subject: The Best Secret To The Absolute Deepest Discounts Imaginable [print this page] The truly ridiculous sales that you will find are not at every-day discount stores such as Wal-Mart or Target. While I'm a big promoter of coupons, it's not necessarily even via coupons that you will save the absolute most. The greatest trick to absurd savings: Finding retailers who carry seasonal inventory that is beyond their comfort zone.
Example: Starting December 26, places like Target is begin selling their Christmas wrapping paper at 50% off. It's a nice time to stock up for the following year. Just as you can use the wrapping paper 11 months later, they can sell it 11 months later, too. So, they have two choices, they can store it or they discount it even further. In the case of non-faddish items (things that will still be cool next season), the storage option creates a "floor" on the discount rate. They consider the cost of storing something, versus the cost of a further discount. Sometimes storage wins.
In contrast, think about the Home Depot. Home Depot knows that they'll get plenty of holiday shoppers, so it makes sense for them to carry convenient wrapping paper, and position themselves for that extra little sale. But, on December 26, they're confronted with extra inventory that they almost certainly don't want to carry in active inventory or store in a warehouse. Home Depot isn't in the wrapping paper business. They're out of their comfort zone carrying wrapping paper beyond December. The personal result for me: I purchased about 15 rolls of wrapping paper, adorable wrapping paper with little tools on it, for 90% off.
Similarly, lots of kids in my extended family enjoyed toys from Sears, things bought for 75%+ off last year that spent 11 months waiting for them in a storage closet. The kids weren't any the wiser about my paying about roughly $4 each on them; my presents looked way cooler than the budget would have suggested. Sears carries toys here and there throughout the year, but for the holidays, they increase their toy inventory far beyond a sustainable level. No one wants it laying around in January. Drug stores typically do the same thing, often devoting a whole aisle to seasonal items and then marking them down to ridiculous levels to make them move later. Do you donate for Toys for Tots? This is the way to do it.
Again, find businesses that are outside their comfort zone. It's unlikely that Kohl's will mark a baby outfit down 90%; they sell baby outfits every business day of the year. But, if Kohl's decided to sell barbeque grills one summer, look for their Fall savings on barbeque grills to be huge. The weirder the disconnect between the store's regular inventory and the seasonal/temporary inventory, the greater the potential discount. If you ever notice the Lowes Home Improvement store selling ladies scarves in anticipation of Mother's Day, or a clothing boutique selling ratchet sets for Father's Day, you may be treated to some fantastic deals the next day.
