If you love fashion, there’s nothing like finding designer styles at Ross Dress for Less. The off-price retailer is full of incredible finds, from discounted brand-name clothing to affordable home goods and so much more. Plus, every item is heavily discounted from its original prices (sometimes up to 60% off).
While you’re sure to score deals anytime you shop at Ross, there are so many extra ways to save. In addition to their January clearance sale, the retailer also offers great deals every day — but you have to hunt for them.
To save you all that time and effort, I’ve gone ahead and done the dirty work for you. That way, you can grab the best deals and spend even less money. Whether you’re looking for Ross furniture, clothes, kitchen items, or anything in between, these tips will help you save the most money.
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1. Buy brand-name clothing at Ross for up to 60% off.
Wait — is Ross a thrift store?
Nope. Ross isn’t a thrift store. Thrift stores sell secondhand goods (meaning stuff that’s already been used or worn). But you won’t find any used items when you’re shopping at Ross. The inventory at Ross is made up of merchandise that they’ve purchased at a deep discount from suppliers or retailers who made too much or have excess inventory.
2. Shop at Ross stores on Mondays (that’s when markdowns happen).
3. Ask a store associate for the weekly markdown list.
Every Sunday, Ross store managers receive the weekly markdown list from headquarters. Markdowns for each department can vary from one week to another, but they are generally the same nationwide. Most departments are marked down about once per month.
To find out when Ross marks down each department, ask an associate the next time you’re at the store. Naturally, the best time to ask is on Mondays so you can get the first look at fresh discounts.
4. If you’re at least 55 years old, shop on Tuesdays for the Ross senior discount.
If you’re age 55 or older, the Ross senior discount can give you up to 10% off on Tuesdays. This is what they call their “Every Tuesday Club,” and it’s available at all store locations. To score this deal, you’ll need to sign up in-store and show a valid ID with your age displayed on it. Then you can save 10% every Tuesday!
Related: We put together the ultimate list of senior discounts (that prove getting older is awesome).
5. If something you bought gets marked down within 30 days, you can return it and buy it for less.
6. Look for “Irregular” price tags to save more money.
If you ever see an item with a tag that says “Irregular,” you’ve found a great deal. The irregular price tag means the item didn’t meet the original manufacturer’s strict guidelines. So the item was shipped to Ross instead.
Irregular price tags also mean you’re saving a ton on the original price. These items aren’t usually damaged or defective in any way, so don’t be scared off by the word “Irregular.”
7. Buy items for just $0.49 during the Ross clearance sale in January.
Since January marks the end of the year for Ross stores, this is when they discount tons of products to make room for new inventory. The exact dates of the sale will vary by location; some markdowns happen right after Christmas, while others take place in mid-to-late January.
I’ve seen $0.49 items on Polo, Crayola, graphic tees, and toys. So the Ross January Clearance Sale is definitely worth checking out.
Related: I can teach you how to shop the Dollar General penny list and find things for $0.01.
8. The best times to shop at Ross are in January and July.
9. You can score giveaways on their Facebook page.
The Ross Facebook page is a great place to score free gift cards and find out about giveaways. I suggest checking out the page once a week to see if you can enter any giveaways. I will say that they don’t do this very often, but it is a fun perk if you win.
For example, at the beginning of December 2022, they picked 20 people to win a $100 Ross gift card if you voted on a favorite outfit they shared.
10. Sign up for Ross emails to stay in the loop on upcoming sales.
11. You can try to negotiate the price of a damaged item.
If you find something that’s damaged or stained, try negotiating the price with the cashier. You can’t always get things for cheaper, but there’s a pretty good chance they’ll knock a few bucks off the price tag.
12. Handbags, shoes, sunglasses, hair care, and fragrances have the biggest discounts.
You’ll pay less than the original price for all items at Ross, but some items get you more savings than others. These products include handbags, shoes, sunglasses, hair products, and fragrances. Keep an eye out for these items to get the biggest bang for your buck.
13. You can place up to six items on hold each day.
If you find items at Ross that you’re not totally sure about yet, you can put up to six items on hold each day. You’ll have until the store’s closing to come back and purchase the items on hold. The only restriction to this policy is that they won’t hold clearance items for you, so you’ll have to make a game-time decision for those.
14. You have 30 days to return items to Ross for a full refund.
Ross will let you return something without a receipt, but only once. After that, you’ll only get store credit for returns.
15. If you see something you love, buy it ASAP (or you’ll lose your shot).
16. Ross stores in cities have better discounts than stores in suburban areas.
17. Use the Amazon or eBay app to pull up the current selling price of any item while you shop.
18. You can buy discounted Ross gift cards online.
For example, in December 2022 you could get a 15.6% discount on Ross gift cards from CardBear.
19. Ross tags will show you how much money you’re saving.
Given that most Ross prices are about half the comparable value price, many of the best deals in the store don’t actually list a “comparable value.”
20. Ross online shopping doesn’t exist (yet) …
If you’re a dedicated online shopper, you should know that Ross online shopping isn’t a thing, at least not at the moment. They cycle through inventory so quickly that it’d almost be impossible to keep the Ross online site up to date. You might want to check out these other online clothing stores that offer similar markdowns.
Related: Use these 13 tips for better Marshalls online shopping.