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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Dalhousie chapter.

It’s almost that time of year – the beginning of the intense shopping season. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales just around the corner, it can be so easy to get caught up in the shopping madness. But here’s a secret: the Black Friday and Cyber Monday week won’t necessarily give you the best deals.

If you’re looking to buy holiday gifts for your loved ones, this season is absolutely the best time of year to snag them. My first tip for you would be to start gift shopping early…especially if you’re planning on ordering online to avoid the notorious holiday shipping delays.

Other than that, whether you’re looking to treat yourself to something new, refresh your wardrobe or invest in larger, more expensive pieces such as a new winter coat, it can definitely be worth waiting a little longer to score the best deals. Who doesn’t love a good deal? Happy shopping!

Holiday Season (November – December)

Pre-holiday season – Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Let’s say you’re trying to buy new electronics or appliances like a new laptop or an air fryer you’ve been eyeing for a while. The holiday season is the best time to bite the bullet and go for it. Most stores try to push for consumers to empty their shelves this season for two reasons: (1) Many parents buy their kids new laptops, phones or consoles for the holidays, so discounts are in place to encourage these purchases, and (2) Many stores want to make space on their shelves for new stock in January, usually for newer models.

Post-holiday season – Boxing Day. You’re far more likely to score better deals, especially for clothing. Yes, Boxing Day is iconic for purchasing heavily discounted holiday-related items, but clothing stores bring out old stock from throughout the year and discount them heavily. Personally, I’ve been able to find sandals and shorts for more than 50% off during Boxing Day sales. It’s never too early to shop for pieces to use in the new year.

Winter Season (January – February)

New year, new me. Funny enough, brands always take advantage of consumers and their New Year’s resolutions. If you’re in the market for new fitness-related items, wait to shop for these at the very start of a new year.

Unless you feel that you need new linens now, wait till January and shop the “White Sales” to score discounted sheets, towels or blankets. There’s nothing better than buying new bedding to refresh your bedroom. 

Spring Season (March – May)

This is the season to shop for all your fall and winter clothing. Scour the stores to buy outerwear, turtlenecks and sweaters to prepare for next year’s cold weather. On the topic of cold weather, winter coats are normally insanely expensive at full price, but this is the time of year when they are truly the cheapest. If you’re afraid of losing out on your size, run to the store at the beginning of Spring to grab your size and desired colour in the coat you’ve been dreaming of. However, if you’re willing to risk things a little and play the waiting game, wait another two weeks for clearance discounts to kick in.

Summer Season (June – August)

Truthfully, the summer season is when the shopping season tends to die down. However, Amazon Prime Day in July is something to look forward to for discounts on a wide variety of products from electronics to homeware items.

When it comes to summer clothing, the best thing for you to do is to wait until August to buy all your swimwear and summer dresses on clearance in preparation for the next summer.

Fall Season (September – October)

Back-to-school supplies tend to go on sale during the fall since most students have everything they need by the time classes start. If you wait a week after Labor Day, you’ll notice that all things school-related, from clothing to stationery, tend to be discounted.

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Alyanna Cortez

Dalhousie '22

Alyanna is a fourth-year Commerce Student majoring in Marketing Management. Her working background is predominantly in sales and marketing and her interests range from plant care to baking. As for Her Campus, she is one of our Social Media Directors who aims to write a handful of articles that stem from her interests while managing our social media platforms.