As we reach the midway point of January, shoppers may be looking to make purchases for a variety of reasons, be it upgrades in line with their New Year’s resolutions or splurges with gift cards they received during the holidays. Kristin McGrath, a senior retail expert at RetailMeNot, said that gift cards were popular gifts in December 2021, meaning shoppers will likely be looking to spend those credits this month. And global supply chain issues that led to shipping delays and inventory shortages around the holiday season mean that shoppers who missed out on inventory in December should have a chance to find what they were looking for.
Retailers usually roll out their biggest deals leading up to the holidays, but January shoppers can expect to find discounts on items left over from the holidays. Shoppers can also expect to find formerly out of stock products available for purchase once again. For those looking for discounts this month, we consulted retail experts about the best sales and deals worth considering right now. We also asked the pros what you may want to hold off on buying and what’s in store for the retail industry throughout 2022.
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January 2022 sales
We chose the sales below because we think you’ll find them interesting — they typically include multiple deals and, of course, not every product in a sale is going to be the best deal around.
- Williams Sonoma: Up to 70 percent off during the Warehouse Sale
- Overstock: Up to 70 percent off select items during the home refresh event
- Nordstrom: Up to 60 percent off during the designer sale
- Dick’s Sporting Goods: Up to 50 percent off select clearance gear and apparel and up to 40 percent off select exercise equipment
- Sand&Sky: Up to 50 percent off sitewide during the New Year Sale
- Sur La Table: Up to 50 percent off select products
- Target: Up to 50 percent off decor, furniture and other home items
- Adidas: Up to 40 percent off select styles while supplies last
- Backcountry: Up to 40 percent off select apparel and gear
- Home Depot: Up to 40 percent off select tools
- Cozy Earth: Up to 25 percent off sitewide
- Skinstore: Up to 25 percent off select items with code NEWYEAR
- Allform: 20 percent off sitewide using code NEWYEAR20
- The Company Store: 20 percent off sitewide and extra 20 percent off with code FRESH22
- Brooklyn Bedding: 20 percent off mattresses through Jan. 25 with code WINTER20
- Bowflex: Up to $600 off select exercise machines
What to buy in January
Because many retailers stocked up on inventory during the holiday season with global supply chain issues in mind, Sucharita Kodali, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, a global market research company, said there may be a lot of merchandise still en route to the U.S., which she predicted will lead to markdowns. Kodali recommended watching your inbox for alerts about promotions throughout January. Shoppers can also expect to find discounts on holiday leftovers, like decorations, gift wrap and beauty gift sets that have regular products packaged in “sparkles galore” for the holidays.
Additionally, shoppers looking to commit to New Year’s resolutions like working out more in 2022 should be in luck when it comes to finding sales this month on items they will need. Though McGrath said “January is historically a great time to sign up for gym or studio memberships,” Kodali also mentioned that exercise equipment seems to be in oversupply at retailers, which will most likely result in deals on items. McGrath said shoppers can expect to find up to hundreds of dollars off cardio equipment and deals from stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is known to have end of year clearance sales at the beginning of the new year.
January is also known for its white sales on linens. The annual shopping event includes discounts on bedding, towels, curtains and blankets. “While you might not be expecting a surge of house guests anytime soon, better to prepare now for the future while the savings are strong,” McGrath said.
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What to skip in January
Though linens and other bedding essentials are on sale this month, McGrath advised shoppers to skip over new mattresses — specifically, expect to see some enticing offers during the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. But you can find better deals on mattresses in 2022 during other shopping events, like Presidents Day, Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Additionally, shoppers should expect to find deals on major appliances like refrigerators, washers and dryers during those same holiday weekends later in the year.
McGrath also advised staying away from jewelry and gaming consoles this month. Though there will be post-holiday sales on jewelry, McGrath said the best deals will come after Valentine’s Day, when jewelers try to offload unpurchased Valentine’s Day stock. If shoppers are looking to get their hands on gaming consoles that were out of stock during the holidays, McGrath advised waiting a little bit longer. As retailers like Walmart, GameStop, and Amazon increase their inventories as the year goes on, shoppers may find the console they want at the right price.
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