As a consumer, you can time your shopping trips to take advantage of deep discounts during holiday promotions. To help you map out your shopping calendar, here is a guide to the very best upcoming sales dates for 2017.
Game Day Sales — Early February
What to shop: HDTVs.
Where to shop: Amazon, Best Buy, Sears, Wal-Mart.
Why to shop: Retailers compete for game day viewers’ business with discounts of more than 20 percent on HDTVs.
When to shop: You’ll spy TV deals through early February.
Presidents Day Sales — Late February
What to shop: Mattresses, major appliances, furniture.
Where to shop: Best Buy, Macy’s, Target, Sears.
Why to shop: Over the long weekend, stores tempt vacationing shoppers with savings of up to 40 percent off appliances and up to 60 percent off mattresses.
When to shop: Many Presidents Day sales begin in early February and run for days after the official holiday on Feb. 20.
[See: 10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping.]
Easter Sales — Mid-April
What to shop: Dresses and formal wear, winter apparel, jewelry.
Where to shop: Kmart, Macy’s, Sears.
Why to shop: To welcome the springtime, stores stock their shelves with spring styles and clear out winter apparel with discounts of up to 70 percent off. And with Valentine’s Day passed and Mother’s Day distant, retailers may take as much as 20 percent off jewelry.
When to shop: Some Easter sales begin weeks before the official holiday on April 16 and run for several days after Easter.
Memorial Day Sales — Late May
What to shop: Appliances, jewelry, mattresses, refrigerators.
Where to shop: Best Buy, Lowes, Overstock, Sears.
Why to shop: Memorial Day weekend is one of the best times of the year to buy mattresses and refrigerators, with savings of up to 60 percent off mattresses and up to 40 percent off refrigerators.
When to shop: Memorial Day falls on May 29 this year. Sales commence as early as mid-May and run through the end of the month.
Fourth of July Sales — Early July
What to shop: Grills, outdoor and indoor furniture, swimsuits, air conditioners, summer gear.
Where to shop: Home Depot, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Sears, Target.
Why to shop: Fourth of July sales see discounts of up to 60 percent on furniture, plus bargains on grills and outdoor gear.
> When to shop: Sales typically begin to pop up at the beginning of the month and can run several days after July 4.
[See: 12 Habits of Phenomenally Frugal Families.]
Black Friday in July Sales — Mid-July
What to shop: Summer apparel, HDTVs, electronics.
Where to shop: Amazon, Best Buy, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Wal-Mart.
Why to shop: Many retailers launch Black Friday-esque sales to compete with Amazon Prime Day in mid-July. Expect discounts of up to 50 percent on electronics and apparel, plus perks like free shipping.
When to shop: An official Black Friday in July date hasn’t been agreed upon, but most sales run for a couple of days in early to mid-July.
Back-to-School Sales — Summer
What to shop: School supplies, dorm furniture, Apple products.
Where to shop: Apple, Staples, Target, Wal-Mart.
Why to shop: The annual Apple back-to-school promotion typically runs from early June until early September, when Apple often pairs qualifying Apple education purchases with a free gift. Meanwhile, big-box stores unleash promos on backpacks, lunchboxes, office supplies and school supplies.
When to shop: Many back-to-school promotions run throughout the summer.
Tax-Free Weekend Sales — Late July and August
What to shop: School supplies, apparel, computer software.
Where to shop: Store locations in participating states. Past participants have included Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Why to shop: Certain states participate in annual sales tax holidays, when shoppers can purchase qualifying items — typically school supplies, apparel and electronics — free of sales tax. Depending on your state, this could mean savings of nearly 10 percent.
When to shop: Varies by state. Most run for a weekend in early August.
Labor Day Sales — Early September
What to shop: Grills, patio furniture, summer apparel, appliances, mattresses.
Where to shop: Best Buy, Home Depot, Macy’s, Sears, Target.
Why to shop: To say farewell to the summer, retailers offer up grills, patio furniture, and summer apparel for up to 75 percent off. As with other major shopping holidays, Labor Day sales see up to 40 percent off appliances and up to 60 percent off mattresses.
When to shop: Sales start up early September and may run for up to a week after the official holiday on Sept. 4.
Columbus Day Sales — Early October
What to shop: Shoes and accessories, jeans, outdoor gear, appliances, mattresses.
Where to shop: Home Depot, JCPenney, Macy’s, Sears.
Why to shop: If you can get your hands on any remaining patio furniture, recreational gear and other outdoor items during Columbus Day sales, you could save more than 75 percent.
When to shop: Columbus Day 2017 falls on Oct. 9. Sales run during the first two weeks of October.
Veterans Day Sales — Early November
What to shop: Small appliances, home goods.
Where to shop: Kmart, Macy’s, Overstock.
Why to shop: It’s the last sales holiday before Thanksgiving. Get some shopping done before stores swarm with Christmas customers. Black Friday and Cyber Monday may excel when it comes to electronics and toys, but Veteran’s Day sales see some of the best deals on small appliances and home goods
When to shop: Most sales run through the weekend of Veterans Day, which falls on Nov. 11 this year.
[See: 8 Big Budgeting Blunders — and How to Fix Them.]
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Sales — Late November
What to shop: HDTVs, electronics, major appliances.
Where to shop: Big-box retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, Sears, Wal-Mart.
Why to shop: Thanksgiving through Black Friday is one of the most widely anticipated shopping periods of the year, with many retailers slashing the price of electronics and appliances by $500 or more.
When to shop: Many online sales kick off as early as Monday, while many in-store sales will begin on Thanksgiving evening. Sales typically end on Black Friday or the following day.
Cyber Monday Sales — Late November
What to shop: Toys, apparel, small appliances.
Where to shop: Amazon, Costco, Kohl’s, Overstock, Target, Toys R Us.
Why to shop: As online shopping grows in popularity, retailers have been launching increasingly impressive Cyber Monday sales over the last few years. Many sales are sitewide, with some stores offering as much as 60 percent off any order.
When to shop: Cyber Monday sales may begin on Sunday and run throughout Cyber Week.
After-Christmas Sales — Late December
What to shop: Winter apparel, toys, gifts, gift cards and Christmas merchandise.
Where to shop: Bloomingdale’s, JCPenney, Macy’s, Toys R Us.
Why to shop: To make way for next season, stores take more than 50 percent off winter fashions, toys, gifts and holiday-themed merchandise. You’ll also see discounted gift cards begin to appear at sites like Raise.com and Cardpool.com.
When to shop: Many after-Christmas sales begin on Christmas Day and run through the end of the year.
More from U.S. News
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10 Tips for a Budget-Friendly Cyber Monday
The Best Days to Shop in 2017 originally appeared on usnews.com
