Best Time to Buy Appliances in 2026 (Month-by-Month Guide)

Timing matters when you’re spending thousands on a refrigerator, washer, dryer, or dishwasher. Buy at the wrong moment and you pay full retail. Buy at the right moment and you can save 20% to 35% — sometimes more.

But here’s the thing most shopping guides won’t tell you: there’s a way to get those savings every single day of the year, no calendar-watching required. We’ll get to that. First, let’s walk through 2026 month by month so you know exactly when the deals land.

January: Post-Holiday Clearance

Retailers are sitting on leftover holiday inventory they need to move. You’ll find solid discounts on appliances that didn’t sell during Black Friday and the December gift season, plus floor models being rotated out to make room for new stock. January isn’t the deepest discount month, but if you missed the holiday rush, it’s a good window to catch remaining deals — especially on ranges and dishwashers.

February: Presidents’ Day Sales

Presidents’ Day weekend (mid-February) is one of the biggest appliance sale events of the year. Major retailers run promotions across refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and ranges, with typical discounts of 20% to 35%. If you’ve been waiting since the new year, this is your first major buying window. Bundle deals — buying multiple appliances together — are especially strong during this event.

March–April: The Quiet Months

These are relatively slow months for appliance sales. Retailers aren’t running major promotions, and new model releases haven’t started yet. If you need an appliance during this window, negotiating with a salesperson or shopping scratch and dent is your best bet. Don’t pay full sticker at a big-box store in March if you can help it.

May: New Refrigerator Models Arrive

May is when major manufacturers release their new refrigerator lines. That’s important for two reasons. First, it means last year’s refrigerator models get marked down to clear shelf space — often 15% to 30% off. Second, Memorial Day weekend falls in late May and brings one of the year’s strongest appliance sales across all categories, not just refrigerators. If you’re in the market for a fridge, May is arguably the single best month to buy.

June–July: Summer Sales and the Fourth of July

June is relatively quiet, but Fourth of July sales events pick up the slack. Many retailers run week-long promotions around Independence Day with discounts comparable to Presidents’ Day. Summer is also a good time to buy seasonal items like window air conditioners and chest freezers — demand is high, but retailers compete aggressively on price.

August: Back-to-School Lull

August is another quiet month for appliance deals. Retail attention shifts to back-to-school merchandise, and there aren’t major holiday weekends driving promotions. If you’re buying in August, focus on negotiating, looking at floor models, or visiting scratch and dent stores.

September–October: New Washers, Dryers & Dishwashers Drop

This is the big model turnover period for laundry appliances and dishwashers. Manufacturers launch their new lines, and retailers discount the outgoing models to make room. If you’re shopping for a washer, dryer, or dishwasher, September and October offer some of the best prices on last year’s models — which are functionally almost identical to the new ones.

Labor Day weekend in early September is also a major sale event. Expect 20% to 35% off across most appliance categories at big-box retailers. This is one of the top three buying windows of the year alongside Presidents’ Day and Black Friday.

November: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

No surprise here — Black Friday weekend delivers the deepest retailer discounts of the year on appliances. Doorbuster deals of 30% to 40% off are common, and some specific models get even steeper cuts. Cyber Monday extends the savings online.

The competition for the best deals is fierce, though. Popular models sell out fast, and the discounted units sometimes come with limited warranty terms or final-sale conditions. If you’re flexible on model and brand, Black Friday is excellent. If you want something specific, shop early in the month when pre-Black Friday sales begin.

December: End-of-Year Clearance Begins

December is a mixed bag. The first half of the month still benefits from Black Friday momentum, but activity slows after mid-December as attention shifts to holiday gifts. Late December and the days between Christmas and New Year’s can produce quiet clearance deals as stores close out the year’s inventory.

The Month-by-Month Cheat Sheet

To sum it up: the strongest buying windows are February (Presidents’ Day), May (Memorial Day plus new fridge models), September (Labor Day plus new laundry/dishwasher models), and November (Black Friday). January and December offer post-holiday clearance. March, April, June, and August are the weakest months for sales.

Why Scratch and Dent Stores Beat the Calendar

Here’s the part that changes the equation entirely. All of the timing advice above applies to buying at full-service retailers — the Home Depots, Lowe’s, and Best Buys of the world. At those stores, you really do need to wait for sale events to get meaningful discounts.

Scratch and dent appliance stores operate on a completely different model. They sell brand-new appliances with minor cosmetic imperfections at 30% to 70% off retail — every day of the year. No waiting for Presidents’ Day. No fighting Black Friday crowds. No checking your calendar.

To put that in perspective: the best big-box holiday sale might save you 20% to 35%. A scratch and dent store offers that as a floor, with savings regularly hitting 50% to 70% on the exact same brands and models.

The appliances are new, most carry the full manufacturer’s warranty, and the only trade-off is a cosmetic blemish that’s often invisible once the unit is installed in your kitchen or laundry room. If you haven’t explored this option, our complete guide to scratch and dent appliances breaks down everything you need to know.

You can browse verified stores near you in our directory of 728+ scratch and dent stores across 51 states.

Other Year-Round Strategies

Beyond scratch and dent, a few other strategies work regardless of the calendar.

Floor models become available whenever stores update their showrooms, not just during sales events. Ask any time you visit — the worst they can say is no.

Open-box returns trickle into inventory constantly. Check the open-box or clearance sections at big-box stores every time you visit. For a deeper look at how these compare, see our guide on scratch and dent vs. open box vs. refurbished.

Bundling works year-round at independent dealers. If you’re buying two or more appliances, ask for a package discount. This strategy is especially effective at scratch and dent stores, where margins are already thin and sellers appreciate larger orders. Our guide on how to save 30-70% on appliances covers bundling and negotiation tactics in detail.

The Bottom Line

Strategic timing can save you 20% to 35% at traditional retailers. But if you want the deepest savings without watching the calendar, scratch and dent stores are the answer — 30% to 70% off, any day of the year.

Find a verified store near you at ScratchAndDentGuide.com.

Find Scratch & Dent Stores Near You

Browse our directory of 728+ verified stores across 51 states.