Best time for grabbing a bargain?

[sharon190980]

Hi,
We usually visit Orlando every October which coincides with the Columbus Day sales and lots of lovely bargain buys at the malls.
Can anyone recommend another time of year when there's decent sales on please? I mean at Florida Mall and Millenia specifically as I know the outlets have good buys year round. Thank yooou

[chmurf]

first weekend of August usually sees a Sales Tax Holiday

during that time, you don't pay sales taxes (6.5%) on clothes (usually on items $60 or less) as well as back to school supplies ( $15 or less per item)

there is no guarantee a sale tax holiday will take place, nor when and if it is held. But if it is, that's just before school resumes. This year it should be from august 4 to august 6

[FloridaFairy]

They've had reductions/sales tax holidays at the end of august too...around our bank holiday time.
But these differ. 2015 we had quite good deals but 2016 wasn't so good and that was without the exchange rate being factored in.

I think it all depends on how well the businesses have done so far and what you're happy with.

Xx Ff xX

[BnDamo]

There are always sales on over the holiday weekends (excluding Christmas and New Year) which are:


Martin Luther King Jr day, third Monday in January.
Presidents' Day, third Monday in February.
Memorial Day, last Monday in May.
Independence Day 4th July.
Labor Day first Monday in September.
Columbus Day second Monday in October.
Veterans Day 11th November.

I find the sales on these weekends are similar for each holiday, except Thanksgiving when the following day "Black Friday" has traditionally had the best bargains. Other than "Black Friday" I have always found the best bargains after Christmas/ early January.

[ianc]

To a large extent the date is irrelevant. There are 'sales' on all the time. They change its name. If there isn't a holiday to call it after, they have to be more creative. This weekend at Florida Mall alone, different stores are advertising a 'VIP Event', 'Friends & Family sale', 'Spring sale', 'Almost summer sale', 'Get set for summer sale', 'Super cash Time to Spree sale', plus lots of 'Buy one get one 50% off', etc. You are looking for bargains and won't go shopping if there are none to be had. All the other visitors want bargains too. There are different visitors here every week, so to attract them away from the Parks, they have to have sales. If you are here for a longer period, you can see this happening. There have been lots of reports here over the past few months of major retail chains closing unprofitable stores (as many as 100 each across the US) and some well known names going bust. It has not affected the Orlando area as much as more out-of-the way places, but it is a cut-throat business. They don't have sales for customer's benefit, they do it in order to sell anything. If it is full price, you don't buy, do you? Don't choose you holiday according to apparent sales dates, it is just not worth it.

[bella9]

Originally Posted by ianc

To a large extent the date is irrelevant. There are 'sales' on all the time. They change its name. If there isn't a holiday to call it after, they have to be more creative. This weekend at Florida Mall alone, different stores are advertising a 'VIP Event', 'Friends & Family sale', 'Spring sale', 'Almost summer sale', 'Get set for summer sale', 'Super cash Time to Spree sale', plus lots of 'Buy one get one 50% off', etc. You are looking for bargains and won't go shopping if there are none to be had. All the other visitors want bargains too. There are different visitors here every week, so to attract them away from the Parks, they have to have sales. If you are here for a longer period, you can see this happening. There have been lots of reports here over the past few months of major retail chains closing unprofitable stores (as many as 100 each across the US) and some well known names going bust. It has not affected the Orlando area as much as more out-of-the way places, but it is a cut-throat business. They don't have sales for customer's benefit, they do it in order to sell anything. If it is full price, you don't buy, do you? Don't choose you holiday according to apparent sales dates, it is just not worth it.

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Great post, spot on!

[Guest]

There's a sale every week. Don't be fooled by the so called holiday sales. All they do is print a big banner with "xxx Day Sale". Things are often cheaper the week before or the week after.

[fredflintstone]

I was a bit disappointed with sales the week of Easter Sunday into the next. Didn't seem to be many reductions in the malls and the outlet mall at Vineland was a joke. Most were only offering buy 1 get 2nd for 50% off and that was for an outlet mall!
The friends and family started on the day we left, so brought a 4 wheel suit carrier in Macy's, but that was almost it for buying.


Might also add that I never find the outlet malls to give the better deals. The end of season deals in the main department stores tend to beat them (Sept being a good month). Burlingtons, TJMaxx and Marshall also are good at beating the outlet malls, but in real sale mode the department stores beat them.

Outlet malls wanted 59 for RL Polo shirts at the moment ,the marshalls etc 35 and the department stores will do end of range for around 30 or less when end of season. Just not end of season at the moment.