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Best June sales: Father's Day deals include discounts on apparel, tools and more

Retail experts expect that shoppers can find solid deals on home improvement supplies this month, but less so on tech and appliances.
Illustration of different products on say during June
Vipin Porwal, founder and consumer savings expert at cashback browser extension Smarty, said the first two weeks of June "are all about the boys" when it comes to sales and deals. Lowes ; Garmin ; REI ; MoMo Productions / Getty Images ; Westend61 / Getty Images
By Gabriella DePinho

June brings warmer weather, the anticipation of summer fun, and usually, good deals. Last year, Amazon Prime Day took place in June, meaning the month saw huge deals on big ticket items. Prime Day is set to take place in July this year, meaning you’ll have to wait for those major sales, but June will still offer discounts on a range of products like tools, apparel and more.

That said, not everyone seems eager to spend. The rise in inflation means American shoppers are hesitant to empty their wallets this month. According to a report from market research company The NPD Group, more than “8 in 10 U.S. consumers are planning to make changes to mitigate their product spending in the next three to six months.” While merchandise retail sales revenue is up 2% through mid-May compared to the same period last year, The NPD Group said that “consumers have already begun to make fewer purchases than a year ago.”

SKIP AHEAD Best sales | best deals | what to buy in June

This shift in consumer behavior is already apparent, as evidenced by Walmart’s, Target’s, Home Depot’s, Lowe’s, and even Amazon’s lower first-quarter earnings. According to CNBC, shoppers are leaving these stores and websites with fewer items, a trend The NPD Group predicts will continue through the year. However, CNBC wrote that in the first quarter, Target also “had a higher level of markdowns, a staple of the retail industry that more or less disappeared during the pandemic.”

With inflation driving prices up, shoppers may be prioritizing finding those once scarce markdowns. To give you an idea of the best sales and discounts during the month ahead, we consulted retail experts on what’s worth considering, as well as what’s not worth shopping for right now (if you can wait).

Best June sales

We chose the sales below because we think you’ll find them interesting — they typically include multiple deals and, of course, not every single product in a sale is going to be the best deal around.

June deals to consider

We rounded up the best ongoing deals on highly rated products Select readers have shown an interest in or that we think you should know about. We used price tracking tools like Honey and CamelCamelCamel to note the value of each discount.

Cole & Mason Mortar and Pestle

In our guide to the best cooking tools for preparing asian cuisines, experts recommended investing in a mortar and pestle to pulverize herbs and spices into savory pastes and sauces. This set from Cole & Mason is made from granite, a non-porous material that won’t absorb oils, according to the brand. This mortar and pestle is hand-wash only, and the brand recommends seasoning it with white rice, then garlic, cumin, salt and pepper before use.

Garmin Forerunner 745

The Garmin Forerunner 745 is one of our favorite fitness trackers. It features health-monitoring features like wrist-based heart rate and sleep tracking. The fitness tracker also allows you to store music from streaming services on the device, which can connect to Bluetooth headphones for easy listening while on the go. If you find yourself out shopping, the Garmin Pay feature allows for contactless pay on the go. The brand says the device also has location tracking that allows you to stay safe by sharing your real-time location with select emergency contacts.

Bee’s Wrap Forest Floor Set of 5

If you’re hoping to reduce plastic use in the kitchen, Bee’s Wrap clothes are washable, reusable and form a tight seal like plastic wrap for packing lunches or leftovers. While the brand just had a sale around Earth Day, you can nab this set through REI for 25% off. This set of five, which perish after one year of use, includes one large, two medium and two small wraps.

Craftsman 26.5-inch 5-drawer Tool Cabinet

This 5-drawer tool cabinet can support up to 1500 pounds of tools, according to Craftsman. It features an internal locking system to keep your tools safe and comes with built-in wheels and a handlebar so you can maneuver it easily.

JBL Endurance Race TWS

These wireless earbuds have an IP67-certified water- and dustproof design and a 30 hour battery life according to JBL, which makes some of our favorite Bluetooth speakers. JBL says the earbuds were designed to alleviate discomfort and create a tighter seal in your ear while exercising. The earbuds offer an ambient sound awareness listening mode and can pair with the JBL app so you can easily adjust your earbud settings from your phone.

Personalized Wood Watch

This watch is handmade with Indonesian Blackwood and luminous hands so you can tell the time in the dark. The watch can be engraved with up to four lines of text on the back, and you can also order the watch with extra links if you need to adjust the size. The watch also comes with a complimentary tool to adjust the extra links with.

DudeRobe Luxury Hooded Men’s Robe

This men’s robe is designed more like a hoodie than a traditional robe, which means you won’t have to deal with floppy arms, according to DudeRobe. The robe has an extra inside pocket, and a belt that is permanently attached to the robe, so you don’t lose it. DudeRobe says the inside French Terry cotton is “comfy [and] extra absorbent.” You can also bundle with the DudeShorts or DudePants for a discount.

What to buy in June

“The first 2 weeks in June are all about the boys,” said Vipin Porwal, founder and consumer savings expert at cashback browser extension Smarty. Porwal said to look out for potential Father’s Day deals on power tools, cordless tool kits, tool storage and automotive tools. The discounts might reach as high as 50% off popular tool brands and these price cuts will extend to bargain brands as well. Additionally, Porwal said to look at other items that you might need to complete your “honey-do” project list, such as paints, building materials, fixtures and hardware. He advised these items could be discounted by 20% or more from a variety of retailers.

Additionally, Porwal said that Father’s Day sales will extend to both casual apparel and activewear and there will also be timely savings on outdoor sporting gear and equipment.

As workers return to offices, Porwal believes shoppers might find deals on office furniture, air fresheners and cleaning supplies. He warned that you should compare prices and models, as some of the items “may be older technology that retailers are looking to move.” However, if the discount matters to you more than the newest model, it may be a good time to jump on these items.

What to skip in June

Shoppers looking to purchase computers, tablets and similar tech may want to wait for better pricing during back-to-school sales in late July and August, Porwal said. Shoppers that missed out on larger appliance and mattress deals during Memorial Day will likely want to hold out until August during Labor Day sales events if they can help it. Porwal said that if any of those items are on your list sooner, you should keep your eye out for “special weekend sales at big box and home improvement retailers.”

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Gabriella DePinho

Gabriella DePinho is a production coordinator for Select on NBC News.