In May we make the transition from spring to summer. And the transition into a whole new host of smart seasonal buys.
After a spring sales lull, May packs a punch, with two major sales holidays: Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. To help you take full advantage of the best May savings, we used our internal discount data to calculate average discounts May shoppers can expect in popular categories – and zero in on the Top 5 categories to shop this month.
Top Sales to Shop
- Lowe’s SpringFest (final day): May 1 is the last day of the Lowe’s SpringFest sale, so get the deals while you still can.
- Wayfair Way Day: Between May 4 and 6, Wayfair will run its spring Way Day sale, offering up to 80% off on furniture, rugs and more (and it all ships free). Shop the sale here when it’s live.
- Mother’s Day sales: Mother’s Day falls May 12, so expect deals on jewelry and other giftable items right after. However, in the weeks leading up to the big day, expect great deals on flower delivery, as companies try to lock you in.
- Memorial Day sales: Memorial Day is May 27. Expect big deals on the BIG home products (furniture, appliances, mattresses) the entire week. Wayfair, for example, will offer up to 70% off during its Memorial Day sale (shop here when it goes live) from May 20 to 28.
The 5 Smartest Things to Buy in May
Whatever you need (or want) to buy in May, there are plenty of sales to shop and smart buys to make.
1. Fast Casual Restaurants (Average Discount: 26% Off)
May brings a number of reasons to dine out with the family – Mother’s Day meals, graduation parties, Memorial Day and the first summer road trips. And restaurants will try to entice diners with special summer menus, patio happy hours, brunch specials, free delivery and even BOGO offers.
But perhaps the best way to save on dining out in May is to take advantage of the many bonus-gift-card specials that national chain restaurants offer throughout the months of May and June. Often tied to Mother’s Day and graduation, these offers usually entail buying a certain amount of gift cards (or spending a certain amount on food) at a restaurant and then getting a free bonus gift card to use later. These bonus cards tend to range from $5 to $20 in value, depending on the offer. So they’re a great way to gift someone a celebratory meal or gift card and get a gift card to tuck away for yourself later.
2. Clothing (Average Discount: 24% Off)
Retailers are trying to clear the racks for summer clothing AND trying to tempt shoppers to refresh their wardrobes for warmer weather. And that means sales galore (on spring clothing, especially).
Over in the clearance section, you’ll find spring clothing (light jackets, floral dresses and transitional wear). Because a lot of spring clothing is meant for that “transitional” time between seasons, you’ll be able to wear it during fall (so go ahead and buy it in May for way less).
On the regular racks, you’ll find summer fashion and swimwear. Retailers will be a bit less generous with discounts because this stuff will be in higher demand. However, Memorial Day is a summer-fashion-shopper’s sweet spot. As a three-day-weekend holiday, it offers lots of sales, including on clothing. Pay close attention to Old Navy, Kohl’s, Macy’s and Target in particular, when it comes to clothing sales this month.
On a really strict budget? Head to outlet stores during Memorial Day weekend. Just like regular stores, they’ll be pulling out all the stops to move merchandise during the three-day weekend. So you’ll be able to combine outlet stores’ already lower price tags with special Memorial Day deals to score your favorite designer brands for way less.
3. Flowers (Average Discount: 20% Off)
In early May, take advantage of all the Mother’s Day flower delivery deals being offered. Online flower delivery companies know that many shoppers will be in the market for flowers leading up to May 12.
- 15% off at ProFlowers (RetailMeNot exclusive), plus stack that discount with 15% cash back. Shop these deals through Mother’s Day, May 12.
- Get a 15% discount (RetailMeNot exclusive) at FTD, plus 10% cash back. Both these deals run through Mother’s Day (May 12).
- Use our exclusive promo code at 1-800 Flowers to save 20% through Mother’s Day (May 12), plus get 4% cash back.
To save the most on your Mother’s Day flower delivery, be flexible: Consider having your flowers dropped off a couple days before Mother’s Day to save yourself the higher holiday delivery surcharge.
4. Home and Garden (Average Discount: 25% Off)
May brings an almost constant stream of Outdoor Blowout Sales early in the month from the likes of Overstock (which is BACK, by the way) and Wayfair, which will throw its annual Way Day sale May 4 through 6, offering up to 80% off.
Then, the back half of the month is crammed with Memorial Day sales, which start as early as two weeks before Memorial Day itself. And Memorial Day sales are dominated by home and garden deals. You’ll find savings on everything from indoor furniture, to patio furniture, to grills, to fire pits, to coolers and absolutely everything you need to get your entire life ready for summer.
And don’t forget those big-ticket home items like appliances and mattresses. Three-day weekends (including Memorial Day) are absolute magnets for appliance bundle deals and king-for-a-queen mattress sales. So if you’ve been “meaning to replace” your old mattress or fridge, Memorial Day weekend is the time to do it. Wayfair, for example, will offer up to 70% off across its site May 20 to 28.
Make sure Memorial Day heavy-hitters like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Mattress Firm and Best Buy are on your shopping list.
5. Fine Jewelry (Average Discount: 13% Off)
Right after Mother’s Day is the time to shop fine jewelry. If retailers don’t sell the sentimental pendants, sparkly earrings and engraved bracelets by May 12, they’ll mark them down to offload them (considering there won’t be any more major jewelry-gifting holidays until, well, the holidays).
So consider buying up anything engraved with “I Love You, Mom” on super-sale (and save it for her birthday or the holidays). There will be plenty of less-Mom-centered jewelry marked down, too, including tennis bracelets and minimalist heart jewelry that could be a perfect fit for a special someone’s birthday, for your sweetheart or bestie next Valentine’s Day … or for you … right now … just because.
Check out retailers like Kay’s, Macy’s and Kohl’s for some of the best post-Mother’s Day loot.
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