July is full of sales. It kicks off with Fourth of July sales and only gains steam with Prime Day (July 11 and 12 this year). At the end of the month, tax-free shopping season kicks off in some states. And that’s all good news for inflation-strapped shoppers who have a lot to buy for summer and back-to-school.
To help you take advantage of the best midsummer savings, we used our internal discount data to calculate average discounts July shoppers can expect in popular categories — and zero in on the Top 5 categories to shop this month.
Top Sales to Shop in July
July is a busy month for shoppers, with the following sales scheduled to take place:
- July 4 Sales: These kick off as early as a week before July 4, so start looking early. Concentrate your efforts on these shopping categories to save the most.
- Prime Day: Amazon Prime Day (it’s biggest sale of the year) will take place in mid-July. Prime Day is known for its deals on tech, but it’s also a great time to stock up on everyday items, fashion and home goods.
- Black Friday in July: This refers to the cluster of sales that launch in mid-July. Many retailers launch their summer clearance deals at this time because summer is passing its half-way point, and they know there’s limited time to sell grills, patio furniture, summer yard games and summer clothing.
- Back-to-School sales: No, July is not to early for back-to-school shopping. In fact, Apple’s back-to-school offers for 2024 are already live. Prime Day is a sweet spot for early back-to-school deals on supplies and clothing. And retailers like Staples, Office Depot, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart will start running back-to-school sales in mid- to late-July.
- Ulta Big Summer Sale: The Ulta Big Summer sale kicked off June 23 but runs through July 13, so you’ll have plenty of time to snag savings of up to 45% off on jumbo-sized hair care products and more.
- Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale: The Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual sale kicked off in June, but runs all the way through July 16. It offers up to 60% off on bras, sleepwear, lingerie, beauty products and more.
The 5 Smartest Things to Buy in July
1. Health & Beauty (Average Discount: 22% Off)
Prime Day has a tech-y reputation, but it’s also gotten quite glamorous in recent years. Health and beauty products are now officially a smart Prime Day buy. Plenty of beauty and personal care brands (drugstore and luxury) sell on Amazon, and they’ll be participating in Prime Day. Last year, we saw 30% off Grande Cosmetics and Sunday Riley, 50% off the FOREO LUNA 3 Facial Cleansing Brush and more.
And don’t forget about styling tools — we saw the Dyson Airwrap for $100 off last year.
In addition to Prime Day:
- Ulta is throwing its Big Summer Sale (which runs through July 13).
- Target usually offers a sale in mid-July that includes beauty deals.
- The Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual sale includes discounts on scents and other beauty products and runs until July 16.
2. Clothing (Average Discount: 19% Off)
Good news for back-to-school shoppers: You can expect plenty of clothing discounts in July. Part of that is seasonal, as the end of July is when we first start seeing summer fashion (including swimsuits!) head to the clearance racks. Pay particular attention to T-shirts, tanks, summer dresses, sandals and shorts — that stuff will still serve for the first (still hot) month of the school year. Then, you can shop Labor Day sales at the beginning of September for the fall stuff.
In addition to seasonal discounts, Prime Day also offers plenty of savings on clothing. Expect some of the biggest discounts to be on Amazon’s own clothing lines, like Amazon Essentials and Goodthreads. But plenty of brands that sell on Amazon will offer discounts of their own, too. Plus, expect plenty of other retailers to offer deals during Prime Day to compete with Amazon.
Before Prime Day, be sure to check out this year’s crop of Fourth of July clothing sales. Major retailers like Macy’s, Kohl’s, Carter’s and more go BIG with deals.
3. Office Supplies (Average Discount: 18% Off)
We love a less-expected discount. While office supply stores often fly under the radar, they are worth checking out in July. You can expect Office Depot and Staples to start their early back-to-school deals toward the end of the month (in fact, they’re some of the earliest stores to jump on the back-to-school train every year). And those deals won’t just be for pencils and binders — expect deals on office chairs and office furniture, too, if you’re outfitting your college student’s dorm or your own home office.
Amazon will likely have dorm and school supply discounts during Prime Day as well. In fact, according to our survey, 36% of shoppers say they’ll start shopping for school in July, making Prime Day the gateway to the back-to-school shopping season.
4. Computers and Electronics (Average Discount: 17% Off)
Prime Day, which takes place in July 2024, is a huge time for tech deals on laptops, tablets and smart home devices. Because Prime Day is Amazon’s sale, expect some of the biggest savings on Amazon’s own products (Fire Tablets and Echo smart home devices have been 50% off or more in years past). But you’ll also find savings on Apple products, including iPads and Apple Watches. Shopping tip: While Prime Day doesn’t officially kick off until mid-July, Amazon has been known to launch some tech deals early.
Besides Prime Day, back-to-school sales offer another opportunity for tech and computer savings. Apple always offers discounts and offers to students during the late summer. Best Buy, similarly, offers back-to-school deals specifically for students. And be sure to check out retailers like HP, Dell and Lenovo. They often offer Black Friday-like doorbusters and special student pricing starting in late July.
5. Home & Garden (Average Discount: 17% Off)
The July 4 weekend is a great time to shop home goods. That’s when retailers start offering lower prices to ensure they sell all their summertime wares before the weather cools. That may seem early — July 4 is still peak summer. However, it’s the last major summer party event before the kids head back to school.
If you need to relax in between your outdoor adventures (or if your “outdoor adventures” tend to take place in your backyard), you’ll start seeing deals on grills and patio furniture during Fourth of July weekend. Yes, you’ll find bigger discounts closer to Labor day — but the selection won’t be quite as good.
And July home sales just keep rolling out. Around the midpoint of the month, you’ll see home goods retailers discounting their outdoor stuff during their “Black Friday in July” sales push. And Prime Day is also a great time to find discounts on furniture, vacuum cleaners and other home products.
Check out these retailers:
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