The Best Holidays for Deals: A Shopper's Guide

The Fourth of July is upon us, which can only mean one thing: It's time to buy a coffee maker.

Well, maybe that isn't the first thing that came to your mind, but as you've likely noticed, many stores are advertising sales right now – for everything from computers, clothes and toys to TVs and exercise equipment. Businesses recognize that if they didn't have sales, consumers would probably do something silly with their time, like spend it with family and friends, or relax. But it's helpful to remember that some holidays really do have great sales while others may leave you wondering if the store is just marking up the price and then undercutting it, to entice.

Wondering which holidays are best for getting specific deals? Mark your calendars. What follows is a roundup of major holidays and the likely deals you'll find:
 

The Fourth of July.

While it may seem like every piece of merchandise has a sale attached to it right now, pay special attention to:

Fashion

"The best time to shop spring and summer products on sale are July 4th and Labor Day," says Syama Meagher, who lives in Los Angeles and is CEO of Scaling Retail, a retail consultancy that works with fashion and retail brands. "If you live in a place like Southern California, where you can wear these things all year round, take advantage of those sales."

However, she warns: "Customers should watch out for door busters that aren't as promising as they sound. Retailers often pick an item to heavily discount to get people in doors, but there aren't enough of them or they are old from previous seasons.

Outdoor items. 

Think patio items and grills, says Melea Johnson, founder of Freebies2Deals.com. Sure, you'll find plenty that aren't on sale, but the Fourth is a "great time to find clearance deals," she says. "Stores like Target clear out those items quickly to have room for back-to-school sales that start after July Fourth. Summer toys, slip-n-slides and such will all start to go on clearance a few weeks after the Fourth of July as well."

Large appliances

Need a refrigerator? Maybe an oven? "Whenever there is a major holiday weekend, there is likely to be sales on major appliances," says Jeanette Pavini, a savings expert at Coupons.com. She advises going to energystar.gov and typing in your ZIP code. You might find rebates or special offers, she says, "like sales-tax exemptions or recycling incentives for the disposal of your old appliances."
Labor Day.

For parents and kids in particular, it's that last chance for a barbecue and maybe a dip in the pool before school swallows everything up. But if you can, you may want to go shopping because as Meagher mentioned, it's a great time to buy spring and summer clothes. That said, it's also a good time to purchase:

Lawn and garden items

 Johnson says to start looking for sales on all of these items. Granted, rakes are probably going to be in demand soon, but that garden hose likely isn't.

Winter clothing

You may not quite be thinking about snow yet, but Johnson says retailers want you to be.

Holiday airfare

Johnson says you'll start seeing deals for flights during the holiday season now.

Halloween costumes

They're also a good buy this weekend, Johnson says.

Kids' clothing and back-to-school stuff

While many schools start the year in August, plenty don't begin until after Labor Day. That's why the back-to-school shopping season generally collides with Labor Day sales.

"It's a great time to buy kids' and teens' apparel, especially denim, as retailers scramble to get consumer traffic and wallet share," says Allan Haims, CEO of the mobile retail app StepsAway.com. He also says to keep an eye out for any back-to-school items. They may pay off for you even if you aren't a student.

Columbus Day.

It may not be the most exciting holiday on the calendar, but the holiday has a rich history of having good sales. While plenty of retailers offer Columbus Day sales, one item that's consistently a good deal is winter clothing, Haims says.
"As Columbus Day falls during a time before real cold weather sets in but after retailers begin showing winter gear, it is a good time to shop for sweaters, coats and early fall stock that is now on markdown," he says.


Christmas and Hanukkah

Pretty much everything that exists is on sale now during the month of December. Let's just leave it at that.

New Year's Day.

There are so many to choose from, but pay special attention to these two items if you're in the market for either, Pavini says:

Fitness club memberships. "Gyms depend on New Year’s resolutions to get members in the door, so look for incentives like a waived enrollment fee, free personal training session or a friends and family discount," Pavini says.

Lingerie. "Buy your Valentine’s Day gifts early because January sees some of the best lingerie sales," Pavini says, citing the Victoria’s Secret Semi Annual Sale as an example.

Memorial Day.

It's a special day to recognize America's fallen soldiers. It's also a time when retailers hope Americans are thinking about swimming, going on vacations, barbecuing – and shopping. While there are Memorial Day sales for just about everything – appliances in particular – mattresses are where it's at.
Actually, there are three big holiday seasons to pay attention to if you're hunting for a new mattress, according to Ken Murphy, chief operating officer of the mattress store chain Mattress Firm. Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day are the top three sale weekends for the mattress industry.

Father's Day.

You may not be a dad. You may not even be male. But if you're the type of person who is handy with a nail gun, Pavini says, this is the time to find sales at home-improvement stores.
And if that idea doesn't grab you when the holiday comes around next year, you'll probably soon find plenty of deals on items you do like. After all, Fourth of July sales will once again be just a couple of weeks away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Benson | London Fashion Wel Comes IRIS

The lady turns 94 next month but shows absolutely no signs of slowing and now the voracious Iris Apfel has been eternalised in a new film by the late and great director Albert Maysles.
Toasted by a screening at Curzon Mayfair and intimate dinner at Annabel's, Apfel was in full force last night in a citrus orange fur and her now signature glasses. Clearly enjoying the circus surrounding the film, though not quite understanding the fascination for her, she explained that the film came about after a reprimand from Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo for turning down the opportunity to be followed by Maysles.

You'll never be pretty, but you have something much better than that, you have style 

Henry Holland and Jack Guinness at last night's dinner at Annabel's

Apfel fans who attended the dinner included Charlotte Dellal and Roksanda Ilincic

Thankfully asked again, Iris the documentary allows us to hang out with Apfel and her beloved husband Carl as she trawls the African markets of Harlem, the swap-meets of Palm Beach and visits endless friends who inhabit the broad landscape of American fashion - from Dries Van Noten and Jenna Lyons to Duro Olowu and Harold Koda - often trailing a group of students from a programme she started with the University of Texas.

Whilst her look makes her one of the most recognisable figures in fashion, on putting it together Iris offered: "Getting dressed is the least of my worries," explaining that style, "has to be in your DNA, though you have to cultivate it once you have it".

The words of a self-christened "nonagenarian It-girl" - interviewed by Voguecontributing editor Lisa Armstrong after the screening - were well heeded by a well-heeled audience. Though her magnified eyes rolled slightly at the hyper "social" world that we now inhabit - "It's carrying narcissism to a ridiculous degree. I don't care what you had for lunch!" she laughed - Iris the film is testament to the achievements of Iris the woman: both thoroughly modern and uproariously good fun.

This Content was originally posted on Iris Apfel