It’s no surprise that bargain retailer Ross Dress for Less has great finds. But when top brands (yes, Ross carries big names) get marked down to just $0.49 — oh, it’s on.
Ross unleashes the $0.49 tags once a year in January. In 2025, it happened on Jan. 27 at most locations.
Technically, the Ross $0.49 clearance markdowns aren't part of an official sale. But Ross does a big clearance event throughout January, with markdowns on Mondays, and the final Monday in January (Jan. 27 in 2025) was when we saw the bulk of clearance items at the lowest price Ross goes: $0.49. That day is what deal hunters refer to, unofficially, as the "Ross $0.49 Sale."
Things vary a LOT by store, and not everything goes down to $0.49. But our deal hunters go looking every year because finding clothing, home decor, and more for $0.49 is one of our favorite Ross shopping hacks.
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The Ross $0.49 Sale is an annual January clearance event with prices as low as $0.49.
As a discount department store, Ross already has lower-than-retail prices on lots of things, but once the New Year hits, stores clear out old inventory with their biggest clearance event of the year. Although there are lot of different price points in this sale, the one that gets the most attention is $0.49, the lowest possible.
KCL predicts the next Ross $0.49 sale will begin Jan. 26, 2026.
We predict the 2026 Ross $0.49 Sale will kick off Jan. 26, the final Monday of the month.
How do we make our prediction?
Ross doesn’t officially announce the dates of their $0.49 January Clearance Sale, because it's not an official sale. However, in past years, Ross has run a clearance sale that lasts the entire month of January, with new markdowns on Mondays. We usually see the most $0.49 tags hit that final Monday, as Ross shifts into high gear in trying to get clearance off the racks. Keep in mind there's no official end date to the tags, but expect them to sell out quickly.
How to Shop the Ross $0.49 Sale: Our Favorite Finds From the 2025 Sale
We found a few $0.49 tags trickling in before the final Monday in January in 2025 and then a flood of them on Jan. 27 (along with very long lines and a shortage of shopping carts).
On Jan. 6, we spotted our very first $0.49 item (baby socks).
On Jan. 9 we spotted our second one (a women's shirt), so keep your eyes out at your local Ross store. However, we expect to see a greater range of $0.49 tags later in January.
And on Jan. 15, we spotted a Nightmare Before Christmas lollypop holder for $0.49 in a bin near checkout.
As expected, the Ross $0.49 tags started dropping for real on Jan. 27, and our deal hunters found plenty in the clothing and home sections.
1. The $0.49 Ross clearance doesn’t happen at every store, and it’s different at every location. But all stores participate in a year-end clearance.
While there was Ross clearance at every location, not all stores had prices as low as $0.49. But there are always solid finds. We spotted $0.99 dresses, $5 appliances, and more, for example.
2. Ross employees shared with us that $0.49 Ross clearance typically starts in late December and runs through January.
Each Ross store has a different schedule, and the sale dates tend to change each year. You'll see clearance markdowns start at the end of December, but the lion’s share happen in January.
3. Look for clearance items like sweaters, makeup items, gift sets, and children’s dresses for as low as $0.49.
Yes, it’s true. You’ll find clothing, holiday items, and kids’ stuff for as low as $0.49 during the Ross clearance event. Just look for those little hot pink tags to get the best clearance deals.
4. In previous years we found $1.99 items from Gap, Free People, and Steve Madden at Ross in January.
Lots of items go on sale for $1.99 (or less) during the Ross clearance sale. In recent years, items we found in this price range included women’s sweaters, baby sweaters, tops, and sunglasses.
5. Look for Nike clothes for $2.99 in the Ross clearance section; we found plenty in 2023.
If you’re still pinching yourself, you can stop now. Some of the most popular brands, like Nike and Under Armour, get deep discounts during the Ross clearance event. We also saw $1.99 Tommy Hilfiger baby sets and women’s Calvin Klein jeans for just $2.99 (96% off).
6. Throughout January, keep an eye on shoes, purses, wallets, and sunglasses under $5.
A former Ross employee of seven years turned to TikTok to share some little-known Ross clearance secrets. She said that around January each year, her entire Ross store was priced at $5 or less.
According to this former employee, shoes, purses, wallets, and sunglasses are under $5 at Ross during January — even items from brands like Michael Kors can be priced that low.
Now we can’t promise this is true for every Ross store out there, but it’s worth following up on for the chance to find clearance deals this good.
7. Ross also typically has Kate Spade and other brand-name accessories for under $15.
On any given day you’ll find brand names at Ross, but during a clearance event you'll find them even cheaper. In 2023, there was an $11.99 Kate Spade hat and glove set that looked way more expensive than its price tag.
8. Don’t be the first in line at Ross — store employees need time to mark down clearance items Monday - Wednesday.
This might sound counterintuitive, but you actually don’t want to be the very first inside a Ross store when it opens. That’s because employees have to scan each item by hand to see if its price is getting further reduced or not. Head into the store a couple hours after opening to get a better shot at newly marked down items.
9. You can return Ross clearance items (even those with $0.49 tags), but "As-Is" items are the exception.
Look closely at that clearance tag. If it says "As-Is" on it, you can't return it. Otherwise Ross clearance items have the same 30-day return policy as regular-priced items.
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