March is officially the new “it” month for sales — but every deal isn’t actually worthwhile. Retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, Ulta, Sephora, REI, Nordstrom and more are slashing prices across categories through the end of the month, and according to experts I talked to, there’s five you should pay attention to (and four you should definitely skip). Read on to learn everything you need to know about this year’s spring sales, including savings strategies to help spend as little as possible.
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What sales are happening this month?
Listed below are spring sales happening right now or that are confirmed to be coming up. I expect more retailers to announce their March savings events within the next week — I’ll update you as I learn more.
- Amazon Big Spring Sale: Early deals are already live, but the sale officially runs from Mar. 25 to 31. It’s open to all shoppers, plus there’s exclusive deals for Prime members.
- Walmart The Beauty Event: Save on skin care, makeup, oral care, wellness essentials and more through Mar. 19.
- Target Circle Deal Days: The sale runs from Mar. 25 to 27 and it’s exclusive to Target Circle members who are part of the free and paid programs. You can start previewing daily deals online now.
- Wayfair Spring Cyber Week: Early deals are already live, but the sale officially runs from Mar. 19 to 23. It’s open to all shoppers, plus there’s exclusive deals for Wayfair Rewards members.
- Ulta 21 Days of Beauty: Save on a new assortment of deals every 24 hours, plus week-long deals, through Mar. 26. Also, shop Ulta deals at Target.
- Sephora One-Day Beauty Deals: Save on a new assortment of deals every 24 hours through Mar. 26.
- REI Member Days: Now through Mar. 23, members get access to exclusive deals and flash sales, plus three 20 percent off coupons.
- Nordstrom March Savings Event: Save up to 25% off select products through Mar. 23.
What should you buy during spring sales?
Spring cleaning supplies
“Spring cleaning may be a cliche, but retailers still build real promotions around it,” says Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot. They know March is a transition time for people, says Vipin Porwal, the CEO of and a consumer savings expert at Smarty — you might find yourself instinctively resetting spaces inside and outside your home post-winter, whether that involves swapping out what’s in your closets or powerwashing your deck after the snowy season. Because of this, there’s strong deals related to practical purchases, like home organization tools, bedding, cleaning supplies and small home appliances, with a big emphasis on vacuums, says Wendy Bergh, the chief marketing officer at Rakuten.
Travel gear
Many people start making spring break and summer travel plans in March, so retailers discount luggage and other essentials to help them prepare, says Carls. Travel booking sites also begin consistent promotions around now.
Beauty and skin care
Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty and Sephora’s One-Day Deal events are happening now, so throughout the month, you’ll see prices on skin care, makeup, hair care and wellness products from popular brands drop lower than you usually do during a three-day holiday weekend, says Carls. Since these two retailers compete with each other, they’re even more motivated to offer extra low prices to lure shoppers in. I recommend using beauty and skin care sales to stock up on anything you constantly rebuy, especially in the warmer months, like sunscreen and anti-frizz hair care.
Winter fashion
This is officially retailers’ last chance to clear out cold-weather inventory like coats, boots and sweaters, so prices are the lowest they’ve been all season, says Bergh. If you know you’ll need something next winter, buy it now and save it for later.
Gardening and home improvement tools
April is typically the best time to buy anything related to gardening and home improvement, says Porwal. Most people don’t start prepping their lawns and gardens until the last frost occurs in their area, which is often sometime between April and May. Once that happens, retailers drop prices on seed, fertilizers, bulbs and related tools since the demand for these items increases, and they want to capitalize on the moment. That said, because retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s are having specific “spring sales” right now, you might find worthwhile gardening and home improvement deals. Just be extra careful about comparing prices and price tracking before adding anything to your cart, and if you can wait a couple more weeks to see if discounts get even better, you should.
Related
What should you skip buying during spring sales?
- Warm-weather fashion: You’ll start to see warm-weather activewear, sneakers and accessories for outdoor sports hit stores around now, and some brands may even offer discounts this month. But these aren’t the absolute lowest prices just yet. Later into the season, more retailers will drop prices to get rid of excess inventory, says Bergh. That said, if you absolutely need spring fashion before Memorial Day, take advantage of savings this month, but if you can wait a few more weeks, you’ll find deeper discounts and a bigger selection of items in May.
- Outdoor furniture, decor and grills: Patience pays off in these categories, says Carls. You’ll start to see promotions now, but the deepest discounts won’t happen until later in the summer when retailers want to get rid of their stock.
- Tech: Tech deals aren’t worth seriously considering until back-to-school sales this summer, or major savings events like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, says Carls.
- Furniture, mattresses and major appliances: Retailers save their lowest prices in these categories for three-day holiday weekends, so the next time it’s worth buying related items is during Memorial Day, says Bergh.
How to save the most money during spring sales
- Stack savings: No matter how great a deal is, there’s always ways to make it better by stacking savings. That can involve using a credit card or browser extension that lets you earn points or cash back, or taking advantage of promo codes you get if you sign up for a retailer’s email or SMS list.
- Compare prices across retailers: With so many retailers currently running sales, a specific item is likely discounted at multiple stores. Compare each retailer’s deal price and shipping offers, plus where you can add additional promo codes and earn the most cash back, to decide where to buy from, says Carls.
- Track prices: Sites like CamelCamelCamel, Keepa and Honey track prices to help you determine whether something is actually a good deal or marked down from an inflated base price. Some retailers also have price tracking programs built-in to their websites and apps, so if it’s available, use it to your advantage.
- Price match: Retailers usually don’t price match each other, but they might price match themselves, especially since many spring sales are multiple days or weeks long. Keep your receipt, and if something you bought gets discounted even more soon after you buy it, reach out to the retailers — they may refund you the difference.
- Consider signing up for loyalty programs: If you constantly shop at a specific retailer, joining their loyalty program is beneficial. Members usually get perks like free expedited shipping, access to exclusive or early deals and cash back. Plus, retailers usually give their members a safety net with each purchase, like extended returns and warranties, and price matching, says Porwal.
- Check the return policy: Most retailers don’t have sale-specific return policies, but always read the fine print so you don’t get stuck with something you don’t love. If something is final sale, look for explicit language online or in-store saying so.
Frequently asked questions
Retailers have always hosted sales in March: As the seasons change, they need to get rid of winter stock to make room for spring merchandise, and hosting clearance events is the ideal way to do so. Spending also tends to increase around this time of year as people prepare for warmer weather and traveling, plus March overlaps with tax refund season, which gives some shoppers extra disposable income, says Bergh.
In recent years, however, retailers have started blowing out their typical spring clearance sales to establish huge savings events that repeat yearly to build customer loyalty, says Porwal. Spring sales have become a core part of the retail calendar, which retailers are constantly expanding by creating their own savings events rather than only relying on major holidays. For example, there was previously a gap between Presidents Day and Memorial Day sales, but retailers closed it with spring sales, so shoppers now have constant opportunities to save. Spring sales are also a chane for
Retailers also purposefully designed spring sales to be distinct from three-day holiday weekend sales. “Three-day weekend sales are built around urgency, so the countdown is the point,” says Carls. “Spring sales are usually more spread out, which works in your favor. There’s less artificial pressure and more time to compare before you buy. Also, if a sale runs for several days, you don’t necessarily have to buy on day one. Retailers often adjust promotions mid-sale depending on what’s selling.”
You won’t see Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day-level offers this month, but spring sales are worth shopping, as long as you focus on what you actually need and stick to the categories offering the deepest deals, says Carls. “The best approach is category first, not sale first,” she says, noting that prices on seasonal and transitional products are particularly competitive right now. “Shoppers who save the most arrive with a short list and a specific category in mind, not an open cart and a vague plan to save money.”
Tariffs are still a conversation, so I’m keeping an eye on how retailers are reacting. So far, I haven’t seen a sweep of price increases like we saw last year, but that could change at any point. I’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Uncertainty around tariffs, coupled with lingering concerns about inflation, have undoubtedly contributed to why spring sales are so popular right now. Porwal says the savings events help shoppers manage their new economic reality: a “buy now before it’s too late” spending cycle that involves people trying to get ahead of potential price hikes by strategically budgeting, taking advantage of savings when they’re available and making planned purchases early in the year.
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.
- Stephanie Carls is a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot, a deal-finding and cash back site.
- Vipin Porwal is the CEO of and a consumer savings expert at Smarty, a cashback browser extension.
- Wendy Bergh is the chief marketing officer at Rakuten, a deal-finding and cash back site.
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, as well as researched trends to gather data.
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