Grocery Sales Cycles

Grocery Sales Cycles – When Do Things Go on Sale?

Did you know that groceries go on sale following a cycle? 

It’s a little known secret that those who are serious about couponing understand. Serious couponers create databases for their regular grocery prices to follow the sales to save the money bang for their buck. 

Understanding your grocery sale cycles throughout the entire years gives you the insider tips on when to stock up on certain grocery items. Your goal is to purchase enough of those items at the rock bottom price to last until the next sale cycle price. 

Yes, that changes how you grocery shop entirely, but it’s worth it because you are getting everything for the lowest price possible. 

So, let’s take a look at the grocery sale cycles based on each month. The cycles are based on what’s happening each month and what is seasonal that month. 

January

• Holiday Clearance

The holidays are over, so keep an eye out for seasonal candy, Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, and more. 

• Cold & Flu Season

Unfortunately, January is also when cold and flu season is gearing up, so you can find tons of deals on cold medicine, multi-vitamins, and supplements. 

• Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday is often the biggest event in January. Look for sales on Pepsi and Coke products, chips and dips, crackers, snacks, wings, frozen appetizers, and pizzas. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, grapefruit, leeks, lemons, oranges papayas, and tangerines. 

February

• Canned Goods

February is the month devoted to canned goods, which seems strange, but it leads to bargains. Look for soups, canned vegetables, canned pie filling, and canned meats. 

• Chinese New Year

This holiday leads to sales in specialty food aisles, but you can find deals on soy sauce, noodles, canned Asian products, and Asian cooking oils. 

• Valentine’s Day Clearance

After February 14th, you’ll find heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, themed candies, perfume, and more. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Broccoli, grapefruit, cauliflower, lemons, oranges, and papayas

March

• Frozen Food Month

This month, there will be hundreds of deals in the frozen food aisles, such as pizza, breakfast items, vegetables, meats, and more. 

• St. Patrick’s Day

Look for corned beef and cabbage going on super sale during this time. Of course, Guinness goes on sale, along with fun decorations and candies. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Lettuce, broccoli, pineapples, and mangoes

April

• Spring Cleaning

Look for sales on paper towels, cleaning supplies, and garbage bags. 

• Baking Supplies

Look for sales on baking supplies like sugar, flour, cake mixes, marshmallows, cake decorating supplies, butter, chocolate chips, and more. 

• Easter

After Easter, you’ll find tons of theme decorations, chocolate eggs and bunnies, and egg-dying kits. 

• Earth Day

April also holds Earth Day, so look for deals on energy-saving items, eco-friendly items, reusable bags, natural cleaners, and organic foods. 

• Seasonal Produce

Broccoli, lettuce, zucchini, rhubarb, asparagus, spring peas, pineapples, mangoes.

May

• Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo is a super-fun holiday, and it’s a great time to find drink mixes, tortillas, spices, and liquor on sale. 

• Allergy Season

May is when allergy season starts to take ahold, so now is the time to stock up on Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, and generic medications. 

• Memorial Day

Memorial Day is the first grilling holiday of the year, so you can expect meats, cheese, BBQ sauces, condiments, charcoal, chips and dips, hot dogs, and buns to go on sale. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Rhubarb, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce, cherries, pineapples, and apricots 

June

• Father’s Day

This holiday is another grilling holiday, so you can expect things like hamburger meat, hot dogs, buns, chips and dips, condiments, and charcoal to be on sale. 

• National Dairy Month

June is called National Dairy Month so that you can find deals on eggs, milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, cream cheese, frozen yogurt, and more. Yum! 

• Seasonal Produce

Produce season is entering the heavy months, so you’ll see great prices on more. A few to watch for in June is corn, lettuce, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, and apricots. 

July

• Fourth of July

You can find great bargains on sodas, hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, chicken, BBQ sauces, condiments, charcoal, chips, dips, baking potatoes, aluminum foil, and paper plates. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, corn, watermelon, lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, apricots, raspberries, and plums 

August

• Back to School

August is the month when parents go into back-to-school mode, so you can find the best deals on school supplies. Plus, grocery sales will be on kid snacks, pudding cups, tissues, granola bars, fruit snacks, lunchmeats, and cheese slices. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Corn, cucumber, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, lettuce, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, and plums. 

September

• Labor Day

This holiday is the last grilling holiday of the year, so it’s the last time to stock up on those condiments and cook-out items. You’ll also find meats on sale at this time. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, grapes, and pomegranates 

October

• Baking Supplies

The holidays are coming, so you can start to find baking supplies on sale. Sales pop up of canned pumpkins, pie crusts, baking chips, chocolates, and other baking supplies. 

• Halloween

Of course, it’s one of the best times to great tons of candy on sale! Your kids won’t care if they get Halloween candy in their Christmas stocking. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, cranberries, apples, pomegranates, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and grapes. 

November

• Thanksgiving

The stores go crazy at Thanksgiving time. You can find sales on turkeys, stuffing, soups, canned vegetables, canned pumpkins, cranberries, gravy mixes, pie crusts, and baking supplies. 

• Black Friday

Of course, Black Friday is the time to get the best deals on electronics and toys as you prepare for Christmas! 

• Seasonal Produce

Pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, oranges, cranberries, pears, and pomegranates. 

December

• Christmas

Christmas is the season to spend all of your money, right? You can find tons of bargains at this time too. You can finally find eggnog deals in December, along with disposable containers, party platters, baking supplies, champagne, and gravy mixes. 

• Seasonal Produce 

Sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, pears, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pomegranates.