What Is Amazon Woot and How Does It Work?
Woot is an online daily deals site owned by Amazon that offers highly discounted prices on limited quantities of overstock, refurbished, and closeout merchandise for 24 hours or until sold out.
It focuses on creating urgency and excitement around the short-term deals across a diverse range of product categories. The name "Woot" itself expresses enthusiasm for scoring a coveted bargain.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about how Amazon Woot works, the incredible deals it offers, and how to maximize your savings as a shopper.
A Brief History of Woot
Woot was founded in 2004 by Matt Rutledge and a team from the ecommerce company Synapse Group based out of Dallas, Texas.
The site started out selling just a single discounted item per day, with new deals appearing at midnight. This unique business model made Woot a hit among deal-seeking shoppers.
According to Crunchbase, Woot raised over $39 million from investors like Bessemer Venture Partners prior to its acquisition.
In June 2010, Amazon purchased Woot for $110 million. This allowed Amazon to benefit from Woot‘s expertise in creating fun, limited-time offers.
Since then, Woot has expanded its daily product selection while still retaining its own brand identity and approach separate from Amazon.
Many Prime member perks have also been integrated into the Woot shopping experience, making it even more valuable for bargain hunters.
Overview of Woot‘s Product Selection and Categories
Woot carries a wide assortment of products across categories like:
- Electronics
- Home & Kitchen
- Toys & Games
- Tools & Garden
- Apparel & Accessories
- Sporting Goods
- Pet Supplies
- Vehicle Accessories
- Art & Collectibles
You can browse all of their current deals by product category or use the search bar to find specific items.
The product selection is always changing day to day. But Woot focuses on offering authentic, quality merchandise from top brands like Sony, Cuisinart, Callaway, Sennheiser, and more.
Some examples of popular electronics you may find on Woot include smartphones, tablets, headphones, smartwatches, drones, printers, and gaming consoles.
Kitchen deals may include cookware sets, small appliances like air fryers or Instant Pots, bakeware, kitchen tools, food storage, and more.
Apparel and accessories offers trendy discounted styles for men, women, and kids. This includes footwear, outerwear, activewear, bags, watches, and jewelry.
You never know what awesomeness you may discover on Woot each day!
Where Does Woot Get Their Products From?
Many Woot items are sourced from brand manufacturers and distributors looking to liquidate overstock inventory, refurbished goods, open box items, and closeouts.
Vendors approach Woot to sell surplus merchandise in limited quantities at heavily marked down prices. This allows them to profit from inventory that might otherwise get discarded.
Woot focuses on naming their suppliers to reinforce that shoppers are getting authentic, quality goods – not cheap knock-offs.
According to Statista, some of the leading sources of Woot‘s inventory based on brands are:
| Brand | Category |
|---|---|
| Sony | Electronics |
| Hewlett Packard | Computers & Accessories |
| Electronic Arts | Video Games & Consoles |
| Callaway | Sporting Goods |
| KitchenAid | Home Appliances |
| Sennheiser | Headphones |
Woot is able to source in-demand products that brands want to offload and sell at blowout prices compared to traditional retail markup.
Why Are Woot‘s Prices So Low?
Woot is able to offer such amazing discounts because of their unique business model and partnership with Amazon:
- Woot buys inventory at extremely low wholesale prices from suppliers.
- No expensive retail overhead since Woot is online-only.
- Amazon Prime membership heavily subsidizes their free shipping costs.
- No-frills customer service keeps operational costs lean.
- Low prices drive high sales volume and quick turnover of inventory.
- Creating urgency with 24-hour deals increases conversion rates.
This allows Woot to keep their profit margins lower but make up for it with the high velocity of inventory turnover day after day.
According to SimilarWeb data, Woot‘s monthly web traffic is around 5 million visits. When you combine low prices with millions of hungry deal seekers, Woot is able to thrive on thin margins.
To illustrate how the discounts compare, here is a sample of real deals analyzed:
| Product | Woot Price | Retail Price | % Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones | $78 | $350 | 78% off |
| Cuisinart Stand Mixer | $160 | $530 | 70% off |
| Callaway Golf Club Set | $349 | $1,200 | 71% off |
| HP 14" Laptop | $179 | $600 | 70% off |
As you can see, the discounts can be jaw-dropping compared to buying at standard retail prices.
Special Benefits for Amazon Prime Members
Amazon Prime members get exclusive perks at Woot that make the deals even sweeter.
Some of the best Prime member benefits include:
- Free standard shipping on Woot orders over $4 in the continental US.
- Free returns within 30 days on most non-defective items.
- Early access to Lightning Deals 30 minutes before other shoppers.
- Using Amazon Pay for easy checkout with payment methods stored in your Amazon account.
- 5% back with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card on all Woot purchases.
According to Woot‘s website, a staggering 96% of their shoppers are Amazon Prime members.
Between the free shipping, returns, and other Prime perks, Woot deals become extremely enticing for subscribers.
How Long Do Woot Deals Last?
Woot deals typically only last for 24 hours before the product is removed from the site. The daily inventory is usually limited as well.
So if you see something you want, it‘s smart to grab it quickly before quantities sell out.
Some especially in-demand items will disappear in just a few minutes or hours. But checking back at midnight Central Time will reveal the new batch of deals for the next day.
Occasionally, Woot will extend popular sales for another 24 hours if they have enough remaining inventory. But there‘s no guarantee, so shop early!
Can You Return or Exchange Woot Purchases?
Woot offers a basic 30-day return policy for most items that aren‘t clearly marked as non-returnable.
To start a return, log into your Woot account, go to Order History, select the item, and print a prepaid shipping label if eligible.
Returns must be received by Woot within 30 days of the ship date. Refunds are generally issued within 3-5 business days after Woot processes your return.
However, some common exceptions and restrictions on returns include:
- Restocking fees of 15% to 50% apply for opened computers, electronics, appliances.
- No returns on BOCs, food/wine, services, downloads, or subscriptions.
- Contact Woot first for returns on apparel, mattresses, freight items, or orders under $20.
- No refunds for damaged items not reported within 5 business days.
Woot also does not allow exchanges. So carefully check your order upon arrival and contact them right away regarding any defective or damaged items.
What is Woot‘s Shipping Cost and Policy?
Woot offers a few shipping options with different costs and speeds:
- Standard Shipping: $5 flat rate per order, 3-7 business day delivery
- Expedited: 2-day ($12), Next day ($22)
- USPS Priority Mail: $8
Amazon Prime members get free standard shipping on Woot orders over $4 sent to the continental US.
Certain oversized items like furniture may incur added shipping fees even for Prime members. Restrictions apply for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and international addresses.
Strategies for Finding the Best Deals
Here are some proven tips for unlocking the best bargains on Woot:
- Browse early in the day – Many hot deals sell out fast!
- Use filters – Narrow by categories, brands, prices, etc.
- Set Alerts – Never miss a sale with email and app notifications.
- Check seller reviews – Avoid unknown brands with little or no ratings.
- Compare prices – Confirm it‘s the best price versus Amazon and competitors.
- Read the product details – Check for specs, warranty, damages, etc.
- Purchase fast – The most popular deals go quick!
- Use Amazon Pay – Check out faster with payment details saved.
- Don‘t forget BOCs! – Bag of Crap grab bags make fun surprises!
Finding awesome bargains on Woot just takes a few minutes each morning. It‘s a fun routine for savvy shoppers to discover the latest deals.
Can You Make Money Reselling Woot Products?
Some sellers do purchase inventory on Woot specifically to resell items on Amazon, eBay, or their own stores at a markup.
However, keep in mind:
- Many brands limit Woot deals to 1 unit per customer.
- Woot‘s supplier agreements likely prohibit bulk resale.
- Restocking fees can eat into your margins if you need to return.
- Processing returns and exchanges as a middleman can be a headache.
- Short 24-hour deal windows limit scale.
- You assume the risk of dead or defective inventory.
Overall, while reselling Woot deals is possible in some cases, the convenience and risk-to-reward ratio usually make it impractical at any serious scale.
Is Woot Worth Checking for Deals?
Woot is definitely worth checking daily for deals if you are:
- An avid online shopper looking to save money.
- A bargain hunter who enjoys finding hidden gem deals.
- An Amazon Prime member who wants to take advantage of the free perks.
- Someone who likes impulse shopping and scoring random surprises!
Just keep in mind that with the deep discounts come some trade-offs compared to traditional retailers:
- Limited inventory and no backorders.
- Hassle if you need to make exchanges or returns.
- Basic 90-day warranty from Woot versus manufacturers.
- No customer service via phone – email only.
However, if you want to have fun and excitement discovering amazing prices on great brands, Woot is a must-visit site for deal seekers!
The Bottom Line on Amazon Woot
Woot brings together an entertaining blend of urgency, surprise, and bargain hunting. The constantly rotating selection of deals creates a daily rush for shoppers seeking the hottest items before they disappear.
Integration with Amazon Prime provides free shipping and returns that make Woot‘s deals even more compelling. Just be prepared to act fast on anything that catches your eye, because when it‘s gone, it‘s gone!
I hope this complete overview gives you a better understanding of how Amazon Woot works and how to maximize it for scoring epic discounts. Let the deal hunting begin!
