This guide is for anyone planning a bigger purchase, such as a sofa, a laptop or a winter coat, who would rather wait for a sale than pay full price. It sets out when the biggest UK retail sales happen and what tends to be cheapest in each one.
Exact dates vary each year, so we give months rather than days. Retailers also add and drop events, so check their own announcements as each sale gets closer.
When are the main UK sales each year?
The UK sales calendar now runs from January to December, with a big event in most months. The table below shows the usual timing and the categories that tend to see the deepest cuts.
| Month | Main events | Often cheapest |
|---|---|---|
| January | January sales | Winter clothing, furniture, Christmas stock, fitness kit |
| March or April | Easter weekend, spring mid-season sales | DIY, garden, home, spring fashion |
| May | Two bank holiday weekends | Garden furniture, barbecues, appliances |
| July | Amazon Prime Day and rival events, summer clearance | Smart devices, electronics, summer clothing |
| August | Back to school, bank holiday weekend | Laptops, uniform, stationery |
| October | Autumn mid-season sales, a second Amazon event in some years | Fashion, early Christmas gifts |
| November | Black Friday and Cyber Monday | Tech, TVs, toys, beauty gift sets |
| December | Boxing Day sales | Sofas, homeware, fashion |
You can see what is running now on our current sales page.
Winter sales
The winter sales run from Boxing Day to the end of January. They are the longest stretch of discounts in the year and the best time to buy seasonal stock that shops need to clear.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is the traditional start of the winter sales. Online, many retailers now begin on Christmas Day evening or at midnight. Fashion, homeware and furniture lead the way, and sofa retailers often treat this week as their biggest of the year.
Tech and gaming deals from Black Friday often come back at the same price. If you were given gift cards, this is a good week to spend them, as long as the retailer accepts them on sale items.
The January sales
The January sales carry on through most of the month. The biggest cuts are on winter coats, knitwear, partywear, decorations and gift sets. Furniture and fitness equipment also sell well, as people start the year wanting a change.
Decide before Christmas what you need, then wait. A £120 coat cut to £72 saves you £48, but only if you were going to buy a coat anyway. Popular sizes go in the first few days, so being early can matter more than the lowest price.
Spring and summer sales
Between Easter and August, sales are shorter and centre on long weekends, the change of season or one big online event.
Easter and the May bank holidays
Easter falls in late March or April, depending on the year. The four-day weekend is now a reliable sale for DIY, garden and home retailers such as B&Q. Paint, lawnmowers and garden furniture are pushed hard on the first long weekend outdoors.
The two May bank holidays follow the same pattern, and so does the August one. These sales usually last three or four days, so check prices on the Friday before each long weekend.
Mid-season fashion sales
Fashion retailers hold mid-season sales around April to May and again around October. Cuts tend to be smaller, but the range is fuller and sizes are easier to find. That makes them a good choice if you want this season's styles rather than leftovers.
Amazon Prime Day
Prime Day usually takes place in July and runs for about two days. The deals are for Prime members, with the biggest cuts often on Amazon's own devices. Other retailers tend to run rival events in the same week, so compare prices rather than assume Amazon UK is cheapest.
Back to school in August
August is the main month for school uniform, shoes and stationery. Supermarkets and clothing chains compete hard in the first half of the month. Tech retailers also push laptops and tablets for students, which makes August one of the better times to buy a mid-range laptop outside November.
Autumn sales and Black Friday
Black Friday is the Friday after US Thanksgiving, so it lands in late November. In the UK it has grown into a sales period lasting a week or more, with smaller events leading up to it.
October events
In some years Amazon holds a second members-only event in the autumn, often in October. Fashion brands also run their autumn mid-season sales around this time. Both are useful for early Christmas shopping before the November rush.
Black Friday week
Many retailers start Black Friday pricing a week or two early and keep it going until Cyber Monday. The strongest categories are tech, TVs, large appliances, toys, gaming and beauty gift sets. Because the event is so long, you rarely need to shop on the Friday itself.
Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday. Some retailers add fresh stock or new offers once the weekend rush is over.
Are Black Friday deals really the cheapest?
Many Black Friday deals are not the lowest price of the year. Consumer research has repeatedly found items selling for the same or less at other times. A "was" price can also reflect a short spell at a higher price rather than what the item usually costs.
The simple fix is to make a shortlist in October and note the prices. Only buy in November if the price actually falls. Our guide on checking whether an online deal is worth it walks through the full routine.
How can you get early access to sales?
Signing up to a retailer's newsletter or app is the most reliable way in. Many shops give subscribers early access, sometimes a day or more before the public sale starts. Pick the two or three retailers you use most, so your inbox stays manageable.
Saving items to a wishlist also helps, as some retailers email you when the price drops. For Prime Day, the entry ticket is a paid Prime membership.
Can you use a discount code in a sale?
Some retailers accept codes on reduced items, but many exclude sale stock in the code's terms. Read the small print before you count on using both.
When a code does work on top of a sale, the extra saving can be large. As an illustration, 10% off a sofa already cut from £800 to £600 takes off another £60. Our guide to combining sales and discount codes explains what to look for.
Planning your year of shopping
A sales calendar works best with a short list beside it. Write down the bigger things you expect to buy this year, with a rough target price for each. Then check the list as each event comes round.
Knowing that garden furniture is cheapest around Easter, laptops in August and November, and sofas after Christmas puts you ahead of most shoppers. Buy when the right event arrives and the price meets your target.