Memorial Day vs Labor Day Sales: Which Categories Actually Deliver the Biggest Savings

Last updated: October 9, 2026

Every spring we hear the same question: should you buy during Memorial Day sales or wait for Labor Day? Here at Deal Drop Today, we track which discounts are real and which ones only look good on a banner. The honest answer is that it depends on what you’re buying. Some categories hit their lowest prices in late May. Others don’t bottom out until September. Below are the five categories where timing matters most, and which holiday came out ahead for each one.

Labor Day 2026 is behind us and Memorial Day 2027 is coming, so this is a good time to look back at how both holidays actually went this year. We gathered survey data, real 2026 deal examples and expert commentary. With those, you can plan your next big purchase on evidence instead of guesswork. All the deals below are past examples, not live offers.

How Shoppers Approached Memorial Day Sales in 2026

Interest in Memorial Day sales jumped this year. A RetailMeNot survey of about 1,023 U.S. adults found that 54% planned to buy something over the holiday weekend, up from 36% in 2025. That’s a big jump in the number of people planning to buy something in a single year.

Here’s the twist: average planned spending dropped sharply, from $289 to just $86. More people showed up, but they came with smaller budgets and a sharper eye for value. That fits a pattern we’ve seen all year. Shoppers are still buying, just more carefully and with more intention.

Patience is part of the plan for a lot of people. In the same survey, 35% said they were “very likely” and another 31% “somewhat likely” to wait for Memorial Day sales before making a major purchase. That’s about two out of three shoppers timing big buys around the holiday on purpose.

So what were people planning to buy? According to RetailMeNot, the top categories were:

• Grills and outdoor cooking: 28%
• Summer apparel: 27%
• Home goods and decor: 21%
• Electronics: 18%
• Pool and beach gear: 18%

Where people shopped matters too. Numerator found that 57% of Memorial Day shoppers planned to visit Walmart, while 22% named Amazon and another 22% named Aldi. Food topped shopping lists at 81%. For many families, the long weekend is as much about cookouts as it is about big-ticket deals.

Travel competed for the same dollars. PwC’s 2026 summer spending poll found that 34% of adults planned to travel over Memorial Day weekend, and they expected to spend about $898 on average. If a trip is taking that much of your budget, getting the timing right on everything else matters even more.

Why Big-Ticket Items Dominate Memorial Day Sales

There’s a simple reason mattresses, appliances and furniture lead almost every roundup of Memorial Day sales. A marketing professor quoted in Scripps local news coverage explained that big-ticket items have large profit margins. That gives retailers room to offer deeper discounts and still come out ahead.

That’s why appliances, furniture, mattresses, home improvement items and grills all cluster around the holiday. Retailers can cut prices sharply on these products without losing money. The same Scripps coverage noted that mattress discounts of 40% to 60% off MSRP are common during this window.

Timing helps too. Late May is a natural moment for home projects. Warmer weather brings yard work, renovations and the start of moving season, so retailers promote the things shoppers are already planning to buy.

Labor Day works differently. In 2026 it fell on September 7, right as retailers were switching over to fall and holiday stock. Spring sales are about getting you ready for summer. Fall sales are mostly about clearing shelves. Keep that difference in mind, because it explains most of the results below.

Category 1: Mattresses (Winner: Memorial Day, Barely)

Memorial Day sales shine for mattresses more than for almost anything else. The 2026 lineup was full of strong offers, according to deal roundups from ABC7 and NBC Select:

• Tempur-Pedic: up to 40% off eligible mattresses
• Saatva: up to $500 off
• Nolah: up to 35% off sitewide
• Casper: up to 30% off
• Amerisleep: up to $1,000 off

TechRadar also flagged DreamCloud running up to 60% off sitewide. That lines up with the 40% to 60% range Scripps described as typical. When several major brands compete in the same week, shoppers get the benefit.

Does Labor Day compete? Yes, quite a bit. NBC Select’s experts listed mattresses among the strongest Labor Day categories, and Analytics Insight said Labor Day mattress pricing “genuinely rivals or beats” later-year sales. If you miss the spring window, you haven’t lost your chance.

Our take: Memorial Day gets a slight edge because the promotions are so widespread and competitive. Either holiday is a solid time to buy, though. The real mistake is paying full price on a random weekend in March or July.

Category 2: Major Appliances (Winner: Memorial Day)

Appliances are another category where Memorial Day sales usually deliver. In 2026, TechRadar reported that Home Depot, Lowe’s and Best Buy all started their major-appliance sales early. That gave shoppers extra days to compare prices before the holiday weekend.

Labor Day also brings appliance discounts, but experts were less excited about them. Analytics Insight said Labor Day appliance deals are worth taking if you’d already planned the purchase, but not worth rushing for. That’s a good rule for any holiday: a sale only saves you money if you needed the item anyway.

A smart approach is to start watching prices a couple of weeks before Memorial Day. Major retailers launch early, so you can track a specific washer or refrigerator model and see whether the “holiday price” is actually lower or just has a new label.

Delivery and installation are another reason to buy in spring. If your old refrigerator is struggling, replacing it before the summer heat is far less stressful than waiting for it to fail in August.

Category 3: Grills and Patio Furniture (Winner: Labor Day)

This is where things get interesting. Grills and outdoor cooking topped the RetailMeNot wish list at 28%, and they’re among the most heavily promoted items in Memorial Day sales. But the most heavily promoted items aren’t always the cheapest.

According to Scripps local news coverage, grills and in-season patio furniture are usually cheaper after Labor Day. That’s when retailers need to clear summer stock to make room for fall and holiday merchandise. Outdoor seasonal goods are the clearest case where Labor Day wins outright.

Analytics Insight agrees, saying Labor Day pricing on outdoor furniture “genuinely rivals or beats” later sales. Retailers would rather sell a patio set at a steep discount in September than store it in a warehouse until next spring. Pool and beach gear often follows the same end-of-season pattern.

So should you skip grills in May? Not necessarily. Buy one during Memorial Day sales and you get three-plus months of cookouts. Wait until September and you’ll save more, but the grill will mostly sit unused until next year. Decide which matters more to you: the lowest price or a summer of use.

Category 4: Summer Apparel (Winner: Labor Day)

Summer clothing was the second most popular planned category for Memorial Day at 27%. You’ll find fresh-season promotions in late May, but those discounts are usually modest. The clothes are brand new and in demand, so retailers don’t need to cut prices deeply.

By Labor Day, that changes. NBC Select’s experts named warm-weather fashion among the strongest Labor Day categories, with headline deals of “up to 75% off” at retailers like Amazon, Old Navy and REI. That’s end-of-season clearance pricing, and it’s hard to beat.

The trade-off is selection. By September, popular sizes and colors may be gone. If you need a specific swimsuit for a June vacation, buy it in May. If you’re stocking up on basics like shorts, tees and sandals for next year, Labor Day has the better bargains.

Category 5: Electronics (Winner: Neither, Wait for Black Friday)

Electronics made the Memorial Day list at 18%, but this is the category where we’d be most careful. Both Memorial Day sales and Labor Day sales feature TV and laptop deals, yet neither usually beats what shows up in November.

Analytics Insight’s advice is simple: only buy a TV or laptop during a summer holiday sale if the price is at or below its historical low. Otherwise, waiting for Black Friday is the safer bet. Price-history tools and browser extensions can show you a product’s past lows in seconds.

The exception is urgency. If your laptop dies in May and you need one for work, a holiday discount still beats paying full price. Just don’t buy a new TV in spring because a banner says “sale.” The bigger price cuts are usually only a few months away.

Memorial Day Sales vs Labor Day: Quick Scorecard

Here’s how the two holidays compare, based on 2026 coverage from TechRadar, NBC Select, Analytics Insight and Scripps:

• Mattresses: Memorial Day by a slight edge, with Labor Day a close second
• Major appliances: Memorial Day
• Grills you want to use this summer: Memorial Day
• Grills and patio furniture at the lowest price: Labor Day
• Summer apparel and outdoor seasonal goods: Labor Day
• TVs and laptops: Neither. Wait for Black Friday unless the price is at a historical low

The pattern is easy to remember. Memorial Day is best for things you’ll start using right away. Labor Day is best for seasonal goods that retailers are eager to clear.

Watch Out for Inflated “Original” Prices

No matter which holiday you shop, a big percentage off means nothing if the starting price is made up. In July 2026, a Consumers’ Checkbook investigation, shared by about 10 local TV stations, found a Macy’s shirt marked 40% off a $149 “original” price. Its listed MSRP was $109.

A former FTC attorney said inflated reference prices like that can violate the FTC Act. Macy’s did not address the specific discrepancy. It’s a good reminder that a dramatic discount banner is marketing, not proof that you’re saving money.

At Deal Drop Today, we always check a product’s price history before calling something a deal, and you can do the same. Look at what the item actually sold for over the past few months, not just the crossed-out number on the tag.

If you spot a suspicious “original” price, you can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. According to the same Consumers’ Checkbook coverage, a report creates a record that helps future enforcement, even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate investigation.

How to Get the Most From Memorial Day Sales Next Year

Planning ahead turns a chaotic holiday weekend into a calm, money-saving one. Here’s a simple game plan:

1. Make a list now. Write down the big purchases you expect in the next year and sort them using the scorecard above.
2. Track prices early. Home Depot, Lowe’s and Best Buy started their 2026 appliance sales before the holiday weekend, so start watching in early to mid May.
3. Compare against real selling prices. Ignore the “original” price and check what the item has actually sold for recently.
4. Set a firm budget. Shoppers this year planned to spend an average of $86, according to RetailMeNot. A set number keeps you from getting carried away by deals.
5. Read the return policy. This matters most for mattresses, so check trial periods and return fees before you buy.
6. Don’t force it. If an item isn’t at a genuinely good price during Memorial Day sales, Labor Day or Black Friday may be the better time.

Final Thoughts on Memorial Day Sales vs Labor Day Sales

The biggest savings don’t come from picking one holiday over the other. They come from matching each purchase to the right time of year. Memorial Day sales are hard to beat for mattresses, appliances and grills you want to use all summer. Labor Day is better for clearance prices on patio furniture, outdoor gear and summer clothing. Electronics usually deserve a wait until November.

Here at Deal Drop Today, we’ll keep tracking the real numbers behind the banners so you don’t have to. Bookmark this guide and come back to it next spring. When Memorial Day sales return in 2027, you’ll go in with a plan and a budget, and you’ll know which deals are worth it.

Browse the latest deals and discounts at Deal Drop Today.

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