Amazon kicks off Black Friday deals early

Amazon expected to surpass Walmart as nation's largest retailer

Throughout 2020, Amazon gained a profit of $21.3 billion, compared to $11.6 billion in 2019.

LOS ANGELES - Amazon has kicked off its deals and discounts for Black Friday ahead of schedule.

Amazon customers can find "Black Friday-worthy" deals and discounts now across a wide variety of product categories, including fashion, home, beauty, toys, and Amazon devices. Popular brands including Apple, Hasbro, Sony, Shark, L'Oreal Paris, Bose and Kitchen Aid are partnering with Amazon for limited time offers throughout October and November.

Shoppers will also have access to Amazon's Holiday Gift List to easily create and share gift ideas within their household.

In addition, Amazon has unveiled a new tool for U.S.-based Prime members that will allow them to send recipients a gift without knowing their delivery address. Instead, Prime members can use the recipient's mobile number or email address. The alert will notify the recipient of the purchase, which they can either accept or exchange for an Amazon gift card without letting the sender know.

Amazon's move comes after competitor Target said it would get a head start on the holiday shopping season by bringing back "Deal Days" from Oct. 10 to 12. Target's promotion offers savings on thousands of items both online and in-store. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service has implemented a temporary price increase for commercial and retail domestic package shipments for the peak holiday season.

Retail experts have warned consumers to start their holiday shopping early as a growing number of companies are facing unprecedented supply chain bottlenecks and rising shipping costs.

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