The big picture: Target and eBay have announced plans to counter Amazon's Prime Day sales event with their own offerings and Walmart probably isn't far behind. When retailers compete on this level, the real winner is the consumer.

Amazon won't be the only destination for online shopaholics to visit in mid-July. Retailer Target has announced an event called Target Deal Days which coincidentally runs from July 15 through July 16, the same as Prime Day, and doesn't require any membership to participate in.

Target said customers will enjoy deals on hundreds of thousands of "top national and only-at-Target brands" across a variety of categories including home and apparel.

With same-day delivery through Shipt and pickup options, Target said there is no reason to wait days to get your purchases. Buyers can also take advantage of free two-day shipping when spending at least $35 using their Target REDcards.

Specific offers will be shared at a later date, we're told.

Target isn't the only e-commerce player looking to upstage Amazon on Prime Day. eBay on Wednesday announced plans to host a Crash Sale on July 15 "with even better deals if Amazon crashes again." Amazon, if you recall, suffered technical issues during last year's Prime Day sales event.

eBay's Crash Sale is actually part of a series of events that start on July 1, offering shoppers deals on "things they actually want" for three full weeks. The full schedule looks like this:

  • The Crash Sale [July 15]: Crash the party with doorbuster savings on top brands, including LG, Apple, Samsung, KitchenAid, Garmin, and more over 50% off --- with a fresh batch of too-good-to-be-true deals that will drop if Amazon crashes.
  • July 4th Savings [July 1-7]: Seven days of savings on summer essentials, appliances, and more, including stand mixers, cookware, robotic vacuums, camping gear, outdoor toys, and more up to 85% off.
  • Hot Deals for Hot Days [July 8-22]: Two weeks of new deals launching every day, offering a chance to save big on the hottest tech, smart home devices, home appliances, and more up to 80% off.

Masthead credit: Stacked Target shopping carts by Sundry Photography