September kicks off with Labor Day, the last major shopping holiday before Black Friday. This year, Labor Day sales started early, but there's still time to score a deal as many sales will extend through the first week of September, says Mark LoCastro, spokesman for consumer website DealNews.com.
This is the best time of the year to take advantage of sales on items such as patio furniture, seasonal outdoor items and grills, he says. “Retailers want to clear their inventory, and they do so with big markdowns and discounts,” LoCastro says. “You will see grills from 20 to 50 percent off. We have seen grill deals as low as $150 at Wal-Mart.”
Major retailers including Lowe’s, Wal-Mart and Target will offer up to 75 percent off patio furniture from Labor Day weekend through the rest of the month.
End-of-summer clearance, back-to-school and Labor Day discounts all converge to give you rock bottom prices on apparel this month, LoCastro says. That means discounts of 30 to 80 percent off. Items that are already on clearance will have additional coupons that will really mark them down. Luxury clothing also will be discounted as retailers like Saks Off 5th and Nordstrom make room for fall and winter collections. “You may only have a few weeks left to wear (summer items), but stock up now and hold on to them until next year,” LoCastro says.
Also plan to shop for mattresses during Labor Day sales, when DealNews has spotted up to 60 percent off mattresses from retailers including Sears and Kmart.
While you may score laptop deals during the last few days of back-to-school sales, the next big wave of laptop deals will come in November. Also noteworthy are rumors of a new iPhone launch on Sept. 9. The new release will correspond with the new iOS 8 operating system. Anyone in the market for an iPhone or iPad should hold off on buying. “Wait until the new devices are announced in a couple of weeks and the previous generation devices will be significantly discounted,” LoCastro says. “We anticipate the iPhone 5s will be discontinued by Apple. All providers that have stock of it will price it under $100 to clear the inventory.”
Start comparison-shopping for large appliances including washers, dryers and refrigerators. Just be sure to look for previous generation models that should go on sale as new models are introduced later in the season. The best deals on these items are likely to surface around Black Friday, LoCastro says.
Rounding out the month of September is National Coffee Day on Sept. 29. Retailers nationwide such as Krispy Kreme and Caribou Coffee will offer special promotions including free cups of coffee. Home coffee brewers should note that on Nov. 3, Keurig will increase the price of K-cups by 9 percent. DealNews experts suggest stocking up now before the price goes up.
