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When to Shop for the Deepest Discounts at Your Favorite Stores Savvy shoppers: Mark your calendars for sales and stock up for the future seasons, gift-giving events, or special events. Your planning well-ahead can really go a long way! The following growing list shares with you when you can expect the big sales at some of your favorite stores, what to expect at these sales, and insider tips to help you succeed.
Sales: Bath & Body Works has two semi-annual sales, one in January and the other in June, and they run all month long.
What to Expect: These sales have tables offering items at 50%, 75%, and as deep as 90% off. Signature scents are available only at the semi-annual sales, these include past favorite scents which have been discontinued. Each week, they have a focus item, which will sell for at least 50% off.
Tips: Check out their preview items by the register that go for $1. When they become stocked after the preview period their prices go up at least 300%, so test them early on and stock up on the samples!
Shop Mondays for the focus item of the week, which may sell out before the weekend.
They get 3-5 shipments each weekday, and those 90% items are delivered then. They will sell out by the weekends.
You can have your name & number on a list requesting to be notified if certain items come in or go on sale! They will call you if your favorite discontinued item or scent comes in and hold it for you!
Store Perks: Many sale items are not available online. Most deeply discounted items have limited supply online, but a store can call other San Diego locations to request an item for you or more of something than their store carries.
Sales: Bed Bath and Beyond has their Clearance Sale in January.
What to Expect: The items that will go on clearance are handed down from Corporate and the stores do not know what to expect until just before the Clearance Sale. The percentage of savings varies.
Tips: They accept expired and competitors’ coupons. They will also accept one per item purchased, so never go without saving at least 20%, and you can do so even when purchasing items from gift registries.
Store Perks: The biggest perk is the customer service aspect of being in the store vs. using the website. They have access to their website in the stores and can help a customer order something they may not have in stock.
Sales: Big 5 has weekly sales, so check the newspaper regularly. Before and after the Winter holidays they have their bigger sales.
What to Expect: Their sales are listed in each weekly advertisement.
Tips: Check the back of the store for ongoing clearances.
Store Perks: Customer service is available to answer any questions regarding items you purchase.
Sales: Chick’s holds an annual Tent Sale, the middle two weeks of August, most usually begins the second weekend of August and goes for ten days.
What to Expect: A little bit of everything ends up outside under the tent, with other items in the store also marked down.
Tips: If you are on their mailing list, you will receive advance notice of the 1st day of the sale.
Store Perks: Their Tent Sale can attract long lines, so try to arrive early when they open. Be sure to take socks along if you plan on trying out running shoes. Know the sizes you are looking for and go with a list, as it can be overwhelming!
Sales: The Children’s Place has sales at the end of every ”season“: June through July, holding their "End of Summer" sale, the Monster Sale.
What to Expect: These sales last about a month and have no set dates. Items are offered at anywhere from 30-50% off. Everything, but denim, is marked down storewide.
Tips: Three weeks into the end of season sales, everything will be marked down a further 15%.
Store Perks: See the quality of merchandise in person and there are more recent items in store than may appear on-line. In store, they have "rounders" (special displays) for each department (little boy, big boy, etc) that will be marked down more and are not offered on-line. Benefits of suing their store credit card and being on their mailing list sends extra savings to you.
Sales: Disney Store sales back right up to each other all year long. For example, they typically start with their Swim Sale with all bathing suits on sale. That sale merges into their Semi-Annual sale beginning mid July, to be followed by their Back to School Sale! A new sale promotion begins about every 3-4 weeks.
What to Expect: Usually, there are items in a price point ie $7.99 or $9.99, or there can be 20-50% off items.
Tips: Until July 14th, Annual Passholders get an extra 15% off their entire purchase. At the ends of the sale periods, Red Lined items (clearanced) will go down an extra 20-50%.
Store Perks: Each Wednesday, the stores have a Spotlight Item of the Week, which sells for anywhere from $3-7, and is an item marked down from. These are not available on-line. Most promotions are NOT run on the website AND in the stores simultaneously.
Sales: They have two major sales: the end of Summer and after the Winter holidays. Otherwise, they have sales all year round.
What to Expect: Gap Inc, which owns Old Navy & Banana Republic, as well as an on-line shoe store, Piperlime, have changed their buying strategies. They buy less inventory and more tightly control their stock, so that they can limit the amount of merchandise eventually clearanced out. Their product lines are much more focused on a point of view and carry less items.
Tips: Some big tips from the corporate office - they have combined all of their on-line shops so customers can have one shopping cart, regardless of how many items from any of their stores, and pay only a $7 flat shipping fee. Piperlime has no shipping fee and no return fees on any of their shoes.
Store Perks: Gap Inc has been following customer's shopping trends. They see that many shoppers, specifically parents, tend to go on-line to decide what items they want and then minimize their in store time by being focused and having their children only try on items they have pre-selected from the websites.
Sales: Their weekly sales run Sunday through Saturdays. They do hold regular end of season clearance sales, such as summer and before winter.
What to Expect: The clearance sales have items marked down to 50%. As the sale progresses, items are marked to 75%, and remainders end up as low as 90%.
Tips: Shopping early you will have better selections, but if you wait the prices will drop to 90% on any items still left in stock. Go early right after holidays and take advantage of their 50% to 75% off the dollar and two dollar bins found in the front of the store by the entrance. These items make great stocking stuffers, promotional giveaways, and basket gifts.
Store Perks: Remember, shopping Target on-line might seem better due to what are "lower" prices for some items, but that "savings" does not often pan out after you add the shipping charges.
Sales: They run bi-weekly sales all year, but have two major clearances from May- June and again October-November.
What to Expect: These are like end of season in which Toys "R" Us is moving out merchandise to make way for the summer and holiday shipments.
Tips: Shopping early gives you access to more items, but as the sales wind down deeper discounts are taken to get things sold.
Store Perks: They have events all year, such as Geoffrey's Birthday, parades and toy demos form manufacturers. And there really isn't anything like being a kid in a toy store!
Sales: There are two semi-annual sales - in January & the other one in May or June.
What to Expect: Sale items will reflect a 25-75% price cut.
Tips: Come as early as possible for best selection. The longer the sale continues the smaller the selection of marked down items will be.
Store Perks: It is very important to come into a Victoria Secret store in order to try on items and ensure the proper fit. If you buy off the website, you will also pay shipping & handling. Items purchased on-line must be returned on-line and that will cost extra shipping as well.
Sales: Once a month, they run a "Tab" sale, which is when they "Roll Back" prices on certain items. End of season sales offer many items at 50% to 75% off their already low prices.
What to Expect: The percentages vary depending on special buys and vendor discounts to Wal-Mart.
Tips: Shop on the 1st & 15th of every month. On the 1st Wal-Mart makes major markdowns on stock remaining from the previous month. The 15th is when the sales ad comes out.
Store Perks: The biggest advantage to shopping at Wal-Mart over their website, is for their consumables which are not available on-line. Also, if you purchase all of your consumables from Wal-Mart you can save 39% compared any other retailers.
Be sure to consider signing up for the credit cards for your favorite stores. Often you can get an additional % off for the first one or two times you use it, and perhaps earn points for future savings. Be sure to read all fine print! Also, Google the store for offline printable coupons and you just might be surprised at what you find! |
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