CLEVELAND — Bargain hunters know that the best time to buy holiday cards and decorations is the day after the holiday, but you can actually find great deals for each month on the calendar, reported consumer specialist Angie Lau.
The trick to finding the best buys of any month is to know when stores move inventory.
In July, your best bargains are going to start with indoor furniture.
“New inventory hits the showrooms in August, typically. But, it doesn’t mean all furniture; for example, mattresses aren’t included in that,” said Shopzilla.com’s, Helen Malani.
Malani said July is the time to stock up on arts and crafts for the kids.
“Store owners have to clear their shelves in July to make way for the back to school new inventory. A lot of school teachers go shopping for crayons and all sorts of things,” she said.
August also brings the fall collections of men’s suits, so by July, merchandise is often at deep markdowns.
“Hone in on summer items like swim suits and summer sports equipment and even ceiling fans because, if you think about it, those items have been able to command a lot of shelf space earlier in the year, leading up to summer, but now we’re in July they need to start getting rid of it,” said Malani.
A survey of online consumers shopping on all major search engines shows timing really is everything when it comes to saving money.
“In certain product categories, like men’s suits and indoor furniture, shopping behavior is out of synch with getting the right deal,” said Malani. “Men’s suits, people look in May, and with indoor furniture, most people shop in January. If you can just delay your buying — maybe you can do your research then — but if you can delay the buying you can score some great deals.”
Timing can also come down to specific days in certain industries.
If you are looking for cheap airfare this summer, Wednesday is the best day to buy tickets, and most airlines reset their fares just after midnight, so 1 a.m. on Wednesday can yield substantial savings.
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