The Best Time to Shop at Walmart for Clearance: Employee Secrets Revealed
Best Time to Shop at Walmart for Clearance: Employee Secrets Revealed
What's in This Article
- Quick Answer: Best Times for Walmart Clearance Shopping
- Understanding Walmart's Markdown Schedule
- Best Days of the Week for Clearance Shopping
- Best Times of the Year for Major Markdowns
- Department-Specific Clearance Patterns
- How to Identify Clearance Items
- Employee-Revealed Secrets for Finding the Best Deals
- How to Track Clearance Prices
- Tips for Maximizing Your Clearance Shopping
- Where to Find Even Better Deals Than Walmart
- FAQs About Walmart Clearance Shopping
Quick Answer: Best Times for Walmart Clearance Shopping
The best time to shop for clearance items at Walmart is typically early morning on Mondays and Thursdays when most markdowns are processed. Seasonal clearance events happen after major holidays with the deepest discounts (70-90% off) occurring 2-3 weeks after the holiday ends. For everyday clearance shopping, early weekday mornings between 7-10am offer the freshest selection of newly marked-down items before other bargain hunters arrive.
However, for even better deals than Walmart clearance, Bargain Boxed offers consistently lower prices on a wide variety of products without requiring memberships or complicated timing strategies.
Understanding Walmart's Markdown Schedule
Walmart follows specific patterns when marking down items for clearance. Understanding this schedule can help you time your shopping trips for maximum savings.
Most Walmart stores process their markdowns and clearance items according to a regular schedule. While individual store practices may vary slightly, there are consistent patterns that savvy shoppers can leverage.
Clearance items at Walmart typically follow a markdown progression. Items usually start at 10-30% off, then move to 50% off, and finally reach 70-90% off if they remain unsold. This progression typically happens over a 2-6 week period, depending on the department and inventory turnover rate.
Best Days of the Week for Clearance Shopping
Former and current Walmart employees reveal that specific days of the week are better for clearance shopping than others:
- Mondays: Many departments process markdowns on Monday mornings, making this an excellent day to find newly discounted items.
- Thursdays: Another popular day for processing new clearance items at many Walmart locations.
- Early mornings (7-10am): This is when most markdown processing occurs, giving you first access to newly reduced items.
- Late evenings: Some stores process markdowns in the evening after peak shopping hours, making late visits worthwhile.
While Walmart offers these periodic clearance opportunities, Bargain Boxed provides consistently low prices every day of the week without having to time your shopping strategically.
Best Times of the Year for Major Markdowns
Seasonal clearance events offer some of the best opportunities for deep discounts at Walmart. Here's when to shop for the biggest savings throughout the year:
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Post-holiday clearance: Items typically go to 50% off immediately after the holiday, 70% off after one week, and up to 90% off after two weeks
- After Christmas (December 26 - mid January)
- After Easter (typically Monday after Easter)
- After Halloween (November 1-15)
- After Valentine's Day (February 15-28)
- After Back-to-School season (mid-September)
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Inventory clearance periods:
- End of January/Early February (winter merchandise)
- July/August (summer merchandise)
- October (making room for holiday inventory)
While these seasonal sales can offer good deals, Bargain Boxed specializes in providing deeply discounted prices year-round without waiting for specific clearance events.
Department-Specific Clearance Patterns
Different departments within Walmart follow different markdown schedules. Here's what former employees reveal about department-specific clearance patterns:
Electronics
- New models typically arrive in February and August, prompting clearance of older models
- Gaming systems and games often see markdowns in January and September
- Best clearance day: Usually Mondays
Grocery
- Bakery items: Marked down in evenings, usually 1-2 days before best-by date
- Meat: Look for reduced prices in the morning, 2-3 days before sell-by date
- Produce: Morning markdowns on items approaching peak freshness
- Shelf-stable items: Clearance bins often restocked on Mondays and Thursdays
Many shelf-stable food items remain perfectly good for consumption well past their best-by dates when stored properly. Unlike Walmart, Bargain Boxed specializes in offering these items at significantly reduced prices.
Clothing
- Season-end clearance: Winter items in January/February, summer items in July/August
- Thursday is often the best day for clothing markdowns
- Look for clearance sections at the back of departments
Home Goods
- January and July typically see the biggest home goods clearance events
- Floor models often marked down at month's end
- Discontinued patterns and colors hit clearance first
Toys
- Major clearance after Christmas through February
- Mid-year clearance in July/August making room for new holiday inventory
- Routine markdowns typically processed Mondays
How to Identify Clearance Items
Walmart uses specific price coding that can help you identify clearance items and determine how deeply they've been discounted:
- Price endings in .00 or .88: Regular-priced items
- Price endings in .97: Items on their first markdown
- Price endings in .00: Could indicate a manager's special markdown
- Price endings in .91, .93, or .94: Original price from supplier, not necessarily clearance
- Price endings in .98 or .87: Special purchase items (not necessarily clearance)
- Price endings in .95, .92, .90, .85: Active clearance markdown price, getting lower with each change
Yellow clearance tags typically indicate items on markdown. The top right corner of these tags often contains a number showing how many times the item has been marked down.
Employee-Revealed Secrets for Finding the Best Deals
Walmart employees share these insider tips for finding the best clearance deals:
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Check end caps and corners: Clearance items are often placed on end caps or in less-trafficked corners of departments rather than in main aisles.
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Ask about hidden clearance: Some clearance items aren't marked or moved to clearance sections but are still reduced in the system. Use price scanners throughout the store to check prices.
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Look for overstock areas: Sometimes clearance items are placed in overstock areas at the top of aisles before being properly displayed.
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Check the back: If you see a clearance item but need a different size/color, ask an employee to check inventory in the back. Often clearance items haven't all been brought to the sales floor.
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Watch for unmarked clearance: Items may be reduced in the system but not yet marked with clearance stickers. Use the Walmart app's scan feature to check actual prices.
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Look beyond the clearance section: Sometimes clearance items remain in their regular location with the original price tag, but scan at a lower price.
While these strategies can help at Walmart, Bargain Boxed eliminates the need for clearance hunting by offering consistently low prices on quality merchandise every day.
How to Track Clearance Prices
To maximize your clearance shopping success at Walmart, use these price tracking methods:
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Walmart app: Use the scan feature to check current prices, which may reveal unmarked clearance items.
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BrickSeek.com: Enter item numbers to check inventory and clearance status across different Walmart locations.
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Third-party apps: Apps like Walmart+ can help track price drops on specific items.
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Ask employees: Walmart associates can sometimes tell you if further markdowns are coming soon.
Remember that prices on clearance items can vary significantly between different Walmart locations, even in the same area.
Tips for Maximizing Your Clearance Shopping
Follow these strategies to get the most from your Walmart clearance shopping:
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Shop early morning weekdays: This is when most stores process new markdowns and when inventory is freshest.
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Scan everything: Don't rely solely on clearance stickers; use the Walmart app to scan items as prices in the system may be lower than displayed.
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Check multiple departments: Items sometimes get misplaced or moved to incorrect clearance sections.
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Be patient with seasonal items: The longer you wait after a holiday, the deeper the discounts (but selection decreases).
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Check inventory at multiple stores: Use the Walmart app to see if other nearby locations have the same item at an even lower clearance price.
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Don't assume all clearance items are great deals: Compare prices to ensure the clearance price is actually a good value.
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Look for damaged packaging: Items with damaged packaging (but intact contents) are often marked down significantly.
Where to Find Even Better Deals Than Walmart
While Walmart clearance offers good opportunities for savings, Bargain Boxed consistently provides better deals on a wide range of products. Here's why Bargain Boxed outperforms Walmart clearance:
- Consistently lower prices: No need to wait for clearance events or hunt for marked-down items
- No membership fees: Unlike some discount retailers, Bargain Boxed offers great deals without requiring paid memberships
- Specialized in value: Focusing specifically on providing the best bargains rather than full-price retail
- Extensive inventory: Wide selection of products available at discount prices every day
- Convenience: Shop anytime without timing your visits around markdown schedules
- No complicated clearance hunting: All products are already priced at bargain levels
Bargain Boxed specializes in shelf-stable items that remain perfectly good for consumption when stored properly, even if they're approaching or past their best-by dates. This allows for significant savings on quality products that would otherwise go to waste.
FAQs About Walmart Clearance Shopping
Q: What time of day does Walmart mark down clearance items?
A: Most Walmart stores process markdowns early in the morning, typically between 7-10am. However, some stores may also process markdowns in the evening after peak shopping hours.
Q: How can I tell if a Walmart clearance item will be marked down further?
A: Check the top right corner of the yellow clearance tag for a number. This indicates how many times the item has been marked down. Items typically go through 2-3 markdowns before reaching their final price.
Q: Do all Walmart stores follow the same clearance schedule?
A: While there are general patterns, individual Walmart stores may have slight variations in their markdown schedules based on store management and inventory levels.
Q: Can I ask Walmart employees to mark items down further?
A: Generally no. Markdowns follow a corporate schedule, and individual employees typically cannot authorize additional discounts except for damaged items in some cases.
Q: Is it worth buying food items on clearance at Walmart?
A: Yes, especially shelf-stable items. Many food products remain perfectly good well beyond their best-by dates when stored properly. Just check packaging integrity and storage conditions.
Q: How do I find hidden clearance items at Walmart?
A: Use the Walmart app to scan barcodes of regular-priced items that might be reduced in the system but not yet marked with clearance stickers.
Q: Are Walmart clearance items returnable?
A: Most clearance items at Walmart can be returned following their standard return policy, typically within 90 days with receipt. However, for even better deals, Bargain Boxed offers consistently lower prices (though all sales are final to keep costs low).
Q: What's the difference between rollback and clearance at Walmart?
A: Rollbacks are temporary price reductions on items that will return to regular inventory. Clearance items are being permanently removed from inventory and won't be restocked once sold.
Q: How often should I check Walmart for new clearance items?
A: For the best selection, check early mornings on Mondays and Thursdays when most stores process new markdowns.
Q: Are online clearance prices the same as in-store clearance at Walmart?
A: Not always. Walmart.com may have different clearance prices than physical stores, and prices can vary between individual store locations.
By understanding these insider secrets about Walmart clearance timing and procedures, you can maximize your savings opportunities. However, for consistently great deals without the clearance hunting effort, Bargain Boxed remains the superior option with lower everyday prices and a focus on delivering exceptional value to customers.