shop the semi-annual sale:
Even if going inside a store for their mid-year sales isn’t in the cards, the deals still are.
This summer may seem different, no doubt about it, but one thing savvy bargain shoppers can still bank on are semiannual sales.
Each season is marked by special promotions and clearance merchandise. However, the most celebrated sales of the year typically kick off just after Christmas and again in late June or July.
“Semiannual sales are basically just end-ofseason clearance sales,” said Julie Ramhold, retail shopping expert with money-saving site, Dealnews. com.
“It’s a chance for retailers to clear out older inventory and prepare for new items to come in. If you know the way these sales work, you’ll be able to get the biggest bang for your buck.”
Retailers are just reopening in the Capital Region, but you can shop these paramount promotional events in store and online. For best selection, shop early when popular sizes are more apt to be in stock.
“Shopping the sales early gives you a couple of advantages,” Ramhold said. “One, you can choose from a bigger selection of inventory, and two, more sizes should be available.”
But, those who procrastinate just a bit may nab the best deals during biannual sales.
“If you want to go for bigger discounts, wait until later on in the sale,” she said. “Items will typically become cheaper the longer a sale goes on.”
Here’s a rundown of the most popular semiannual sales to shop now or add to your calendar, courtesy of Dealnews.com.
Victoria’s Secret
Dates: The Victoria’s Secret Semi-annual Sale starts in June (currently live) and runs for up to seven weeks. The lingerie retailer also has a sale that starts in late December and runs for roughly a month. Discounts cover select items, including bras and underwear, as well as sportswear, sleepwear, beauty products and accessories.
Deals: Early in Victoria’s Secret’s sales, discounts range from 25-70% off, and free shipping usually applies to either $50 or $100 orders. Later in the sales, discounts can grow to up to 75% off, with a coupon code cutting an extra 25% off clearance styles or one item.
Athleta
Dates: Athleta’s sale typically starts in July. Another sale usually occurs from mid-december to early January. Expect women’s and girls’ clothing to be on sale.
Deals: Discounts should start at up to 60% off early in the sale. As time goes on, look for an extra 20% discount. In many cases, shoppers can score free shipping on $50 or more orders.
Eddie Bauer
Dates: It seems Eddie Bauer has moved away from “semiannual sale” branding, but that doesn’t mean the sales have disappeared. Watch for the midyear sale to kick off in June (going on right now) and go by the moniker of summer sale, while the end-of-year sale should start around Christmas and reach into January. That one will likely be referred to as a winter sale.
Deals: Eddie Bauer’s sales have started by taking up to 50% or 60% off sitewide, but as they’ve continued, the discount has sometimes gone up by another 10%. Clearance items have also been discounted by an extra 50 % or 60 % off via coupon codes. The sales often have free shipping on orders of at least $49 or $75, and have even featured free shipping on all orders.
Ralph Lauren
Dates: Ralph Lauren has several sales starting at the end of a season or around a holiday. The summer sale normally takes
place in July and August. The winter sale typically begins around Christmas and runs through midjanuary. Discounted products include select men’s, women’s and kids’ styles and home items.
Deals: Recent summer and winter sales have often cut an extra 30-40% off, although we’ve seen Ralph Lauren take up to 60% off. In both cases, shoppers have been able to bag free shipping on orders of $125 or more.
Bath & Body Works
Dates: The Bath & Body Works sale starts in early or mid-june (currently underway). A second sale starts in late December, around Christmas. The sale applies to select body care products, candles, hand soaps and fragrances. Look for special deals such as “buy three, get two free” body care, and five hand sanitizers for $8.
Deals: Bath & Body Works discounts items up to 75% off. And as the sale goes on, you can expect coupons to take an extra 20% off, or an extra $10 off select orders. Occasionally, the retailer offers free shipping on orders above a certain amount, as well, such as for orders of more than $30.
Gymboree
Dates: Owned by The Children’s Place, Gymboree is another retailer that might be moving away from “semiannual sale” branding. In the past, its winter event started around Christmas and ran until about mid-january. We’ve seen another semiannual sale take place in June and run for the whole month. However, we haven’t seen a semiannual sale from Gymboree so far in 2020. The discounts apply sitewide, so it’s a great time to stock up on kids’ clothes.
Deals: Gymboree has typically taken up to 75% off during its semiannual sales. The summertime sale offers 40-60% off. Plus, Gymboree offers free shipping every day.
Nordstrom
Dates: The upscale department store hosts a half-yearly sale event in spring and fall, but the biggest shopping extravaganza is the summertime anniversary sale. This year, previews begin July 27 and card members can shop early access starting Aug. 13. The sale is open to everyone Aug. 19–Aug. 30. Prices go up Aug. 31.
Deals: Save on women’s and men’s apparel, beauty, home decor and more with discounts on top brands like Madewell, Vince and Topshop. Last year’s event featured Hunter boots marked down 36% and select Ray-ban sunglasses reduced 34%.
Steam
Dates: The Steam summer sale begins in late June and runs through early July. Its winter sale usually starts a few days before Christmas, and lasts for a couple of weeks. During both sales, expect discounts on select game downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Deals: Both sales tend to have discounts as high as 80% or 90% off.
Samsonite
Date: Look for Samsonite’s sale to start a few days after Christmas and run at least through the first week of January.
Deals: Samsonite’s sale is a clearance event that takes an extra 40-60% off clearance items. You may be able to get free shipping, too. The discount applies to clearance items.