Best time to buy patio furniture: late-August

Retailers are constantly faced with the same challenge: maximizing their floor and shelf space. Some items get a permanent spot because people buy them all year round, while seasonal items have to share the same space and rotate throughout the year.

Stores would love to sell out of their seasonal items by the time the next season's display rolls along, but that generally never happens without a sale to promote them. And the closer the stores gets to that inventory changeover, the greater the discounts. That's why you can count on end-of-season clearance sales for just about every seasonal item.

Savvy shoppers who have the LOZO know to time their purchases with these clearance sales to get the same great items for less. It pays to watch the calendar, and the progression of sale discounts, to get the best possible discount.

It's no surprise then that items like outdoor patio furniture go on sale at the end of the summer, since retailers have to get ready for Fall merchandise. Furniture is big and bulky and therefore takes up a lot of space in the store, so they are particularly eager to move it out. Unlike some other seasonal items which might slowly progress through different discounts (25%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 75% off) you will often see furniture move very quickly to the best deals.

Some experts say that August is the best time to buy patio furniture and others say September, and they are both right because it depends on several factors including

• The store (and how much inventory they may have left)
• The weather (nicer weather may mean they'll try to wait to have more people buy at full price)
• The calendar (Thanksgiving is a key holiday, so when it falls earlier in the year things go on sale earlier)

If you are in the market for a bargain on patio furniture, the best thing to do is to carefully track the store(s) you might buy from. Check how much stock they have and what discounts they are offering. Ask a salesperson for the inside scoop which they might be happy to share: how much inventory is still in the backroom, when will they get discounted, and how much. Then check regularly (e.g., call the store each day) to see if the sale has gotten any better. Once it reaches your target price (75% is a great discount to aim for) then act fast to get the item you want.

Be sure to consider online stores for discounts as well, even on bulky items like furniture. While sale prices online at a site like Walmart.com or Target.com might not match your specific local store, it's a good indicator of what is being discounted. Plus you can find surprising discounts at places like Amazon.com and Costco.com which may include free shipping as well.

A LOZO expert posted this tip.