What to Know About Labor Day Sales
Here's what you can expect to see marked down. Plus, tips on finding the best deals.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
Labor Day usually offers people that last chance to get away before the school year starts and fall activities kick into high gear. The three-day weekend also is a time when retailers have sales to clear out summer merchandise. Here's what you can expect to see marked down.
Clothing. Expect numerous sales on summer apparel that can be worn to transition into fall, says Lindsay Sakraida of dealnews.com. Don't expect to find deals on fall clothing, though. Prices will be at least 10% higher this fall because of increased cotton and labor prices earlier in the year, according to dealnews.com.
Appliances and outdoor items. New models of big appliances roll into showrooms in September and October, making Labor Day weekend and early fall a good time to get a deal as stores clear out the old to make room for the new. Home Depot is offering 10% off all appliances $397 or more. Lowe's is taking 15% off Energy Star appliances $397 or more and marking down other major appliances by 10%. It also has grills and patio furniture on clearance. Sears is marking down select Kenmore appliances and Craftsman power lawn and garden tools by 25% over the weekend.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Bed and bath. Dealnews.com expects to see a repeat of last year's good discounts on bedding, towels and similar items from stores such as Walmart, Kohl's and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Sears is offering 50% to 60% off on mattresses (plus an additional 10% off on purchases more than $499).
Cars. Shop now for an end-of-the-model-year car deal. You'll get a good combination of price and selection as dealers clear inventory for the new models. Bargains will vary by car model and dealer, but it's not uncommon to haggle your way down to the invoice price, or within a few hundred dollars of it. Take our quiz to find out how to get the best deal on a new car.
Find your own best deal
Start by checking out the lists of Labor Day sales and coupons in the DaddyoDeals.com forums. You might also want to visit some of our favorite deal sites to look for Labor Day discounts.
To find out if your favorite store is having a Labor Day sale, sign up for its e-mail alerts, or follow it on Facebook or Twitter. If you have a smart phone and are out shopping, download the foursquare app to "check in" at stores and unlock discounts or get freebies.
If you're buying a big-ticket item, such as an appliance, go online to research the average price before hitting the stores for Labor Day sales. Our favorite price-comparison sites are Amazon.com and Pronto.com.
Use coupons to lower the price on marked down items even more. And look for coupons to score even deeper discounts on already marked-down items. Labor Day coupons usually offer 15% to 25% off, Sakraida says. You can find coupon codes and printable coupons at sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponWinner.com and Coupon Sherpa, which has a free iPhone app you can use to get coupons while you're in stores.
Shop online to avoid the crowds and save on gas costs. Many retailers are offering free shipping, and some will have special markdowns only online. For example, Macy's is taking 25% off clearance items online. You can get an extra 40% off clearance items online at Abercrombie & Fitch. JCPenney has free shipping on orders of $49 or more, and Lands' End is offering free shipping with purchases of $50 or more.
-
Dow Adds 1,206 Points to Top 50,000: Stock Market TodayThe S&P 500 and Nasdaq also had strong finishes to a volatile week, with beaten-down tech stocks outperforming.
-
Ask the Tax Editor: Federal Income Tax DeductionsAsk the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, Joy Taylor answers questions on federal income tax deductions
-
States With No-Fault Car Insurance Laws (and How No-Fault Car Insurance Works)A breakdown of the confusing rules around no-fault car insurance in every state where it exists.
-
21 Last-Minute Gifts for Grandparents Day 2025 to Give Right NowHoliday Tips Last-minute gifting is never easy. But here are some ideas to celebrate Grandparents Day.
-
Texas Sales Tax-Free Weekend 2025Tax Holiday Here's what you needed to know about the Texas sales tax holiday.
-
Alabama Tax-Free Weekend 2025Tax Holiday Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 back-to-school Alabama sales tax holiday.
-
The Sweet 23: States Where Twix and Kit Kat Avoid the ‘Candy Tax’State Taxes There’s something spooky this Halloween, and it’s not just the ghouls. Find out if your state’s sales tax takes a bite out of sweet savings.
-
Florida Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday 2025Sales Taxes The new tax-free holiday in Florida brought month-long savings on computers, clothing and other school supplies.
-
Five Reasons You Shouldn't Shop Amazon's Prime Big Deal DaysSmart Buying Are Amazon Prime Big Deal Days still a good deal? We'll break it down.
-
Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
-
How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.
