Want to know when and where to find the best deals on kids’ jackets, parkas and coats? Read on.
Full-priced jackets for kids will run you $20 and up (and up, and up, and up…), but believe it or not, you can find parkas for $5 or less if you time it just right. When it comes to outerwear shopping, I like to make sure I’m getting a discount of at least 40% off the regular price. That’s pretty easy to do if you can wait until late November.
While Black Friday and post-holiday clearance sales offer the deepest discounts, you may need a coat now. If you can’t wait until Black Friday or Winter Clearance, try these tips:
- Consignment sales are starting up nationwide. Check them for huge savings on second hand kids’ jackets and coats and other cool weather clothing. You can find sales at sites like The Bargain Watcher.
- Prices in store can be surprisingly good in late August and early September. The reason? It’s not cold yet and the demand isn’t high. Try your luck at local stores: Walmart is a particularly inexpensive place to find them. Other places to try include Target, JCPenney and Kmart. If your favorite brick-and-mortar retailers don’t have their winter outerwear in stock yet (as is probably the case right now for everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line), check back just after Labor Day. Back-to-school shopping will be over, for the most part, and retailers will be moving on to the next season’s items. You may find outerwear online first, as online shoppers are just as likely to live in Maine or Vermont as they are in Hotlanta.
- If you’re looking for name brands, try Sierra Trading Post. They offer big discounts and usually have a coupon code to make the deals even better (just Google “Sierra Trading Post coupon” to find them). This is a great place to find snowsuits, hats, gloves and ski pants as well.
Black Friday (November 26 this year) also brings some of the hottest deals on kids’ outerwear that you’ll see until February or so. Old Navy had Performance Fleece for $5 on Black Friday, for example. Keep an eye on BF sale announcements to plan your day. Expect the selection to be fairly depleted by mid-morning.
Expect the best deals on kids’ winterwear just after the holidays and continuing through March. This is a great time to stock up for the following season. Several big post-holiday sales actually started before Christmas last year (Dec. 22, to be exact). Here are a couple of highlights:
- The Children’s Place marked its puffer jackets down just after Christmas to $13.99 less coupon code.
- REI’s January sale offers opportunities for savings on higher-end brands.
- Fleece jackets were $2.99 at The Children’s Place during the fourth week of February last year.
- Winter clearance sales at consignment stores should start in February. Call your local store to find out exact dates.
Tip: Keep track of what you buy so you don’t end up buying double. I box up my winter clearance bargains, label the outside of the box with what’s in there, and pop the box in the top of my son’s closet. As fall approaches, I’ll take it down and go through it to remind myself of what I have before I buy anything else.
What are your best tips for buying kids’ winter outerwear?
Last year I was able to get a nice winter jacket at Macy’s the first week of December. It was normally $70 and I got it for $15. Loved this deal and my daughter can still wear it this year!
Last year Gymboree had most of their coats marked down to $10 on Black Friday. You had to get there early (relatively, they didn’t open until 9), but it was a great deal. Anyone know if that’s annual?
Land’s End Overstocks consistently have the best coats (I think) for super cheap prices.
I live in the Chicago suburbs and there’s a local chain called Uncle Dan’s that is basically an REI type outdoors gear store. They have all the new winter coats out on the floor but that meant what they had left of last year’s styles were in the clearance section – two weeks ago I bought a North Face down coat for my 4-yr-old daughter – orig $179 (btw it still is that price online), marked down to $99, w/an extra 20% off clearance items it came out to $80 – and I bought it during tax-free week! I got a similar bargain on a Patagonia coat for my son. I would never buy full-price items there but it goes to show that good bargains can be had at some of the smaller stores.
I second Lands End overstocks. Right now they still have some outerwear from last year in stock–I got a great lined raincoat for my toddler for $10 and a nice raincoat for myself for $40. Luckily we don’t need thick outwear where we live, so I’m not sure about the really cold weather gear.
Today I posted how you can get a 50% off deal on the newest winter coats on Lands End.com. Lands End jackets are guaranteed and if you have a problem, just mail it in and they fix it or replace it. I only buy jackets with guarantees like Columbia or Lands End and buy on clearance. But for those who have to buy for this season, this deal is amazing. I got my daughter a $59.50 squall jacket for $29.75 when I bought a regular price item (mittens) and when you spend $50 its shipped free.
I also buy big enough to last two seasons.
http://thirteenandfrugal.blogspot.com/2010/08/get-lands-end-outerwear-deal-save-50.html