Consumer Alert: On the heels of Amazon’s Prime day announcement, Target and Walmart announce sales of their own

It happens as sure as sunrise and summertime. When Amazon announces Prime Day, the big box stores always follow. Walmart and Target are having big sales during the same week. And each retailer is trying to outdo the other — and, ultimately, we benefit.

Let’s start with Walmart. Amazon’s Prime Day sale is July 11 and 12. So of course, Walmart had to do one better. Its sale is July 10 through July 13. But the first day, July 10, is only for Walmart plus members. And Walmart is really trying to beat Amazon at their own game. A Walmart plus membership is $98 a year or $13 a month. Like Amazon, you get free shipping. But Walmart is adding some extras.

• Their membership gets you “buy one, get one” for tickets to all Six Flags parks.

• You get a six-month membership to Panera’s sip club for $5 a month. But that comes with a monthly $5 Panera reward. So basically, membership is free.

• You get a $30 credit with Rover for pet sitting or dog walking.

• And lastly, Walmart is throwing in 30 percent off all Spafinder gift cards.

Here are some of the hottest deals during the Walmart Plus sale:

• Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum is 55 percent off at $298. The regular price is $649.

• Lamborghini ride-on car is also 55 percent off, down from $370 to $170. It’s never too early to shop for Christmas.

• Samsung wireless headphones are half off at $50.

• And if your kid just has to have a PAW Patrol backpack with lunch bag and water bottle, it’s about 30 percent off at 21 bucks, down from $30.

I looked at their TV deals, and they’re not great, just 20 to 25 percent off.

And Target is trying to outdo them both by extending its sale the entire week, July 9-15. Here are some of the best deals at Target.

• A Lenovo laptop with a regular price of $740 will be 48 percent off at $390.

• Select outdoor pools and water toys will be half off.

• Kids’ clothes will be 30 percent off.

• if you spend $40 on health and beauty products, you get a $10 gift card

• If you spend $50 on household essentials, you get a $15 gift card.

It’s best to plan before the sale so you don’t overspend. Remember, we’ll also have strong sales during and before Black Friday, so if the item isn’t at least 30 percent off, you may find deeper discounts later this year.