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Everyday Walmart prices are great and all, but Walmart secret clearance deals are often so good, they’ll may make you feel ashamed for ever paying regular price. That’s how good these hidden clearance prices really are.
Walmart has the best clearance deals of any retailer today. And yes, I’m including in that list Target clearance, Kohl’s clearance, even the Ross clearance sale in January that’s become a TikTok sensation. Because Walmart handles all of their own clearance and doesn’t ship off inventory overrun to salvage stores, they keep all those dirt-cheap hidden Walmart clearance prices on the shelves.
And while the average clearance section has lots of items under $10, cheap stuff isn’t all you can find. Look for electronics clearance on everything from cell phone cases to TVs. And expect to see big brands in the toy clearance section, including higher priced items like hoverboards and Little Tikes play equipment.
I did some digging so you can know you’re getting the best deal whenever you shop a Walmart clearance sale.
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1. Walmart clearance prices are frequently cheaper than marked.
The Walmart pricing system digitally updates clearance prices, regardless of whether a store employee places that updated yellow clearance sticker on the product. And there are thousands of clearance prices that are live at any given time at any given store. So the most up-to-date yellow clearance stickers are not always updated on every product.
That means there’s a bit of an Easter egg hunt waiting for you in any Walmart clearance aisle.
In my experience, at least one in 10 clearance items at my Walmart stores are mismarked. Once I find one mismarked clearance item, I often uncover a gold mine because it’s not about just that item. The item often represents a whole section that hasn’t been manually marked down to reflect the current price. On the day I found this Yankee Candle deal for $6.04, all the candles around it were also cheaper than marked.
@thekrazycouponlady Walmart secret clearance is where it’s at!! 😎🎉 #walmart #secretclearance #krazycouponlady ♬ original sound – Mingaling 2.0
2. To find Walmart hidden clearance, use the ‘check a price’ feature in the Walmart app.
The Walmart app has a scan price feature that lets you check the price of any item in the store by scanning its barcode. You must have your location services turned on or connect to in-store Wi-Fi in order to get accurate prices for the store you’re in.
The price you see in the app is the price that’s going to ring up at checkout — period. This Mainstays shower caddy had a yellow clearance sticker for $4, but when I scanned to check the price, it came up as only $1.
When the price in the app comes up lower than the yellow sticker price, that’s Walmart hidden clearance. Now keep scanning!
To find the Walmart price scanner in the app, look under “Services” for the “Check a price” tool.
TIP: Sometimes when you’re checking Walmart clearance prices, you may find one actually priced higher than marked. If this happens, make sure to tell the cashier at checkout because it’ll require a manual price reduction in order to match the sticker price.
3. Walmart secret clearance prices can reach a whopping 95% off.
It’s not rare for Walmart hidden clearance prices to reach 90% off or more. And prices drop as low as $0.25.
This Schwinn adult bike helmet only cost me $1. That’s 95% less than the original retail price of $19.95.
The last time I shopped Walmart clearance at my store, I found numerous $5 items marked to a flat $0.50, a cool 90% savings. I also found small jar candles that were regularly $5 marked down to $0.25, or 95% off.
If your store has a dedicated clearance section, the crazy-low prices may make you feel like you’re shopping at a thrift store, not a Walmart. Sometimes I swear Walmart secret clearance prices are cheaper than buying secondhand. That’s why some folks make a side hustle out of flipping hidden Walmart clearance items on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or even eBay.
Related: Walmart Plus Can Save You Hundreds! Let’s Break It Down
4. Hidden Walmart clearance is sprinkled throughout each department.
Don’t just make a beeline for the Walmart clearance section on your next trip to the store. Some stores leave clearance items on endcaps throughout the store or even tucked away in their respective aisles. I tend to find a lot of Walmart clearance items down in the “Home” section or near the garden center (if your store still has one). Electronic clearance items will still be in the security case, but you can scan the barcode on the yellow sticker through the glass. If you can’t, just ask an employee to get the item out for you so you can scan it.
Search the store, keep your eyes peeled for clearance stickers, and always check the endcaps.
5. Most Walmart clearance markdowns happen within the first five days of the month.
If you want to be the first to score clearance deals at Walmart, prepare to head there during the first five days of the month. That’s when the most markdowns and the widest selection of clearance happens. Clearance items will still get marked down throughout the month, depending on seasonal items and inventory, so always keep an eye out.
The other great time to find Walmart clearance happens at the end of a season. For example, September is a great time to find garden tools, fertilizers, pool toys, lunch boxes, and school supplies on clearance. January is a great time for fall and holiday clearance as well as winter gear.
6. Walmart clearance toys hit 75% off in December and July.
If there’s one thing to keep your eyes peeled for when shopping, it’s Walmart clearance toys. Kids lose interest in toys so fast, and someone is always having a birthday party — so why not load up the toy closet for cheap?!
Find great prices on Walmart clearance toys starting in mid-December and July — when most clearance hits around 75% off — with discounts reaching up to 90% off the original price. In December 2021, I grabbed a Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Lil Gamer Toy for $3.87 (regularly $9.99), Tonka Hard Hat Playset for $5.67 (regularly $28.95), Play-Doh Kitchen Set for $5.81 (regularly $14.96), and Melissa & Doug Doctor’s Office Set for $19.15 (regularly $79.99), just to name a few.
Toward the end of the sale, the toys that are left over will hit 90% off. But the selection by then is very thin. Although you could get toys for 90% off, I vote to buy them at 75% off so you have a wider selection.
Related: The Walmart Top Toy List Is Here
7. Shop Walmart after-holiday clearance to save 50% – 90% on seasonal items.
Shop a year early for all your holiday decorations to get the lowest prices.
As with most retailers’ after-holiday clearance schedules, Walmart sells last season’s decor for at least 50% off beginning the day after the holiday. And the discounts go up from there.
Walmart Christmas clearance begins at 50% off on Dec. 26 and will climb to 75% off between Dec. 31 and Jan. 10. Eventually by about Jan. 11, Christmas clearance will hit 90% off.
Plus, you’ll get major deals on holiday-related items beyond just decorations. For the past few years, I’ve used Valentine’s Day candy for Easter. I like to try and grab the not-so-holiday-looking items so I can repurpose them.
Walmart holiday clearance can be a little unconventional, too. Halloween 2021 clearance included Wet Brushes with Disney villains on them (see all the active Disney deals). At first glance, I wouldn’t ever think to scan these items, but sure enough, they were included.
TIP: Sometimes you’ll even find holiday clearance before the holiday, so make sure to use that scanner tool. In November 2021, I found an Elf on the Shelf board game near this season’s toys section. Its price was marked as $31.52, but it scanned for $15.88!
8. Produce, meat, and bakery items go on clearance one day before their ‘best by’ date.
I’ve heard managers refer to this as a “customer value markdown.” Basically, they’ll mark down the items the day before their “best by” date, typically around 8 p.m. the night before that date. My store has a big wire rack of all the bakery items by the milk and eggs section. I love to go there late at night to grab discounted donuts for the kids to munch on in the morning.
But if you notice that it’s the day before the “best by” date and it’s not marked down, simply bring it to a manager. If the system allows it, they’ll go ahead and mark it down for you. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
If the item’s starting to look pretty rough (think those strawberries you left in your fridge for too long), they won’t sell them at all.
9. Look out for dented cans and save a few bucks.
Most Walmarts will have a spot in the store where they put dented cans and discount them. Ask a worker to help you find this spot, or if you find a damaged item without a discount, ask for one. If you’re buying food regularly at Walmart, check out our free guide for how to coupon at Walmart.
Keep in mind, the dent can’t be too big and can’t be along the seams of the can. If that’s the case, the can gets thrown out.
TIP: You can still use manufacturer coupons, Walmart secret promo codes, and rebates (like Ibotta and Checkout 51) on dented cans. See the best food coupons available now.
10. Ask store managers about any additional Walmart clearance sale markdowns.
Unlike Target, Walmart stores can have clearance sales unique to their location. Even if the clearance deal seems pretty good already, the manager might give you an additional discount if it’s merchandise they’re trying to move.
In April 2021, I saw on Instagram that people were getting nice gaming monitors for 50% off. My closest Walmart didn’t have any in stock but did confirm the low clearance price. I drove over to a Walmart that had it in stock, but their price tag showed full price. I asked the manager if he would honor the clearance price that the other location was offering, and he did. Your mileage may vary, but it never hurts to ask.
TIP: Did you buy something only to see it went on clearance shortly after you bought it? The Walmart price adjustment policy lets you get an adjustment between five and 10 days depending on the method you used to pay.
11. Use Instagram to find Walmart secret clearance.
Finding Walmart secret clearance items throughout the store can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This is where Instagram comes into play. I like to use hashtags to see what others have found.
Here are some hashtags that are helpful:
Searching these hashtags on Instagram before heading to the store can give you a little bit of an idea of what others have found. These are items that may not have a clearance sticker on them or may be marked down more than what the sticker says.
In November 2021, I saw on Instagram that there were 8-inch tablets on clearance for $29, regularly priced at $99. When I went to my local Walmart, they were in the glass case in the electronics department and marked $99 — but sure enough, they rang up for $29.
12. Don’t look too deep into the last number on clearance tags.
If you’ve been deal hunting for a bit, you’ve probably heard there are certain “secrets” about Walmart price tags. I’ve heard people say that all Walmart clearance ends in “.00,” or that any item with a price ending in a “1” won’t get marked down any lower.
But don’t believe the hype. All the price tag rumors I’ve come across aren’t true, except that Walmart clearance items will continue to see a price drop once per month until they sell. So don’t get too hung up on the numbers.
13. You can return Walmart clearance items.
When it comes to Walmart’s return policy, if you picked up a clearance item you weren’t happy with, you can return it just like any other item. As long as you’ve got proof of purchase, you have 90 days to return pretty much everything.
If you shop between Oct. 1 and the end of the year, you get extra time to make returns thanks to their extended holiday return policy. You can return anything you buy during that time all the way up until the end of January.
14. Don’t expect clearance prices to go back up — they’re not like Walmart Rollback prices.
Once an item is marked as clearance, it can still drop in price, but it’s not going to go back to its original price.
Rollbacks, however, can go back to their regular price.
15. Finding great clearance deals at Walmart.com is more difficult than in store.
Secret Walmart clearance is much more difficult to find at Walmart.com. And there’s not a straightforward way to see all clearance prices online. Your best bet is to actually type the word “clearance” into the search bar on the Walmart homepage.
From there, you’ll have the option to view all clearance or find clearance items under specific dollar amounts. You can also choose to filter by “in store,” which will give you the clearance products you can buy online and grab with Walmart Pickup.
