Black Friday is the most famous sales event of the year. However, it is not always the best time to find a great deal. The event is often a triumph of marketing hype over real substance. Many other, less famous sales events throughout the year offer better and more predictable discounts on specific categories of products. By understanding the retail calendar, you can time your purchases. This allows you to save a lot more money than the average Black Friday shopper.
1. January White Sales
The “White Sale” is a retail tradition that dates back to the 19th century. January is the absolute best time of the year to buy all of your bedding, linens, and towels. Department stores use this sale to clear out their inventory after the holiday season. The discounts are deep and the selection is wide.
2. Super Bowl Sales
If you are in the market for a new television, the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are often better than Black Friday. Retailers know that a huge number of people want a big, new screen for the big game. This creates a period of intense competition. It leads to some of the best TV prices of the entire year.
3. President’s Day Sales
The three-day weekend in February is a major event for two specific categories: mattresses and large appliances. This is one of the best times of the year to buy a new mattress, a refrigerator, or a washing machine. The discounts are significant. The holiday weekend also gives you the time to shop around and compare prices.
4. Memorial Day Sales
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season. It is the best time to find a deal on all of your outdoor essentials. This includes things like grills, patio furniture, and spring apparel. The prices on these items will be at their lowest point of the season during this sale.
5. Amazon Prime Day
Amazon’s self-created shopping holiday in July is a massive, multi-day event. It often has better prices on Amazon’s own devices, like the Echo and the Kindle, than Black Friday does. The event is also a great time to find deals on a huge variety of other electronics and household goods. To date, it has become a major competitor to the traditional holiday shopping season.
6. Labor Day Sales
Labor Day marks the end of the summer. It is the absolute best time to buy any leftover summer products. This includes patio furniture, grills, and swimwear, which will be on deep clearance. It is also another major sales event for mattresses and large appliances.
7. Back-to-School Sales
The back-to-school season is the best time of the year to buy a new laptop. The competition for the student market is fierce. This leads to some of the best deals you will see all year. It is also, of course, the best time to stock up on all of your office and school supplies.
8. End-of-Season Clothing Sales
This is a simple but powerful rule. The best time to buy a winter coat is not in the fall; it is in the spring. The best time to buy a swimsuit is not in the summer; it is in the fall. Shopping at the end of the season, when the new inventory is arriving, is the key to getting a massive discount on clothing.
9. Model Year Clearances (Fall)
In the fall, the new models for cars and major appliances start to arrive in showrooms and stores. This is the best time to get a great deal on the previous year’s model. The dealers and the stores need to clear out the old inventory to make room for the new. This gives you a huge amount of bargaining power.
10. After-Christmas Sales (Dec 26th)
The day after Christmas is Black Friday for holiday-themed items. This is the absolute best time to buy all of your Christmas decorations, your wrapping paper, and your seasonal candy for next year. The discounts will start at 50% off. They will get even deeper in the days that follow.
The Strategic Shopper’s Calendar
Black Friday is just one day of chaotic, over-hyped shopping. A truly smart shopper, however, knows that the entire year is a sales calendar. By planning your major purchases around these predictable events, you can avoid the hype and the crowds. You also get a better product for a much better price. It is a much more strategic and a much more effective way to save money.
What do you think is the most overrated sales event of the year? What’s the best deal you have ever gotten by shopping at an “off-peak” time? Let us know!
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