Bargain hunters watch seasonal clearance (especially Christmas!) like a hawk to know when to swoop in and stock up on wrapping paper, holiday decorations, gifts, candy and more. And one of the top places to watch is Target. However, this year, there’s something different happening with all of seasonal clearance still on the shelves and many of us, frugal shoppers, on the hunt have noticed.
Photo: Target
In the past, Target’s holiday clearance has been all cleared out by now. However, if you visit Target today, the shelves are still full of festive decorations, gifts and candy. (Previously, all of the holiday clearance usually hit 90% off on or around December 31 and everything was wiped out by New Year’s Day.)
What’s going on this year? We’ve been watching Target clearance closely since December 26 and are frustrated that the clearance prices are still “too high” in our frugal book. (As of yesterday, January 1, the clearance was still at 50% off for holiday decorations/gifts and 30% off for candy/food.) We were unable to get any official answers from Target, but we did ask around and found out that the popular retail store is expected to salvage its holiday clearance on January 9, 2026.
For those who don’t know, “salvage” is when Target sells all of the clearance left on the shelves to a liquidator or donates it to a charity to make room for the new inventory.
That means the holiday clearance should hit 70% off a few days prior and 90% off in the last day on January 8. Of course, this is all speculation. No official dates have been announced. It may even be sooner.
Unfortunately, all one can assume is that the extended clearance schedule is so that Target can make more money in the end. Of course, Target would probably put a corporate spin on it and suggest that the change is for a “better shopping experience” because customers now have “more time to shop for seasonal savings”. We all know the marketing spiel by now. Companies only care about making more money — not the customers.
As always, your best strategy is to simply check in with Target every day to find out when the clearance hits your preferred price point. (Yes, it can be frustrating to stop by every day, but the extra effort pays off. You can also call your local Target, but that can be frustrating for employees to be answering the phone all day. )
For us, the sweet spot for clearance is 70% off. By the time it hits 90% off, there’s usually not much left — unless you’re at Target the morning of the day it makes the final drop.
Target Clearance Shopping Tips
Plus, we always use these two tips when clearance shopping at Target:
Always double-check the price at a self-scanner. The price is often cheaper than what it’s tagged. Don’t always trust the price tag or clearance signage. We regularly find items marked down to 70% off, even though the price tag only shows a discount of 30% or the clearance signage notes 25% off.
And, most importantly, check other departments for seasonal clearance because many seasonal items often get put back in the wrong department.
Don’t just snoop around the seasonal section! Take a quick jaunt over to the candy aisle, health & beauty department and home décor displays to look for any festive or holiday packaging. That means the item is more than likely holiday-themed and available at a reduced price.
In the past, we have found huge savings on seasonal bed sheets, home decorations (pillows, kitchen towels, etc.), candy/snacks and health & beauty items just by looking in other areas of the store.
We hope this information is helpful in your quest to find the best savings on items for the holidays in 2026. Remember, the holidays are only 12 months away and it’s never too early to shop for deals — every true blue bargain hunter knows that!
GeneralFactotum says
Still at 50/30% off this morning (Jan 2).