PURCHASE TIMING
Best Times to Buy: A Planning Framework
There is no single best shopping date for every product. Timing usually depends on three things: seasonal demand, retailer promotion cycles and whether a newer product generation is approaching.
Separate need-based purchases from flexible purchases
If a product is needed immediately, waiting several weeks for a possible sale can cost more in inconvenience than the expected savings.
Flexible purchases are better candidates for timing strategies because you can watch a category across several promotional periods.
Watch predictable retail seasons
Back-to-school, holiday gifting, spring home projects and major weekend promotions can change which categories retailers emphasize.
The useful question is not simply whether a sale exists, but whether your category is one of the categories retailers are actively competing on during that period.
Consider product refresh cycles
When a newer model is introduced, the prior generation can become a better value if its features still meet your needs.
Newer is not automatically better for every shopper, especially when the outgoing model receives a meaningful price reduction.