Are you an avid clearance hunter, always seeking the biggest bargains and steepest discounts? Do you live for finding nearly free toys, deeply marked down electronics, or rock bottom prices on apparel? If so, Walmart should be one of your go-to stops.
The retail giant is renowned for rollbacks and low everyday prices. But the real savings for discount divas happen during clearance events. With the right timing and clever hunting strategies, you can score merchandise priced at 90% off or more!
This comprehensive guide will unlock all the insider secrets to clearance shopping success at Walmart. You‘ll learn:
- The schedules for each type of markdown at Walmart
- How to find unadvertised hidden clearance deals
- Tips for getting the lowest prices on clearance items
- When to shop by department for the best clearance finds
- How to use Walmart‘s app and website to surface deals
- And much more!
Follow this in-depth playbook and you‘ll navigate Walmart clearances like a pro, saving big time on desired items for your family and home. Let‘s get started!
The Scoop on Walmart Clearance Markdowns
Clearance events happen year-round at Walmart, but they follow certain schedules. Here is the inside scoop on when different types of markdowns occur:
Monthly Clearance Markdowns
The most common and widespread clearances take place the first week of every month. Usually the markdowns are rolled out incrementally in the first 1-5 days.
- Week 1: First markdown
- Week 2: Second round of deeper discounts
- Week 3-4: Potential additional savings
Consumer Reports found shoppers can save around 25% off regular prices during these monthly clearances. For example, a $10 T-shirt would be marked down to around $7.50.
July and December see even bigger savings for toy and holiday clearances around 50-75% off. We‘ll detail the best times to shop by department later.
Daily Morning Meat and Bakery Markdowns
Discounts on meats, deli products, and baked goods happen each morning around 8 am as fresh inventory arrives. Expect up to 50% off muffins, sandwiches, steaks, ground beef, rotisserie chickens, and anything expiring soon.
Seasonal Summer Clearances
August and September are the prime months for slashed prices on grills, patio furniture, gardening tools, pool floats, fans, and anything considered "summer seasonal". Look for up to 75% off or more!
Unadvertised Hidden Clearances
Beyond posted clearances, Walmart also discounts items without signs or tags. Appliances, apparel, toys, and electronics are frequent categories. We‘ll uncover how to find these secret bargains later.
Other Holiday and Event Clearances
Following any major holiday or event, from Halloween to Super Bowl Sunday, you can expect deeply cut prices on decor, party supplies, costumes, and themed merchandise.
Now that you know when markdowns happen, let‘s talk about how to find them…
Hunting for Clearance Deals at Walmart
Finding the clearance icons on little yellow tags is just the first step. You need to employ savvy hunting strategies to uncover the best hidden deals.
Here are tips from dedicated Walmart clearance experts:
Search clearance sections first. Every Walmart has dedicated clearance aisles and sections in apparel, toys, home, and electronics. This should be your first stop.
Check end caps. End cap displays at the front and back of clearance aisles will also hold marked down merchandise.
Look high and low. Clearance items are often placed on the very bottom or very top shelves, so scan above and below eye level.
Ask about unmarked clearances. Associates can scan items to check for unadvertised markdowns, especially in apparel.
Follow clearance shoppers on social media. People share their finds using hashtags like #WalmartClearance on Instagram and Facebook.
Enable location access so the Walmart app shows your local deals. You can filter and sort by percentage discounts.
Check grocery and meats for daily markdowns in the early mornings. You can get meats for 50% off or more if you‘re an early bird.
Be thorough in sections like seasonal goods, electronics, jewelry, housewares. Hidden clearances abound!
Persist and keep checking back. The best stuff goes quick, so tenacity and repeat visits pay off.
Clearance items will display yellow tags like this. Look for the icons!
Decoding Walmart‘s Clearance Tags and Prices
Once you’ve done your hunting, you need to be able to spot and decipher the clearance tags and colored dots.
Items will display colored dots and tags as follows:
The last number of the price also indicates where the item is in the markdown process:
- .00 or .01 means it‘s reached the final lowest price
- .88 or .99 means it‘s been marked down once already
- .97 means it‘s the second markdown
- .5 signals the first markdown, but more may be coming
So a price of $9.00 is likely the rock bottom, while a price of $9.50 means it could drop lower still.
Using Walmart‘s App and Website to Find Clearances
Beyond in-store hunting, you can also use Walmart‘s online tools to surface clearance deals at your local store.
On the Walmart App:
- Enable location access for your device
- Click "Clearance"
- Filter and sort by discount percentage off
- View available deals and prices at your nearby store
On Walmart.com:
- Shop the Clearance section
- Filter by department
- Select "In Store Pickup"
- Choose your location
- View real-time local clearances
Use the Walmart App to filter clearances by percentage discount
Matching Walmart.com Prices In-Store
When you find an online clearance price you want to match in the store, add the item to your Walmart app cart. At checkout, select “In Store Pickup” for that item.
Then bring your phone with the online price for that item to the register at your local store. Show the cashier your app cart to get the online clearance match!
Estimating Clearance Savings by Department
Wondering what categories offer the biggest discounts during clearances? Here is a breakdown of average savings by department, according to dedicated clearance shoppers:
| Department | Average Discount |
|---|---|
| Toys | 50-90% off |
| Jewelry | 60-75% off |
| Garden | 50-70% off |
| Appliances | 40-60% off |
| Apparel | 30-60% off |
| Housewares | 30-50% off |
| Electronics | 10-30% off |
Some examples of popular finds:
- Toys: Nerf guns for $3, Barbies for $1
- Jewelry: Necklaces for $1, rings for $3
- Apparel: $80 coats for $20, jeans for $5
- Appliances: $150 air fryer for $75, $400 fridge for $200
A Month-By-Month Guide to Walmart Clearances
The most likely clearance categories vary by month based on seasons and holidays:
January – Post-holiday decor, wrapping paper, lights, candy, etc. Look for up to 90% off!
February – Winter clothing, coats, hats, scarves will start getting marked down up to 50% off.
March – Swimsuits, goggles, water toys, outdoor sports as they reset seasonal sections.
April – Easter decor will be 50-75% off. Some toy markdowns.
May – Mother‘s Day flowers, cards, and gift sets will see discounts.
June – School and craft supplies will be cleared out for summer up to 60% off.
July – Post-July 4th party supplies, summer toys, patriotic items will get slashed.
August – Back to school means the biggest sales on supplies, backpacks, clothes.
September – Major summer clearances on patio, garden, grills at up to 90% off seasonal merchandise.
October – Halloween costumes and decor will start getting marked down.
November – Hunt for steep savings on Halloween leftover candy and decor up to 90% off.
December – Toys will get massively marked down, some up to 90% off, to clear for holidays.
Expert Tips to Get the Lowest Prices
How can you ensure you‘re getting the rock bottom pricing on clearance items? Use these pro tips:
-
Double check the tags – Confirm it is tagged for clearance and note the color dot and last digit of the price.
-
Scan items – Use the Walmart app to scan items to check for additional unmarked markdowns.
-
Price match to Walmart.com – Match any lower online clearance prices by showing your app.
-
Checkout online – Sometimes you can get lower clearance prices online with in-store pickup.
-
Ask associates – They have access to current and upcoming price changes in their handheld devices.
-
Be patient – Check back frequently, as prices tend to drop progressively each week.
Clearing the Clearance Confusion
With all this insider guidance, your clearance shopping adventures at Walmart will be far more fruitful. You’ll approach each visit with purpose, armed with the knowledge of when and where to shop.
Happy saving! May you fill your carts and closets with all your deeply discounted finds. Just don‘t forget where you parked!
