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August sales are largely made up of discounted back-to-school essentials. This is the place to be for teachers, parents, students on a budget and of course any savvy shopper who wants great prices on clothing, tech, office supplies and more.
The sales have already begun and to help you keep up with where to spend your hard-earned cash, we used our internal discount data to calculate average discounts August shoppers can expect in popular categories — and zero in on the Top 5 categories to shop this month.
Top Sales to Shop in August
August is a big month for savings, so take note of the following sales:
- Back-to-College Essentials: Many top retailers run sales on dorm essentials and other must-shop items for college students throughout the month of August.
- End-of-Summer Sales: A lot of your favorite retailers will be offering discounts on lightweight warm-weather clothing before fall and winter arrive. Stock up on what you need for next summer!
- Back-to-School Sales: Now is the time to start. Apple’s back-to-school offers for 2024 are live now. Plus, retailers like Staples, Office Depot, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart are running back-to-school sales already too.
- Labor Day Sales: Many Labor Day weekend sales will begin at the end of August, so keep an eye out in the final week for extra savings opportunities.
- Keurig 25% Off Sale: All throughout the month, score 25% off Keurig K-Cup® Pods with code 2024COFFEE.
The 5 Smartest Things to Buy in July
1. Footwear (Average Discount: 22% Off)
From growth spurts to wear and tear, there are reasons for all ages to need a shoe upgrade. The back-to-school season makes August the perfect time to shop for new footwear, even if you’re not a teacher, student or parent this current school season. Think sneakers and summer shoes! Fall and winter shoe shopping should wait until Labor Day or later.
Here are some of our favorite retailers that always have awesome footwear deals:
2. Computers & Electronics (Average Discount: 20% Off)
You’ll find tons of savings throughout the month of August on tablets, laptops, tech accessories and more. Tech savings are open to non-students too so take advantage of great markdowns! This is the best time before Black Friday to shop tech.
Here are some of our favorite to shop for tech deals:
3. Clothing (Average Discount: 19% Off)
Check out the sales sections of your favorite retailers this time of year to find fashions you can still wear in current weather but at a discounted price. Many stores are changing over to fall, but we have many weeks of summer sun left! Grab tees and shorts for your kids heading back to school too.
Shop some of our favorite clothing brands:
4. Office Supplies (Average Discount: 17% Off)
starts which is awesome news for teachers, parents and anyone working from home who needs a nice restock. It’s arguably the most fun part of back-to-school shopping too.
Here are some of our favorite one-stop-shops for office supplies:
5. Sporting Goods (Average Discount: 17% Off)
As we near the end of the summer season, the race to buy outdoor activity essentials is majorly slowing down, so it’s a good time to add sporting goods to your cart for a great price. Grab equipment that you and your family can enjoy throughout the year or hold onto for next summer’s adventuring.
Check out sporting good deals from these retailers we love:
Bonus Tips
See if your state has a tax-free shopping weekend: More than a dozen states will hold their tax-free shopping weekends in August, and if yours is on this list, you’ll enjoy waived sales tax on eligible purchases. Eligible items tend to be those of the back-to-school variety, but that doesn’t mean they’re just for students; some states include electronics, clothing, backpacks and shoes in their tax-free weekends. That gives you plenty of options for stocking up on essentials.
Consider last-minute back-to-school deals: If you are comfortable with taking a risk, wait until right before school is back in session to snatch up any remaining notebooks, lunchboxes, dorm items and other common items on students’ shopping lists. At this point, retailers will be eager to offload them. You may not want to use this tactic for items you actually need, as the shelves will be largely picked over by this point. But it can be a smart way to get essentials you know you (or your kids) will use next year at much lower prices.
The post Save the Dates: What to Buy in August appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
