It was both my first and last time paying full retail for a designer suit. I was fresh out of college, had just started my first “serious” job at Style Authority, and wanted to look like the staffers milling around me on Madison Avenue. I spent right north of $2,400 on a Ralph Lauren Purple Label suit, almost half of my monthly take-home salary at the time.
SIX. DAMN. WEEKS. later I was walking past the store when I saw my beautiful, barely-worn suit hanging in the window at 40% off.
I checked the price tag and almost barfed my Americano all over some unsuspecting tourists. That $960 saved that day was probably the best monetary education I ever got about retailer sales cycles.
Ever since, I’ve developed something of an internal countdown clock as to when certain things will go on sale.
Partly it’s job requirement related (tracking prices is a big part of covering menswear), but mostly it’s because I’m both an unabashed style nerd and one of the cheapest motherfuckers you’ll ever meet. These traits do not mix well, financially speaking – and my credit card company knows it and encourages me with platinum mileages. Today, I’m breaking down everything I know about how men’s retailers time their sales cycles.
Secrets they don’t want you to know because once you know, you’ll stop buying stuff at full markup from them. Know thy retailer The most important thing to know before we dive into sales cycles is that NOTHING IN RETAIL HAPPENS ACCIDENTALLY. Not at Macy’s, not at your corner boutique selling locally made whateverpreneurs jumpers.
Those surprise flash sales they email you about? Been planning that shit for months. “Just extended through midnight!” sale? Was always going to end that day.
Of COURSE they want to sell you that $795 coat at full price – but if you understand their sales cycles, you can buy it for less. Below, I’ll break down the retailers I know best and lay out exactly how they structure their sales – and when you can expect them to happen. Department stores: Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus et al.
Annual sales cycles at department stores are about as predictable as they come: Anniversary Sale (July-August) Month-in-review Sale (December-January) Black Friday Sale (November) End of Season Sales (January, June, and July) Their Anniversary Sale (July-August for Nordstrom, April for Nordstrom Rack) is where you’ll see new merchandise from current seasons go on sale before they even really hit stores. I’ve picked up autumn suits in August at 30-40% off that didn’t go back to full price until November. I bought winter coats in July that didn’t go sale until January.
Department stores start their season clearance sales as soon as you don’t need the merchandise anymore. Winter coats/cufflinks/socks start going on sale in January (right after the holidays when nobody needs them anymore), and shorts/sunglasses/swimwear go on sale in June/July. First cuts will usually be 30-40% off.
This is rarely ever the deepest discount you’ll see items go on sale for. If you wait two weeks or so for the “second cuts,” you’re looking at discounts of 60-70%. By the time final clearance rolls around (takes sizes completely picked over), you’re getting stuff for up to 70-80% off.
Speaking of sales that don’t feature much inventory, Black Friday is rarely the best time to buy menswear at department stores. Sure, you’ll score a great deal on bags, wallets, shirts, and socks…but the stuff you REALLY want? Brace yourself for some negligible discounts.
Friends & Family Sales (April & October) I’m not going to sugarcoat this sale – most everything at this discount isn’t deeply discounted. For most department stores, Friends & Family sales offer 20-25% off everything. Still nothing too crazy…but did you know EVERYTHING includes items that rarely ever go on sale?
Plus, if you’ve BUILT RELATIONSHIP* with your local sales associate they will often give you advanced notice of sales or share their employee discount code with you. *Literally just buy them dinner. Ask them for discounts after and they’ll probably laugh in your face. Luxury boutiques High-end menswear boutiques all but a handful sell to you via what I call “The January/July Rule.” Select items will start at 30% off January 1st and go until the store resets in July.
Discounts slowly rise to 40%, 50%, 60% and so on until basically everything in store is gone. Same cycle occurs in July. Be aware that most will also offer PRE-sales to regular customers one week before they roll out sales to the public.
Their entire clientele receives an email with shopping linksWeek before said public sale, good stuff in your size is gone.” Online Outlets/Off-Prices Years ago I’d have included just Nordstrom Rack under this section, but over time, most department stores got savvy and applied the same sale structures to their off-price retail channels. At full price, few can touch Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth, or Neiman Marcus Last Call when it comes to dumping high-end clothing at incredible discounts. Hell, I just picked up a designer jumper Vest for $12 at NM Last Call.
Year-old designer goods priced at 70-80% off at retail are not uncommon for me to find here. Direct-to-Consumer brands This is where things get tricky. Brands you buy directly from (AJ Styles, Bonobos, Thomas Mason, etc.) have thrived in the past decade by selling you on the idea of “No Sales.
Always fair pricing.” They’re not entirely lying, but they’re not telling you the whole truth either. They will almost all offer some sort of Black Friday “sale” as well as end-of-season clearance sales. They’re just savvy enough to not advertise them as sales.
Direct-to-consumer brands also get really tricky when dealing with their so-called off-price retailers. Brands like Gilt used to be where all the cool kids shopped ten years ago, but most brand operators got wise to their margin eaters and tightened inventory controls. Nowadays I find very little on Gilt worth buying.
There are a few exceptions that operate differently than traditional outlets – you can usually find current or one-season-old designer goods at deep discounts at Yoox, The Outnet, and SSENSE’s end-of-season sale. Insider sales strategies they hate but can’t stop you from doing Every retailer website has its own cycle for when they send coupon codes to new customers. Signup for a new account and abandon your cart then BOOM!
Within 48 hours you’ll receive a magically generated 10-15% off coupon straight to your inbox. If you don’t want coupon codes cluttering up your email, create a new Gmail account just for shopping. Maximise price adjustments.
If you buy something full price that goes on sale within, say, 30 days of purchase, most stores will refund you the difference. As of late, stores have been reducing this from 30-45 days down to 7-14, so set yourself a reminder on your phone to cheque prices of big purchases 1 week and 2 weeks after you buy them. If there’s a specific retailer you know is going on sale and you want something specific, look for “private” or “early access” sales for the brand’s credit card holders or loyalty program members.
Sign up a month or so ahead of the public sale and chances are you’ll get 24-72 hours advanced access to deals. Seasonal business follows a discount timeline year after year. Winter coats will hit 50% off in early January.
Summer suits will start getting reduced in June. Want to buy a quality dress shirt for the lowest price? The week after Christmas is the BEST time to buy dress shirts.
Hack your inner circle Online flash sale websites like Gilt were ALL the rage ten years ago but have fizzled as brands have tightened their inventories. With rare exception, you can forget about finding great branded menswear at steep discounts there. Same goes for eBay.
Sure, you can find things, but you’re also equally as likely to get ripped off by shitty scalpers. I know someone who lives exclusively at Nordstrom Rack right now. Good friends with every SA, he knows exactly when the new shipments come in every week and is first in line to see them.
Is it fun or practical for everyone? No. But if that sounds like something you’d enjoy…do it.
Build relationships with your favourite SAs. They can save you thousands over your lifetime. Wait.. what about COVID?
COVID fucked with retail sales cycles hard in 2020. Some brands did ridiculous fire sales JUST to open up cashflow. Others didn’t discount inventory at all when stock became limited.
But even as we sit here in 2022, sales cycles are becoming increasingly predictable once again. Retail Mathematics 101 If you’re reading this and thinking about impulse buying that new season coach jacket because it’s only $395…I’m sorry but you’ve missed the point of this article. Buy gear with patience and you’ll save money.
Spend money impulsively and you’ll regret it later. Here are my parting sales-cycle nuggets of wisdom. Three rules to live by if you’re trying to maximise value and minimise retail bullshit.
1. If you can wait six weeks, it will go on sale. I cannot stress this enough.
Is that new limited edition fancy shirt you’ve been eying only $395? Almost certainly will be $200 in six weeks. Don’t listen to commission hungry retail sales staff telling you that stuff is “going quick!” It isn’t.
Stop buying things because you need them TODAY. Summer clothes after Labour Day.
Winter coats in February.
Suits in January and July. 3. If a sale seems too good to be true, dig deeper.
Ever wondered why that $1,200 jacket you love is suddenly $299? Same reason your favourite jeans are always 75% off at Gap Outlet. Defects.
Look real close at weird sales and you’ll find sometimes-prolific retailers will slash prices because something is off; outdated style, strange sizing/proportioning, fading from poor storage. Sometimes you get lucky. Most times there’s method to the “deep” discount madness.
Note: These rules DO NOT apply to buying necessities. If you need underwear tomorrow, buy it tomorrow. I’m talking clothes you want versus clothes you need.
