The Best Labor Day Weekend Shopping Deals
As always, summer seems to pass in the blink of an eye, and now Labor Day is just around the corner. Here's a little secret about Labor Day weekend: It's a great time to shop. While it's not traditionally considered a big shopping weekend, the unofficial close of summer offers some of the best discounts you'll find all year. Here's how you can take advantage of top Labor Day deals and how much you can expect to save.
Why shop Labor Day weekend?
By the time Labor Day weekend rolls around, retailers need to clear their shelves of back-to-school and summer merchandise, which motivates them to offer some steep discounts. In fact, you may find better deals over Labor Day weekend than you do during the better-known Black Friday sales.
Upgrade Your Backyard Retreat
If your patio furniture and grill have seen better days, Labor Day sales provide the perfect opportunity to spruce up your outdoor living space before your next fall barbecue. Historically, Labor Day weekend has offered some of the lowest prices of the year for backyard items. You should be able to find discounts of 50 to 60 percent on outdoor furniture, as well as on grills, umbrellas and other accessories. Last year, Kmart reduced its entire collection of outdoor items by as much as 90 percent.
Spring for a Better Night's Sleep
A new mattress and box spring amounts to a major investment, so it really pays to keep your eyes open for sales. If you've been putting off replacing your worn-out, saggy mattress, you may find some sales this holiday weekend that make you glad you waited. It turns out Labor Day weekend is one of the best times of the year to shop for mattresses, with discounts of up to 60 percent at discount chains and department stores.
Stock Up on Summer Styles
Stores need to make room for their new fall clothing lines, so Labor Day weekend is an excellent opportunity for the whole family to get great deals on summer clothing. Expect to find prices on shorts, tank tops, swimsuits and other hot weather apparel slashed anywhere from 30 to 85 percent. While you're shopping, you'll probably also find bargains on beach items such as flip-flops, sunglasses and beach towels. Depending on where you live, the weather may stay warm enough to enjoy your purchases for a few more weeks (or even months) this year.
Hold off on those fetching new fall styles, though -- in-season prices will still apply there. You'll do best to stick with summer apparel purchases, and resist the temptation to build your autumn wardrobe until later in the season.
Watch the Games in Style
Football season kicks off Labor Day week, and retailers often respond by reducing television prices for customers planning to settle in at home and watch the action. This makes the holiday weekend a great time to look for discounts on the latest TVs and home entertainment centers, and you'll also see deep price cuts on discontinued models. Expect discounts of about 30 percent.
Take Advantage of Back-to-School Bargains
If you've procrastinated picking up back-to-school supplies, you could hit pay dirt. By Labor Day weekend, retailers figure most back-to-school shopping is done, and they'll be anxious to clear out their inventory. You'll really benefit if you can hold off until the last minute to buy what your kids need for school.
More Great Deals and Tips
Labor Day weekend savings are almost endless, with significant markdowns in almost all merchandise categories. Stores may offer as much as 60 percent off bath towels and rugs, and as much as 40 percent off home furniture. Even kitchen and laundry appliances often go on sale at this time of the year, so you might save as much as 30 percent on that new fridge or washer-dryer combo.
Experts advise shoppers to start checking out sales early in the weekend, but at the same time, you should exercise patience. The very best sales and deals won't happen until the last day of the long weekend -- Monday -- when holiday promotions come to an end and retailers make one last push to offload sale items from their inventory.
If you'd rather avoid the malls and shops, you can still take advantage of Labor Day deals online. To get the best possible savings, take the time to look for special coupon code offers and seek out online merchants offering free shipping.
Matthew Ong is the senior retail analyst at NerdWallet, the smart website for your money. NerdWallet compares everything from shopping deals to credit cards to save consumers cash.
