Walmart’s Hidden Clearance: 9 Secret Ways To Save Money
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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Did you know there are even more ways to cash in on Walmart’s popular deals and money-saving offerings? Here’s a little secret: There’s a hidden clearance at Walmart that only the most in-the-know shoppers take advantage of — or even know about.
If you want even more bang for your buck, all you have to do is be on the lookout for Walmart’s yellow clearance stickers and be aware of a few more insider tricks. Savvy Walmart shoppers know that certain months are tailored toward marking down clearance items from the previous month. For example, January is the perfect time to get holiday items and discounted winter gear while September is the time to clean up on all the summer products with significantly lower prices.
No matter what time of year you shop, here are 10 amazing, albeit, secret ways to save a ton of money with Walmart clearance items.
Deal Soldier
Though it’s not exclusive to Walmart, Deal Soldier is a shopping tool you can use to find the best deals without having to scan every item. It can show you which items are on sneaky clearance at Walmart and can also break down the items by section such as electronics or skincare.
You can search for the price of an item at your local Walmart stores. If you add the Snipe Helper Chrome extension, it integrates with Deal Soldier to help you quickly find sale items at nearby Walmart stores.
Check and Scan a Price on the Walmart App
Shopping expert and YouTuber, Super Unsexy, said, “When it comes to clearance, particularly at Walmart, there’s a thing called hidden clearance. Hidden clearance is simply when an item is not marked correctly; the price is actually lower, but you won’t know the true price until you scan it with the Walmart app.”
Don’t put your phone away yet. If you haven’t already downloaded the Walmart app, do that and then open it up to get the most from Walmart’s hidden clearance. Go into the app, click on “Services” and then click the “Check a price” tool.
From there, adjust the location settings within the app so that it shows the store you’re currently in. Since deals and markdowns can vary from store to store, this allows you to make the most of your trip. Then, all you have to do is scan the item using the app’s barcode reader to see whether the price is actually lower than it’s marked.
You can use Walmart’s price scanner on everything, including the yellow stickers on clearance items. Now you’re in the Walmart hidden clearance club.
Make Sure To Follow Walmart on Instagram
Pull out your phone, open up Instagram and make sure you are following Walmart’s official account along with millions of other savvy shoppers.
If you want in on Walmart’s hidden clearance, go one step further and follow some hashtags as well. The three to keep an eye on are #walmartclearance, #walmartclearancefinds, and #walmarthiddenclearance to get up-to-date details on Walmart’s hidden clearance tips.
Mark Your Calendar
Specifically, mark the first five days of the month. That’s usually when Walmart’s hidden clearance kicks in at stores. Markdowns, including seasonal inventory, typically happen in this time frame.
Each Department Has Its Own Clearance
Start your hunt for Walmart’s hidden clearance items each month by knowing which departments to hit up first. These discounted products could be just out of sight, shelved on an endcap or in hard-to-reach or see parts of the aisle.
No matter what, make sure to stop by the “Home” section of Walmart, where lots of items are compiled from other departments, but all have that yellow clearance sticker.
‘Best by’ Foods
Getting food products — including produce, meat and bakery items — during Walmart’s hidden clearance is a great way to stock your kitchen. However, it’s worth noting that these items become part of Walmart’s clearance a day before their “best by dates.”
While they might be a yummy part of Walmart’s hidden clearance, just make sure you are timing out when you plan to eat them to avoid any spoilage.
Dented Cans = Savings
If you want to save money on food for later, though, go to the canned food aisle and see if there are any dented products that have clearance markdown stickers. Walmart will most likely mark down these items in an effort to empty the shelves quickly.
A dent or two in a can might make that item part of Walmart’s hidden clearance, but you can still use Walmart secret promo codes, manufacturer coupons and rebates — including Ibotta and Checkout 51 — on these products.
The Manager Is Your Friend
Don’t see the items you are looking for during Walmart’s hidden clearance? Make a new buddy with your local Walmart manager.
While headquarters often orders Walmart locations to decrease a price, it’s ultimately up to the store manager to decide how much lower to take the price. Because Walmart’s hidden clearance sales are based on location, with each store determining which products to mark down, knowing the manager can make finding the best deals much easier.
All you have to do is ask nicely.
Shop IRL
While it might be good to have Walmart’s social media and app on your phone, you won’t find the same deals online. Walmart’s hidden clearance happens in-store, changing from location to location.
There is, however, some prep work you can do online. On Walmart’s homepage, you can click on “Departments” then click on “Deals” and finally “Clearance.” You can also use the search bar method by just putting in the word “clearance.”
From there, you can filter “in store” based on location to find what Walmart hidden clearance items are available at your local store.
Bonus Tip: No Hidden Numbers
While Walmart’s hidden clearance might be, well, hidden, the numbers on the yellow clearance stickers are not a secret code. Rumors abound that price tags ending with “1” or “.00” have additional discounts, but that doesn’t seem to be quite true.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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