In late October, you’ll notice a clash-of-the-holidays vibe in your favorite stores’ aisles. The spooky Halloween and fall harvest displays, still stocked with inflatable monsters, autumn wreaths, trick-or-treat candy and costumes, beckon last-minute shoppers. Meanwhile, in the next aisle, Christmas wreaths, trees and ornaments wait, poised to take over the entire seasonal section.
That’s good news for Halloween fans, whether they’re looking for a last-minute costume or decor or planning to stock up on scary decorations for next year. Eager to offload Halloween merchandise and make way for Santa, stores are marking down Halloween stock in the final days before Oct. 31. You’ll find the best deals on Halloween costumes, candy and decorations if you opt to shop at the eleventh hour.
These retailers are offering the best last-minute Halloween sales. Note that discounts will get even bigger on Nov. 1, the day after Halloween. Selection, however, may be less than ideal.
[Read: 12 Best Halloween Freebies and Deals From Restaurants.]
Home Depot. Items in the Halloween and harvest sections are starting to get marked down by up to 50 percent. Just days before Halloween, for example, the Window FX Plus Projector, which allows you to project spooky images onto the side of your house or its windows, is $30 off. Meanwhile, harvest leaf and wreath decorations are seeing price drops of 30 to 50 percent.
Expect those discounts to reach up to 75 percent starting Nov. 1.
Hobby Lobby. Practically anything pumpkin- and harvest-related is 40 percent off right now. Plenty of the marked-down merchandise is broadly “fall” themed, meaning you can easily stretch its relevance into Thanksgiving.
[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]
Hot Topic. Halloween merchandise is already up to 75 percent off. Costumes, masks, headbands and wigs are currently seeing the biggest price cuts.
Lowe’s. Shop the Halloween section and find markdowns of up to 50 percent off. A large selection of yard inflatables, animatronic werewolf decorations and smaller party decorations are all half off. Expect deeper discounts of 75 percent off or more when the clock strikes midnight on Nov. 1.
Michaels. Fall and Halloween crafting and decor are deeply marked down heading into Oct. 31. All Halloween costumes, Halloween accessories, baking decorations and fall decor are 70 percent off. Craft stores do a lot of holiday business, so it’s no surprise they’re trying to make way for tinsel and stockings.
Spirit Halloween. Shopping for a costume at the very last minute? Spirit is has an in-store coupon on its site for 20 percent off a single item.
Target. While the best deals will appear after Oct. 31, shoppers can save 20 percent on Halloween decor, party supplies and trick-or-treat bags through Halloween via Cartwheel in the Target app. Consider hitting the candy aisle on Nov. 1 for the best sales on Halloween treats.
Walmart. Select costumes are seeing modest discounts at around $10 off in the final days before Oct. 31. Your best strategy, however, is to shop at a Walmart store the day after Halloween and load up on cheap candy.
[See: 10 Big Ways to Boost Your Budget — Without Skimping on Your Daily Latte.]
Wayfair. Whether you’re looking for a giant inflatable black cat for your lawn or tasteful and understated shelf decorations, Wayfair has plenty of options for your home. Halloween items are up to 65 percent off, and the home goods retailer is also offering a Halloween clearance sale through Nov. 7 that includes smaller items in the $10 to $20 range.
World Market. Halloween decor is now up to 50 percent off, but expect bigger discounts right after Halloween. If mainstream Halloween decor is too kitschy for you, check out World Market’s globally inspired selection of eerie candles, vintage cat decor, throw pillows and realistic animal skeletons.
Your local grocery store. Local and regional grocery stores are a reliable source for Halloween day discounts. Stores are desperate to sell the perishable, Halloween-themed bakery items and will therefore discount trays of cookies, cupcakes and more by upwards of 75 percent. Plus, check the end-cap displays for bags of Halloween candy up to 90 percent off on Nov. 1. It may be too late to hand it out to trick-or-treaters, but not too late for you to enjoy.
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Best Last-Minute Halloween Sales for 2018 originally appeared on usnews.com
