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.
On Jan. 6 and again on Jan. 9, we spotted our very first $0.49 items (baby socks and a women's shirt), so go ahead and check out your nearest Ross store now. However, we expect to see a greater range of $0.49 tags later in January. And since clearance markdowns happen every Monday, some dedicated Ross shoppers are marking Jan. 27, 2025 (the final markdown day in January), as the day to find them. Unofficially known as the “Ross 49 Cent Sale,” it’s the best time to hunt for those hot pink reduced stickers at the retailer, which is just one of our favorite Ross shopping hacks.
On the day of the Ross 49 Cent Sale, expect Ross locations everywhere to have long lines and lots of pink tags. Although Jan. 27 is when I think the steepest markdowns will happen, I start my search weeks earlier, following the Ross Clearance sale from start to finish. Remember that every store is a treasure trove of unique-to-that-location markdowns, so nothing is guaranteed.
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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 happen on Jan. 27, 2025, with clearance already rolling out in stores in January.
Ross doesn’t officially announce the dates of their $0.49 January Clearance Sale. However, based a Ross clearance schedule for January 2025 that leaked online, those $0.49 price tags should drop on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. Keep in mind you can still get great deals in the weeks ahead of that date, just not likely as cheap as $0.49 (although our deal hunters did spot baby socks on Jan. 6 for $0.49).
How do we make our prediction?
In 2024, the lion's share of $0.49 items arrived on Jan. 22, a Monday. A recently leaked Ross clearance schedule for January 2025 shows an every-Monday schedule for markdowns, with the final round beginning Monday Jan. 27. Since the $0.49 Sale is the lowest the prices go during clearance, we expect that final week is when those $0.49 tags will land in stores.
We spotted our first $0.49 tag on Jan. 6 this year.
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.
What’s it like to shop Ross $0.49 clearance? Here's a 2024 recap
Let’s be real: this is a true scavenger hunt. Last year while the interwebs were buzzing about the Jan. 22, 2024, date as the day to grab the most $0.49 items, I set out to find $0.49 merch before that. Follow on my Ross clearance journey.
Date: Jan. 29. 2024
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Time: 2:15 p.m. PT
No. of $0.49 Tags: 1
Findings: Unless your Ross location is really trying to set itself apart from the pack in terms of their clearance schedule, you can put a fork in the Ross $0.49 sale — it’s done, y’all. I popped into my tried and true location on Jan. 29 just to see if anything new had been added to the clearance racks. It most certainly had not. There was little clearance signage left, and even where there was, most of the items on those racks were actually full price. I found a $0.49 sticker on a jar of Primal Kitchens No-Dairy Gravy.
I also saw a pair of pilled lounge pants for $0.99.
Aside from that, it’s pretty safe to say that’s a wrap on Ross Clearance 2024.
Date: Jan. 23, 2024
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Time: 2 p.m. PT
No. of $0.49 Tags: Back to 0
Findings: To quote one Miley Cyrus, the Ross $0.49 sale “came in like a wrecking ball.” I went to my nearest Ross on Tuesday, the day after the massive $0.49 clearance drop, and all I can say is, “Whoa.” The clearance racks were the most sparse I had seen them in weeks. And finding anything under $4 was much harder than my previous visits prior to Jan. 22. I found a body lotion from a brand I’d never heard of for $0.99, a long-sleeved crop top for $1.49, a set of French Connection hankies for $2.99, and a pair of Aerie shorts for $4.99. Frankly, the whole vibe of the store felt empty, but the checkout lines were still long.
At $1.49, I found a Just Polly T-shirt.
Date: Jan. 22, 2024
Location: Brandon, FL and Massillon, OH
Time: 9:30 a.m. ET
No. of $0.49 Tags: TONS
Findings: Stores KCL staffers visited in Brandon, Florida, and Massillon, Ohio, had Disney World-sized crowds and people scooping up all the cheap price tags, no matter what the item was. These Ross finds are from the scene at both stores. Ohio was formerly believed to not participate in the $0.49 sale, but boy, did that term out to be a myth. KCL photographer Chelsea in Florida observed people grabbing whatever they could, no matter the size. As long as the item said $0.49, people wanted it.
We spotted cargo shorts for $0.49.
We also found a Planet Gold sweater for $0.49 (reg. $8.99).
We also found some $0.49 in the home section, mainly small items like glass vases and candle holders.
This dog sweater was also $0.49.
And we found a few hair accessories with $0.49 price tags, including hair claws and this scrunchie.
Date: Jan. 18, 2024
Location: Culver City, CA
Time: 1 p.m. PT
No. of $0.49 Tags: 0
Findings: My personal observation is this — the more organized and spacious the Ross store, the fewer ultra cheap price tags you’ll find. I needed a change of scenery, so I trekked over to a Ross about 20 minutes from where I live. It felt less stuffed, and there was more space to move through the aisles. However, I couldn’t find a single $0.49 item, not even a $0.99 item. My search produced a $2.99 holiday-scented hand soap (you can get hand soaps cheaper at Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale, by the way) and a pair of novelty Hershey Bar socks for $1.49.
There was also a Mini Tic-Tac-Toe Drinking Game set for $2.99, and a pair of maternity leggings for $2.99. There’s always next week …
Date: Jan. 15, 2024
Location: Brandon, FL
Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
No. of $0.49 Tags: 0
Findings: While I didn’t have any luck finding $0.49 tags at my Ross store in Brandon, Florida, this morning, I still found a bunch of great steals, like kids’ shoes, men’s Under Armour T-shirts, and women’s sweaters and jeans. Some of the best deals I found were men’s shirts for $2.49 — I spotted a Cotton On button-down.
I also found a $2.49 Carhartt long-sleeve tee at this low price point as well as a Wrangler Retro quarter-zip for $5.99, a Hurley T-shirt for $4.99, an Under Armour tee for $7.49, and Levi Strauss jeans for $6.99.
Date: Jan. 8, 2024
Location: Los Angeles, CA (the same store from Jan. 2, for those keeping track)
Time: 2:45 p.m. PT
No. of $0.49 Tags: 0
Findings: I decided to return to my home Ross because I know it well and there are no intimidating Taylor Swift Eras Tour level stanchions out front. It was a Monday and the clearance racks were robust, at least as far as the men’s and women’s clothing. The kids’ clothing clearance was a bit sparse, but still plenty to pick through. The only bad thing about so much clearance was that it was a real time investment to pick through it all. I didn’t come up with any $0.49 items. Even a novelty Christmas ornament shot glass set was only marked down to $2.49. I had a hot tip that holiday candy might be reduced to $0.49. Not at this store. It was still sitting pretty at $1.49. The journey continues …
Date: Jan. 3, 2024
Location: Los Angeles, CA (albeit a different store from the previous day)
Time: 2 p.m. PT
No. of $0.49 Tags: 2 (technically)
Findings: This was a new-to-me Ross (one I had never visited before), and I was a little taken aback by the stanchions out front as if I was about to get in line for a concert. I thought this might mean it’s the holy grail of Ross stores with mobs of people coming every day because the getting is so good. That did not turn out to be the case. While I didn’t find anything amazing, I did technically spot two $0.49 tags. However, they were attached to single pairs of kids' socks originally priced at $0.99. Womp, womp. The search continues.
Date: Jan. 2, 2024
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Time: 1:30 p.m. PT
No. of $0.49 Tags: 0
Findings: Not gonna sugarcoat it, folks, this was a lackluster trip to Ross. The clearance was pretty bare (particularly in the shoe section). And while I did find some low prices, I didn’t spot anything below $2.49. However, a kind employee told me my timing was pretty spot on in the afternoon as it takes her and her colleagues hours to scan store items for markdowns.
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.
Yes, if you haven’t heard, the Ross clearance sale had it’s biggest day on Jan. 22, 2024, with long lines if your store participated. While there was Ross clearance at every location, not all stores had prices as low as $0.49. Still, even slashed prices as low as $1.49, making for a productive shopping trip.
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 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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