Plenty of stores would love to tell you that shopping on or before a holiday is the best time to buy. In reality, it may be right after the holiday where you can score the best deals.


As personal finance blog Money Ning points out, stores tend to stock up on merchandise before holidays, but then are left with overstock afterwards. This can lead to price drops that rival the sales themselves once the holiday is over and stores need to clear out their inventory. It’s the perfect time to buy.

I seem to find the best deals right after a holiday, whether that be Christmas or even Halloween. This year I went to Baby Gap and Gymboree the day after Halloween, and I scored matching shirts for my daughters for $3-4 each, socks for $.49 each, and shoes for less than $4. The prices ended up being about 80% off the sticker price. At the thrift store, I can generally find shirts for $2-3, but if it were to have a tag on it, those nice thrift store employees mark it up a few dollars (insert eye roll here).


It doesn’t even have to be a major shopping holiday, either. Halloween, for example, isn’t necessarily a big clothes shopping holiday, but stores know you’re coming in for candy and costumes, so they may overstock on other items as well. It’s worth checking out your stores after a holiday rush to see what they’ve got.

5 Strategies to Get the Best Deal on New Clothing | Money Ning