Retail Secrets: Shop these days to find the markdowns

Discover the best days of the week to save at your favorite stores

Have you ever been shopping the clearance rack at your favorite store and wonder when the heck they add new stuff to the rack? Or when do they markdown the stuff that is already on the clearance rack in an effort to get rid of it? Or when do stores put stuff on sale? So many questions, so little answers. Well, until now that is. I went through the painstaking research of figuring out when some of your popular retailers mark stuff down. I hit the streets in search of answers and here is what I found...

Anthropologie

I have it on good authority that Anthropologie typically does their in-store markdowns starting on Monday and wrapping up by Tuesday. This is when they either add items to the clearance section or further reduce stuff already in the clearance section. Shop on Tuesdays and you'll have the first dibs on newly marked-down merchandise.

Babies R Us

Expecting a baby, or need to buy something for one that has already popped out? Remember this one word...."THURSDAY." That is the single best day to shop in-store at Babies R Us. Why you ask? Well, I got information from a very credible source that Thursdays are the day when employees have to be finished with their weekly markdowns, making it a great day to shop for a bargain.

CVS Drugstores

Shop early in the week. Like on a Monday or Tuesday if you can. A manager told me that most CVS stores start their markdown process on Sunday, so shop early in the week and take advantage of the selection and savings.

The Gap

Did you know that if the price ends in .97 it typically will not go any lower at Gap? True, check it out yourself the next time you're shopping. How about the day Gap tends to mark stuff down? I recently had a current Gap employee tell me they mark things down every two weeks on a Monday. Figure out which Monday and you'll be good to go.

Joann Fabrics

According to many loyal Joann shoppers they mark things down on Sundays, making it a great day to shop, especially if you have one of their coupons good for 40% off any one item. Monday is a good day to shop as well and typically less crowded to boot.

Kohl's

I had a super friendly sales associate tell me all about the markdown schedule at Kohl's. She told me that while they are constantly marking stuff down, and putting stuff on sale, the best days to shop occur twice a month. They are the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. She said those 2 days are typically when they mark the most stuff down and mark it down for the biggest saving (percentage-wise). News you can use right there!

Macy's

Macy's is notorious for starting their in-store markdowns on Sunday's with the goal of being finished marking things down by Tuesday. Shop on a Tuesday or Wednesday to get the first crack at newly marked down apparel, jewelry, and household items.

Old Navy

I was shopping at our local Old Navy store a while back and asked the store manager about their markdown policy. She told me they will do their markdowns after they close for the day on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. So in order to get the best selection, consider shopping at Old Navy on Wednesdays.

Ross - Dress for Less

A friendly sales associate dropped the goods on when they do price reductions at Ross. He told me they mark stuff down, or put new items on clearance, on Mondays and Tuesdays. So he recommended shopping on Tuesday afternoon or early Wednesday to get the best shot at newly marked down items. He said this was especially true for shoes, luggage, apparel, and home decor items.

Target

Target has one of the most widely known markdown schedules around so I went to a great source for All Things Target and got the scoop on exactly when they mark things down. Also, be sure to crack the price tag code on Target clearance stickers so you an score the best savings. Here is when they do their markdowns:

Monday - Electronics, Accessories, Kids Clothing, Books, Baby and Stationery
Tuesday - Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
Wednesday - Men's Clothing, Health and Beauty, Diapers, Lawn & Garden items and Furniture
Thursday - Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Toys, Sporting Goods, Decor & Luggage
Friday - Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, & Jewelry
TJ Maxx

I was told by a TJ Maxx employee that they tend to be a little random on markdowns. I was also told that the key to finding the best markdown deals tend to happen mid-week as most locations use those days to re-stock shelves and thus will add more stuff to clearance to make room.