The span of Memorial Day to Labor Day may seem like a dead zone between major shopping holidays. However, there are several great times to shop if you want to find tools, clothing and tech on sale. Read on for your summer shopping calendar.
[See: 10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping.]
June
Father’s Day sales. Father’s Day is June 17 in 2018. In the lead-up, expect sales. Father’s Day sales tend to be hardware- and tech-heavy, so watch for deals at home supply, hardware and electronics stores. Sporting goods stores get in on the action, too. In 2017, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Newegg, Dell, Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s all ran Father’s Day sales.
This makes the two weeks before Father’s Day a good time to not only shop for Dad, but to replace your own power tools, fishing rods or laptop.
Clothing semiannual sales. Clothing retailers that throw semiannual sales usually do so in the winter and in the summer. Retailers whose sales are typically in June include Victoria’s Secret, which usually runs its semiannual sale in early- to mid-June, and Zara, which usually runs its semiannual sale in mid- to late-June.
Graduation gift card specials. As consumers shop for graduation gifts, tons of restaurants offer gift card specials that extend into mid-June and sometimes into the first week of July. Buy a gift card of a certain value (usually more than $50) and get a bonus card worth $5 to $10 for yourself. If you like giving gift cards for birthdays and the holidays, early June is the time to stock up. Restaurants offering graduation season gift card specials this year include Applebee’s, Bob Evans, Chili’s, IHOP, Outback Steakhouse and TGI Fridays.
July
Amazon Prime Day. Since 2015, Amazon has held its massive Prime Day sale. No date has been announced for 2018, but it’s usually held in mid-July.
Technically, Prime Day is not a single day, but about 30 hours of sales for Amazon Prime members. Marked down items may include:
— Tech. TVs, smart home device bundles, laptops and security cameras will all get marked down to prices you won’t see again until Black Friday. In 2017, for example, Amazon cut the price of its Echo virtual assistant by 50 percent.
— Clothing. You’ll find discounts on select designer-brand items and on Amazon’s in-house clothing brands like Ella Moon, Amazon Essentials and Buttoned Down.
— Amazon Services. If you’ve been thinking about signing up for one of Amazon’s subscription services, such as Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Pantry or Kindle Unlimited, check out Prime Day for savings on these services, which rarely see discounts.
Not a Prime member? The good news is that the popularity of Prime Day has motivated competing merchants, such as Walmart, Kohl’s and eBay, to offer their own sales that coincide with Prime Day, an industry trend that’s becoming known as Black Friday in July.
In sum, watch for Amazon’s announcement of Prime Day’s date, which it usually announces in late-June, and get ready to shop.
[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]
Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. In 2018, Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale will run July 20 through Aug. 5. Nordstrom doesn’t mark down its inventory often, making this a special occasion for those in the market for high-end clothing and accessories. Summer apparel will be on sale, and new fall releases will be marked down as well.
August
Tax-free sales weekends. The last half of summer is when states offer their annual tax-free shopping weekends. Not all states participate, so check your state comptroller’s website. But in those that do, you’ll be able to get the sales tax waived on eligible purchases during certain dates (late July and August for most participating states).
Eligible purchases may include clothing, shoes, computers, art supplies, books and reference or educational supplies. State sales tax rates range up to about 7 percent. So if you’re buying a lot of clothing or a big-ticket item, such as a laptop, the savings could be significant. Even if you’re just buying a few items, it’s still a nice break. Note that some states place caps on the purchase amount that’s eligible for waived taxes.
[See: 12 Habits of Phenomenally Frugal Families.]
Back-to-school sales. Starting in early August, much to the kids’ dismay, back-to-school sales will start popping up in stores. But, to your delight, there will be lots of discounts on office supplies, clothing and tech. For example, last year, Best Buy offered discounts on MacBooks and Surface devices. Target, Staples and Walmart usually offer discounts on backpacks, lunch bags, notebooks and pens — items adult professionals need just as much as students do.
Companies and products mentioned in this article may be promoted on www.offers.com.
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Best Summer Shopping Days for 2018 originally appeared on usnews.com
