Over 50 percent of shoppers plan to participate in Memorial Day sales this year, but they’re expected to spend way less than usual, according to a recent survey from RetailMeNot. You might be one of them: You’re looking for deals on a couple of wish list items, but between rising gas and grocery prices, your budget is tighter. That makes it more important than ever to know what to buy versus skip during Memorial Day sales, and learn about savings strategies that can put extra money back in your pocket. Below, I’m sharing everything you need to know after I spoke to three retail experts. You can start using their tips today — early Memorial Day sales have already started.
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What are the best things to buy during Memorial Day sales?
Seasonal home and outdoor goods
Sales are most effective for retailers when what they want to sell and what shoppers want to buy align, says Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot. That’s very much the case during Memorial Day. Retailers drop prices on grills, outdoor cooking equipment like pizza ovens, outdoor furniture and other warm weather essentials (I included a few examples below) to get rid of inventory before the end of the season — these types of products are exactly what shoppers are looking for as they prepare for summer.
Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, a shopping and savings strategist at Rakuten, says you may see slightly lower prices on seasonal home and outdoor goods around July Fourth and Labor Day, which is crunch time for retailers. But inventory becomes more limited throughout the summer, so you won’t have as many options to pick from as September gets closer.
Travel gear
“Memorial Day is often when people officially shift into ‘summer mode’ — planning vacations, booking hotels and rental cars, and shopping for summer outfits, luggage, and travel gear,” says Gerstley. Retailers know travel is on shoppers’ minds, so they discount related products. You can even find discounts on bookings using websites like Expedia, Traveladvisor, Booking.com and Hotels.com.
In addition to looking for travel-related discounts this week, research which companies offer additional cashback opportunities that let you stack your savings, she says. Then, you can use what you save to pay for future trips, which is a trend experts are currently seeing, especially as travel currently costs more due to the Iran war increasing fuel prices.
Mattresses and major home and kitchen appliances
These categories are the bread and butter of all three day holiday weekend sales, especially at big retailers that tend to tack on “extras” — think gifts with purchase, deeper discounts on bundles (like washing machine and dryer sets) and complimentary delivery, installation and haul-away services if you spend over a certain amount. Mattress sales are particularly strong during Memorial Day, says Carls: New mattress models usually come out in the spring, so stores need to get rid of last year’s inventory. Gerstley also recommends keeping an eye on indoor and outdoor home improvement-related deals.
If you’ve had a mattress or major appliance on your wish list for a while, experts recommend crossing it off this Memorial Day. Bigger items cost more to transport, and due to rising fuel costs, shipping and delivery prices — and/or the prices of these bulky products themselves — may increase in the coming weeks.
Household essentials
The Iran war is causing the price of fuel to increase, which is directly pushing up gas and grocery costs, thus eating into people’s budgets more than usual, says Carls. While you can hold off on buying “wants” to save some money right now, there’s plenty of essentials that are non-negotiables — and if any of them are on sale during Memorial Day, Vipin Porwal, the founder of and a consumer expert at Smarty, recommends stocking up. That goes for cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, first-aid supplies and non-perishable pantry staples, for example.
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What should you skip buying during Memorial Day sales?
There are two main categories you should avoid if possible while shopping Memorial Day sales:
- Tech: Retailers offer lower prices on a wider variety of electronics during back-to-school sales later this summer, as well as during Amazon Prime Day, which is happening in June this year, says Porwal. Try to avoid buying laptops, desktop computers, tablets, speakers, headphones, TVs and smart home devices during Memorial Day.
- Summer fashion: If you absolutely need warm weather clothing and footwear like bathing suits, sandals, shorts and tanks right now, you’ll find moderately good deals during Memorial Day. But if you can wait for summer fashion, you’ll see the lowest prices in July and August as retailers put the majority of their inventory on clearance to get rid of it, says Carls.
How can you save the most money while shopping Memorial Day sales?
- Make a list and set a budget: “An open cart and a vague plan to save money is how you spend more than you intended on things you didn’t need,” says Carls. Make a list of what your must-haves are and how much you’re comfortable spending before you even start browsing. “It’s not a good deal if you weren’t going to buy it anyway,” says Gerstley.
- Track prices: Use websites like CamelCamelCamel (for Amazon), Camelmart (for Walmart), Keepa (for Amazon) and Honey (for numerous retailers) to track prices ahead of and during Memorial Day sales. Some retailers also have price tracking features built into their websites. Tracking prices helps you decide if something is actually a good deal, or if it’s just marked down from an inflated baseline so it looks like a sale.
- Look for cashback offers and extra promo codes: Many cashback sites not only put money back in your pocket when you shop through them, but they also find promo codes for you, says Porwal. It’s especially important to buy through cashback extensions when you’re paying for pricey items — getting 3 percent cashback on a $400 item is a lot more than on a $20 item.
- Be strategic about how you pay: Some credit cards let you earn points or higher cashback rates if you pay with them, further bringing down the price of your purchase.
- Stack savings and comparison shop: The more you stack savings by paying with a credit card that lets you earn rewards, shopping through a cashback extension and applying an additional promo code, the more you can knock off the price of an already discounted item. Evaluating the combined discount, not just the sale price, is the best way to find the best sales possible, says Gerstley. And don’t forget to compare combined discount prices across retailers, too.
- Pay attention to shipping fees: Because fuel prices are so high right now, products are more expensive to transport, which may cause some retailers to hike up shipping fees or make free shipping thresholds higher, says Gerstley. She recommends factoring delivery fees into price comparisons when deciding what retailer to buy from. After all, “the cheaper item online isn’t always cheaper after shipping,” says Gerstley.
- Price match: Some retailers price-match their competitors during big sales like Memorial Day, and others price-match themselves if they drop the price of an item you bought even lower within a certain timeframe. Do a little digging on retailers’ websites to learn about their policies — often, price matching is as easy as sending customer support an email or message with proof.
Frequently asked questions
Memorial Day sales start at least one week before the holiday weekend, so many of them have already begun, says Gerstley. For example, Memorial Day sales at big retailers like Amazon, Wayfair, Home Depot, Best Buy and Lowe’s are happening now.
Yes, early Memorial Day sales are worth shopping, says Gerstley. Popular products like mattresses, major home and kitchen appliances, outdoor furniture and grills sell out quickly, and the earlier you start shopping, the more time you have to compare prices, find the best cash back offers and decide how to pay for each item based on what rewards you’re eligible for.
Memorial Day sales usually end right after the holiday, although some may extend into the following week. Overall, think of Memorial Day, which is on Monday, May 25 this year, as your last day to shop, not your first.
Memorial Day sales are comparable, if not exactly the same, online and in-store at a specific retailer, says Porwal. There are benefits to shopping both ways, so consider the following when deciding what’s right for you.
- Online shopping: Retailers carry more products online than in stores since they don’t have to deal with space limitations, giving you additional discounts to browse through. You’re also able to compare and track prices across retailers more easily, as well as stack savings from cashback extensions and promo codes that might not be available in stores, says Carls. However, you have to pay additional shipping fees in most cases, and wait a few days for your package to arrive before using what’s inside.
- In-store shopping: In-store shopping is most beneficial when you’re buying major home and kitchen appliances, as well as furniture and grills, says Carls. You can experience a product in person and measure it to make sure it’s right for your space, as well as inquire about exclusive in-store discounted delivery and installation services.
Memorial Day sales won’t necessarily be worse this year due to inflation and tariffs, but retailers might discount a more limited selection of products, says Porwal. High tariffs are still impacting their bottom line, and the rising cost of fuel due to the Iran war is now shrinking profit margins even more. That means retailers can’t afford to deeply discount as much inventory this year compared to previous Memorial Days.
Consumer demand is also weaker right now. As shoppers are spending more on gas and groceries, they’re being increasingly selective about what they add to their carts. They’re most interested in Memorial Day deals around seasonal summer items, according to RetailMeNot data, so that’s what retailers are likely to focus their sales around, in addition to mattresses and large home and kitchen appliances.
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Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Ashley Feinstein Gerstley is a shopping and savings strategist at Rakuten.
- Vipin Porwal is the founder of and a consumer expert at Smarty.
- Stephanie Carls is a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who has covered sales and consumer spending for over six years, writing about shopping tips and the best deals during major savings events. I also regularly appear on NBC News NOW and TODAY in related broadcast segments, and co-host NBC Select’s livecast, For What It’s Worth, on YouTube . To write this article, I interviewed three retail experts about Memorial Day sales shopping tips, as well as researched trends to gather data.
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