November 1, 2006 | Everyday Wisdom, Hot Hot Hot!
A couple of people have asked how to snag the best post-Halloween deals, so I thought I’d give a quick primer on my favorite clearance spot: Target.
First, the schedule: Target Halloween is 50% off as of today (November 1st). It will drop to 75% off between November 3rd and November 5th—this will vary by store, so you’ll have to do some looking. Halloween items will go to 90% off on November 7th, chain-wide.
Second, the skinny: In addition to the things that are obviously Halloween, like costumes and candy, keep your eyes peeled for Halloween-themed items which will be discounted in the system and probably not moved to the clearance area. This would include things like paper towels and napkins with a Halloween or Fall theme, themed toys (there are usually Halloween Barbies, sometimes other toys as well), lip balms, film, batteries… you just have to keep your eyes open for anything that looks like Halloween packaging.
Third, the mantra: Scan, scan, scan. Particularly if you’re trying to hit the 75% or 90% off days, scan everything. The markdown team will not be able to keep up with the little red labels, but most of the price adjusting is done automatically in their computer system. So scan before you buy.
Happy clearancing!
November 1st, 2006 at 10:52 am
Target clearance rocks! Can I brag a minute?
In September, we were in Florida visiting my parents, who live in a condo with a pool. I went to their local Target to shop. I looked at pool toys, and they were all 75% off - I got a great baby float for 3.99, goggles for less than $1, and splash toys for $2.99. This was Florida - still 90 degrees outside!
Also, it being late September, all the backpacks were 75% off. I found a great rolling backpack with a Spiderman design, perfect for my 5 year old for his carry-on luggage. There was no tag on it to scan, and it was the only one like it. So I took a non-rolling Spiderman backpack, clearly a cheaper model, to the register, and then ended up giving me the rolling one for 75% of the price of the non-rolling one - about $4.99!
November 1st, 2006 at 11:01 am
target is the happiest place on earth.
November 1st, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Oh how I love Target.
If I could I would marry it! LOL! 
November 1st, 2006 at 2:36 pm
I want to pee my pants with excitement!!
November 1st, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Funny you mentioned this today. I just returned from Target, where I was able to get a set of 10 various-sized picture frames for $4.98. They’re not exactly the highest quality, but they’re all uniform and will look fabulous when hung in an arrangement on the wall.
Was I looking for picture frames today? No. But how can you pass up a deal like that?
November 1st, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Just there today and it was cuhrazy. Not only was there chaos in the clearance center but all the Christmas stuff was out on every endcap–holiday-themed cleaning wipes, even. (Who knew they existed?)
How do they do that so fast?
November 1st, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Do you mind if I answer Stefania’s question? At least at the Target I worked at, when it was time to “set” a holiday, a special team came in after the store closed and worked a regular eight hour shift. There’s a backroom stock team who gets items grouped together by department, and then it’s just a matter of pulling the old stuff off the shelves and replacing it with the new stuff. There’s this crazy kind of energy at Target from the beginning of October until around the middle of January that was a lot of fun (when I was younger and could keep up, that is).
November 1st, 2006 at 8:30 pm
Mir, you are SO fricken cool! I’ve always wondered about the markdown schedules, particularly for holiday stuff. Thanks for this awesome info!
And if I may brag…school started in early August here and by late September, all the school uniform clothing was on serious markdown. I got a bunch of uniform shirts for a dollar and change each and they are normally run about $8 or $9. And it’s totally worth it to buy larger sizes for the following year at those prices!
Weeeeeeee!
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:09 pm
“Second, the skinny: In addition to the things that are obviously Halloween, like costumes and candy, keep your eyes peeled for Halloween-themed items which will be discounted in the system and probably not moved to the clearance area. This would include things like paper towels and napkins with a Halloween or Fall theme, themed toys (there are usually Halloween Barbies, sometimes other toys as well), lip balms, film, batteries… you just have to keep your eyes open for anything that looks like Halloween packaging.”
Yep, at the Target I work at, we had a couple of Halloween barbie dolls still in the toy department (and marked regular price) but they were actually on clearance. Also, I’m not entirely sure but I saw some Halloween books for kids still in the electronics department and I believe they were on clearance also although they weren’t marked. Also, I went to another Target today and they still had some side caps with Halloween-themed things (flashlights and makeup) on them that weren’t in the clearance aisles. A lot of guests don’t notice these so you have a better chance of getting some good deals on them.
When I was at work two days ago, our normal 5 aisle Halloween stuff had all been condensed to 2 aisles. The candy is going very quickly. I bought a few bags to put in gift bags for Christmas. And don’t forget, candy corn normally disappears from stores after Halloween so if you like it, buy a few bags. I bought a small bag for 50 cents today but the bigger 22 oz. bags were only $1.
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Oh and one more thing. We also have t-shirts, boxers, and pajama pants for the whole family on clearance. Most of them are $3 each and not all of them are extremely “Halloweeny” so you can wear them anytime of the year.