target Circle Week has BOGO 50% off deals on certain grocery items and BOGO 30% off personal care, not to mention free Target gift cards with certain purchases.

• Walmart Deals: Running July 8 - 12 (starts July 7 for members), Walmart Deals is Walmart's Prime Day week sale. Walmart doesn't generally require you to use promo codes, but instead offers straight-up low prices on the basics.

Looking for more essentials deals? Check out all the best Prime Day essentials deals we're finding each day of Prime Day.

The Winners

We looked at deals in four categories across Amazon, Walmart, and Target so you know exactly where to buy what. Prices are subject to change, and items are subject to sell out.

Baby Essentials

According to the National Diaper Network, one in two U.S. families is struggling to afford diapers, with the average monthly supply costing $80 - $100 per child. And that's not even counting wipes and other necessities. So use these sales to save where you can and stock up.

The Winner: Amazon

When it comes to the big, stock-up-worthy baby items (diapers and wipes), Amazon has the competition beat (and that's before you even take Subscribe & Save discounts into account). However, if you're buying a variety of things for your baby, Target Circle Week has a deal that gets you a $30 Target gift card when you spend $100 on baby supplies.

Household Cleaning

It's smart to stock up on household cleaning products during these big sales because things like dishwasher pods, trash bags, and cleaning wipes have a long shelf life, so you can take advantage of bulk and BOGO deals.

The Winners: Amazon and Walmart

Amazon and Walmart are neck and neck on the disinfectant wipes, Walmart wins on the trash bags, and Amazon wins by a lot on the dishwasher pods. While Target isn't keeping up with price alone, it could be a better choice for you, thanks to the $15 gift card you get when you spend $50 on household essentials.

Personal Care

Personal care items your family is guaranteed to use — like body wash, whitening strips, and sunscreen — are smart buys during these major sales. Make sure you're calculating the cost per unit (like cost per ounce) to make sure you're getting the best deal.

The Winner: Amazon

Amazon is beating the competition on all three products we tracked, especially on the Sun Bum sunscreen (which is hitting the under $10 price our Amazon deal hunters said they were hoping for). But you'll want to keep Target in mind if you're stocking up by buying three or more oral health care products since you'll get a $5 gift card.

Pantry Staples

Be strategic when it comes to stocking up on pantry staples, and opt for things that have a longer shelf life, especially if you're buying more than usual to take advantage of a BOGO deal.

The Winner: Target

Target Circle Week's BOGO 50% off groceries deal makes it a solid choice for a variety of groceries this week, especially coffee, which has been soaring in price lately. It also wins with the fruit snacks, thanks to the Circle Week BOGO paired with a manufacturer coupon. However, Amazon and Walmart both have stronger bulk snack pack deals.

Looking for more deals? Be sure to check out all our experts' top Prime Day deals on essentials as well as our Prime Day page, which has every single Prime Day deal we've found.

The Bottom Line: Where to Shop for Essentials This Week

Where to shop will depend on what you're buying, but in general, keep these tips in mind:

• If you can use Amazon Subscribe & Save and can commit to regular shipments (or remember to cancel your subscription if you don't want regular shipments of the item), its prices are hard to beat.

• If you'd rather not use Amazon Subscribe & Save, Walmart is hitting the same cost per unit on a lot of the items.

• If you're stocking up and buying multiple items, check out Target's many BOGO deals and gift card offers. They could make your whole cart cheaper.

Related Reading:

• 16 Prime Day Items That Could Cost More Due to Tariffs

• Complete Walmart Sale Schedule

• How to Earn Amazon Promo Credits