There’s really no better time to buy outerwear than during a winter clearance sale, especially when you can save up to 90% on fleece jackets and puffer coats for kids.
When it comes to shopping for the upcoming season, retailers are always three steps ahead of you. That’s why they’ll start putting all winter coats, gloves, hats, mittens, and more on clearance in January — they’re already in full swing for spring.
We put together this guide to all the best winter clearance sales on outerwear so you know what to look for and when. Don’t forget to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app and check out all the best clearance deals you can get right now!
1. The best winter clearance sales for coats are in January, February, and March.
About 90% of all winter clearance deals on coats happen in the first three months of the year. This is mostly because stores are trying to clear their shelves of all winter items to make room for new spring merchandise. There’s some urgency to this, too, since stores usually have tons of winter gear leftover from the holiday season. That’s why you’ll find winter coats and other cold-weather gear for 75% off or more.
We’ll dive into when to shop at each store in a sec, but always check for winter clearance sales in January, February, and March at these stores:
- Macy’s
- Kohl’s
- JCPenney
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- REI
- Zulily
- Gap
- Old Navy
- Nordstrom Rack
- T.J. Maxx (and their sister stores, like Marshall’s and Sierra)
2. Shop at Macy’s during their winter clearance on coats starting in January.
During Macy’s clearance sales in January, February, and March, you’ll find winter coats, boots, fleece jackets, sweaters, and other cold-weather items you’ll need for next year or for the rest of the season. You’ll also save up to 80% on puffer coats for kids. Last year we even saw a clearance puffer vest for $4. You can easily save 70% or more both in stores and online at Macys.com.
Start looking for winter coat clearance deals at Macy’s in mid-January. Once February rolls around, stop by Macy’s Last Act clearance for the deepest discounts. We’ve seen winter coats from The North Face, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Columbia for up to 70% off.
You’ll find great deals in March, too, but you’ll have a slim selection to choose from by then.
TIP: Don’t forget that the Macy’s return policy only gives you 30 days to return Last Act merchandise.
3. Head to Kohl’s in March for up to 76% off their winter coat clearance.
Winter coat clearances at Kohl’s happen in February, March, and April, but you’ll find the best deals (and the biggest selection of coats) if you shop in March. Even better, you can use any Kohl’s Cash you’ve earned to save even more on winter clearance sale purchases!
We’ve seen Columbia fleeces for $30 (regularly $60), Koolaburra by Ugg puffer jackets for $50 (regularly $140), and toddler puffer jackets go for as low as $20 during Kohl’s winter clearance sale.
TIP: Want to save even more on Kohl’s Clearance? Sign up for Kohl’s Rewards and find stackable coupons for clearance items in your Kohl’s wallet.
4. Stop by Dick’s outerwear sales through March for a great winter coat clearance selection.
Dick’s Sporting Goods offers winter clearance sales starting in January through March. Look for winter boots clearance, outerwear, snow pants, ski gear, and more.
Clearance deals will start at 30% off on top brands like The North Face, Columbia, and Patagonia. But by mid-to-late February, clearance prices will reach 50% off on The North Face and Columbia.
Some of these clearance prices are available online, but there’s always a better clearance selection in stores. Dick’s will have clearance racks in every department. You’ll also find items with colored stickers that give you additional discounts. The longer these products sit on the rack, the higher the additional discount.
Last year, we shared a clearance deal for a Patagonia Brodeo Beanie for $24.99 (reg. $49) — that’s 49% off.
If you’re lucky enough to have a Dick’s Sporting Goods Warehouse Location near you, definitely check out their selection of winter coats. They’ll usually offer 70% off hundreds of styles.
TIP: Dick’s Sporting Goods will price match identical items at major retailers (like Target, Walmart, Nike, Macy’s, etc.). You can ask for a price match on a sale item, but they won’t match a final clearance markdown or a going-out-of-business sale price.
5. Don’t miss the REI Winter Clearance Sale from January to March — you can save up to 60% on winter coats.
At REI, it’s rare to see any new items with discounts — especially for 50% off. But from January through March, REI is very generous. For example, we’ve seen Columbia outerwear go for up to 60% off.
REI’s Winter Clearance Sale is the best time to buy outdoor gear for both winter and spring. Watch for deals on tents, sleeping pads, hiking boots, and more.
TIP: The REI return policy is pretty flexible. Like, you can even return open or used gear up to a year after you bought it! But be cautious — you can’t return any final sale items to REI.
6. JCPenney basically has winter clearance deals running constantly from January through April.
If you’re looking for Levi’s puffer jackets, Columbia vests, and kids’ coats from top brands, you can’t go wrong with JCPenney’s winter coat clearances. In 2022 JCPenney had the best winter coat clearance deals in March — we saw discounts on men’s, women’s, and kids’ jackets hold steady at 70% – 88% off.
In addition to deep discounts on winter coats and jackets, you’ll save on a bunch of other cold-weather accessories, too. Like scarves under $3, beanies under $4, and comfy headbands for just $1.50.
TIP: As you browse the winter coat clearance at JCPenney, look for the little pink stickers on the tags — those indicate final clearance prices, so it’s the lowest you’ll pay for that item at JCPenney.
7. Shop Zulily’s winter coat clearance in January to save up to 88%.
In January, Zulily has clearance prices that seem too good to be true, but we promise they’re real. Here’s a list of just SOME of the winter coat clearance deals we saw in January 2022:
- Brand Name Puffer Coats, as low as $26.99 (up to 87% off)
- Big Chill Fleece Jackets, only $14.99 (80% off)
- Steve Madden Jackets, starting at $22 (up to 88% off)
- Weatherproof Quilted Jackets, as low as $30 (up to 80% off)
Zulily has great winter clearance sale deals in March and April as well (like jackets for as low as $8), but their selection is by far the best in January. Even better, you can use these top Zulily shopping hacks to score even bigger savings.
TIP: Check for the best deals during the Zulily Birthday Sale from Jan. 23 – 29. You’ll find discounts of up to 80% on all items.
8. Stop by Nordstrom Rack for their “Clear the Rack” event in January for an extra 25% off winter coats.
The Nordstrom Rack “Clear The Rack” event happens about once every other month. But from January through March, you’ll likely see a Clear The Rack event every single month.
During these clearance events, you’ll get an extra 25% off red-tag clearance prices — including cold weather clearance items. Our best advice is to aim for 75% savings, but even 50% savings is awesome for some higher-end brands at Nordstrom Rack.
Here’s a look at some of the best winter clearance sale steals we’ve seen from past Clear The Rack events:
- Kids Puffer Jackets, starting at $11.22 — 72% off
- Kate Spade Hooded Quilt Jackets, $73.09 — 69% off
- Levi’s Faux Fur Quilted Bomber Jackets, $22.48 — 88% off
TIP: If you see a tag that says “Nordstrom Rack” on it, that item was most likely never sold at a real Nordstrom store. Instead, it’s probably a made-for-outlet item. As you shop the clearance racks, peel back those red clearance stickers to verify that something came from Nordstrom directly.
9. Gap has clearance winter coats for an extra 40% – 50% off starting in January.
Generally, you want to shop at Gap or Gap Factory during the extra 50% off clearance sales. But if you notice the selection of winter gear is already sparse, go ahead and buy an item you love at 40% off.
Gap and Gap Factory (aka Gap’s outlet store) begin their extra 50% off sale in January with deals on kids’ puffer coats, sweatshirts, sherpa jackets, and more. Each store offers their own selection of items, so always check out both stores. You can also snag Gap winter clearance online. The online selection is pretty good, but things tend to sell out quickly.
If you still need anything for next winter — long-sleeve shirts, sweaters, jackets, vests, hats, etc. — grab them for less before they’re gone.
Here are a couple of deals we shared in winter 2023 from Gap Factory:
- BabyGap ColdControl Max Puffer Jacket, $22.50 with a promo code (reg. $69.99) — 68% off
- ColdControl Max Puffer Coat, $40 with a promo code (reg. $119.99) — 67% off
TIP: Gap will price match the same items on Gap.com. So as you shop the racks in store, use the barcode scanner in the Gap app (iOS / Android) to check for lower prices online.
10. Head to T.J.Maxx in January and February and look for red and yellow clearance tags on winter coats.
T.J.Maxx typically doesn’t do special promos or sales, but they actually do offer a Winter Clearance Event twice a year, once in January and again in August. While you won’t see any percent-off sale signs, you will see a slew of yellow-tag and red-tag merchandise across the store.
Swing into the store in January to paw through loads of newly marked-down winter clearance items. You can also shop the winter clearance online at TJMaxx.com. Shipping is free on orders of $89 or more, or sign up for emails to get free shipping on your first order with no minimum purchase.
TIP: Shop at T.J.Maxx on Monday mornings for the biggest winter clearance selection. Since T.J. Maxx does new markdowns before the store opens on Monday, you’ll get first dibs on all the best stuff.
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