If you love to shop and saving money is the main reason that’s keeping you from buying everything you want, then you don’t need to completely ban shopping in your life. Timing is key – knowing when to shop or when major sales take place can save you a lot of money. To help you plan ahead for the best deals all year long, we’ve put together a list of the biggest holiday sale days of the year. Keep track of your calendar and enjoy shopping!
JANUARY
New Year’s Day
New Year is a long-awaited celebration of traditions such as going to parties, feasting on delicious food, making New Year’s resolutions, and watching fireworks. Make it even more fun by ringing in the New Year with enormous savings!New Year’s Day is the last big breath of the holiday shopping season. Since stores have to get rid of unsold items before switching to new displays, they will keep rolling back prices until the first or second week of the year. Take advantage of this great opportunity to score deep discounts on winter clothing, home goods, fitness gear & equipment, and holiday merchandise.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
MLK Day, celebrated on the third Monday of January, honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. as an American civil rights activist who promotes racial equality in the United States. This is the first long weekend holiday of the year. As with nearly every three-day weekend, it comes with a ton of sales which makes it a great time to hunt for deals. While MLK Day shopping weekend is not as huge as Memorial Day and Labor Day, you can expect markdowns on winter clothing and home goods in anticipation of the spring season. If you haven’t had the chance to take advantage of New Year’s sales, MLK Day is the perfect time to do it.
FEBRUARY
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day, which emerged from the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia and Saint Valentine, is a day marked by an exchange of gifts and greetings between loved ones. To capitalize on this heart-filled celebration, retailers run dozens of deals in the weeks leading up to February 14th. Don’t miss this opportunity to get something special for your loved ones, friends, family, and even yourself at a lower price. You can save money on almost anything, such as flowers, chocolates, jewelry, perfume, wellness, gadgets, fashion, and travel.
President’s Day
President’s Day is celebrated on third Monday of February in honor of the first US President, George Washington. This is another long weekend holiday which means another set of deals are up for grabs. If you didn’t get what you want on Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to some President’s Day shopping. This is your chance to save on big purchases like mattresses, appliances, furniture, and electronics.
MARCH
St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish heritage every 17th of March. Despite of Irish origin, the United States actively celebrates this fun event wearing green costumes and shamrock-shaped accessories and enjoying pub parties, colorful parades, and festivals. While it’s not a major sale holiday, several American brands and online stores have potful of deals and bargains to offer. You can snag excellent discounts on Irish-themed items, green gifts, decorations, clothes, and party supplies.
APRIL
Easter
In the Christian faith, Easter is a feast of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and culmination of his passion. To celebrate this festive holiday, some shops are closed on Easter Sunday and spring sales begin the week before Easter. If you want to decorate your home for spring or get your spring outfit ready, take advantage of the Easter sale and jumpstart on spring savings on seasonal décor, clothing, and home goods. Immediately after Easter, you can expect steep discounts on candies, baskets, and other Easter treats.
MAY
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a joyful celebration honoring motherhood every second Sunday of May. The first Mother’s Day celebration was organized by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official holiday in the United States in 1914. Since flowers, cards, and gifts are usually given on Mother’s Day, this special day becomes one of the most popular shopping holidays of the year. Major stores and retailers hold spring sales for jewelry, perfume, clothing, books, and flowers, which can save you some bucks.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday of May, is a day dedicated to honor military service who died fighting for the country. As it is a three-day weekend holiday, many shops are running multiple sales. While many Americans visit cemeteries, hold family reunions, take part in parades, and go to the beach, it is worth squeezing in some shopping. You’ll find big discounts on clothing, appliances, mattresses, home and kitchen products, and furniture.
JUNE
Father’s Day
The first Father’s Day in America was celebrated in 1910 and it was only in 1972 that the third Sunday of June became a nationwide holiday in the U.S. Like Mother’s Day, this special day is marked by gift giving, that’s why retail stores start their Father’s Day sales in the first week of June. If you’re looking for a nice gift to your dad or paternal figure, there are several places to shop. Check out home improvement stores, they usually come up with great deals on handy tools or high-tech grills. You’ll also enjoy significant discounts on many big-ticket items with regularly high price tags during this holiday.
JULY
Fourth of July
July 4th is America’s birthday. This is one of America’s greatest secular holidays, celebrated with colonial attractions, historical re-enactments, fireworks, and summertime activities. In honor of Independence Day, retailers offer solid discounts on furniture, appliances, technology, fashion, beauty, and home goods. Head out and enjoy savings from your favorite stores worthy of the most dazzling fireworks display during the patriotic holiday!
Amazon Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day, which started in 2015, is an annual two-day deal marathon that generally takes place in mid-July. Simultaneous discounts and flash offers, especially on technologies such as smart home products and gaming systems, are offered exclusively to Prime members during the event.
AUGUST
Tax-Free Weekends
Sales tax holidays, which began in 1980, have become an annual event in more than a dozen states. If you’re planning to do back-to-school shopping, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the tax-free weekends, which usually take place in August. Expect lots of sales during this tax break, which can translate into big savings. You’ll get tax exemptions on some school-related items such as clothing, school supplies, text books, and computers.
SEPTEMBER
Labor Day
Labor Day honors the American working class and their contribution to the economy every first Monday of September. Since it is a long weekend off and it symbolizes the end of summer, several shops are giving hefty discounts to boost end-of-summer sales before shifting their summer inventory. On this weekend, you can expect great discounts on leftover back-to-school items, summer goodies like outdoor equipment and grills, as well as big-ticket items such as appliances and mattresses.
OCTOBER
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is celebrated every second Monday of October in memory of Christopher Columbus’ accomplishments. Though not all workers are given a day off, there are shops that offer many good sales particularly on clothes, home goods, and mattresses. Columbus Day is not a major sale holiday compared to others and it’s amidst the lull between Labor Day and Black Friday but it’s still a good time to jumpstart your holiday shopping.
NOVEMBER
Black Friday
Black Friday was first used for the financial crisis in 1869 before being used by the Philadelphia police in 1950s to describe the chaos and traffic jams on the day after Thanksgiving. Over the past few decades, Black Friday has become a post-Thanksgiving shopping day known for its crazy deals. This day marks the official start of the festive shopping season; hence, it’s one of the largest and busiest shopping days of the year in the U.S. With significant discounts and offers on just about anything, you can save real money, the reason bargain hunters and holiday shoppers are ready to brave the madness. Don’t let this golden opportunity pass without buying heavily discounted electronics such as TVs, smart home devices, computers, mobile devices, and home office equipment.
Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday. The term was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation and debuted in 2005. Today, Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day of the year in the U.S. This is the internet’s version of Black Friday. On this day, retailers are gifting shoppers with fantastic online deals mostly on clothing and travel and even extending some Black Friday’s offers. If you missed the Black Friday sales and you love to shop online, Cyber Monday is a great time to buy Christmas gifts not only because of the bigger discounts but because shipping will become more expensive as the holiday shopping season draws near.
DECEMBER
Super Saturday
Super Saturday (also known as Panic Saturday) marks the end of the Christmas shopping season. It is the last Saturday before Christmas, and has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year. It is aimed at people who procrastinate at the last minute. If you haven’t finished shopping for the holidays, this is your last chance to tick everything off your list. On this day, you can still expect huge discounts from many retailers pushing slow-moving inventory and unloading items from their shelves.
Post-Christmas and New Year’s Eve
If you think holiday shopping ends with Christmas, you are wrong. The days between Christmas and New Year are a great time to shop, as many retailers run lots of sales on December 26th through New Year’s Day. They go to great lengths to get unsold holiday items out of their rack by offering steep discounts and clearance prices. If you didn’t find your favorite gift under the tree, head out and shop for gift items, winter clothing, home décor, and other seasonal items from the year-end sales.
