Want to score big deals on items that you use everyday? Want to pay pennies on the dollar for next year’s holiday decor, gift wrap, and other holiday miscellany? Then keep reading my top tips for shopping the after-holiday clearance sales and you’ll save big on everyday items.
I am not much of a coupon shopper, but I LOVE a good clearance sale, and after holiday clearance sales make me feel like I’ve won the lottery!
I don’t want to rush through the holidays, but I have to be honest, I really enjoy the hunt for holiday clearance that comes as soon as Ole St. Nick hangs up his hat.
After-Holiday Clearance isn’t just about scoring great prices on gift wrap and holiday decor. Over the years, I have found huge deals on everyday items, such as dish washing detergent, dish washing liquid, paper products, storage bags, ovenware, stationary, and much more at 75 – 90% off during the after-holiday clearance sales. I also find gifts to give throughout the year.
And don’t think after-holiday clearance shopping to just about Christmas. I’ve found everyday items after the Easter, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Back-to-School seasons.
Tips on After-Holiday Clearance Shopping:
1. Don’t limit your clearance shopping to just one store.
Be sure to check your grocery stores, Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens or any other store in your location. I tend to stick to a particular store for my normal grocery shopping, but for after-holiday clearance, I branch out and check multiple stores.
2. Look for seasonal or holiday packaging on everyday items
Many everyday items, like paper towels, hand soap, cleaning supplies, plastic bags and containers, dish soap, etc, are packaged for the holidays to lure you into buying special products. I’ve seen themed products for many holidays, such as Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day. I don’t care if there’s a snowflake or a pumpkin on the freezer bags, I just want the freezer bags at cheap prices.
3. Search the entire store, not just the holiday themed aisles and the end-caps.
Scour the aisles for anything with holiday packaging. Some things get put in the wrong aisle or with the everyday packaged products. Last year, I found several boxes of freezer bags with holiday packaging in the home paper product aisle. They were marked down to 75% off and were probably meant to be in the holiday aisle, but were placed with the normal boxes of bags. Scour every aisle and keep your eyes open.
4. Use the price scanner.
Sometimes clearance doesn’t get signed or ticketed properly, so use the scanner to find out the price. If you think a holiday product is not marked down properly, ask the store manager about it, they might mark it down for you.
5. Know the store’s markdown schedule.
Target’s clearance schedule is typically 30- 50% off the day after the holiday for three days, 50-70% off the fourth day after the holiday for three days and 70-90% off the seventh day after holiday, for 1-2 days. This schedule isn’t set in stone and has changed over the years. I am also finding that Target isn’t bothering to go to 90% anymore, unfortunaltely, but it varies and every store/region promotes different. You could always call the store during this time for the specific percent.
6. Find and Join the Facebook groups.
The clearance deals are rapid-fire and go very quickly. There are many private Facebook couponing groups that are devoted to particular stores. Do a search to find stores that interest you and join. I find them helpful, because many people post pictures of their clearance hauls and if there’s something of interest, I go on a hunt! My 2 favorite Facebook groups: Target deals, clearance & Couponing * and Giant Pa Couponing Deals.
Holiday clearance has definitley changed over the years. The discounts aren’t as steep, but every year, I find that scouring for clearance is always worth a trip.
Where is your favorite place to shop/find after-holiday clearance deals? Let us know your tips in the comments.