Stephanie Nelson | 

Top 10 Sales of the Year That Aren't Black Friday

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It’s a legit question: what top sales of the year are worth your time to shop? We all know Black Friday sales are greater than all other sales because of the sheer quantity and depth of the discounts. No question. But that doesn’t mean you should go on autopilot and buy everything at regular price while you wait for next fall! (Does that idea give you a heart attack? It does me!)

You can stock up on hair products, toys, clothing, home decor, candles, and more during not-Black Friday, also known as the rest of the year. I’m going to show you which sales matter the most and tell you how to shop them.

Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app in order to find out exactly when these sales are happening in 2023. Added bonus: I’ll do the legwork and tell you what the current hottest deals are too.

 

1. Target Semi-Annual Toy Clearance

heather and joanie holding toys near target shopping cart during sale

The twice-yearly Target Toy Sale is the primo time to buy toys for a fraction of their regular prices. Target’s toy sale shows up in January and June.

Expect the sale to last about three weeks each time. The first toy markdown will be 30% off and progress to 50% off within the first week. Then you’ll see prices hit as low as 70% off before the sale is over.

If you’re a regular Target toy sale shopper, you might remember when the discounts kept going until they hit 90% off. That’s no longer the case, unfortunately. Ever since Target salvage stores showed up, anything leftover at the end of the sale goes there.

I recommend in some cases being satisfied with even 30% savings. Especially on brands like Lego and Barbie that sell out well before they can even hit 50% off.

 

2. Amazon Prime Day

A woman holding two amazon boxes

We’ve confirmed that Prime Day 2023 will happen on July 11 – 12, 2023, but let’s not also forget about October’s “Prime Early Access Deals,” which is basically Amazon Prime Day 2.0 but just before Black Friday.

Nevertheless, you don’t want to miss these sales because I’ve seen discounts on items in every category. Watch for the best deals of the year on Amazon devices like Kindle, Alexa, and more. These tend to be bundled with freebies like smart plugs. Also look for Ring discounts and all sorts of apparel and housewares on sale.

Brush up on your Amazon Prime Day plan so you’re totally ready to get the best deals.

 

3. Black Friday in July sales

person browsing for shirts on display at macys during black friday in july event

Of course Amazon competitors want to get in on the action during Prime Day, so stores like Kohl’s and Target offer Black Friday in July Sales. There are loads of these sales at most of the major retailers, but here are a few examples of what to expect:

Kohl’s Summer Cyber Deals

Watch for deals across multiple categories like apparel, toys, outdoor recreation, home, and more. In 2022, this sale happened during Amazon Prime Day (July 12 – 13), and I predict it’ll coincide with Amazon’s sale again. You could earn $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 you spent, and Kohl’s offered BOGO $1 deals, too.

In 2022 I saw 30% off Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas, along with 50% off men’s clothes and up to 60% off luggage.

Target Circle Week in July

Rinse and repeat the dates above. Target aims to run their sale during Amazon’s as well. In 2022, Target Deal Days were live July 11 – 13. But this year, the Target Black Friday in July sale (now called Target Circle Week) will last a whole week — July 9 – 15, 2023. Last year, you could get 50% off tech and clothing, 40% off kitchen appliances, and up to $70 off Apple products.

Macy’s Black Friday in July

In 2022 Macy’s Black Friday in July sale ran from July 6 – 11, offering an additional couple days of savings. I saw 50% off apparel, up to 65% off luggage, and up to 50% off shoes.

 

 

4. Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale

Bath and Body Works Store Front

If you like Bath & Body Works stuff, I bet you already know about this one. It’s a pretty legendary sale. Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale happens twice a year for a whopping 22 days! Expect to shop in December – January and again in June.

During this time you’ll find all the things you love for up to 75% off. Plan to shop in the physical store because you’ll get earlier access to the sale (a better selection!) and you’ll avoid paying for shipping. You want to shop the sale early and then return for a price adjustment when markdowns happen. This is the best way to both get exactly what you want and the lowest price possible.

TIP: Also be sure to shop Bath & Body Works Candle Day in December. This is actually the best time of year to buy Bath & Body Works candles specifically. Prices reach as low as $9.95. In 2022 this sale happened Dec. 2 – 3.

 

5. Yankee Candle Semi-Annual Sale

yankee candle semi annual clearance sale signage in store

Don’t look now, but Yankee is capitalizing on Bath & Body Works’ sales in order to pull your attention (and dollars). Lucky for you, these two sales, which happen around the same time — three or so weeks in December through January and again in June — are pretty comparable.

During the Yankee Candle Semi-Annual Sale, you can get up to 75% savings, and considering regular prices on candles at the two retailers are very similar, your biggest decision may be this: what scent do I want?

One thing to bear in mind is that Bath & Body Works tends to put most of their fragrances on sale, while Yankee’s sale will be predominately seasonal items. Also, Yankee can’t beat Bath & Body Works’ Candle Day sale. So if you’re Team Bath & Body Works candles, you know what to do.

 

6. Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale

ulta 21 days of beauty flyer week 2

Even though it doesn’t sport “Semi-Annual” in the title, Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale is actually a twice-yearly sale too. Plan to shop this one during a 3-week period in mid-March through April and again during the end of August and into September.

This is the sale to target if you want to stock up on makeup, skincare, and other beauty products that you’d normally have to pay full price for. The sale that just ended in April 2023 offered these 50% off deals and more:

  • Clinique Facial Cleanser: as low as $11.75 (regularly $23.50)
  • Smashbox Primer: $21 (regularly $42)
  • Urban Decay Cosmetics 24/7 Eyeshadow: $10.50 (regularly $21)

 

 

7. Wayfair Way Day

person on laptop looking at wayfair websites way day promotions

If you like getting your home decor and furniture for up to 80% off, you can’t miss the Wayfair Way Day sale. This one comes around twice a year too, but it only lasts for 48 hours each time, so you have to be fast.

Watch for Way Day in April and again in October. In 2022 the spring sale ran from April 27 – 28, and the fall sale was from Oct. 26 – 27.

You can sign up for Wayfair emails to get a preview of the sale before it goes live (and you’ll get a coupon if it’s your first time signing up). Add items to your cart and then buy quickly because the best deals (and the most desirable items) sell out fast. Here are a few hot deals I saw in 2022:

  • Langley Street Frampton 8 × 10 foot rug: $209.99 (regularly $929)
  • Kelly Clarkson 2 × 4 foot runner rug: $29.99+ (regularly $108)
  • Joss & Main 3 piece Wicker Basket Set: $186 ($392.50)

 

8. Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale

victorias secret shopper holding up pajamas

Showing up in June and December, the Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale is without a doubt the best time of year to shop for lingerie. Even better than Black Friday (for real). This sale lasts about two weeks, and like other sales of this nature, it runs into the following month. So that’s June/July and December/January. You’ll see $2.99 panties and $5.99 bras. Do I have your attention?

Overall expect up 50% – 80% savings on all the Victoria’s Secret things: swimwear, bras, panties, PINK sweats, mists, lotions, robes, pajamas, lingerie, and perfume.

 

9. Home Depot & Lowe’s Spring Black Friday

a person looking at a plant outside of a lowes

Home Depot’s Spring Black Friday and Lowe’s SpringFest are the best times of year to stock up on stuff for your yard. Both of these stores offer $2 bags of mulch, the lowest price of the year. Also be sure to buy $0.25 pavers, another regular discount we see during these sales.

Both Home Depot and Lowe’s sales traditionally start mid-April, but both retailers surprised us in 2023 with early sales. Home Depot ran a sale from March 23 – April 2 and will offer their usual Spring Black Friday sale starting April 14. Lowe’s just went ahead and kicked the whole thing off a week early.

Take advantage of each store’s Low-Price Guarantees too. This means they promise to match a local competitor’s sale price so you don’t have to visit both stores. You’ll have to show them the other store’s ad, so be prepared.

 

 

10. Back-to-School Sales

Back-to-School shopping at Walmart.

If you have kids or a home office to stock, you need to perk up around July and be ready to shop back-to-school sales. This is another event that many stores participate in, and here at The Krazy Coupon Lady, I cover all the back-to-school ins and outs in detail, including sales guides for all the major retailers, along with back-to-school shopping tips to squeeze the most savings out of this event.

Back-to-school sales show up earlier than it seems like they should. That’s why I say July is the time to start paying attention. These deals trickle out through September, although for school supplies, you’ll have to shop early. As soon as possible, actually, to get the best selection.

Watch for deals on kids clothing: school uniforms, jeans, tees, shoes, etc. Also expect to find backpacks on sale. And be sure to stock up on everything for their class lists and your home office during this season. You can usually get things like pens for free, and there are certain things (calculators!) you should only buy at the dollar store. Here are all my back-to-school shopping guides:

 

Honorable mentions:

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Nordstrom runs this sale every summer to clear out inventory before fall styles arrive. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale goes for about two weeks at the end of July and into August. For this year, the sale will happen July 17 – Aug. 6. In 2022, it was July 15 – Aug. 1.

Expect discounts in most every category. Here are some brands I saw on sale in 2022: Adidas, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Billabong, Calvin Klein, Charlotte Tilbury, Clinique, Dickie’s, Estee Lauder, Free People, French Connection, Kate Spade, Madewell, Nars, Natori, Nike, The North Face, Quiksilver, Roxy, Skechers, Spanx, Topshop, Under Armour, Vince Camuto, Wacoal, and Zella.

 

Ross $0.49 Clearance Sale

If you’re lucky enough to have a Ross in your town that offers this sale, you should absolutely mark your calendar. The Ross $0.49 Clearance Sale usually starts out with discounts that are not $0.49, but by mid-to-late January, the store will start clearancing items to this insanely low price point.

I recommend you stop by Ross after Christmas for recon. If you don’t see any excitingly low price tags, plan to come back mid-January. It’s a bit of a hunt and peck, but if you’re a Ross shopper, you know that’s par for the Ross course. In 2022 I found magnetic eyelashes, The Body Shop body butter, and all kinds of clothing for $0.49.

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