Target Clearance Schedule: How the Markdown Cycle Works [2026]
Target doesn't publish a clearance calendar, but the markdown cycle still follows a predictable pattern once you know what to look for. Here's how the price endings, department days, and discount stages fit together, and how to use them to time your shopping.
Target doesn't publish an official clearance calendar. Markdowns follow a store-by-store schedule loosely tied to department — electronics and kids' clothing typically on Mondays, women's clothing on Tuesdays, housewares and shoes on Thursdays. Prices move through three stages: 30%, then 50%, then 70% off. The price ending on the clearance tag (.04, .06, or .08) tells you exactly where an item sits in that cycle.
Does Target mark things down on a set day each week?
The schedule is real but unofficial. Across the chain, the commonly reported pattern runs: Monday for electronics, kids' clothing, books, and stationery; Tuesday for women's clothing and domestics; Wednesday for men's clothing, health and beauty, and diapers; Thursday for housewares, shoes, toys, and decor; Friday for auto, cosmetics, and hardware. The Krazy Coupon Lady's review of Target store patterns notes that markdowns vary by location and can shift depending on individual store teams — the days above are a guide, not a guarantee.
How do Target clearance price endings work?
The cents on the price show where an item sits in the markdown cycle. When a price ends in .08 or .06, the item has been cut but has room to drop — another markdown should come at the next review. When a price ends in .04, the item is at its final markdown: Target won't reduce it again. Prices ending in .99 haven't entered clearance yet.
What do the numbers in the corner of a Target clearance tag mean?
Target clearance tags show the discount percentage in the upper right corner: either 30, 50, or 70. That number is the current percentage off the original price. An item showing 30 is in its first markdown stage. One showing 70 is at the deepest cut. When the corner shows 70 and the price ends in .04, the item is at its final price and won't go lower.
How does the markdown cycle progress over time?
Target typically reviews clearance prices every one to two weeks. An item enters clearance at 30% off and, if it sits on the shelf, gets re-priced at the next review — dropping to 50%, then 70%. The full cycle from first markdown to deepest cut can take four weeks or run past two months, depending on how fast inventory turns at that location. Shoppers who check back weekly can watch prices drop between visits.
How do shoppers track Target clearance without a published schedule?
Without a fixed calendar, shoppers track two signals: the price ending on the tag (to see how far along in the cycle an item is) and the department's expected markdown day (to time when to check back). Community threads on r/Target document real shopper finds and location-specific timing observations, including exceptions where a store's schedule runs a day off from the pattern.
- r/Target (reddit.com/r/Target) — clearance timing reports, price ending questions, and shopper experiences from Target employees and regulars
- r/frugal (reddit.com/r/frugal) — members share Target clearance finds alongside tips from other retailers
- r/pennydeals (reddit.com/r/pennydeals) — community submissions of deeply discounted items, including Target clearance reported by shoppers nationwide
How does Home Depot's clearance system compare?
Home Depot runs a similar price-ending system but takes it one step further: items can reach $0.01 — penny status — before staff pulls them from the floor. Target's clearance bottoms out at 70% off in the system, not a penny. Scavenger scans local Home Depot inventories and flags items likely at penny or deep-clearance status near your ZIP code, with no signup required. For the full Home Depot price-ending system, see the Home Depot clearance schedule guide.