How to Shop Clearance Sales and Store Sales

Both regular store sales and clearance sales offer consumers an excellent opportunity to snap up real bargains on clothes, consumer goods, and even food. However, it is important to shop sales smartly and to eye any last switch-ups made to a sale with a watchful manner. These five tips should help you become a savvier shopper and take your bargain hunting to new levels.

Clearance Sales Are the Best

Sales are always good, but clearance sales are the best. Clearance sales usually consist of a store trying to move as much inventory from the past sale season as possible before their new inventory needs to hit the shelves. In my experience, a President's Day clearance sale is the best for grabbing coats, sweaters, and other winter garments. At that time of year, spring styles are starting to go up, but there is still time to get use out of winter clothing as well. Labor Day sales will typically mark the beginning of deep discounts on summer styles.

If you want even lower prices, visit the store a couple of weeks after a clearance sale and look for racks designated with a "clearance" sign. These racks and shelves are the items that did not move during the actual store wide event, and they are gradually reduced in price until they are moved to customers are removed from the shelves altogether.

Avoid the Bait and Switch Sale

Bait and switch is a term used to describe a sale or an offer that was made falsely. These sales usually feature an item or items, usually highly sought after, marked down to an extremely low price. When customers arrive at the store to purchase the item, they are told it is no longer in stock and are encouraged to upgrade to another item at a higher price. Sometimes a company legitimately runs out of stock on a really good discount that is widely publicized, but if you visit a store and you cannot see any evidence of the sale, such as an empty display, be wary. Ask for a rain check on the item you came into buy or negotiate to receive the upgraded item at the reduced price or with a discount at the same level the sale item was advertised at.

Monitor the Value of Money Off Discounts

Many stores issue coupons for $10 off of $10 or $25 off of purchases of $75 or more. These coupons are valuable, especially the $10 off of $10 if you were planning on purchasing an item anyway. The $10 off of $10 coupon can occasionally be used on a purchase that is between $10.00 and $11.00, but many times it is necessary to use it on an item at least $13.00 or more. While it is still a bargain to receive any item at such a discount, if you are not experiencing an immediate need or stocking away clothing for growing children, it can be a trap. This goes double for coupons such as $25.00 off of $75 or more. If you are planning on adding several items to your wardrobe, hold off until you receive such an offer (they roll out at least quarterly) but do not go shopping just because you receive a discount or you run the risk of buying items you do not need.

Be smart when you shop clearance sales and regular savings events, and you will come out miles ahead and in the green!