It’s Presidents’ Day
If you’re planning on shopping, here are some tips to help you:
Clothing and tech dominate
For the past few years, winter apparel has dominated most Presidents' Day sales, making up 32 percent of all deals during that holiday. In the past two years DealNews noticed that discounts have gotten steeper.
While you may find some shoe deals, the choices will be limited; last year, shoe deals made up less than 5 percent of our Presidents' Day sales.
In 2014, electronics accounted for 32 percent of all Presidents' Day sales. These sales generally came in two forms: those with stackable coupons and those that discounted a variety of items. Office Depot, Staples, and Dell Small Business are expected to feature Presidents' Day coupons that take from $10 to $50 off entire purchases. For site-wide sales, try Amazon, TigerDirect, Newegg, MacMall, and Best Buy, which discounted a variety of HDTVs, laptops, and tablets by up to 81 percent.
Home furniture deals will shine
February is traditionally one of the best months to buy new furniture. That's because new furniture collections debut during the first two months of the year, which in turn makes the start of the year a great time for furniture purchases. As far as Presidents' Day is concerned, 17 percent of sales on this holiday will offer furniture deals.
Last year IKEA led the pack with an 80 percent off discount. Kmart took 50 percent off patio furniture, and Wayfair slashed up to 70 percent off its furniture collections.
Mattresses and jewelry were last year's wild cards
April and September are usually the best months for mattress deals, but last year Sears and Kohl's discounted their collection of mattresses by up to 50 percent. Kohl's took an extra 20 percent off via stackable coupon codes for an overall discount of 70 percent.
By comparison, April and September see mattress sales of up to 83 percent off. So while these February mattress deals are limited, they're still impressive if you're in the market for a mattress and can't wait the extra months.
Jewelry is another item that was discounted on Presidents' Day, and last year 8 percent of all deals discounted jewelry. This included big box retailers such as Sears and Kmart, as well as jewelry-specific stores like Szul, which took up to 90 percent off its jewelry with an extra 10 percent off via stackable coupon.
Consumer Reports
Car sales abound
Car sales are abundant for the Presidents Day weekend and beyond, with deep discounts available on many models. Consumer Reports offers a list based on dollars saved, unlike its Best New Car Deals list, which covers models that meet the stringent performance, reliability, and safety criteria.
See “10 Biggest Car Deals for Presidents’ Day 2015” for details.
Appliances deals plentiful
This weekend is a good time to get a great buy on a large appliance. Home improvement and big box stores are offering 10 to 30 percent off some kitchen and laundry appliances. Look for the top-performers rated in Consumer Reports’ tests. Remember to ask about free delivery and haul away, which will add to your savings.
See “Major Presidents’ Day Sales on Large Appliances” for more information.
Be sure to continue to compare prices as you shop. You don’t want to be fooled by prices marked way up, then marked way down.
