Walmart Clearance Schedule [2026]: When Markdowns Drop

When does Walmart mark down clearance items?

Walmart clearance items typically get their next markdown in the first five days of each month, when stores run their inventory sweep. Wednesday is the most commonly reported day for that weekly cycle — department managers update prices overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Shopping Wednesday morning before 10 a.m. gets you in front of new prices before most shoppers arrive.

In the final three days of each month, stores sometimes apply a deeper cut to items already marked down twice. This pattern is practitioner-reported, not an official Walmart policy statement, but deal community tracking at StealAlert (stealalert.co/guides/walmart-clearance-times) and The Krazy Coupon Lady (thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/store-hacks/walmart-clearance-secrets) has documented it consistently across store locations.

How do Walmart clearance price tags work?

The cents on a Walmart clearance price tag show where the item sits in the markdown ladder. A price ending in 5 — like $4.25 or $12.95 — signals the first markdown: the price will drop again at the next cycle. A price ending in 0 or 1 — like $3.00 or $7.01 — signals the floor price. Walmart won't reduce it further before pulling the item.

This system is practitioner-reported across deal communities, consistent with what querysprout.com documented in its analysis of Walmart's markdown cycle (querysprout.com/when-does-walmart-mark-down/). When you spot a price ending in 5 on something you want, that item has room to drop. A price ending in 0 or 1, and you're at the floor — buy it or leave it.

Walmart clearance seasonal calendar for 2026

Seasonal clearance at Walmart follows the retail calendar with predictable timing. Dates below are sourced from The Krazy Coupon Lady's 2026 clearance tracking (thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/store-hacks/upcoming-walmart-sales) and Walmart's confirmed June 2026 Deals event announcement (corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/06/09/walmart-deals-returns-june-22-through-28-2026). Predicted dates are noted — they've landed within a few days of these windows in prior years.

• January (ongoing from December): Holiday decor at 75–90% off through mid-January; toy clearance continues through January 25 at up to 70% off
• January 15–February 10: Baby clearance — up to 70% off Graco, Evenflo, and similar brands
• February 15–20 (predicted): Valentine's Day clearance — candy and themed gifts drop 50% on February 15, climbing to 70–90% within a week
• April 21–26 (predicted): Easter clearance — 50–90% off themed items
• June 22–28 (confirmed): Walmart Deals event — sitewide savings including early back-to-school discounts, confirmed by Walmart corporate on June 9
• June 18–July 9 (predicted): Summer toy clearance — up to 70% off toys
• August 28–September 15 (predicted): Back-to-school clearance — supplies, backpacks, and clothing
• August 31–September 7 (predicted): Labor Day markdown wave — up to 70% off patio furniture, grills, and outdoor gear
• October 30–November 4 (predicted): Halloween clearance — 50% off costumes and candy starting October 30, climbing to 70–90% within a week
• December (predicted): Second toy clearance wave — 50–70% off toys
• December 26–January 2, 2027 (predicted): Christmas clearance — 50% off on December 26, 75% off in the first week of January, 90% off by the second week

Which Walmart departments get marked down first?

Grocery and bakery departments run daily markdowns on perishables — meat and baked goods get cut early morning, around 8 a.m., as items hit their hold date. General merchandise follows the monthly first-five-days cycle and the Wednesday weekly pattern. Seasonal departments (outdoor, holiday, back-to-school) clear on their own post-season timeline, independent of the monthly cycle.

Walmart's department markdown schedule is less fixed than Target's day-by-department system. Clothing clearance at Walmart doesn't follow a documented day-of-week pattern tracked by deal communities. Shoppers check apparel racks in the first week of the month when the general markdown sweep runs, rather than on a specific department day. The Walmart app's barcode scanner shows the current system price regardless of what the shelf tag reads — scan before heading to the register.

What happens to Walmart clearance items that don't sell?

Items that don't sell at clearance keep dropping at each monthly review — from a first markdown (price ending in 5) down to the floor price (ending in 0 or 1). At the floor price, unsold items typically go to liquidation or vendor return rather than dropping to $0.01. Walmart doesn't run a scheduled penny-item program for general merchandise the way Dollar General does.

Some shoppers do find items ringing up at $0.01 at Walmart self-checkout — a system write-down before the item is pulled. Toys, seasonal décor, and craft supplies turn up the most documented cases, particularly in the weeks after major holiday clearance waves. For a full breakdown of how the $0.01 system works and which departments show the most finds, see the Walmart penny items guide at scavenger.ai/blog/walmart-penny-items.

How to find Walmart clearance near you

The Walmart app's in-store barcode scanner shows the current system price on any item — the fastest check for whether a shelf tag is current. Walmart.com/cp/clearance lists online-only clearance, updated multiple times per day, though in-store inventory varies significantly from what appears online.

Scavenger scans local Walmart inventories for items likely at penny or deep-clearance status near your ZIP code — the free scan surfaces candidates to verify before making the drive, no signup required. For clearance timing at other retailers, the Target clearance schedule (scavenger.ai/blog/target-clearance-schedule) covers day-by-department markdown days and price endings, and the Dollar General clearance schedule (scavenger.ai/blog/dollar-general-clearance-schedule) tracks confirmed event dates.