Top 5 Labor Day Deals + Tips & Analysis

While it is no Black Friday, the Labor Day holiday does have some great sales to take advantage of. Retailers are trying to clear their stores of summer items and old models, so anything out of season is a great idea. While the sale announcements will come out next week, here are our tips for what’s always great to buy during Labor Day weekend.

What to Buy Now:

• Summer Clothes: This is a great time to stock up on summer dresses, shorts, and sandals for next year. Stock up on light layers and you’re on your way to a killer fall wardrobe!
• Appliances: Retailers are coming out with new models of items like refrigerators and washer/dryers and they need to clear the floor. There are generally only small upgrades from model to model, so investing in last year’s model is a great idea.
• Mattresses: Mattress stores generally have great deals on holiday weekends, and Labor Day is no exception. Have you been sleeping on it for more than 10 years? It might be the key to better sleep this year.
• Cars: New cars generally come out at the end of the summer, so try and haggle a great price on last year’s car so you get it out of their showroom.
• School Supplies: Most families have already bought their school supplies, so this is when retailers put these items on discount to clear excess merchandise.
• Grills: Grilling season is on the outs, so the stores want them out too.
• Summer Furniture & Supplies: If you think you might need a new lawn mower next year it’s better to buy it now than figure it out later. Same goes with patio furniture. It’s all on sale now, so if you know you’ll need it, grab the better price and store it.

What to Buy Later:

Here are items to wait on:

• Electronics
• Tools
• Toys

Our Predictions for the Top 5 Stores with the Best Sales:

• Macy’s
• Home Depot
• 6pm
• Brylane Home
• Lowe’s

The Top 5 Labor Day Deals:

• 50% Everything at ISAAY
• Five Magazine Subscriptions for $19.95 (starts 9/1 at Midnight!)
• Up to $130 Off Dyson Vacuums at Home Depot
• Up to 50% off patio furniture and accessories at Lowes
• Women’s Classic Tall UGG Boots for $168

How Does Labor Day Compare to Black Friday?

There’s been lots of rumors floating around that Labor Day sales are better than Black Friday deals and sales. A recent article suggests that Labor Day is in fact the best time to buy, with items discounted at an average of 48.4%. They claim Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are usually discounted around 41-42%.

We think their analysis is bogus. Labor Day weekend is a solid time to shop but these relative numbers and their ultimate conclusion are wrong.

More importantly: what are you buying this Labor Day? Let us know in the comments below!

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About the Author: Brad Wilson

Brad is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Brad's Deals and author of Do More, Spend Less. He loves the game of hunting down the best deals and being able to spread the word to so many others. He is likely travel hacking his way around the world right now, trying to spend his millions of points and miles faster than he earns them!