'You can get very deep discounts:' Shopping smart on Labor Day Weekend
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Labor Day Weekend is here and that means there is guaranteed to be a mattress sale somewhere.
Actually, Labor Day Weekend is a big time for a lot of sales.
So, I've checked in with an expert shopper in search of bargains, considering that three-day weekends have become staples of sales but Labor Day stands out among the rest.
That's almost a wrap on summer and retailers are in an almost "fall housecleaning" mood.
"Labor Day, in particular, is great for summer clearance [sales]," said Smart Shopper Trae Bodge.
Bodge always said, yes, there are mattress deals should you shop around.
"You can get a queen for the price of a twin, a king for the price of a queen, a free adjustable," she said.
It's not just beds but big appliances also tend to roll around come this holiday weekend.
"You can get very deep discounts, so I got a new fridge on Labor day a couple of years ago and saved 40-percent," Bodge said. "So, that is probably the top of what I'd be looking for."
In the retail business, there's a drought coming.
Not a lot of shopping between now and the beginning of the holiday buying season so shoppers...strike now!
"Retailers across the board will have something going on this weekend because it's essentially expected," Bodge said.
That doesn't just apply to the brick-and-mortar stores but also online.
Now, are the deals really that great? In some cases, Bodge said, yes they are, while others you'd expect to be are not.
Let's say you've been eyeing a new grill all summer. Surely those big box stores are anxious to clear that merchandise out...right?
"You will save on a grill now better than any other time during the year, but you're not necessarily going to find a clearance deal on a grill unless it's a model that's going out of style and a new model is coming in," Bodge explained.
Bodge said that grills have become a year-round product so discounts are found as much. The same can be said for lawnmowers. Retailers will find somewhere to store them rather than take a loss but there's only so much storage space.
"I would do patio furniture," she said. "That's where you're going to see those big, big clearance deals because retailers need to clear those items out."
Bodge said the world's supply chain is catching up and that is leaving retailers with an excess of products they weren't planning to have.
"There are some unexpected sales as well, I'm seeing TVs on sale right now and that's not common," she said.
As for clothing, Bodge said that the clearance-level deals are happening, as expected, on summer apparel.
She also said that if you spend enough "mouse time" you're bound to find even deeper discounts on just about anything on the internet.
Lastly, everyone looks for open-box sales and Bodge said those can be the best deals but make sure to check the product carefully.
Say a refrigerator has a scratch in the paint...if it's up against a wall or hidden by a counter, who cares, take the deep discount.