Christa Geraghty | 

31 Bath & Body Works Sale Hacks That'll Blow Your Mind

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Calling all Bath & Body Works shoppers, lovers of fragrance and glitter, candle hoarders, and sanitizer junkies. This is the end-all, be-all — everything you need to know — guide to Bath and Body Works sales, free shipping, coupons, candles, policies, and PocketBacs.

If you’re ready to shop, see today’s best Bath and Body Works coupons and deals. And text BBW to 57299 to get on our Bath & Body Works sale alerts text list.

Plus, check out these in-depth articles that break down all the major sales!

If you’re here for it all, let’s go. Follow me through the gingham gateway . . .

 

1. Get familiar with the Bath & Body Works Sales Calendar 2022.

A schedule for the Bath & Body Works sale schedule

The top three Bath & Body Works sales are Black Friday (good sale), Candle Day (better sale), and Semi-Annual (best sale). And here is when we expect each will happen this year.

 

2. The Bath & Body Works Black Friday Sale is known for its Buy 3, Get 3 Free deals.

A person's hand holding up a bottle of Aromatherapy lotion in front of a big sign inside Bath & Body Works that reads, "Mix & Match, entire store, once a year, buy 3 get 3 free

The Black Friday sale in 2022 began the Monday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 21), both in stores and online.

The Bath & Body Works Black Friday sale is the same every year: Buy 3, Get 3 free on everything in the store, plus a limited-edition tote or box filled with $110+ of products that you can buy for $40. (Also requires a $40 qualifying spend to purchase.)

No matter what time of year you’re reading this, your action item for the Black Friday sale is to get on the Bath & Body Works mail coupon list now, so you receive physical coupons by November. (Fill out this form online and select the topic “Mailing Address Add/Update.”)

Related: Want more? I have an entire guide to the Bath & Body Works Black Friday Sale.

 

3. The Bath & Body Works Candle Day Sale gives you 60% off three-wick candles.

Candle Day is that one sales event in December when people lose their minds and overbuy Bath & Body Works three-wick candles while they’re 60% – 62% the regular price of $25.50 – $26.50.

In 2022, the candle sale began on Dec. 2 and lasted two days, online and in stores.

For the 2022 sale, we correctly predicted Bath and Body Works candles would cost $9.95 — down from the Candle Price in 2021 ($10.25). Compare that to the $12.75 Black Friday price (50% off), and you see why the candle sale is worth waiting for.

Related: Want all the smells? I wrote the book on Bath & Body Works Candle Day.

 

4. Bath & Body Works’ Semi-Annual Sale saves you the most money — 75% off select items.

A woman standing next to a sign outside of Bath & Body Works advertising their 75% off Semi-Annual clearance sale.

The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale is the only sale of the year where you can save 75% (Black Friday is 50%, Candle Day is 60%).

The summer BBW Semi-Annual Sale happens in mid-June. This year, the sale launched Saturday, June 11, 2022.

The winter BBW Semi-Annual Sale always begins the day after Christmas. The next sale will launch Sunday, December 26, 2022.

Think of the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale like an endless Target clearance endcap. Since BBW doesn’t do a lot of traditional clearance markdowns at the end of every season, we get to rummage through last season’s scents twice a year at a 75% discount. The sales last three or four weeks, depending on the season. During the Semi-Annual Sale, we recommend shopping in store.

Love a treasure hunt? The Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual sale might be your pot of gold.

 

5. Buy when you see these Bath & Body Works prices.

Based on the past 24 months of Bath & Body Works sale data, these are the prices you may want to wait for before you buy. These aren’t the very lowest prices we’ve ever seen, but these prices are low. Expect to only see prices like these two to three times per year.

  • For three-wick candles, we stock up at $9.45
  • For body lotions, we stock up at $3.25
  • For hand soaps, we stock up at $3
  • For Wallflower refills, we stock up at $3
  • For Pocketbac sanitizers, we stock up at $1

 

 

6. Get sale alerts via text from The Krazy Coupon Lady.

A graphic of an iPhone with a message notification from KCL about the Bath & Body Works candle day sale.

If you want in on our free Bath & Body Works alerts, text BBW to 57299 and be the first to know about the hottest deals each day, like reminders of Bath & Body Works sales before they start.

 

7. Bath & Body Works sales usually feature one item for one day.

A woman smiling and holding up a Bath & Body Works wallflower refill in front of a sign that reads, "All wallflowers fragrance refills $3.25" inside Bath & Body Works.

Bath & Body Works sales almost always focus on one product at a time and last for one day only. The strategy is to drop a price low enough to get you shopping and adding items to your cart, in hopes you’ll buy other full-priced items while you’re there. Resist, sisters.

Here is an overview of just one month’s worth of Bath & Body Works sales from August 2022:

  • Hand sanitizer sprays $3.25, two days only
  • Full-size body care, Buy 3 Get 3 Free, two days only
  • Room sprays, 2 for $12, two days only
  • Car refills $1.95, one day only
  • PocketBac sanitizers $1, one day only (online only)
  • Fragrance mists $4.95, two days only
  • Three-wick candles $10 off, three days only
  • Hand cream $1.95, one day only
  • Hand soaps & bar soaps $2.95, two days only
  • Candles, Buy 2 Get 2 Free, four days only
  • Cleansers $5.95, one day only

One store associate put it this way: “Every quarter, all major categories will cycle through a sale period at least twice.”

 

8. You don’t have to continue to buy in twos on a sale like 2/$20 candles.

A display of single wick candles with a two for twenty dollars sale sign inside Bath & Body Works.

See a 2/$20 candle sale and want to stock up? You don’t have to continue to buy in even numbers. You can buy 3 for $30 or 5 for $50. Think of these sales like this: “Buy two or more, Pay $10 each”.

 

9. Join My Bath & Body Works Rewards program for freebies and exclusive offers.

A graphic of two iPhones, one showing the My Bath & Body Works app start screen and the other showing a welcome reward coupon for $10 off $30 in the app.

The Bath & Body Works Rewards program is finally available to everyone!

Rewards members earn a free item (retail value up to $16.50) for every $100 spent, and you get 10 points for every $1 spent. Redeem your freebie in stores (participating stores only) or online.

And members, make sure you link your in-store purchases to your account so you can earn points! The cash register should automatically link your purchase based on the name on your credit card. If it doesn’t, there’s a barcode in the wallet of your Bath & Body Works app (iOS / Android), or you can ask the cashier to look up your account with your phone number.

And if you start racking up those free Rewards, don’t worry. You can redeem up to eight Rewards per transaction (one freebie of up to $16.50 per Reward).

 

10. Get Bath & Body Works coupons in the mail.

A person's hand taking a Bath & Body Works coupon mailer out of their mailbox.

Getting on the Bath & Body Works mailed coupon list can be a challenge. In fact, it’s the number one complaint we hear from KCL readers who want to shop. It seems that in 2020, there was a change to the mailer coupon process, and joining the list since then is notoriously difficult.

The best practices for joining the mailer list are:

  1. Create an account online and add your physical address. You do not need to make a purchase.
  2. Fill out this form online. Select topic “Mailing Address Add/Update.”

Shoppers also report occasionally receiving “bounce back coupons” with both their in-store and online purchases, but my experience has been that those coupons have all but dried up since about 2020 pandemic time.

 

 

11. Use a coupon on top of Bath & Body Works sales.

A person's hand holding up a Pumpkin Cupcake scented hand soap and a coupon for 25% off next to a sign that reads "hand soaps 6 for $18" in Bath & Body Works.

You can basically always use a coupon on top of a sale at Bath and Body Works.

If soaps are on sale 6/$18 or 6/$20 and you have a coupon for 25% off your entire purchase, you can get both the sale and the coupon discount. The only exception would be if the soap sale isn’t really a sale at all, but a coupon. In other words, if the 6/$18 price is dependent on a coupon, then you won’t be able to stack your 25% off coupon on top of it.

Ask at the register if they have any coupons. Sometimes the associates will have leftovers from other shoppers you can use.

And remember, Bath & Body Works coupons don’t have any blackout dates, so if you’ve got a valid coupon, you can use it, even on Candle Day, Body Care Day, the Semi-Annual Sale, or even Black Friday.

 

12. Stack multiple coupons at any Bath & Body Works store.

A person's hands holding a bottle of lotion and a card of coupons inside Bath & Body Works.

Any Bath & Body Works coupons you receive in the mail will always stack with one another. Stacking means you can use all three coupons in a single transaction.

Mailed coupons won’t stack with in-store coupon codes like those you may receive from a Bath & Body Works email, or the ones you get as a My Bath & Body Works Rewards member. Just separate your transactions in order to use them all.

 

13. Use coupons before they expire — the 3-day grace period officially ended in Feb 2020.

A woman sitting in her car, smiling, holding up a Bath & Body Works coupon mailer with multiple coupons on it.

Bath & Body Works stores used to have a three-day grace period that would allow you to use your coupons three days before or after the coupon’s valid date, but that ended in a directive from the corporate offices in early 2020. I still hear stories that some stores accept expired coupons, so it never hurts to ask, but assume the flexibility is gone.

 

14. Redeem one promo code for each BathandBodyWorks.com order.

A graphic of a phone showing the Promotion Code box during checkout on the Bath & Body Works app.

Promo codes are easy to come by at Bath & Body Works online. And if you have the Bath & Body Works app, all you have to do is click “Show available offers.” Just remember, you can only use one code per transaction, and without a free shipping code, standard shipping is $6.99, even for large orders. Types of coupon codes you can expect to see include:

  • Free shipping codes (usually free over $50+ or free over $75+)
  • BOGOs, % off codes (50% off select items)
  • Bundled codes (example: Buy 3, Get 3 free + free ship over $75)
  • Unique 25-digit coupon code (example: $10 off $30 purchase)

 

15. Bath & Body Works does not offer standard free shipping with a minimum order.

A person lifting a Bath & Body Works delivery box from their front porch.

Far and away, the worst part of shopping this store is the lack of Bath & Body Works free shipping. And while free shipping over $35, $50, or $75 codes will pop in and out, remember that since Bath & Body Works only allows one promo code per order, if you’re using the free ship code, you can’t use another coupon code that may be available at the same time.

The Bath & Body Works shipping rate is $6.99 on all orders over $10. Under that total, it’ll cost you another $4.

 

 

16. Select in-store pickup to avoid the Bath & Body Works $6.99 shipping fee.

A woman standing in Bath & Body Works, holding her online order that she picked up in-store.

The only free shipping trick from Bath & Body Works is the new in-store pickup option, which launched in summer 2021 at select locations only. As of the writing of this post, the program is still not available in all stores. To find out if your store is participating, select “store pickup” when shopping online, and enter your zip code to find a participating location near you.

 

17. Bath & Body Works’ return policy offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

A person holding a 3-wick candle that has been lit before next to a Bath & Body Works bag and an unused 3-wick candle.

Burned a candle then decided you didn’t like it? Used a bubble bath and didn’t like how it made you smell? Hands turned red from a PocketBac sanitizer? Didn’t use the pumpkin soap in time and now it’s spring? No matter the reason, Bath & Body Works will let you return or exchange it, as long as the item is in “new, gently used, or defective condition (due to materials or craftsmanship).”

According to the official policy, you don’t even need a receipt to get store credit because Bath & Body Works has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee — they want you to be happy with your item.

If it’s a full refund you’re after, you’ll need to make the return within 90 days of purchase and have the original receipt. Any coupons or discounts will be subtracted from your return amount.

TIP: You can even exchange items included in the Black Friday limited-edition tote for different scents in the store! Or if you see a sale on only Japanese Cherry Blossom and you hate that fragrance, buy it all up anyway, knowing you can exchange it for another scent at any time.

 

18. Swap your broken Wallflower plug-ins for new ones.

A person's hand holding a used Wallflower plugin in front of bins filled with Wallflower refills at Bath & Body Works..

I had my Wallflower plug-ins for about four years before they stopped diffusing the oil.

I brought my burned-out Wallflower plug back to the store and exchanged it for a new one from their basic line. So easy. No judgment. No guilt trip.

 

19. Bath & Body Works returns (even barely used items) end up in the dumpster.

A woman standing by a dumpster, pointing to the discarded Bath & Body Works bags and products inside.

Yeah, that’s me behind my Bath & Body Works store, sneaking to look in their dumpster. And no, I didn’t climb in. But lots of folks do. And I might have if the sidewalls weren’t so tall. I was afraid I’d get stuck.

Dumpster diving at Bath & Body Works is a thing, and if you don’t believe me, just type it into YouTube. Dumpster diving is illegal, but I personally think waste is the worse of the two crimes.

 

20. Leverage Bath & Body Works price adjustments to shop major sales early.

A woman standing in front of the wall display of hand soaps at Bath & Body Works, holding up a bottle of soap and looking at it.

Bath & Body Works offers a 14-day price adjustment window. This means if you buy something at one price and return to the store with your receipt when the item is cheaper, you can ask for the sale price and the store will refund you the difference. (If you paid with coupons, you’ll not be able to reapply the coupon to the new sale price.)

Use this tip to shop major sales early for the best selection.

Bath & Body Works won’t price match flash sales or promotions lasting 24 hours or less. But given Candle Day’s extension to three days, Black Friday’s early Monday start, and the Semi-Annual Sale’s long-standing multi-week timeline, you can basically shop all of the big Bath & Body Works sales early with this strategy.

Keep the official policy handy should you run into any questions in the store.

 

 

21. Bath & Body Works won’t price match with their online site.

Bath & Body Works website on a smartphone showing marked down items.

In fact, sometimes when there’s a Bath & Body Works sale online, that sale price won’t be available in store at all. It’s always good to compare prices with the Bath & Body Works app as you shop in store. If you find a better price online, see if you can buy it and select in-store pickup.

 

22. Save up to 75% at Bath & Body Works outlet stores.

A hand soap display inside Bath & Body Works with a sign that says, "$3

There are around 90 Bath & Body Works outlet locations in the U.S. The outlet inventory is similar to the retail store inventory you see during the Semi-Annual Sale. Discontinued scents are sold regularly at outlets, but so are most mainline fragrances.

Some items will sell for the same price as in store, but generally, outlet prices are consistently lower than prices at retail stores. The last time I was able to visit an outlet was February 2021, and there were $10 candles (seasonal fragrances), $7 body care items, and $3 Wallflowers, as well as both a 50% off table and a 75% off table.

 

23. Learn the secret language of product expiration dates so you know when to replenish.

A Bath and Body Works bottle with a code printed on the bottom that reads 9308T1A1 and some added text explaining the code that says, "9308 is the Manufacture date, 9 = 2019, 308 = 308th day of the year

Unopened lotions, washes, candles, and such have a three-year shelf life.

Beyond that point, I toss items that contain rice or milk. Of course, it’s up to your own discretion.

How do you know when your item’s three-year shelf life is over?

Like most places, Bath & Body Works prints their manufacturing dates in code, but with a little know-how, you can learn to decipher them.

First, find the date. It’s usually printed directly on the bottle or crimped end of tubes. Sometimes you have to peel price tags away to see it. On candles, it may be printed directly on the label.

Once you find the printed number, you only need to look at the first four digits to find the manufacturing date. Look:

  • First digit: Year (9 = 2019)
  • Next three digits: Day (308 = 308th day of the year)

Take the manufacturing date and add three years to get the approximate expiration date.

 

24. Buy discounted Bath & Body Works gift cards from Raise.com and save 4%.

A person's hand holding up a Bath & Body Works gift card inside of a Bath & Body Works.

You’ll save an average of 4% when you buy a discounted Bath & Body Works gift card through Raise.com.

Wait until after Christmas to look for a gift card, and you might save even more. That time of year is when many people offload the unwanted gift cards they got for Christmas. The timing is perfect because you can turn around and use your discounted gift card during the Semi-Annual Sale.

TIP: If you strike out on finding a high-value gift card on Raise.com, you can save 3% when you pay with Ibotta gift cards.

 

25. Use your Victoria’s Secret credit card at Bath & Body Works.

A person's hand holding their Victoria's Secret Angel Card above the point-of-sale machine at Bath & Body Works.

Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret used to be sister companies under L Brands. In August 2021, L Brands sold Bath & Body Works. Even though they are not part of the same company anymore, at the time I’m writing this you can still use your Victoria’s Secret credit card at Bath & Body Works.

While you can use your Victoria’s Secret credit card at Bath & Body Works, you don’t earn VS points. And you can’t use Victoria’s Secret gift cards at Bath & Body Works.

 

26. Wrap your own gifts for free in store.

A woman in Bath & Body Works, packaging her candles and fragrance into a plastic gift bag.

Giving your BFF her favorite Bath & Body Works candle? Grab a free cellophane bag and ribbon to wrap it up before you leave the store. Most stores also have tissue and shredded confetti paper, and some locations have plastic shrink-wrap. You could bring your own basket, shop for the basket’s contents (doesn’t have to be exclusively stuff from Bath & Body Works), and ask the associate to shrink-wrap it for you. Easy peasy.

Heck, you could even sit in the store and create your own gift sets right after you purchase lotion, candles, body wash, and hand soap for 75% off during the Semi-Annual Sale!

The cellophane bag and ribbon are also available online, but they cost $1.

 

27. Find retired Bath & Body Works fragrances online.

A person using a computer with Bathandbodyworks.com on the screen.

Missing Cucumber Melon or Almond Blossom? You can still get them (and more) online!

Bath & Body Works has a little corner of their website dedicated to the oldies but goodies. Just search their site for Bath and Body Works retired fragrances, and you’ll find the scents you’re craving.

Also, Bath & Body Works frequently brings back retired scents during Semi-Annual Sales.

 

28. Get hired at Bath & Body Works for freebies, not employee discounts.

A woman standing at the checkout counter at Bath & Body Works, handing something to the cashier.

You must be at least 18 to get a job at Bath & Body Works, and the best times to apply are at the end of August and in early September, leading up to the big holiday sales. Full-time Bath & Body Works employees get a 40% discount, while part-time members get a 30% discount valid on regular-priced merchandise only. You’ve learned by now that a 30% to 40% discount is garbage, but the employee discount isn’t the best part about working at Bath & Body Works.

Every time a new line is released, each employee gets to choose one to three products to try for free. Employees also get free Bath & Body Works samples. There are small little cups called “drams” that employees can use to sample any product and take it home. Some stores allegedly will let shoppers sample products, too, but I tried four different Bath & Body Works stores and didn’t have any luck.

 

29. Download the KCL app for the scoop on Bath & Body Works sales.

A hand holds a smartphone with the Krazy Coupon Lady app open, showing Bath and Body Works coupons on the screen

When you download the free Krazy Coupon Lady app, we’ll tell you when to shop Bath & Body Works to get the most bang for your buck.

Inside the app, select Bath & Body Works as one of your favorite stores, and you’ll see all Bath & Body Works deals in your feed.

Plus you can set deal alerts, and we’ll send you push notifications only when we see the best deals.

 

30. Embrace what your favorite Bath & Body Works scent says about you.

A graphic of many different Bath & Body Works lotion fragrances and what your favorite says about your personality.

Let’s see what your favorite Bath & Body Works fragrance says about you . . .

  • Champagne Toast: You’re classy.
  • Eucalyptus Spearmint: You’re a parent.
  • Japanese Cherry Blossom: You’re my mom.
  • Gingham: You’re basic.
  • Hibiscus Paradise: You’re a lot.
  • Cucumber Melon: You’re in middle school.
  • You’re the One: You didn’t buy this for yourself.
  • Dahlia: You’re pushy.
  • Warm Vanilla Sugar: You’re always cold.
  • Blueberry Sugar Pancakes: You’re on a diet.
  • Into the Night: You’re boujee.
  • Rose: You’re modest.
  • Champagne Toast: You’re classy.

How’d I do?

 

31. Find your Bath & Body Works Fragrance Name.

This is Spooky Cotton Candy Kiss, signing out. Thanks for making it all the way through. You’re now officially a Bath & Body Works sale expert.

 

 

 

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